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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: Authors Like Stephen King


Best-selling author Stephen King has published a staggering amount of work, from gripping crime thrillers to epic fantasy series, winning prestigious awards. Yet King’s varied writing is united by common themes, styles, characters, and settings. King fans will recognize a book by him for elements ranging from child characters to atmospheric settings, from eerie psychological horror to New England locations. Undeniably, King’s influence is evident in many of the horror genre’s leading and emerging authors. If you're a fan of Stephen King, these horror authors should be on your radar.

What listeners say about Joyland

Average customer ratings
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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Very....."en-JOY-able" ;-)

Where does Joyland rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

towards the top.

What did you like best about this story?

I honestly loved the whole book. I hear a television movie coming, I hope.

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

He brings out the emotion and brings life to the characters.

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

Take a ride to Joyland just for the scare of it.

Any additional comments?

I really loved the characters, the colors, sounds, and the little twists. And I really have enjoyed the nice little departure Mr. King has taken in his last few books, but to tell you the truth, I can't wait for "Doctor Sleep" to come out later this month.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

I wish King wrote more of them like this one.

I really enjoyed this one. I've listened to many Stephen King books, and have bought audio books of ones that I've already read because I enjoy listening to the stories when I'm driving, jogging, etc. This one I particularly liked because it's a simple, engaging ghost story and mystery rolled into one. It's not overly long, involves a relatively small number of characters, and has a nice tone throughout. It has a different feel than some of King's other novels; it's not a horror story at all but rather a nostalgia tale with a supernatural twist. It was nice for the characters of Joyland to have the center stage.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Pleasantly Suprised

I have enjoyed all of the Hard Case books by Stephen King, but this is the only one that I have gotten as an audio book. In addition to the compelling nature of the story itself, Michael Kelly's performance is simply one of the best I have heard. It sounds almost dry and matter of fact, yet contains a depth of emotion I have rarely heard from a narrator. A somewhat understated performance that really delivers. I highly recommend this book.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Stephen king meets Walt Disney.

At first, I thought this was going to be a boring novel about someone just getting a summer job at a theme park, but as I listened, Isaw what Stephen could do with a crime novel.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Worth a quick read

I still think about the characters in this book every now and then. and that means it stuck with me. something about this book is special.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Wow. Listen to this book.

One of the best books I’ve listened to a ina really long time. I laughed, was On The edge of my seat, and I cried lots of tears. Such a great book!

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

A nice quick story

Any additional comments?

Another moving story. I really like the characters in this story. He always makes you see them as friends.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Slow start. Then gets good.

Slow start. Took about half the book for this to really get going. And then it was quite wonderful. The Narrator was solid, but not great. All in all I enjoyed.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

A Great Ride!

Would you listen to Joyland again? Why?

Yes, because it is so well written and I loved the characters.

What other book might you compare Joyland to and why?

After the night, because it was a very emotional listen.

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

He is an amazing narrator, I loved his voice it went so well with how I envisioned the character to be.

Who was the most memorable character of Joyland and why?

Devin because he is so kind, noble and honest. He is what a man should be.

Any additional comments?

I was crying when I finished this book. It touched me deeply.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Excellent book

Seriously, this is a great book and performance. Frankly, better than most Stephen King books, and I like Stephen King.

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