Sunday, June 09, 2013

JOYLAND by Stephen King




























112-Joyland-HC


   JOYLAND is the kind of Stephen King novel I most revere. In many ways it's more literary than commercial and more moving than frightening.
   Let me say immediately that the story here is one of King's best, filled with all the King thrills we demand. Broken-hearted young college man takes a summer job with an amusement park called Joyland, a park that comes complete with an unsolved murder and a dead woman's ghost, or so it is claimed. These elements drive the plot and do so ably; I actually had a nightmare because of the book, something that rarely happens to me.
   But what makes the book so rich and authentic and classic is the personal story of Devin Jones as he ruminates about his lost love--there are passages that convey pure pain; the melancholy is almost beautifully oppressive in places---and tries to prepare himself for the years ahead. 
   Nobody writes about the young American male than Stephen King and JOYLAND is one of his masterpieces.
BTW The topcover is the one Hard Case went with. I ran across the rejected one an artist's website.

8 comments:

RJR said...

I would have gone with the rejected cover.

RJR

James Reasoner said...

Both covers are good, but I would have gone with the McGinnis. (When in doubt, always go with McGinnis.) Do I remember something about them doing a limited edition with that cover?

Ben Boulden said...

Agreed. I'm reading this right now (about 1/2 through it) and it is really enjoyable.

Mathew Paust said...

Haven't read King in a while. Time for Joyland. Thanks, Ed.

Charles Ardai said...

Guys -- neither cover is a "rejected" cover! We used the Orbik painting on the paperback edition and the McGinnis painting on the limited edition hardcover (which also featured 9 interior illustrations by McGinnis). Why in the world did you think it was rejected??

Best,
Charles
--------
Charles Ardai
Editor, Hard Case Crime

Charles Ardai said...

Guys -- neither cover is a "rejected" cover! We used the Orbik painting on the paperback edition and the McGinnis painting on the limited edition hardcover (which also featured 9 interior illustrations by McGinnis). Why in the world did you think it was rejected??

Best,
Charles
--------
Charles Ardai
Editor, Hard Case Crime

Ed Gorman said...

Charles I was just plain wrong. I apologize. Sure loved the book though.

pattinase (abbott) said...

Love both of them.