Dreamcatcher

By: Stephen King

Narrated by: Jeffrey DeMunn

Length: 22 hrs and 43 mins

Publisher's Summary

Suspenseful, frightening, and sometimes howlingly funny, a story of invasion and battle, survival and heroism. It is a story of how men remember ... and how they love.

In Derry, Maine, four young boys once stood together and did a brave thing. Something that changed them in ways they hardly understand.

A quarter of a century later, the boys are men who have gone their separate ways. Though they still get together once a year, to go hunting in the north woods of Maine. But this time is different. This time a man comes stumbling into their camp, lost, disoriented and muttering about lights in the sky.

Before long, these old friends will be plunged into the most remarkable events of their lives as they struggle with a terrible creature from another world. Their only chance of survival is locked in their shared past - and in the Dreamcatcher.

©2001 Stephen King (P)2001 Simon and Schuster Inc.

Missing the zing!

Not the usual King's style. Narration could have been more intriguing. little disappointed with the experience.

This wasn't a book I enjoyed

Would you try another book from Stephen King and/or Jeffrey DeMunn?

Absolutely I have read many Stephen King books & listened to some to one he read 'Bag of Bones' & loved it, I listen to lots of books I have read & enjoyed over the years but I occasionally come across 1 I just can't get into. This was one of those

What do you think your next listen will be?

Ive already had lots since this & I'd love to listen to "The Stand" but for some reason I can't get it in Australia

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

Mainly disappointment. This should have been a book I enjoyed

Engrossing

Typical Stephen King book in that it builds and builds the suspense. Very enjoyable.

Listen up

This is one of my favourite SK books. 4 friends do a brave, kind deed, defending a intellectually disabled boy being bullied. They become a tight group, complete with their own sayings and shared experiences. They grow up and it appears some bad s**t was coming their way and they need to deal with it. There's no religion in this one, some magic but not to the extent it can go in a SK novel. It's about a group of friends. It's about growing up together. It's about the possible end of the world. It's not too slow, no punches are pulled. The disabled guy is enabling and able - a nice change to many books if they even appear at all. Listen to it!

5 of 5 people found this review helpful

A King Classic

No other author seems capable of merging horror, sci-fi and tales of ordinary folk as masterfully as Stephen King. If you have seen the film but not read the book (or listened to it) then I recomend that you do so today. You will not be dissapointed.

8 of 9 people found this review helpful

Poor Quality Recording

I'm sure the book is great as all Stephen Kings work is, but this one sounds like you're listening to an old record player! So hard to listen to, it's so muffled that it's distracting.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Audio quality is poor.

Any additional comments?

I'm not overly impressed with the sound quality of this audio book. It sound like an old cassette recording.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Stephen's Sickening, Sentimental, Sci-fi Schlock

What made the experience of listening to Dreamcatcher the most enjoyable?

Once you get over how many words are devoted to vivid descriptions of bottoms and foul smells coming out of them, then you've got an interesting and entertaining story about aliens, psychic powers, car chases and the kind of characters that you would expect from a Stephen King story. The descriptions of what the aliens are (or, at least, what the characters think they are) and the escalation of events from "trip to a cabin" to "an alien virus could destroy the world" were both great, even if the plot does run out of the steam by the end.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Colonel Kurtz. He was too ridiculously evil to hate and I thought that he had all the best dialogue.

Have you listened to any of Jeffrey DeMunn’s other performances? How does this one compare?

I knew him as an actor in a couple of different things and he was a great narrator. He managed to handle some pretty ludicrous text and kept the story flowing really, really well. He also gave every character an identifiable voice, but didn't overdo any of the accents (which was a very good thing when it came to all of Duddits' dialogue).

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

Yes, I'll admit that most of the parts with Duddits tugged at my heartstrings. A bit. A tiny bit. I also laughed far too much at how THE POWER OF BACON saves the day at one point.

Any additional comments?

I was disappointed by how predictable the last couple of chapters were. Once it got to a certain point in the story I guessed pretty much exactly what was going to happen and then it was just a matter of listening to the end (although, there was some interesting dialogue in the epilogue).

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Not his best

Would you try another book written by Stephen King or narrated by Jeffrey DeMunn?

Yes - i am an avid King fan and he has written many great stories. However, this left me bemused. Very poor - no direction and confusing non story. It started ok, we built the main characters and got to know the back story but as soon as the Aliens hit the story and Mr Gray appeared at their lodge it just fell apart.

What was most disappointing about Stephen King’s story?

The lack of purpose and direction. After the first 1/3 of the book it just rambled on until i gave up out of sheer boredom

What do you think the narrator could have done better?

Nothing - he was fine, Just left with a poor story to read.

You didn’t love this book--but did it have any redeeming qualities?

The start and first 3rd was ok as the characters were developed but i just didnt get the aliens or the interaction with the army.

Any additional comments?

Most of the time i was trying to work out was was going on and who was who etc. I am sorry but this did not read as well as the previous reviews seem to think it did.

Rambling rubbish.

What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?

A different story and a narrator with a pulse.

What will your next listen be?

I bought needful things...... Even worse, what a waste of credits.

What didn’t you like about Jeffrey DeMunn’s performance?

Wooden.

You didn’t love this book--but did it have any redeeming qualities?

No.

Any additional comments?

Don't waste a credit.

A slow burner, but classic King

For the first couple of hours I couldn't get away with the narrator but he slowly grew on me.

Great story, with bits of genuine humour along the way. I absolutely loved how there were nods to another of King's stories subtly weaved into the same book universe (no spoilers)

Compulsive, emotional and epic

"It's the one about aliens?" Is the way so many have put it when I tell them about Dreamcatcher but it's so, SO much more than 'aliens'. Sure the premise centres on the invasion of aliens in the Jefferson tract area of Maine in the early 2000s but it soon you'll realise there's so much more. There's the mind-reading, the dual aspects of the past's importance on the present, alternate realities but above all it's the Stephen King book that best sums up friendship for me. The friendship of Henry, Jonesy, Beaver and Pete; the backbone, the brain, the heart and the mouth, their friendship with Douglass Cavell and how one simple act of bravery and kindness changed their lives forever and potentially saved the world.

A magnificent piece of literature and one of my all time favourites from the Grand Master

SSDD

Would you listen to Dreamcatcher again? Why?

Yes, it's a good story and easy to follow. I enjoyed the reading and the story flowed.

What did you like best about this story?

It was good to read the interpretation of the 'possession' by the alien creature in Jonesy's mind.

What about Jeffrey DeMunn’s performance did you like?

He's probably better known for playing Dale in The Walking Dead. The delivery and intonation was perfect and easy to listen to. The speech for Duddits was tastefully done where it could have been overdone and unkind. I'd happily listen to more novels read by him.

If you made a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

They hide inside us

Any additional comments?

A good story which made my daily drive fly by!