Doctor Sleep

By: Stephen King

Narrated by: Will Patton

Length: 18 hrs and 33 mins

Publisher's summary

An epic war between good and evil, a gory, glorious story that will thrill the millions of hyper-devoted readers of The Shining and wildly satisfy anyone new to the territory of this icon in the King canon.

King says he wanted to know what happened to Danny Torrance, the boy at the heart of The Shining, after his terrible experience in the Overlook Hotel. The instantly riveting Doctor Sleep picks up the story of the now middle-aged Dan, working at a hospice in rural New Hampshire, 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 tween 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....

©2013 Stephen King (P)2013 Simon & Schuster Audio

This man can write and Will Patton -- oh man.

What an amazing talent this author has. I reread The Shining to refresh my memory and the first thing that popped into my head after I finished the book was that it held far less of the shock element than it did when I read it at 15, instead it held the wonder of a well crafter work of art.
Then I started on Dr Sleep. Not OVERLY enthusiastic since I always say…. I like and much prefer 'OLD SCHOOL SK". To my delight the book was marvelous. Truly even better, more layered and the plot and theme running like a double helix throughout the book.
So it did NOT scare me enough to fear to switch off my light at night. However, it kept me listening and listening for hours at a time sometimes going back a chapter if something distracted me. A brilliantly written thriller by a true master of the genre. I am sure SK will entice tons of new 15 years old and make them fear to turn off their light at night.
At the end of the audio production SK himself left a note that exactly says, only far better, what I came to realize while rereading The Shining. We grow up. We change. The stories that scared us might not scare us anymore.
About the narrator…Will Patton. This man is a master of his craft much as SK is. He gave a tenderness to some of the main protagonists that made my heart melt and ache for them. Others was hard edged and others still was totally disinterested. All though were unique and his pacing and dialogue was brilliant.
WaAr

Will for president

Will Patton as the narrator...nothing short of brilliant with his performance, thanks Will.
Great follow on from the Shining...

Better sequel than I could’ve imagined

I was hesitant in starting ‘Doctor Sleep’. My reading of its brilliant forerunner, ‘The Shining’, had been ruined with Kubrik’s horrific on-screen interpretation of King’s classic. So I was worried with having another thing ruin my initial experience of the book I had loved so much. But, I’m relieved to say, Doctor sleep was amazing in its own right, helping to tie in the loose ends of what eventually happened to little Danny. King is a genius and I couldn’t have pictured a better resolution to Danny’s story. The audiobook performance was striking and read so beautifully- my interest was held throughout. This is a definite read/listen for all stephen king fans.

The Shining returns

Doctor Sleep’s story follows Danny Torrance – the special boy who survived his father’s murderous possession by the Overlook Hotel twenty years ago – living a nomad’s life as he moves from place to place, wrestling with an alcohol problem that he uses to dull the effects of the Shining. His ability has become more powerful over the years and the demons from his childhood still haunt his waking hours and his nightmares.

King has managed to take the idea of the Shining and develop it in ways not before thought of. We encounter characters who have a fair bit of “shine” that manifests itself as different abilities. Some of these characters are good, some are evil. The latter includes the True Knot; semi-immortals who were once human, but are no longer. They survive by feeding off the “Steam” that children with the Shining produce when they are tortured to death. Of course, Danny inevitably crosses paths with them as he seeks to save a powerful child from their insane obsession. It’s a good story. Nothing wrong with it at all. It just doesn’t stand out from King’s earlier works.

As to the narration, I’ve only ever seen Will Patton in movies and was a little sceptical as to his selection as the story’s narrator. I haven’t ever seen much acting range from the man. I was wrong. Patton brings each character to life in a performance that I wouldn’t have believed possible from the understated actor. He is brilliant.

King By The Numbers

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

I'm a big Stephen King fan and have very much enjoyed his last couple. While this wasn't classic King, it was certainly an enjoyable listen.

What was the most interesting aspect of this story? The least interesting?

Finding out what happened to Danny Torrance after The Overlook burned down was the most interesting. Find out about The True Knot and, in particular, Rose the Hat, was often dull and predictable.

Would you listen to another book narrated by Will Patton?

I have; Alas, Babylon (which was fantastic). He's pretty good here and I have no problems with his narration, though he does sometimes get a bit over-wrought.

Was Doctor Sleep worth the listening time?

Way more worthwhile than answering the same question you asked first off in this review. Allow me to cut and paste...'I'm a big Stephen King fan and have very much enjoyed his last couple. While this wasn't classic King, it was certainly an enjoyable listen.'There. Happy now? Good. Moving on...

Any additional comments?

Not his best but plenty good enough. The middle third especially is outstanding, but the first third is too long and windy and the climax is oddly formulaic for King, something which can arguably said for most of the story. It feels like a good idea not quite seen through, if that makes sense.

A very silly story.

I am a great Stephen King fan and read everything he writes, even the shorter storys. But this is just the silliest book I have ever tried to read. I read The Shining on a fairly regular basis. So when Doctor Sleep came out I spent my credit without a qualm. After all, I can beleive in a haunted hotel with a drunk slowly going mad and as this is a follow up story about Danny, it should be good, I thought. But the idea of beings who live on the "steam" of terror, this is beyond my head to beleive in at all. I have tried to read it on several occasions, but each time I get to the "steam head" idea, my brain just yells, this is stupid. So my freinds if you can beleive in Zombies, which I am unable to do, you will probably love this book, but if you are like me, and used to Stephen Kings mind of Horror, I think like me, you should just give this one a miss.