Guns

By: Stephen King

Narrated by: Christian Rummel

Length: 48 mins

Publisher's summary

In a pulls-no-punches essay intended to provoke rational discussion, Stephen King sets down his thoughts about gun violence in America. Anger and grief in the wake of the shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School are palpable in this urgent piece of writing, but no less remarkable are King's keen thoughtfulness and composure as he explores the contours of the gun-control issue and constructs his argument for what can and should be done.

King's earnings from the sale of this essay will go to the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence.

Stephen King is the author of 11/22/63, Under the Dome, Carrie, The Shining, and many other best-selling works.

"The overwhelming response from readers of the Kindle Single edition of Guns underscores the great need for thoughtful discourse on the issue of guns in America…I’m thrilled Audible is bringing Guns to the quickly growing audience of audiobook listeners." (Stephen King)

©2013 Stephen King (P)2013 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

"There are a handful of subjects in America so emotional and polarizing that the national dialogue around them amounts to little more than a shouting match. Chief among these is the subject of guns. In this intimate and moving Kindle Single, Stephen King employs all his gifts as writer and citizen to address gun violence in America. But why should we care what Stephen King has to say? As it turns out, there are a number of reasons. Despite his "liberal creds," King is an unapologetic gun owner himself. He is also the author of a novel--published under the pseudonym Richard Bachman--that has served as a "possible accelerant" for at least four real-life high school shooters. King had his publisher take that book off the market long ago, but the guns and the occasional bursts of unfathomable violence remain. When division is everywhere, is it possible for someone to argue passionately for the middle road? That is what King seeks to do here--this is a frank and thoughtful contribution to a dialogue in dire need of voices from the 'all-but-deserted middle.'" (Chris Schluep, Amazon.com)

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Reader

My opinion is that Stephen King should have read this audiobook himself. I also agree with everything that he wrote.

Repeat - Balanced and Reasonable approach

I can only echo what someone else said. This is a balanced and reasonable approach on the topic of guns in the US. It is thought provoking.

A quick(under 1 hr) & thought provoking essay.

A quick(under 1 hr) & thought provoking essay. King does a good job of exposing America's gun violence as a whole, and also identifies what are realistic or unrealistic measures to help our situation.

To the point

This was well written and really got me thinking about the issues of gun violence not just in the United States but also in many other countries.

Almost hit the mark

Would you try another book from Stephen King and/or Christian Rummel?

Big Stephen King fan.

Would you recommend Guns to your friends? Why or why not?

Yes and No, It tends to reiterate many of the tired old arguments from both sides, bringing both sides towards the middle but not introducing anything new to the debate which is very useful for those of us not paying attention, but for those of us who do, not very stimulating.

What about Christian Rummel’s performance did you like?

The performance of the narrator was very passionate which kept your ear and made the listen very enjoyable.

Was Guns worth the listening time?

The short nature of it made it a good listen while I did some quick house chores.

Any additional comments?

The author does a good job of bringing the far right/left wings more towards the center, and surprisingly I agree with many of his statements. One thing I was disappointed to see was the failure to address one critical problem with gun laws and the 2nd amendment. The primary reason it was put in place was in reaction to the dismal prospects at the start of the revolutionary war. i.e. a public with inferior weaponry subject to rule by the government because they had no realistic prospects of taking on such a well armed government. How they pulled it off was a miracle really. The 2nd amendment is there to ensure the government fears the people, not the other way around.The authors proposal only makes rational sense if you are willing to forgo that position. If you are willing to subject yourself to a law enforcement that can out-gun you any day of the week. Not a problem when everything works right (which for the most part it does and has but there are notable exceptions) but the alternative, I believe, is the exact reason it was put in the constitution.

Disappointed

What did you like best about Guns? What did you like least?

I value Stephen King's view on anything. He is a highly intelligent and articulate person with valuable world views. And I appreciate what the man has to say. I don't necessarily agree with his commentary on guns but I appreciate hearing his viewpoint. It does provoke thought. It did at several points feel more like a rant, but frankly with any of the opinions on gun control / gun rights, most come across as a rant.

What aspect of Christian Rummel’s performance would you have changed?

I wouldn't have had a narrator read this. This essay was intended to be Stephen's commentary. Quite frankly using a narrator created an unnecessary dramatic effect that made it feel like a story, rather than an essay / commentary on current events. Going forward I would love to hear the author use his own voice to voice his own opinions. In my opinion, it will lend more credibility to the message he's trying to convey. Mr. Rummel did fine and has a good resonate voice that was perfect for narration. It just didn't make sense to have any narrator outside of the author himself read this essay.

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

no

Entertaining... Even if I don't fully agree...

This short opinionated "book" was entertaining. Stephen King gives a very honest look at what he believes should be done to curve the not-so recent streak of mass shootings. We as Americans have VERY short memories. It doesn't take much for us to forget about a recent tragedy and move onto the latest news story that catches our eye. It's nice to see that there are others in the world that don't consider themselves far left or far right. Instead, somewhere in the middle.

With that said, I can't say I totally agree with all the proposals President Obama has put forth. I agree with extensive background checks, but banning certain fire arms and large capacity magazines will do little if anything to prevent a mass shooting. If you could get ALL those type guns and magazines off the street first, then it might be worth it. I just feel there are much better ways to help prevent such tragedies.

Reasoned Promo for Gun Control

Thank you Stephen King.
A voice of reason in a sea of paranoids.
EVERYONE should read this.

Tells it like it is!

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

Anyone that is open to hearing this message should. Mr. King lays out what we are really fighting for in gun safety. I appreciate his essay.

What other book might you compare Guns to and why?

This is an essay on gun safety. I can't compare it to anything else.

What about Christian Rummel’s performance did you like?

Wonderful narration. He hit all the right nuances of the points Mr. King was trying to say. No complaints here at all.

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

Documentary film, "Do you need 10 shots to kill a burglar?"

Any additional comments?

Money goes to Brady gun lobby. Worth the price.