Doctor Sleep

A Novel

By: Stephen King

Narrated by: Will Patton

Winner of the 2014 Audie Award for Fiction and Finalist forSolo Narration—Male

From master storyteller Stephen King, his unforgettable and terrifying sequel to The Shining—an instant #1 New York Times bestseller that is “[a] vivid frightscape” (The New York Times)—also a major motion picture starring Ewan McGregor!

Years ago, the haunting of the Overlook Hotel nearly broke young Dan Torrance’s sanity, as his paranormal gift known as “the shining” opened a door straight into hell. And even though Dan is all grown up, the ghosts of the Overlook—and his father’s legacy of alcoholism and violence—kept him drifting aimlessly for most of his life. Now, Dan has finally found some order in the chaos by working in a local hospice, earning the nickname “Doctor Sleep” by secretly using his special abilities to comfort the dying and prepare them for the afterlife. But when he unexpectedly meets twelve-year-old Abra Stone—who possesses an even more powerful manifestation of the shining—the two find their lives in sudden jeopardy at the hands of the ageless and murderous nomadic tribe known as the True Knot, reigniting Dan’s own demons and summoning him to battle for this young girl’s soul and survival...

Another "Good Scare" for King's Constant Readers

In King's afterword the author says he relishes "telling a kick-ass story" . In this audio version, King and Patton do just that. Other reviewers have told of the plot so I'll just say that SK does his magic here once again. This book has the coolest scary characters in conflict with a most humble, kind, imperfect hero the reader/ listener just can't help but caring for deeply. The plot is engaging, so much so that we worry for the well being of the characters. The struggles hero Danny has with alcoholism and anger are the backdrop and foundation of the story. It all blends together with a near perfect pace; this listener just didn't want to put the book down. I'm not sure now which book to read/listen to next as this one will be a hard act to follow. Peace out SK and thanks!

Wow! One of his best.

What other book might you compare Doctor Sleep to and why?

The story reminded me of Neil Gayman's "American Gods", because of its smooth and cohesive, yet gripping flow and because the final "battle scene" and the lead up to it were so quintessentially epic, yet creative and surprising.

What about Will Patton’s performance did you like?

The narrator really seemed to fit the story and the main character well, and he was skilled.

Any additional comments?

This sequel to the shining, in my opinion, was better than the shining. That's partly because the antagonists were people rather than one stationary and somewhat inanimate (yet freaky) haunted hotel. Though it's mostly because a lot of time passed as the main characters journeyed through their lives to meet each other, discovering their gifts and dealing with their demons, addictions, and family problems along the way to become the people they'd have to be, and forming the relationships they'd have to have to stop the evil forces working to destroy them. It was much less claustrophobic than the shining and it was one of those that I could not stop listening to! It never wandered into useless detail or gimmicky prose, yet featured rich, realistic, and well rounded character and story development. After the end, I felt SO gratified, and a bit emotional! Not all of kings books are hits, of course, but this one really is. It's a perfect book for October too!

This is what every audiobook should be like

What was one of the most memorable moments of Doctor Sleep?
Loose ends tying in. Something I didn't love about Bag of Bones was the sheer amount of themes and characters loosely flying around (completely personal opinion). The plot twists in this work are just right, the story is more coherent, and the characters are quite likable, including the True Knot.

What about Will Patton’s performance did you like?
EVERYTHING. At first, I was a bit confused and disappointed King's particular voice wasn't on the narrating end... but I found the reason why soon enough. Patton has become my favorite narrator along King and Gaiman. The amount of characters and depth he can give to his narrations is nothing short of standing-ovation-worthy.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
YES. It's one of those books you can just lay on the couch listening all day to.

Pretty Good

Will Patton did an outstanding job narrating, zero complaints there. However, as one of Stephen King's "Consummate Readers", I suppose I expected a bit more. It's not that the story was bad, it just didn't grab hold of me the way his work normally does. Well worth the purchase nonetheless. If nothing else, just to find out whatever happened to little Danny Torrence after he and his mother escaped from the Outlook.

King is the Ruler!!

Loved the story I loved it so much I want a follow up story with Abra. The narration was fantastic I wish other narrator's I've listened to were half as good.
I love Stephen King he is an American Treasure.