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)

It’s exactly what you get from King- predictable b

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

Not great, but I enjoyed it as a good story and listened to it quickly.

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)

It’s almost like he didn’t know where to end it- there were at least three scenes before the actual ending- that could have resolved everything nicely. The actual ending was satisfying.

What did you like about the performance? What did you dislike?

Every old man in the story-and there’s a few- sounded like a cartoon character. A little too much on the accents. Still- you can tell all of the other characters apart well, and female voices aren’t bad- not horrible whispers like some narrators.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The chapters moved from character to character well, and there were very few slow spots.

Any additional comments?

It’s not a bad listen, but if you’ve read a lot Steven King, you’ll recognize a lot of rehash. Even some of the dialog. It’s like he tore chunks from Salem’s Lot, The Green Mile and maybe a little of The Stand –and pasted them all together, but it’s not as epic as any of those stories. You expect some repeat because it’s a follow up on Danny from The Shining, but it’s like he keeps telling the same story over and over. Not that you mind if you’re a fan, it’s a story you like- but be honest about and tie it all together instead of putting it out there and pretending it’s new. It's almost like he's too tired to write something really new.

Different from The Shining but a stand alone book

Wondered if I would like this book because of the bad reviews but needn't have put it off so long.

It was refreshing that there weren't 10,000 million dollar words in the book. Some of SK's books feel like he throws them in liberally just so you know how smart he is. This book is written down to earth.

I'd personally like to see the story continue with Abra as an adult, see how the rest of her story plays out.

Was very happy that we got to see that not all the humanity in Danny's dad died with him.

Loved it

I'm not big on sequels and I won't lie, I put this one off for awhile but once I finally decided to give it a shot I was glad I did. Well written and I like the closure it gave the shining while being its own separate story. Worth reading for sure.

Was a decent sequel

It was hard to get into the story. The overall plot is predictable and the most enjoyable parts come in the form of The Shining references. I felt it dragged on a bit and the characters were hard to really like. It wraps up pretty decently but I never really felt like there was any real danger. Our heroes are all powerful. Definitely not my least favorite King or my favorite. Somewhere in between.

Awesome narration!

Any additional comments?

Will Paton's narration was excellent. It added a level of scare that I don't think I would have gotten if I had read the book myself.

Redrum

I read the Shining in high school. This was a great sequel! Steven King keeps the great stories coming.

Another great Stepnen King Book!

Would you listen to Doctor Sleep again? Why?

Yes, but then I listen/read Stephen Kings books over and over again!

Any additional comments?

I liked re-visiting the characters from the Overlook. He did a wonderful job bringing it all back :) and continuing the story.

Here's Dan

Danny Torrence from The Shining returns in this sequel to the all time classic. The book starts off a little slow as King seems to be finding his way back into Danny's world but once he gets there, it is non-stop Awesomeness. A definite listen for fans who enjoyed the first book as well as newcomers who need not worry because the book stands alone as well. This time the Shining has guided Danny to help a young girl who has powers like him except stronger, but will the two of them together be enough to stop a pack of soul stealing vampires.

Awesome

One of the best I have read. Blends perfect with original. Hope there will be a 3rd novel

how do you top your most terrifying book?

This is not The Shining II, this is Danny's story.
Danny, now Dan, has grown up, finding a kind of life working in a Hospice where he is known as Dr. Sleep for helping the dying die peacefully; finding real friends in AA; and finding another with The Shining. With a new twist on vampires, King weaves a compelling tale of family, redemption and as always, good vs evil.
A word about the reader- I have loved Will Patton for decades...as Dave Robicheaux, but for this book, he made me cringe. His reading felt excessively dramatic and emotional, reminding me of Scott Brick, who frequently seems deliberately affected in his readings. I got used to it.