Doctor Sleep

A Novel

By: Stephen King

Narrated by: Will Patton

Length: 18 hrs and 34 mins

Publisher's summary

Audie Award Winner, Fiction, 2014

Audie Award Nominee, Solo Narration - Male, 2014

Stephen King returns to the characters and territory of one of his most popular novels ever, The Shining, in this instantly riveting novel about the now middle-aged Dan Torrance (the boy protagonist of The Shining) and the very special 12-year-old girl he must save from a tribe of murderous paranormals.

On highways across America, a tribe of people called The True Knot travel in search of sustenance. They look harmless - mostly old, lots of polyester, and married to their RVs. But as Dan Torrance knows, and spunky 12-year-old Abra Stone learns, The True Knot are quasi-immortal, living off the "steam" that children with the "shining" produce when they are slowly tortured to death.

Haunted by the inhabitants of the Overlook Hotel where he spent one horrific childhood year, Dan has been drifting for decades, desperate to shed his father's legacy of despair, alcoholism, and violence. Finally, he settles in a New Hampshire town, an AA community that sustains him, and a job at a nursing home where his remnant "shining" power provides the crucial final comfort to the dying. Aided by a prescient cat, he becomes "Doctor Sleep."

Then Dan meets the evanescent Abra Stone, and it is her spectacular gift, the brightest shining ever seen, that reignites Dan's own demons and summons him to a battle for Abra's soul and survival. This is an epic war between good and evil, a gory, glorious story that will thrill the millions of hyper-devoted fans of The Shining and wildly satisfy anyone new to the territory of this icon in the King canon.

©2013 Stephen King (P)2013 Simon & Schuster

Critic reviews

"Will Patton's delivery enhances King's prose in ways that make King's work so much more enjoyable in audio than just reading it…Patton's narrative voice captures the rhythm of King's words. His character voices, filled with a variety of regional American accents, remain consistent. Most importantly, the sinister aspects that embody characters and moments of this novel are superbly executed and will certainly leave listeners on edge." ( AudioFile)

"King, not one given to sequels, throws fans a big, bloody bone with this long-drooled-for follow-up to The Shining." ( Booklist)

"…a gripping, taut read that provides a satisfying conclusion to Danny Torrance's story." ( Publisher’s Weekly)

As good as The Shining

outstanding narration, and the story was written by a much matured Stephen King. I'm going to have to listen to them both again.

Brilliant.

Would you consider the audio edition of Doctor Sleep to be better than the print version?

That's an irrelevant question.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Doctor Sleep?

Not one thing stands out as being more memorable than another, every moment is just as memorable as the next.

Which character – as performed by Will Patton – was your favorite?

Dan Torrence, hands down. Then again, he portrayed every character with amazing skill and great care.

If you could take any character from Doctor Sleep out to dinner, who would it be and why?

Abra, I think. I'd like to see what it looks like when the ceiling is covered in silverware.

Any additional comments?

Do whatever you have to to listen to it or read it. You won't regret it. Just remember, this isn't The Shining Part 2, this is the story of Dan Torrence, his hell and his heaven.

Excellent First Audiobook Novel!

What did you love best about Doctor Sleep?

The story and the characters did it for me....

What did you like best about this story?

The way it all came together at the end was great.

Have you listened to any of Will Patton’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No, but I can say he's one of the reasons I loved this book. I've loaded up other books he narrated in y wish list...

If you could take any character from Doctor Sleep out to dinner, who would it be and why?

None of them... they all are pretty weird....

amazing

as usual mr king delivers narrated by one of the best another home run if you ever wondered what happened to the boy from the shining this is it and more

Great story with an excellent reader!

What did you love best about Doctor Sleep?

I'm really enjoying the story quite a bit and I think the narrator really adds to my enjoyment. I love the way he captures the emotional content of the story.

Which character – as performed by Will Patton – was your favorite?

Probably Dan

Another great 18 hours

Where does Doctor Sleep rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

I end up endearing myself to not only the story, but the story teller as well and while I think Will Patton is an EXCELLENT actor, I so thoroughly enjoyed listening to him read my favorite author and he was exceptional at it.

What did you like best about this story?

The mental link between Abra and Dan

Which character – as performed by Will Patton – was your favorite?

Dan Torrence

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Oh yes! I had to stop go back and say "WHAT"! Great gotcha moment when we found out that they were related.

Any additional comments?

Stephen King is hands down my favorite author since I was a teenager and I'm in my 50s now. He is one of my comfort foods that was able to grow and age with me. I've moved from curling up in bed reading, to listening on long car rides while visiting my foster kids. I'm a GAL, court appointed special advocate. I travel my county to visit my kids. I don't have much time to curl up anymore, but I still have Mr. King. Thank you all for your questions.

awesome as always

great writer. as always K ing scares us and makes us love it. just fantastic

Stunning portrait of an alcoholic

The best heros are relentlessly flawed. Dan has his failings in spades. Beautifully drawn story of a life long alcoholic saddled with the double edged sword known as the Shining. Dan Torrence has a ponderous legacy from his father who tried to kill his son and his wife at the Overlook Hotel when Dan was five. As an adult, Dan discovers that even though he thought he could avoid his shining talent by drinking, some powers will not be buried, no matter how hard they are suppressed. Vampires of the talent Dan possesses will try to find and kill all his new allies in the battle between light and darkness.

Loved it! Stephen King is a great storyteller!

What made the experience of listening to Doctor Sleep the most enjoyable?

Will Patton's narration is perfect. He brings all of the characters to life. King's attention to detail is just the right amount to keep the reader interested but not so much that you get lost in the details.

What did you like best about this story?

The way it all tied in with The Shining and then moved on to tell another great story that tied up all the loose ends.

Which scene was your favorite?

When Rose is finally defeated and the good guys win.

Excellent sequel to the Shining

Although Stephen King is one of my favorite authors, I have hit or miss luck with his books Some I love, others I can't finish. This is one of his better ones as just as good as the original, the Shining. I always wondered what happened to the characters in the Shining, and now I know. It starts off kind of slow and "dark", but picks up the pace as it progresses. It is part your weird Stephen King novel, and part a story of redemption. I was excited to see Will Patton as narrator since I think he is one of the best. I always like his James Lee Burke narrations.

If you want to tackle something briefer, listen to Kings previous novel, Joyland. That was great too. Under the Dome, 11-22-63, and The Stand are also great. At the 50th anniversary of Kennedy assassination, 11-22-63 is a timely read.