UR

By: Stephen King

Narrated by: Holter Graham

Length: 2 hrs and 20 mins

Publisher's summary

Tapping into our primal fears of modern technology, which made Cell a number-one best seller, Stephen King sets his sights on the latest high-tech gadget in UR, in which a mysterious e-book reader opens a disturbing window into other worlds.

Reeling from a painful break-up, English instructor and avid book lover Wesley Smith is haunted by his ex-girlfriend's parting shot: "Why can't you just read off the computer like everyone else?" He buys an e-book reader out of spite, but soon finds he can use the device to glimpse realities he had never before imagined, discovering literary riches beyond his wildest dreams...and all-too-human tragedies that surpass his most terrible nightmares.

From vintage cars (Christine and From a Buick 8) to household appliances (Maximum Overdrive) to exercise equipment (Stationary Bike), Stephen King has mesmerized us with tales of apparently ordinary machines that take on lives of their own. UR gives this classic theme an up-to-the-minute spin, resulting in a horror masterpiece for our time and for the ages.

©2010 Stephen King (P)2010 Simon & Schuster

Critic reviews

"Firm, gripping, and deftly written by a craftsman at the top of his game, this is King at his crisp, clear, page-turning best." (Amazon.com review)

Great plot - could have been longer

Would you listen to UR again? Why?

Yes - Very good plot - hard to put down (pause the audio)

What did you like best about this story?

The grim alternate ending of the Cuban Missile Crisis

What about Holter Graham’s performance did you like?

Being able to differentiate between which character was talking by the inflection in the reader's voice (which is done extremely well in _11_22_63, right down to the Southern drawls and Russian accents)

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

_A Tangle of Timelines_

Any additional comments?

Excellent book, but a bit too short. Given the millions of alternate realities, King could have had fun with many other events. I feel he just scratched the surface with this alternate timelines theme. I'm currently listening to _11-22-63_ by King, which takes this theme and focuses on one event. It is like _UR_ was an appetizer to this longer novel.

think

short and sweet made me think and see that things happen for a REASON!, yes

Always a pleasure to get to know the characters

Unusual twist for King at the end but sorely needed for pandemic reading. Thanks for that.

An Awesome Short Story!!!

This was great! I hope the King comes out with many more short stories in the near future.

UR is an odd cousin to the Gunslinger’s universe

If you liked The Dark Tower, Talisman, The Regulators, or Black House you will like this story! As always Stephen King pulls you into an improbable if not impossible universe that is completely believable. To say more would become a spoiler. You want to hear this well narrated tale and meet some new characters. Enjoy

Stephen King Leaves Us Wanting More UR

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

I would recommend this audiobook to a friend and make sure they knew it was a 2 chapter short story.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Wesley was my favorite character because he wanted to do the right thing. There are many things he could have done with information from the future but he chose to save lives.

Would you listen to another book narrated by Holter Graham?

Yes

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

Sometimes technology changes everything.

Any additional comments?

Please make it more evident that this is a short story. I was soooo disappointed that I only got two chapters of UR - I want more!

Dark Tower Story

I love the continued story by Stephen King. He never let's you down. I wasn't aware at first it had undertones of the Dark Tower story at first. Then it became more apparent. I just wish he added more story and more references to the Dark Tower. Overall it was worth listening to.

Short Story

I love the narrator. I should have read the description and saw how short the book was. My fault! Not exactly what I was looking for, but I'm just getting back into Stephen King's stories. Great book!

ok

was not worth a whole credit but ok. story was good but not great. ok for a quick read

Great Listen

If you have been considering or own a Kindle, this book is a must.