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)

Danny is back!!!

I am a huge Stephen King fan but on that note; I enjoy many of his books more than others. I usually know with in 10 min if Im going to be "hooked" or "just listen" while I go about my sewing. Within 5 min I was hooked in the most pleasant way! So much so at times I had to turn off my audio book that I was able to get work done!
I was transported back to the Overlook hotel and the fears that came when I first read the Shining in my teen years! If you happen to be a old time fan like myself; you will absolutely love this book and have the question we all have waited so long for finally answered.. What became of Danny Torrance?!

Top Notch

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

I can't compare because I did not read the print book. But, the audio version is wonderful. Although I wouldn't mind having a print copy to read on a cold winter day/night. This book would be enjoyed in both audio and print.

What did you like best about this story?

I think I liked best the fact that Danny's story from a little boy took him to a grown man and how he battled his 'own demons' and went past them.

What does Will Patton bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

He truly brought the characters to life for me. I have never listened to an audio book read by Patton, althoug know him from TV and the movies. I was truly very pleasantly surprised and pleased at what a fabulous job he did with all the characters.

Any additional comments?

I was 100% happy with the story and the reading. This one will be listened to over and over. Great job by King and Great job by Patton.

Another great book from my favorite author.

What did you love best about Doctor Sleep?

Finally, after 20 years, I finally get to hear about what happened to Danny

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

I don't want to give away any of the story. It was memorable in every way

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

I've never heard Will Patton before. He did ok. Not great, but certainly not bad enough to stop listening. I just wish they could have used Steven Weber. Not a lot of people know this, but he played Jack Torrance once. So he's already familiar with the material. Also, he did an amazing job reading "IT". If you haven't heard it, I really recommend you do so.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I wish I had that kind of time. Or freedom

Any additional comments?

It's been a long time since Stephen King wrote any kind of actual horror. This has gotten closer than anything else he written in awhile. I think this is very good and very much worth the credit and time.
I keep seeing comments about the Stanly Kubrick piece of trash that shouldn't even carry the name of the shining. I suppose I'm just prejudice. The shining was one of the first books I ever read. I read it at age 9. Then I saw that garbage in my early teens. Certainly not my thing. However, if your a movie person. They made a mini series in the early or mid 90's. It's a far better adaption. Stephen Weber plays Jack Torrance. Rebecca DeMornay plays Wendy. Check it out.

Outstanding!

Any additional comments?

This is sublime! Great story, believable and relatable characters, outstanding narration. Steven King AND Audible at their best!

No matter how well written a book is, bad narration can ruin the audio-book experience. That said, Will Patton is among the very best, and his reading of this book is nothing short of brilliant.

Thank you Steven King! Thank you Will Patton! Thank you Audible! I look forward to listening to this one again.

Fantastic Stephen King!

What a fun book! I liked it BETTER than The Shining. Of course, that could be because I already read and vaguely remembered The Shining. In any case, Dr. Sleep transported me to another world… the world of a good book. It was a good story, and Stephen King knows how to tell good stories. I really appreciate the naturalness of his writing.

Although a person would not HAVE to have read The Shining first, I DO think it adds to the enjoyment to have the details from The Shining in the mind while going through Dr. Sleep. It adds to the fun to remember Dick Halloran, Wendy Torrance, Horace Derwent, and even Mrs. Massey from room 217!

The SK of old!!!

Great book!!! It sucked me in right away just like The Shining did...I hope he writes another sequel to this one.

Great performance by Will Patton!

He will have you enthralled with his narration . I have listened to this book several times.

Thank you, King!

As always, a perfect story from King. A wonderful and welcomed return to Danny's life.

Good sequel , for new fans and old

Never like the original but still a good sequel , its nice to go back and see what happened to Doc (Dan , Danny) after the events of THE SHINING . Book has good pace a great new set of characters to continue this story as well as giving us enough time with old friends to bring a smile to us older fans of Kings work but it works as a stabd alone book ( i still recomend reading THE SHINING first )

What a story!

The Shining was another book I never read but loved the movie of. Now, I got my hands on the sequel, and boy was this continuation of the story awesome. I can't wait to see the film adaptation of this too, and maybe another entry into the story someone in the future!