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)

Will Patton is a fantastic narrator!!

A great story narrated by a great actor! I would definitely listen again and recommend to everyone.

Captivating with all the right twists and turns!

Did you always wonder what happened to the little boy in the Shining? Did you always wonder how he and his mother Wendy could possibly go on after the horrors of the Overlook Hotel?
I know I did.
Stephen King delivers a masterful sequel to the Shining that does justice to the original horror novel while weaving a captivating and entirely new tale.
I read this book back to back with the Shining. I recommend you do the same, you'll be happy you did, even if you them hiding under your covers!

Great sequel

It’s so hard to write a worthy sequel to such a classic, but I really think this one is worth a read. As others have mentioned, note that this is the sequel to the book and not the movie. I was so surprised the first time I read the book and saw how different the two were.

Amazing story as usual, and I loved the narrator- he really did a great job and kept things entertaining with the various voices and inflections. Overall 5 star book. Even if it won’t reach the same status as its predecessor, this sequel is still worthy of a purchase/read.

Two of my favorites in one book!

This is Stephen King in true Stephen King fashion, but as he ages he seems to be growing a little kinder and gentler with his characters, making his books even more enjoyable. This book has fully developed bad guys with completely novel evil traits, flawed but loveable good guys, and unanticipated plot twists, all presented in Mr. King's usual adept storytelling style. Then there's the narrator. I love listening to Will Patton read. Each character has a different, recognizable voice with a full range of expression, yet overall there is a soothing quality to his tone that is almost like a caress. Listening to him always makes me purr, and this book is a page-turner and a pleasure from beginning to end.

Love Kng

Another great story by my favorite author! Especially great if you read The Shining. But not necessary

the best

it's been a while since I was so hooked on am audio book that I spent hours sitting in my driveway and even listened while cooking. usually I only listen on my commute. a top notch story that it's the perfect continuation.

Doctor sleep

Good book, keeps you on the edge
It's a good sequal to shinning and has a kick off from misery

Doctor (put me to) Sleep

Great King book. Not nearly as scary as the Shining, but a solid book nonetheless.

Pure King

Just as the red sneaker from Pet Cemetary showed up in Insomnia, King has closed a loop on a young boy possessed of amazing talents and coached by a chef who always said "One day it will be your time to teach". The story is amazing in its believability (a King word), the characters so perfectly written to bring a reality to story that should be unbelievable. "Essence vampires" - no one would have ever dreamed of these beings much less how inocuous they are in our society.

This is King at his best, I never thought Insomnia or the Stand would be outdone, but this short novel (compare to the above 2) is my favorite. Good (Abra) and Evil (Baseball Boy) are so black and white and the suspense at the end is god awful but is why it is PURE King and why I pre-ordered the book. I was NOT disappointed.

To Abra and Dr. Sleep - sweet dreams!

Evidence of the true evolution of an Author.

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

The combination of great writing and an amazing performance by Will Patton

What did you like best about this story?

Obviously the continuation of the story of Danny Torrance is enjoyable though heartbreaking quite often. However, the comparison of depth an style to King's amazing original is a significant draw. King has always been good at his craft but this is exemplary of how he has evolved and grown as an author throughout the years. This is a complex tale with scary and terrible monsters and those are just the personal ones. The supernatural ones are quite fearful and mysterious with a solid mythology that roots itself in the birth of America. There are descriptions and scenes that are reminiscent of the monster maker that King once was. They spark nostalgia of those days of old. King still brings the monsters but he has become so much more than that as an author.

What about Will Patton’s performance did you like?

His 'performance' versus the 'reading' of some authors. Patton is a trained actor and he inhabits each of the characters with a unique voice and flavor that transcends a mere reading and instead roots the listener's attention with rapt attention to the story as it unfolds. I have listened to Patton's performance in the past, namely "Alas Babylon" by Pat Conroy. "Alas" was well performed but Patton continually finds his "feet" as an audiobook performer and each new performance is better and further fleshed out

Who was the most memorable character of Doctor Sleep and why?

The obvious choice would be Dan or Abra, and they are quite memorable. However, Concetta Reynolds, Abra's Great-Grandmother was so compelling complex and inhabited so many corners of the tale that she struck a chord with me. Her range of experience as a graceful beloved world famous poet to a cancer ridden, stripped bare woman detailed the spectrum of human experience with complexity, sadness and beauty that left me in a state of wonder and rapt attention