Monday, June 24, 2013

Joyland

Stephen King's new book, Joyland, is published by Hard Case Crime, a paperback publisher that seeks to replicate the pulp novels of fifty-plus years ago. The covert art for the paperback is awesome (check it out here), but they are also producing this limited edition hardback with cover art by the greatest cover illustrator of all time, Robert McGinnis. I just might have to pony up and buy this.

About the book: it's a solid Stephen King with lots of great atmosphere, a few creepy scenes, and a more than usual amount of nostalgia and heart-string-pulling. A coming-of-age novel set in 1973 at an independently-run carnival in the south, where narrator Devin Jones spends his summer. The novel meanders a bit, but I think that's the point. It's about all the experiences of this young man's life, from his first broken heart, his first sexual experience, his first close friendships. There's also a ghost and a serial killer, but they almost seem like subplots. A sweet book that doesn't quite live up to the pulpiness of its cover art, but that's in keeping with tradition.

1 comment:

  1. A wonderful page turner with a beautiful ending. A quick read for sure. Entertaining and light while still being a spooky mystery.
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