Horns

A Novel

By: Joe Hill

Narrated by: Fred Berman

Length: 13 hrs and 50 mins

Publisher's summary

Ignatius Perrish spent the night drunk and doing terrible things. He woke up the next morning with a thunderous hangover, a raging headache, and a pair of horns growing from his temples. At first, Ig thought the horns were a hallucination, the product of a mind damaged by rage and grief. He had spent the last year in a lonely, private purgatory, following the death of his beloved, Merrin Williams, who was raped and murdered under inexplicable circumstances. A mental breakdown would have been the most natural thing in the world. But there was nothing natural about the horns, which were all too real.

Once the righteous Ig had enjoyed the life of the blessed: born into privilege, the second son of a renowned musician and younger brother of a rising late-night TV star, he had security, wealth, and a place in his community. Ig had it all, and more—he had Merrin and a love founded on shared daydreams, mutual daring, and unlikely midsummer magic. But Merrin's death damned all that. The only suspect in the crime, Ig was never charged or tried. And he was never cleared. In the court of public opinion in Gideon, New Hampshire, Ig is and always will be guilty because his rich and connected parents pulled strings to make the investigation go away. Nothing Ig can do, nothing he can say, matters. Everyone, it seems, including God, has abandoned him. Everyone, that is, but the devil inside.

Now Ig is possessed of a terrible new power to go with his terrible new look—a macabre talent he intends to use to find the monster who killed Merrin and destroyed his life. Being good and praying for the best got him nowhere. It's time for a little revenge. It's time the devil had his due.

©2010 Joe Hill (P)2010 HarperCollins Publishers

Way Darker than the movie

Love Joe Hills writing. This one is a great story, but not his best. Still enjoyed listening to it. Looking forward to his next book being released in May of 2016. If you like a good Horror Novel this one is a must! The narrator does a good job with the characters as well.

absolutely amazing.

outstanding narrator. outstanding author. this book is my favorite of joe hill. entire book is brilliant.

Devil in the Details

The performance bright out what would have been a dull read at times. Hill is as great as his father (Stephen King) with storytelling but not as entertaining. Sometimes the story feel drawn out.
I recommend giving the story time to take off.

Never fails me.

Joe Hill seems to never fail me. this book was great. I really loved it.

Excellent narration!

Another fun, supernatural tale of horror from Joe Hill. And excellent narration from Fred Berman. He did so well in differentiating character voices in a way that flowed rather than distracted.

I think some of the musings on sin and the devil were a little lost on me, my not having a Christian upbringing. I get them, but they don't hit home.

Don't read that the wrong way, it's not a pious book at all. Perhaps the opposite. But it's set in a church going community and you get insights on how the different characters grapple with guilt within their faith.

Imaginative book

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

Yes. It's an interesting idea to wake up with horns sprouting out of one's forehead, and how that might affect your life.

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

The mysterious murder of Merrin.

What about Fred Berman’s performance did you like?

I believed him, and I always knew who was speaking. He adapted to each character.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

"Be careful what you wish for"

Any additional comments?

Glad this guy is writing. He's a new fave.

Waking up with horns after a bender!

What made the experience of listening to Horns the most enjoyable?

The story takes place over about 3 days with flashbacks which moves the story along. Joe Hill nails the teenageissues, first love issues, family issues, etc. The whole idea of the book, waking up with horns growing out of your head, is funny and unique and makes the story interesting.

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

I listened to the book over 2 days on a flight home from Hawaii and it made the long trip go by quickly and enjoyably. An easy and enjoyable listen for sure.

Which character – as performed by Fred Berman – was your favorite?

First time I have had Fred as a narrator...he did a great job with all the characters. He made them distinct w/o going over board on the voices.

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

It takes you back to first loves, teen years, etc. Kind of makes you wonder what people are REALLY thinking - and we would all know that if we had horns!

Any additional comments?

I am a big Stephen King fan, and Joe Hill (King's son) is doing great on his own and in his own rite. this is the second book I have listened to of his and they were both great.

Really original and totally entertaining!

"Better the Devil you know then the Devil you don't"... but in this case it seems most of the devils don't have horns!

I'm very impressed with Joe Hill's writing and ability to tell a great story. His father must be very proud.

Fred Berman was a master narrator .

The less we know about Lee the better.

The movie was a much better story. The background of Lee and his sick fantasies were not needed. I enjoyed the shorter less detailed version of the movie by the same name. Also the movie had a more romantic connection with the two main characters. The way the lead female was portrayed in the book was almost as bad as Lee’s background.

good but not great

didn't end particularly well, but it was a good tale overall. I enjoyed it mostly