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Joyland  By  cover art

Joyland

By: Stephen King
Narrated by: Michael Kelly
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Publisher's summary

"Joyland is a breathtaking, beautiful, heartbreaking book.... Even the most hardboiled readers will find themselves moved."
—Charles Ardai, Edgar- and Shamus Award-winning editor of Hard Case Crime.

Set in a small-town North Carolina amusement park in 1973, Joyland tells the story of the summer in which college student Devin Jones comes to work as a carny and confronts the legacy of a vicious murder, the fate of a dying child, and the ways both will change his life forever. Joyland is a brand-new novel and has never previously been published.

©2013 Stephen King. All rights reserved. (P)2013 Simon & Schuster, Inc. All rights reserved.

Featured Article: The Shining—Book vs. Movie


Set in the claustrophobia-inducing snow-covered peaks of an isolated hotel in the middle of the Rockies, The Shining is a classic work of psychological horror that’s just about as chilling as it gets. But it’s so, so much more than your classic story of spirits and a man’s descent into madness—it’s also a tender yet deeply painful meditation on addiction, family, abuse, and redemption. Stanley Kubrick rejected Stephen King's initial treatment of the screenplay, and the author was largely dissatisfied with his novel’s jump to the big screen. So what exactly are the differences between The Shining movie and the novel?

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What listeners say about Joyland

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Not my FAVORITE Stephen King…

But definitely up there!
Charming story accompanies a less then riveting mystery. Softly written with believable, mostly sympathetic characters and perfectly delivered by Michael Kelly. Enjoyable romp through carnival life.

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Favorite King audiobook and best narration

Beautiful, haunting, and moving story brought to life by Michael Kelly who narrates the character of Dev to perfection. The plot is interesting and fun - takes me back to summer vacations and the simple joy of theme parks-but it's Mr. Kelly who catapults this title to the top of my audible favorites. His depiction of the sweet, heartbroken and thoroughly delightful Dev is the best. And the way he voices Mr. King's masterful language of the old-time carnies is uproariously funny. Plus we get a ghost story! I would have liked for the ghost story to be a bigger part of the plot, but getting to spend 6 hours with Dev and the gang is delightful. Mr. King - please write more for Mr. Kelly to narrate!

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Great story

Great coming out of age story mixed with a detective mystery and a little psychic energy.

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Not your typical Stephen King

I know I know people read Stephen King for Stephen King-ness but this book is not typical. It is sweet, fun, full of life, a great coming-of-age story and just a little bit ghost stuff.

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    5 out of 5 stars

Nostalgic

Maybe because I lived in that time, so I identified a lot of what he wrote - glad it wasn't as long as some of his other books

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When I finished it, I wanted to listen again.

You know King can chill you to the bone, but who knew he could warm your heart? This novel does both. I almost didn't purchase this one. I am a big fan of King's horror novels and fantasy, and this one was a coming of age mystery. A friend said it was great, so I took a chance. So glad I did. You will love it. The narration is great as well. Enjoy!

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King’s Best

Stephen King, perennial author of many a classic horror stories, manages to create a wonderful and compelling story. This book makes me want to go work in amusement park. The narration by Michael Kelly Is nothing short of lovely. He captures the characters well, and his command of different accents and voices make each role believable.

It’s funny that king is so renowned for his horror stories, knowing just how very talented he is In regards to other genres. Thinking back to the Green Mile, Rita Hayworth in the Shawshank redemption, and apt pupil, I believe King is at his very best when he is not creating monsters, but fleshing out deeply multi faceted characters.

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  • 08-10-19

Enjoyable

Short but sweet. You cannot help but care for the characters. Wish it had been a bit longer.

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Charming ,unusual Stephen King story

Very poignant, sweet story. It is also a coming of age story of a 21 year old guy in the early 1970s. Those waiting for the usual Stephen King touches of horror will perhaps be disappointed ,though there is a foray into the supernatural. Of all King books ,this character driven one reminds me of Shawshank Redemption. In all literature i have read ,2 short stories by Truman Capote come to mind... "A Thanksgiving Visitor" and "A Christmas Memory."
The narration was superb keeping with the tone of the book.

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From disappointed to amazed

The book starts off very slow. But the ending of this book is worth it. Absolutely fell in love with the book.

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