Joyland

by Stephen King

Paperback, 285 pages

English language

Published June 9, 2013 by Hard Case Crime.

ISBN:: 978-1-78116-264-4

(40 reviews)

College student Devin Jones took the summer job at Joyland hoping to forget the girl who broke his heart. But he wound up facing something far more terrible: the legacy of a vicious murder, the fate of a dying child, and dark truths about life - and what comes after - that would change his world forever.

A riveting story about love and loss, about growing up and growing old - and about those who don't get to do either because death comes for them before their time. It is at once a mystery, a horror story, and a bittersweet coming-of-age novel, one that will leave even the most hard-boiled reader profoundly moved.

8 editions

Sergeant Cat reviewed Joyland by Stephen King

Review of 'Joyland' on 'GoodReads'

3 stars

It was entertaining. Having read quite a few of King's novels now, I'm starting to realize that he reuses certain elements, like the "shine" in many of them. It makes me want to reread the Gunslinger series again with that in mind.

I gave this just 3 stars because I didn't care for the way the narrative was presented. The ending was ruined on page 1 because we know that the main character survives since he's the one relating this story to us as his future self. The only thing we had left was to figure out how he gets there and, while there is a lot of joy to be found in the telling, I'd rather the mystery have been a mystery until the resolution of the mystery at the end of the book.

Matsafi reviewed Joyland by Stephen King

Review of 'Joyland' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

Joyland jest moim kolejnym spotkaniem z Kingiem, po wyjątkowo udanej "Carrie" oraz przeczytanym przeze mnie w 1/4 "TO" i odłożonym na półkę.

Klimat USA lat 60-tych, park rozrywki, młodzieńcze rozterki oraz zjawiska paranormalne w tle. Wszystko ze smakiem oraz bez długich, skomplikowanych i sporządzonych jedynie celem zapełnienia objętości opisów, które są tak charakterystyczne dla Kinga.

Jedna z tych książek, po przeczytaniu których, nie ma się wrażenia, że szkoda było na nią czasu.

Graham Downs reviewed Joyland by Stephen King

Review of 'Joyland' on 'Goodreads'

5 stars

This isn't your typical Stephen King, but I loved it anyway.

There are paranormal elements (a murdered woman haunts a ride at an amusement park), but I wouldn't call it horror - paranormal fantasy, maybe?

At its heart, it's a deeply emotional journey of a young man of twenty-one trying to escape the pain of losing his first love. To do so, he takes a break from college for a season, and goes to work at an amusement park. There he becomes embroiled in a cold case of a girl who was murdered at the park some years ago.

There's not much more to be said about this book. I felt it was perfect in every way, exquisitely written, and very vivid. I found myself laughing at parts, and wanting to cry at others, because the story of the man's love is so well written and so immediately identifiable. I'm …

okenwillow reviewed Joyland by Stephen King

Review of 'Joyland' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

Un petit King à se mettre sous la dent, c'est toujours sympa. Avant le prochain, attendu pour l'automne. Le jeune Devin Jones trouve un job d'été dans un parc d'attraction indépendant, où l'ombre d'un meurtre plane encore. Ou plus exactement le fantôme d'une demoiselle assassinée quelques années plus tôt. Ça, c'est pour l'anecdote, car finalement, l'histoire du fantôme reste relativement en marge de l'intrigue principale, qui n'est pas policière, même si la résolution d'une non-enquête clôt roman. C'est confus ? C'est pas grave. Bref, beaucoup de nostalgie dans Joyland, un parc qui essaie de survivre malgré la concurrence dysneyienne, un sexagénaire qui relate sa première déconvenue amoureuse, les amours naissantes, et patati et patata. C'est joli, c'est triste et beau, c'était les années 70. Notre jeune héros va se découvrir tout au long de son deuil amoureux et de son expérience au sein du parc. Un bon King, une lecture …