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Joyland  By  cover art

Joyland

By: Stephen King
Narrated by: Michael Kelly
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Publisher's summary

"Joyland is a breathtaking, beautiful, heartbreaking book.... Even the most hardboiled readers will find themselves moved."
—Charles Ardai, Edgar- and Shamus Award-winning editor of Hard Case Crime.

Set in a small-town North Carolina amusement park in 1973, Joyland tells the story of the summer in which college student Devin Jones comes to work as a carny and confronts the legacy of a vicious murder, the fate of a dying child, and the ways both will change his life forever. Joyland is a brand-new novel and has never previously been published.

©2013 Stephen King. All rights reserved. (P)2013 Simon & Schuster, Inc. All rights reserved.

Featured Article: Stephen King’s 20 Best Audiobooks—The Definitive List


Stephen King is one of the most prolific American authors of all time. He has published 61 novels, more than 200 short stories, and six nonfiction books—and he shows no sign of stopping. His most recent novel, The Institute, was published in September of 2019, and we’ve already pre-ordered his novella anthology If It Bleeds, which is set to be released in 2020. With such a large portfolio, choosing one listen to start with can be daunting.

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What listeners say about Joyland

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Favorite book ever

I listened to this one twice, just as amazing the second time as it was the first. It’s my favorite.

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Just finished second listen... still a favorite!

Just finished listening to this audiobook a second time, after having first listened in 2014. One of my favorite Stephen King stories ever. As good the second time around as the first! Taps into a sense of nostalgia, as it presents a flashback to summer jobs, first broken hearts, and an early sense of wonderment. Recommended!

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Joyride by stephen King, read by: Michael Kelly

one of my most favorite books 😍❤️. love stephen king! one of my top favorite authors ever.

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Excellent Story

I really enjoyed this story very very entertaining and full of action it was worth it

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Devoured this one

I am a diehard King fan, just so you know. I’d listened to every King/Bachman on Audible, but somehow missed this one. It’s a shorter King novel, and was a perfect summer read. And while it’s not my favorite of Mr. King’s works, there’d something very compelling and immersive about the story that kept me listening. (I ended up finishing it a day.) The narration was great, the story was fun, the mystery of murder was twisty. What’s not to like?

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  • 04-28-21

Awesome

I loved it, I have the actual book but hearing it being read was great.

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not too bad, not his best

this was a good story, although I got lost a few times. it was a little anticlimactic but nonetheless was a good story.

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very charming

Not a horror novel. A charming coming of age story with a supernatural murder mystery spin.

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Great little story

Joyland is on the short side for a Stephen King novel, especially for those of us who are used to some of his weightier volumes. Horror and supernatural elements are also rather muted by comparison to other books of his with which I am familiar. But it’s a fine, tight coming-of-age story woven into a mystery-thriller, and I enjoyed it very much!

Michael Kelly’s narration is outstanding and his voice works singularly well with this novel.

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Classic Stephen King

This is a classic Stephen King. A real good story, told well, the hero a kid, and love all around him - even if there's a storm brewing. Very well read also.

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