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Cell  By  cover art

Cell

By: Stephen King
Narrated by: Campbell Scott
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Publisher's summary

On October 1st, God is in His heaven, the stock market stands at 10,140, most of the planes are on time, and Clayton Riddell, an artist from Maine, is almost bouncing up Boylston Street in Boston. He's just landed a comic book deal that might finally enable him to support his family by making art instead of teaching it. He's already picked up a gift for his long-suffering wife, and he knows just what he'll get for his boy Johnny. Why not a little treat for himself? Clay's feeling good about the future.

That changes in a hurry. The cause of the devastation is a phenomenon that will come to be known as The Pulse, and the delivery method is a cell phone. Everyone's cell phone. Clay and the few desperate survivors who join him suddenly find themselves in the pitch-black night of civilization's darkest age, surrounded by chaos, carnage, and a human horde that has been reduced to its basest nature...and then begins to evolve.

There are 193 million cell phones in the United States alone. Who doesn't have one? Stephen King's utterly gripping, gory, and fascinating novel doesn't just ask the question "Can you hear me now?" It answers it with a vengeance.

©2006 Stephen King (P)2006 Simon & Schuster

Critic reviews

"King's imagining of what is more or less post-Armageddon Boston is rich, and the sociological asides made by his characters along the way...are jaunty and witty." (Publishers Weekly)

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What listeners say about Cell

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no bars

Pushed thru it almost non stop. Very good story line. Another worthwhile Stephen King. novel

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars

The Cell

This is an interesting book and gave me an enjoyable weekend's read -- but I am used to more from King. This book had a linear plot and was written from one character's perspective. I am used to enjoying bouncing back and forth between the "good guy" and the "bad guy" perspectives when reading King. Some of the scariest moments in his other books are when the reader is "trapped" inside the mind of the evil characters. The concept of this book is an interesting one, but the plot is not complex, the main characters are not very memorable, and I am afraid the book will be pretty forgetable over time -- unlike other King books that still haunt me (The Shining, Salem's Lot, ...). I wasn't scared at any point in this book, didn't care too much about the main character, but did like wondering who or what was behind the Cell "surge" that took place. This was more of a whodunit than a horror book. Not bad, not great.

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Always the endings

Stephen King botches it in the end again!! This book starts with k but veers off. I always say it, This was my last one.

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Amazing

The only problem I had was the chapter "Fading Roses" repeats at one point. Fantastic otherwise.

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First stephen king novel

I hate to say it but less then impressed. The book was slow. Almost like pulling teeth to finish. I listen to a lot of books. This narrator is one of my least favorites. A few time I thought to myself is it a computer reading.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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Unusual King Zombie Take

Very unique zombie tale that explores some of our relationships with each other...father/son relationships/friendships, etc. Probably focuses on our relationships with technology and issues in our society as a whole. There is plenty of action and gore, but it does drag a little in a few parts.

Narration was ok, but what’s with the music. King’s books seem to have this distraction more than other authors.

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Got weird. Lol

Would be a great opportunity for a zombie story. Got weird, quick. But still pretty cool.

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A very good book one of the better Stephen King books that I’ve read

Very good story and the best part is one of the best endings from Stephen King usually is endings leave you somewhat wanting but this one I must’ve met was one of the best endings thank you

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Excellent Suspense/Horror

once again the King had done it.
simply grabs you're nerves and heart strings and will pull them till they almost break.
thank you.

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  • 06-03-20

A zombie story in the voice of Bachman

This is a dark realm zombie apocalypse story with decent character development and lots of gore. I think if the cover wasn’t blown on Stephen King’s pseudonym we would have seen our old friend Richard Bachman on the spine. It’s a great story, just a different flavor of SK’s work.

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