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The Talisman  By  cover art

The Talisman

By: Stephen King, Peter Straub
Narrated by: Frank Muller
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Publisher's summary

On a brisk autumn day, a 13-year-old boy stands on the shores of the gray Atlantic, near a silent amusement park and a fading ocean resort called the Alhambra. The past has driven Jack Sawyer here: His father is gone, his mother is dying, and the world no longer makes sense. But for Jack everything is about to change. For he has been chosen to make a journey back across America - and into another realm.

One of the most influential and heralded works of fantasy ever written, The Talisman is an extraordinary novel of loyalty, awakening, terror, and mystery. Jack Sawyer, on a desperate quest to save his mother's life, must search for a prize across an epic landscape of innocents and monsters, of incredible dangers and even more incredible truths. The prize is essential, but the journey means even more. Let the quest begin....

©2001 Simon & Schuster; 2001 Stephen King and Peter Straub

Critic reviews

Audie Award Winner, Fiction (unabridged), 2002
"A classic...rare and dazzling...a journey to rival the greatest adventure stories ever told." ( New York Daily News)
"Extraordinary...makes your hair stand on end." ( The Washington Post)

Featured Article: We're Your #1 Fans—A Stephen King Character Guide


With a mind-boggling portfolio of 62 novels and more than 200 short stories (and counting!), Stephen King undeniably reigns supreme over literary horror. From Danny Torrance to the dreaded Pennywise, check out some of his most iconic characters with this comprehensive look. (But beware: there are spoilers ahead! So, much like when you press play on a Stephen King audiobook, you should proceed with caution.)

What listeners say about The Talisman

Average customer ratings
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    3 out of 5 stars

Graphic and full of emotion

Although the story did not grab my attention immediately it did gain momentum and I remained engage throughout. I feel in love and hated many of the characters which reminded me of real life. The narrators was good and his breadth of character voices made the story come alive.

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

a long adventure.

parts were drawn out where a shorter explaination could have gotten the same results but it kept my attention/interest. and the descriptions made you feel like I was traveling along side Jack the entire book.

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

not what I expected

definitely a tale I enjoyed. I had expected a horror and got an adventure. it's a great coming of age story with just the right level of fantasy

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

A boy living his nightmare to save his mother(s)

It wasn't long into this book before the "flavor" of the "Dark Tower" series was felt. There is no (direct) connection to the Dark Tower series, but this book certainly has the mouth feel of the tower. It was hard to stop listening, but I had to ration myself so I could actually get some work done.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Muller excellence

Frank once again captures the story with his wonderful story telling talents...
i found the actual story more of a dark tower type feel. but it was well read.
thanks again for the entertainment

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Love king

Went back and listened to not read this book. I remember wolf being so much more of a "character". Still love it though. Now on to black house.

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yes

was a most good and I need twenty words so yeah this is just a bunch of words

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Whoa

I thought the book was awesome I will not make this review 2 miles long and give you too much plaque in detail. It was worth the listen I can imagine it will be worth the read as well. Now I'm moving onto part two where we continue with the life of Jack Sawyer they should be great if I'm not mistaken is call the Black hotel

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

lots of words

good story but too much gore and way too many words to get the idea and picture across..

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Review of The Talisman

I enjoyed The Talisman immensely. It held my attention from the first page to the very last word. Frank Muller gave an incredible performance as narrator.

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