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Joyland

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Joyland

By: Stephen King
Narrated by: Michael Kelly
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JOYLAND is a whodunit noir crime novel and a haunting ghost story set in the world of an amusement park. It tells the story of the summer in which college student Devin Jones comes to work as a 'carny' in small-town North Carolina and has to confront the legacy of a vicious murder, the fate of a dying child, and the way both will change his life forever. It is also a wonderful coming-of-age novel about friendship, loss and your first heartbreak.

Who dares enter the funhouse of fear?

(P)2013 Schuster Audio©2013 Stephen King Crime Crime Thrillers Fiction Horror Modern Detectives Mystery Supernatural Thriller & Suspense Haunted Scary Ghost Heartfelt Detective Fantasy Paranormal
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Critic reviews

The most remarkable storyteller in modern American literature
America's greatest living novelist
King's gift of storytelling is unrivalled. His ferocious imagination is unlimited
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Wow! What more can I say about this book. I bought the book (on Amazon’s Audible) without reading the blurb so had no idea what the story would be about. This is quite different to the typical Stephen King novel, it has a much slower pace and the supernatural element is almost secondary to the story. That said the characters (as usual) are extremely well described and detailed so you feel you know them and want to know what happens to them. The story ambles along and the story is set mostly around a theme park called Joyland and some of the characters that work there. This story has everything in it – love, sex, murder, ghosts and friendship.

I’ve always moaned about his endings but in this story Stephen King nails the ending, which wraps up all the loose ends. The conclusion brought a tear to my eye and I was sorry the story had to stop. This story might not appeal to traditional King fans – it made me think of a feel-good story like “Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Café”

The slower pace of this story is ideally suited to an audio book (it lasted 7 ½ hours!) – if you haven’t tried audio books give them a go – they are great if you are a dog walker or spend a lot of time commuting (both apply to me!)

Slower than usual King books but worth the effort

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Stephen King is a master craftsman. I can't claim to like all of his novels as there is a little too much of the supernatural in some of them for my taste but he knows how to keep a.reader engrossed enough to forget the time and become immersed in a story.

Joyland kept my attention and if I had had the time I would have liked to have listened in one sitting. The narrator did a great job. In retrospect I realise this was because I didn't notice him. That doesn't sound complimentary but it is meant to be: with some narrators you notice their quirks/breathing/pauses/accents and so on and these can detract from the listening experience, whereas Michael Kelly just unobtrusively gets on with the job unobtrusively and allows the listener to become wrapped up in the story.

A beautifully told story

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

A gripping but subtle plot, fantastic charactarisations, emotive storytelling, nuanced and nostalgic scene setting show why Stephen King is unbeatable in any genre he decides to write in. The narration is very well balanced and suits the pace and style of the book.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Joyland?

The main character's description of Joyland and its local nuances.

The pinnacle of storytelling from the master.

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really enjoyed this book - strange little story but very listenable to - well recommended

cracking book

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Don’t think about it - just read it!

If you like the new style of writing by King then this will not disappoint at all,

Wow what a book!!

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