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.

Another Fine Story from Mr. King.

Though I enjoy reading all of Kings novels, this one charmed me in a different way. The story itself is classic and simple, but the performance by Michael Kelly was fantastic and makes it all the more enjoyable. A fine story by a fine storyteller performed by a fine reader. A nice way to spend a few evenings listening.

I would (and have... many times) recommend this to a friend.

No disappointments here!

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

Loved Joyland! Great summer fun read.

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

Plot was rivoting. Foreshadowing

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

Devin

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

The Summer of Growing Up

And the hits keep on coming....

Any additional comments?

The last few King novels have been some of his best work and Joyland is no exception to this trend. I hung in there with Duma Key but couldn't make it through Lisey's Story and then came Under the Dome and 11/23/63 and suddenly Stephen is back!! A coming of age story with bittersweet nostalgic remembrances of what might have been all rolled into a world that is fascinating and a little unsettling and scary. Memorable characters, interesting looks at growing up, first heart break, first summer job, getting old and looking back. Good read!

Stepping into the life of a young carny

If you could sum up Joyland in three words, what would they be?

Amusement Park mystery

Who was your favorite character and why?

Devon. A young man's journey growing up while trying to solve a mystery in an amusement park he works at for a season

What about Michael Kelly’s performance did you like?

He developed very good character definition with his voice. I had no trouble telling one character from another

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

Devon's journey into the past and his future

Any additional comments?

Very well defined characters. As usual, Stephen King is a master and luring the listening in and keeping him/her engaged to the very end. Well worth the listen!

This is a great read!

If you could sum up Joyland in three words, what would they be?

Coming of age

Who was your favorite character and why?

Why Devin Jones of course!

What about Michael Kelly’s performance did you like?

Yes! He did a GREAT job narrating this book. I felt like I was sitting at his kitchen table or on a front porch with him while he told me the most amazing story I had ever heard.

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

The very ending, I'm getting all teary eyed just thinking about it.

Any additional comments?

This was a wonderful story, not your typical creepy, how long have i been holding my breath type of suspense that King normally dishes out. YES, there is murder and suspense, oh my! But this story is so much more than that. Devin Jones is telling you a story about the most amazing summer of his life, the events that lead up to it and the life changing things that happened to him all the way up to that coming fall.

This is another great King book and I highly recommend it!

Loved, loved, loved this book!

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

Yes. It's a quick read, but such a good one! I love Stephen King's mix of mystery and wit.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Joyland?

I think it was when Tom saw the ghost in the Horror House.

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

His narration was excellent! He sounds exactly like I would expect this character to sound. He brought all of the characters to life wonderfully.

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

I think it would be Mike. He's one incredible little boy.

Any additional comments?

Stephen King never disappoints me. Great summer reading!

Fantastic

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

I've been a Stephen King fan for years and haven't been that thrilled with a lot of his past books. Jpyland is right up there in my favorites

What did you like best about this story?

.The way you see Dev grow up, his relationship with Mike

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

I have never listened to him before, but I certainly would again.

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

Parts made me laugh and cry. When Mike is talking about his illness I cried

Any additional comments?

This reminds me of older Stephen King. I LOVED it!!!!

I’m not surprised

Stephen King has been one of my favorite writers since I was 13 reading IT for the first time. It’s hard to believe all the imagination, ideas, and Intelligence that lives in this man’s brain. I am so glad he has been blessed with his talent and his willingness to share it with the world. Joyland did not disappoint and Michael Kelly was the perfect choice to narrate. SK really knows how to create characters you love, hate, cheer on, and those you want to get their coming upins. I really enjoyed this book.

very well done

The story was fantastic, sad but fantastic, and the narrator managed to capture the feelings just perfectly. He has a very smooth voice and I found it a pleasant listen to a story that has some pretty emotionally difficult parts.

It actually made me nostalgic for a time and place I never knew.

One of King's Best

I've never heard anyone mention this book while talking about Stephen King. Maybe that's because its one of his newer works, maybe because its on the shorter side... but regardless, I truly feel its one of his best. I haven't read all King's work, but I have read 15 or 20 of his essentials. The Dark Tower series, Salem's Lot, It, The Stand, etc, and this is a clear stand out for me. It is a much smaller tale centered around a ghost story and a college kid's summer working at an amusement park and the people he meets there.
I loved the characters, the setting, the sentimental retrospective through the narrator's pov... it was fantastic. This more than most books pulled me in emotionally. I truly felt for character's pain, and I felt joy with them at other times. It was packed with so much emotion, its really a credit to King and how great of a writer he is. This book goes well outside his perceived gore / horror legacy and tells a small heartfelt tale about a time in a young man's life. I loved it.
As for the audio book performance, this was one of the best I've heard so far. The narrator captured the emotion of every scene so well, it really sucked me in. Fantastic job, fantastic story. I don't read too many books a second time, but this one I surely will.