Joyland

By: Stephen King

Narrated by: Michael Kelly

Length: 7 hrs and 33 mins

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.

Simply the BEST

One of my best listens ever. Worthy of a 6th star in all categories. More please.

Really Good Tale

I think it's fair to say this is a quickie by King standards. It's a very good one. Like most all of his work the characters seem more like old friends, people you know and like and hope the best for.

It's a murder mystery set in an aging carnival type theme park in 1973 North Carolina. There actually is one here called South of the Border. Google it for a laugh. There's a very small supernatural element which has little to do with the story or it's outcome. In truth it would be a great thriller without any supernatural occurrences.

Just sit back and let reader Michael Kelly take you back to 1973. You won't regret it for a moment.

Not a horror story

Stephen King at his very best! A coming of age murder mystery. Great mellow listening while still holding your interest as only a few authors can do.

King Never Disapoints

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

YES! It is a great story, by the master of storytelling (in my opinion), full of mystery, suspense, humor, sadness and a great although poignant ending.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Joyland?

The kite flying day and just one of many.

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

No.

If you could take any character from Joyland out to dinner, who would it be and why?

Probably I should say Devon, but I am equally interested in the villain in the tale, whose name I won't reveal.

Why would I want to spend dinner with the evil protagonist?

Well, bad people who do really bad things are just as intriguing to me as the good guys. I would like to spend dinner discussing the bad guy's motivations and of course his upbringing which is the root of all evil, right?

Any additional comments?

Great listening and I plan to run out and by the book for my collection.

Not what you think

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

The voice talent is incredible

Who was your favorite character and why?

Devin. His inner voice was fun and curious.

Which character – as performed by Michael Kelly – was your favorite?

Devin. Michael really breathed life into the character, giving him subtlety.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

When Mike talks to Devin after his mother leaves the room

Any additional comments?

It was not at all what I expected out of a King book and more than I thought it would be.

Such a joy

Michael Kelly brings Stephen Kings words to life. For me his performance was brilliant. Good read, I loved it.

Just didn’t feel like King

Story was good, performance was as well.. only problem I had was it didn’t seem like your typical Stephen King.. it was as if he was trying something new and kind of lost his signature “sound”.. still a great story and worth a listen

Audio onions

Well I was expecting a spooky tale about a carnival and instead I got a nostalgia-filled, melancholic heart-wrencher with some supernatural elements. And I loved every minute of it. Somehow I could feel the peeled onions in my eyes and currently am wiping away the tears as I write this. Not the most original or unique book but that’s why it feels effective in terms of being nostalgic. If it hadn’t been for the performance of the guy reading it though, I don’t think I’d have been quite as effected. He was absolutely incredible! It really drove the little things home and made me enjoy it so much more.

Michael Kelly made this story great!

Would you consider the audio edition of Joyland to be better than the print version?

Thought the narration was spot on being from North Carolina. I really enjoyed MK's performance. Especially the scrabble pro Tina at Mrs. S' boarding house.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Dev Jones definitely. He was selfless and deep thinking character.

What does Michael Kelly bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

He was a joy to listen to I would buy an audiobook just because he narrated it. Unfortunately this is the only one I can find narrated by him.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

If time permitted I would have.

Any additional comments?

Please give us more narration by Michael Kelly!!

A roller coaster of romance and suspense!

What did you love best about Joyland?

Perfect length, well written coming of age story, colorful characters, and a murder mystery all rolled into one. Plus the story is set in North Carolina and not Maine.. YEAH!!!

Who was your favorite character and why?

The main character Devin Jones is my favorite character although I like each character (even Lane) for their contribution to the story.

What does Michael Kelly bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Michael Kelly did an awesome job as a narrator for this story. His voice appears to add the right dimension for the main character's age and adds individual characteristics to each individual's performance within the story. I will definitely search for more audio books from him.

If you could rename Joyland, what would you call it?

I think it is the perfect name, I wouldn't change it.

Any additional comments?

If you are a fan of Stephen King's: "The Body," "The Shining," or "11/22/1963" I think you will really like this story. The first and last book for their coming of age story lines and romantic side stories. The Shining, because they both feature children with "The sight." Although he does pine away for his ex-girlfriend throughout the book (and it can get annoying to some degree), that's life..we do it, or at least did it when "coming of age." In my opinion one of Stephen King's best books in the last two decades!