Heart-Shaped Box

By: Joe Hill

Narrated by: Stephen Lang

Length: 11 hrs and 3 mins

Publisher's summary

Judas Coyne is a collector of the macabre: a cookbook for cannibals...a used hangman's noose...a snuff film. An aging death-metal rock god, his taste for the unnatural is widely known. But nothing he possesses is as unlikely or as dreadful as his latest discovery, a thing so terrible-strange, Jude can't help but reach for his wallet.

I will sell my stepfather's ghost to the highest bidder.

For a thousand dollars, Jude will become the proud owner of a dead man's suit, said to be haunted by a restless spirit. He isn't afraid. He has spent a lifetime coping with ghosts: of an abusive father, of the lovers he callously abandoned, of the bandmates he betrayed. What's one more? But what UPS delivers to his door in a black heart-shaped box is no imaginary or metaphorical ghost. It's the real thing.

And suddenly the suit's previous owner is everywhere: behind the bedroom door...seated in Jude's restored vintage Mustang...standing outside his window...staring out from his widescreen TV. Waiting - with a gleaming razor blade on a chain dangling from one hand.

A multiple award-winner for his short fiction, author Joe Hill immediately vaults into the top echelon of dark fantasists with a masterwork brimming with relentless thrills and acid terror.

©2007 Joe Hill (P)2007 HarperCollins Publishers

Critic reviews

• Audie Award winner, Thriller/Suspense, 2008
• Thriller Award, Best Novel, 2008

"Powerful....[Hill's] subtle and skillful treatment of horrors that could easily have exploded over the top and out of control helps make this a truly memorable debut." (Publishers Weekly)
"Mr. Hill elicits honest empathy for Jude, who turned his stage persona into a nightmare version of his fears and must now figure out what strength he has left for legitimate battles. This dynamic is both frightening and funny, and the book weaves together those two threads in clever ways." (The New York Times)

A truly great surprise.

I thought this was a great read. I didn't really know what to expect, but it came through with flying colors.

Creepy ghost story

This was a creepy ghost story, though some bits were predictable. Enjoyable overall. The narrator has the right timbre for these kinds of stories. He created the right amount of creep for this.

Entering

I wouldn't call this book scary, it was gruesome in spots, but not scary. It was entertaining and well written. The performance was exceptional.

I have one issue that drove me nuts ... the techno music ... I mean ... why? Here I am, getting into the book and BAM loud techno music ... that scared me more than the dang book. I would go as far as to say, it ruins the book to some degree.

Errrr.... Huh??

I just finished this book and I am still not entirely sure what the heck happened!!?!? The story was interesting, even if confusing, and the narration was great! I may just have to either listen again or read this one to fully understand.

Well crafted

I liked this a lot more than I thought I would. The characters were complex and well developed.

Pleasant surprise!

If you could sum up Heart-Shaped Box in three words, what would they be?

Smart, thrilling and outstanding

What was one of the most memorable moments of Heart-Shaped Box?

The moment the box was opened you knew their lives would never be the same.

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

Not sure

If you could rename Heart-Shaped Box, what would you call it?

The suit

Any additional comments?

The apple did not fall far from the tree. Joe Hill definately inherited some of daddy's litterary genious!

Wow !!!

Wow !!!!
Did I say Wow !!!!? First book I've listened to by this Author and I'm hooked. I loved the narrator as well. I'm still blown away by Scott Brick, but this guy Stephen Lang ain't shabby at all. Good Job !!!
Wow, Wow, Wow !!!!

Excellent ghost story

This is most enjoyable ghost story. Steven Lang does a superb job of narrating this lovely story. Seems to indicate that the only way to be cursed or haunted is if both parties agree to it.

Good

There is nothing wrong with this book. It’s characters are fully fleshed out and the pacing is perfect for suspense. The problem I had was with the MC. I didn’t like him. There are plenty of books I’ve loved that have unlikable protagonists, but with all of them there is still something compelling about the MC, something that makes you want to root for him/her despite hating their guts. With this one, with Jude, there was nothing. I disliked him and found no reason to care about what happened to him from beginning to end. I would’ve stopped listening except the overall plot was interesting and the narration was really good. So as long as you can deal with a very unlikable MC, it might be a good book to pick up.

Oldie but goodie!

This was the first Joe Hill book I ever read. I loved it then and once again when I purchased the Audible version. It's rollicking good fun with an aging Rock Star who crosses paths with an angry ghost delivered to his door in a...you guessed it....black heart-shaped box. Loads of action from beginning to end so enjoy the ride!