I just finished Joyland and I really don't know what to think of it. I enjoyed reading it and read it quite fast, but I am still unsure if it was good in my eyes or not.
I feel like it wasn't that original and the "storyline" with the ghost girl was kind of forced? Maybe I didn't quite understand the use of her person.
What do you think of it? I don't really have someone to discuss it with, so I hope I can get some opinions
Just curious what was Mike talking about when he told Dev it was white? I kept waiting for it and now i think i missed it.
Someone please tell me since me and my freinds are considering going tomorrow, thank you in advance!!
I loved it. This has been the biggest surprise of all Kings books Iβve read so far. The characters, the setting, the story, other than the obvious reveal near the end I was hooked.
And honestly, the last few pages, I was nearly crying at work while I finished it.
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I wish it were longer.
is it the first conception of The Shining?
I don't know where but I remember hearing something about before The Shining was a haunted isolated hotel, that he wanted to do/had an idea for a carnival thing and he traded locations.
Also why the gap from 1977 to 2013? Did he just wipe the dust off an old manuscript and rewrite?
anybody have details on this? Or am I just imagining things?
All hard case crime and no haunted house makes Richard a confused boy.
Thinking of taking one of these two books on holiday with me. Which one does people prefer?
Finished Joyland and really loved it. Reminded me a bit of Duma Key (character suffering a loss, moves to new location by the ocean). Devin has to be one of the most likeable characters King has created. Highly recommend! Probably going to finish the Hard Case Crime series with Later next!
I read Joyland last year (in the global pandemic) as I went through my first breakup that played out similarly to how Devinβs did. I think I just could relate to a lot of aspects of his character, and the book was actually pretty helpful in getting through my breakup by taking my mind off it and going into Devinβs world.
I see a lot of people in this forum thinking it was the worst Stephen King book theyβve ever read. While no Green Mile or The Shining, I actually really enjoyed it! To date, my least favorite King book has been The Outsider (one that I see a lot of people like!), and even that was a pretty solid read to me. Maybe I just like King books whose main characters are young (The Long Walk and It are currently my two favorites).
I wanted to ask those who have read Joyland and disliked it: What made this one particularly bad for you? Iβll admit the Devin-Annie MILF thing was kind of weird
Iβve been on a bit of a King tear lately. Iβve devoured Later, The Institute, and finished Joyland in the wee hours of this morning. Theyβve all been fantastic, but goddamn Joyland hit me hard.
Joyland is part of the Hard Case Crime series. The books King has put out under their banner tend to be mysteries with some supernatural elements. Joyland has psychics and ghosts and a fantastic mystery that comes to a very satisfying and exciting conclusion.
What got me about Joyland, though, was itβs protagonist, Devin. Having recently come out of the ass end of a divorce Devinβs recent breakup and journey to his life after it hit me hard. Devin picks up some friends on his journey and their story in our present and his past intermingle in ways that pack an emotional punch I didnβt expect at all. The fate of one of his friends in particular comes so out of the blue in the telling of the story that, while itβs not essential to the plot, it leaves a ghost creeping around the story of the past thatβs hard to shake.
I stepped away from fiction for a large part of my adult life. Iβd forgotten how cathartic and enriching it can be when itβs good. Joyland hit those marks for me and then some.
I donβt see it mentioned here as often as his other books but itβs just wonderful. Easily in my top 5 from Mr. King now.
Has anyone else found it as moving as I did? Iβm pretty curious what other King fans thought of it. If you havenβt checked it out, and youβre a fan of The Body (or Stand By Me) I think youβd find yourself enjoying it.
I finished Joyland a long time ago, but I still remember all about that time and as I find myself looking back to what I think is one of Stephen King's gems I decided to post here to tell you why that memory hasn't left me yet.
Last year (2020) was a nightmare for reasons you don't need me to tell you, but it wasn't all bad, back then I had dropped out highschool due to virtual classes and begun working in a small family bussines when out of boredoom I picked up reading again and my father quickly noticed so he bought two SK books at random (the other one was Duma Key) and as I sat down at work I read as much as I could since it helped me deal with everything that I was feeling.
Now, by this point you may start to draw the similarities of my situation and those depicted in "Joyland" and I think that is part of what made it so special. A year later at 3:44 in the morning I find myself still looking back at that park and the amazing summer of Devin Jones despite the fact that Duma Key I think is a better Stephen King book, that comming up age story mixed with a some super natural elements is, as I say in the title something else.
Edit Edit: CLOSED - all out of items!
Edit: Currently have a small line, I'll DM you when you're next. Thanks!
You're welcome to come visit Joyland. A mix of free items are available to the left of airport, and shops open. In Mountain Time. Please comment below with your in game name if you'd like to visit.
Hey,
Looking for a book similar to Joyland by Stephen King Does not have to be set in an amusement park.
Thanks
I was walking into the gate with my parents while a lady was stopping so we could cross, but the stupid lady wasn't paying attention and started to drive before I made it across and she would have hit me if I didn't jump out of the way
I went into Joyland blind. I didn't read anything about it beforehand as I wanted its impact to be fierce. All I knew was that there's a ghost in an amusement park. This premise has an immense promise to be a thrilling horror experience. But alas, this turned out to be a completely different genre.
This was more of a coming of age story. And I'm sure I would have loved it had I been in a mood to read slice of life. Journey of a golden boy overcoming heartbreak by winning hearts of everyone and making friends for life. It was believable that a 21 year old boy would think about doing IT whenever he was with his gf. His heartbreak was understandable. And some parts of the story had a melancholic vibe to them.
But I went looking for horror and was disappointed. This novel tried to mix spookiness of horror and thrill of the crime, but could attain neither of the two. Halfway through the novel when Tom gives scientific explanations about why the prediction about a girl with red hat came true, I was so impressed and I wanted it to be true so bad. It would have been interesting and different. But what do we get next? A little boy with psychic abilities who is going to die. And his mother is a shooter. Can you sense what the ending is going to be?
I liked the mystery of the tattoo. But what was that warning about? That "it was not white", I guess it was about Lane's hair. But by the time it became evident it was too late. The author tried to make a suspense about who the killer is by giving us two suspects, but if someone has read a mystery or crime thriller, it was apparent who it's going to be. But at the same time it didn't make sense for Lane to be the killer. Because he was the one who told Devin about the ghost, and directed him to ask the landlady about it. Why would he do that? Also, was it ever revealed why he killed those ladies? Why did he stop? The investigative part was interesting, but what made Devin certain that it was Lane - because he kept shifting his hat and the murderer in different photos had his hat in two directions, and because Lane had dyed his hair. I don't understand how that warrants suspicion seeing the situation and rapport between them. Why did Lane call Devin in the middle of the night, why wait for so long? And the talk at the ferris wheels seemed so uninteresting. There was no action, no revelation, and the climax seemed too convenient and cliche. Though I liked the very end of the novel, painful and meaningful.
A large part
... keep reading on reddit β‘What an amazing book. This book is not talked about enough. The whole setting of it brought back such nostalgia from when I was a teenager, summertime at the beach and going to the amusement park. The story kept you invested, you constantly tried figuring out who the killer was but at the same time the murder mystery part took a back seat to what the real story was. A coming of age story. Such a great book.
