Lisey's Story

By: Stephen King

Narrated by: Mare Winningham

Length: 19 hrs and 21 mins

Publisher's summary

Now an Apple TV+ limited series starring Julianne Moore and Clive Owen

The “haunting...tender, intimate book that makes an epic interior journey” (The New York Times), Lisey’s Story is a literary masterpiece - an extraordinarily moving and haunting portrait of a marriage and its aftermath.

Lisey lost her husband, Scott, two years ago, after a 25-year marriage of profound and sometimes frightening intimacy. Scott was an award-winning, best-selling novelist and a very complicated man. Early in their relationship, before they married, Lisey knew there was a place Scott went - a place that both terrified and healed him, could eat him alive or give him the ideas he needed in order to live. Now it’s Lisey’s turn to face Scott’s demons, to go to that terrifying place known as Boo’ya Moon. What begins as a widow’s effort to sort through the papers of her celebrated husband becomes a nearly fatal journey into the darkness he inhabited.

“Intricate...exhilarating” (The New Yorker), perhaps Stephen King’s most personal and powerful novel ever, Lisey’s Story is about the wellsprings of creativity, the temptations of madness, and the secret language of love. It is a beautiful, “rich portrait of a marriage, and the complicated affection that outlives death” (The Washington Post).

Don't miss more from Stephen King.

©2006 Stephen King (P)2006 Simon and Schuster Audio

Critic reviews

"As much about the facets of longtime marriage as it is about the characters themselves, Lisey's Story offers a poignant glimpse at abiding love and the tides of grief, and the internal language of relationships of all kinds." (Atlantic Monthly)

"In Lisey's Story, Stephen King makes bold, brilliant use of his satanic storytelling gift, his angelic ear for language, and above all his incomparable ability to find the epic in the ordinary." (Michael Chabon)

"Lisey's Story is bright and brilliant. It's dark and desperate. While I'll always consider The Shining, my first ride on King's wild Tilt-A-Whirl, a gorgeous, bloody jewel, I found, on this latest ride, a treasure box heaped with dazzling gems. A few of them have sharp, hungry teeth." (Nora Roberts)

Another great one!

This novel starts a bit slow but once it gets going it's hard to put away. Different then much of Kings writing and showcases his diversity as a master storyteller.

one of Kings best.

I never write reviews, but as a lover of most of Stephen king's work, "most;)" I have to say this is one of those that leaves you sated at the end, not all of them do.
It hits on all cylinders; a love story, horror story, tale of hard childhoods but how love can bring you through some of the worst things you can imagine. I felt I owed my first review to this bool....

Another great story by Stephen King!

You follow this story writer through the perils of creativity and the warmth of a great love story. A book I will surely listen to again.

Mare Winningham

Where does Lisey's Story rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

It is in the top tier due to Mare Winningham's performance.

What did you like best about this story?

The combination of a woman;s story by Stephen King and Mare Winningham

What about Mare Winningham’s performance did you like?

All of it. The reading is amazing. Mare as the young boy is just heartbreaking.

If you could rename Lisey's Story, what would you call it?

I wouldn't change it.

Any additional comments?

This purchase was definitely worth my coin and time. Thank you Audible!

Kind of a mess.

I have loved Stephen King since I was like 8 years old and have read just about everything he's put out. This book, however has been a struggle for me....for a long time. Sometimes when I start a book I just wont be in the right mindset and it won't click with me so I'll put it aside and come back to it later. This happened to me with King's Bag of Bones. I just couldn't get it that one when I bought it when it first came out. I set it aside and later came back to it. It's now one of my favorites and I've rad it half a dozen times. Well with Lisey's story I've had similar experience in that I had trouble getting into it. I bought it when it first realized in hardcover. I read a bit, but it didn't click so I set it aside. The hardcover is still sitting on my shelf to this day. Then I bought it again when it come out in paperback. I was in an airport and decided to grab something for my flight. Well I probably got as far into the book as I did the first time, again setting it aside. Then I picked it up on kindle one day when I noticed it on sale. I got a bit further that time around, but again ended up setting it aside. And then last week I listened to Pet Semetary and loved it...and I'm eagerly waiting for the Outsider to come out so I figure now was the time to conquer this book so I got on audio, figuring it would be easier to handle in this format. Well I have to tell you it was still a struggle. Is there an interesting story in here? Yes, there is. The idea of some nut wanting to get at a dead writer's unpublished work was quite cool, but I found so much of the story annoying. It feels disjointed, much of it slow moving, and there is just too many and too frequently used made up phrases and as good a job as mare Winningham does narrating it, hearing those bad-gunky, bool, smucing phrases again and again, spoken with that odd hillbilly accent almost made me want to quit this book yet again. But I didn't. I can finally say I have experienced Lisey's Story. I just can't recommend it. I've read plenty of reviews where people praise as a great love story...not in my book. If you want a great Stephen King love story/ghost story I completely suggest you skip this one and grab Bag of Bones.

Love, loss, and all that lies between

Where does Lisey's Story rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

It ranks about in the middle, only for the fact this book was so long and could have been shorter.

Would you be willing to try another book from Stephen King? Why or why not?

Why do I get asked this every time I review a King book?? I own almost 30 of his books via audible do you think I will try another??

Which scene was your favorite?

The whole book, you cant really pinpoint a part cause all of it is so powerful and emotional choosing just one small part would be a travesty.

Who was the most memorable character of Lisey's Story and why?

Lisey of course, her character is so human and grounded that her pain and joy really comes through.

Touching story about perseverance.

Ahead of it's time! especially in today's Political Climate. With women needing strong role models, Lisey, is one for the ages.

not one of my favorite books by king

I don't know if it was just the Storyteller in this book or the way the book was written but it was somewhat hard to get into.
The narrator uses one voice for for every character sneaking it hard to follow

listen more than once.

I think this might be my third or fourth time listening to this. and I will be listening to it again.

One of King's most underappreciated works

Where does Lisey's Story rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?
It's a fantastic audiobook and it certainly is one I will listen to again someday. This is a heavy listen so it's not one of my absolute favorites but I love the nuance and emotional depth this story has. Mare Winningham's performance is brilliant and I would never try to visually read this book after hearing her breathe life into Lisey. UPSATE: I am reading it for a second time and it is still a truly amazing performance and a book that, while requiring patience and more life experience, is a satisfying read.

What other book might you compare Lisey's Story to and why?
I look at Bag of Bones as the mirror image to this book in away. They aren't the same in many ways but they both explore the secret life of a marriage and how we both know our partners intimately and then in some ways don't know them at all.

What about Mare Winningham’s performance did you like?
She just really made Lisey feel real and captured the emotion well.

If you could take any character from Lisey's Story out to dinner, who would it be and why?
Lisey because she could use a friend.

Any additional comments?
Definitely worthwhile although its not one of those stories that immediately grabs you. It sneaks up on you and then suddenly you can't put it down.