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Joyland

Joyland

Historical FictionHorror
Pages
317
Published
2013
Language
English

Synopsis

In the summer of 1973, college student Devin Jones takes a job at Joyland, a North Carolina amusement park. While working maintenance and entertaining guests, he becomes entangled in the mystery of a brutal, unsolved murder that occurred years earlier in the park's haunted house. Devin also forms a bond with a sickly young boy named Mike, who dreams of visiting Joyland before he dies. As the season winds down, Devin plans a special visit for Mike, but their exploration of the park's dark legends may lead to unforeseen and dangerous consequences.

Prose complexity
4/10

Vibe

DarkMysteriousNostalgicEmotional
Coming of AgeMystery BoxSacrificeSecond Chance

Genres

Historical Fiction Horror Mystery Contemporary Literature Crime Gothic Thriller Paranormal

About the author

S
Stephen King

Stephen King (born September 21, 1947) is an American author whose work has defined popular horror fiction for more than half a century. Born in Portland, Maine, he grew up in poverty after his father abandoned the family, and credits his mother's resilience and a voracious reading habit as the foundations of his imagination. He began selling short stories to men's magazines while working as a high school English teacher, and published his first novel, Carrie, in 1974—his wife Tabitha retrieved...

Characters

Devin JonesProtagonist
Mike RossSupporting

A gravely ill young boy that Devin befriends over the summer; he has flashes of psychic insight.

Annie RossSupporting

Mike's guarded single mother; a former sharpshooter who plays a decisive role in the climax.

Rozzie GoldSupporting

Joyland's fortune teller, performing as "Madame Fortuna," who predicts Devin will meet a boy and a girl with a dog.

All characters in Joyland

Frequently asked questions

  • What is Joyland and where was it published?

    Joyland (2013) is a crime novel published by Hard Case Crime, the pulp crime imprint. It follows a college student named Devin Jones who works at a North Carolina amusement park called Joyland in 1973 and investigates the unsolved murder of a girl whose ghost reportedly haunts the Horror House ride.

  • Is Joyland more coming-of-age than crime novel?

    Yes. The murder mystery is present throughout but the novel's primary register is nostalgia and loss—a young man's summer of failed love, first encounters with death, and the transformation that happens in the gap between college years. King has said he was as interested in the carnival world's culture and language as in the mystery plot.

  • What is 'the Talk' in Joyland?

    Joyland has an elaborate carnival vernacular—King researched and deployed the internal language of carnival workers throughout the novel. Customers are 'rubes,' a ride is a 'joint,' working the park is 'wearing the fur.' This language creates a world with its own interior life and gives the novel its distinctive texture.

  • Was Joyland released in ebook format?

    Initially not. King and Hard Case Crime published Joyland as print-only on release in June 2013, specifically to encourage readers to seek out physical books. This generated significant media attention about digital versus print publishing. An ebook edition was eventually released in October 2013.

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