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)

great book! excellent narrative

exciting book, you cannot predict the end. The narrative keeps you entranced and I wanted more!

Exceptionally Scary Read!

I absolutely loved this book. The twists and turns kept me on my toes. Highly recommend

A Haunting Good Tale

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

This is definitely one of the ones I would recommend. The story is gripping and the narration is tops!

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

When Jude and Georgia get in the car and go down see the sister of Florida. His out of body experience (for lack of anything better to call it) afterwards when he is witnessing what takes place in the home with the sisters and the stepdaddy - getting ready to drug and kill her. Yowza.

Which scene was your favorite?

I think I just described it above.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

It made me stay up past my bedtime listening to it. No tears, but lots of fears.

Any additional comments?

I will be listening/reading more from Joe Hill.

Poor narration

Would you try another book from Joe Hill and/or Stephen Lang?

Probably not. The story started to get very muddled 3/4 into the book.

What did you like best about this story?

The main character was interesting enough, but not to carry the story.

How did the narrator detract from the book?

First, there was horrible music that played between parts (I'm just glad it wasn't between chapters!) and the narrator spoke over some of it, making it hard to understand. As for the narrator, it just felt like he was trying too hard in some parts, but not at all, in others.

Did Heart-Shaped Box inspire you to do anything?

No.

One of the better ghost stories

Ghost stories must not be my thing because they can do a good job of making you feel closed in and a bit scared, they just don't do much for me. Heart Shaped Box was a very good book with excellent narration by Stephen Lang. I'm only giving the book 3 stars because I think the whole story behind how the ghost came to be and the characters behind it were just not that well thought out... if there was just some more behind the plot of this story I would have given it 4 stars. Still, if you like a good dark ghost story this is one for you. There is very little comic relief or levity in this book so be in the right frame of mind before jumping in.

Awesomely Creepy!!!

This is by far one of my favorite books. It is a creepy, intelligent, nail biting thriller that keeps you on the edge of your seat and makes you just a little scared to turn the lights off at night. The performance is awesome and actually adds to the intensity of the plot. The character development, action scenes and plot are very well developed. The story is a very original play on taking a character you normally would not like so much and finding yourself rooting for him to win against the evil that is terrorizing him. This is one of those books you keep handy to listen to again and again. I can't wait for his next book, Joe Hill is going on my list of favorite authors.

Great story

Incredible story, well written. Gripping from start to finish. Check this one out!! Great Read

nicely done!

loved it! well crafted story with a great narrator; good suspense and imagery totally creepy. quite enjoyable!

Masterful!

I feel silly that I waited so long to dig into Joe Hill's writing. It is creepy in the most wonderful way. Sublimely relatable, which sounds bizarre given the subject matter; but Joe makes it all seem so plausible, which is why it tap dances all over our nerves. It portrays the sloppy benevolence of us all, crashing through the thin veneer of reality so artfully that you never blink when passing through it, Bravo, Joe. Can't wait for my next read from him.

Good story but weird musical intermezzos

The story is suspenseful and at times rather creepy, which is good! The narration is ok, but every now and then there are (in my opinion unnecessary) breaks with weird, unsuitable music as well as some odd background music. If not for that, I’d give it 5 stars.