Source: Audiobook Review, Provided by Simon & SchusterFormat: Audiobook
Revival by Stephen King
Narrator: David Morse
Length: 13 hrs and 24 mins
Date Read: December 2014
Genre: Horror
More Information:A dark and electrifying novel about addiction, fanaticism, and what might exist on the other side of life.
In a small New England town, over half a century ago, a shadow falls over a small boy playing with his toy soldiers. Jamie Morton looks up to see a striking man, the new minister. Charles Jacobs, along with his beautiful wife, will transform the local church. The men and boys are all a bit in love with Mrs. Jacobs; the women and girls feel the same about Reverend Jacobs -- including Jamie's mother and beloved sister, Claire. With Jamie, the Reverend shares a deeper bond based on a secret obsession. When tragedy strikes the Jacobs family, this charismatic preacher curses God, mocks all religious belief, and is banished from the shocked town.
Jamie has demons of his own. Wed to his guitar from the age of thirteen, he plays in bands across the country, living the nomadic lifestyle of bar-band rock and roll while fleeing from his family's horrific loss. In his mid-thirties -- addicted to heroin, stranded, desperate -- Jamie meets Charles Jacobs again, with profound consequences for both men. Their bond becomes a pact beyond even the Devil's devising, and Jamie discovers that revival has many meanings.
This rich and disturbing novel spans five decades on its way to the most terrifying conclusion Stephen King has ever written. It's a masterpiece from King, in the great American tradition of Frank Norris, Nathaniel Hawthorne, and Edgar Allan Poe.
Publisher: Scribner, Simon & Schuster Audio
Also by this author: The Stand, Under the Dome, Doctor Sleep, Mr Mercedes, Sleeping Beauties
NOTE: These “reviews” are as simple as it gets (and mostly for tracking purposes)! They will have a rating, first thought, narrator thought (quick), and will officially be filed 🙂
Listened for Review (Simon & Schuster)
Overall Rating: 3.50
Story Rating: 3.00
Character Rating: 4.00
Audio Rating: 4.50 (not part of the overall rating)
First Thought when Finished: Revival by Stephen King was many things to me: written beautifully, characters crafted in an engaging way, slow tedious storytelling, and an ending that was full of big buildup but rather mediocre payoff (at least to me) . This was a hard one to rate because it was just all over the place from brilliant to the thunder roared (sorry but that was said so many times in the story that it became my cringe description).
Audio Thoughts:
Narrated By David Morse / Length: 13 hrs and 24 mins
The audio on the other hand is super simple for me rate and review: David Morse nailed Revival! I thought I would miss having Will Patton narrate but David Morse may have edged Will for my favorite Stephen King narrator. I think he made the story better and was definitely the reason I stuck with it till the end!
Part of my Read It, Rate It, File It, Done Reviews
| Overall Rating | |
| Story Rating | |
| Character Rating | |
| Narrator Rating | |
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Felicia S
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I do love Stephen King but he does tend to write big with mediocre payoff (the “It” in IT was…meh.).
I am considering this one – if I do get a chance it will be on audio 🙂
I’m not at all a Stephen King fan…I don’t know why…but I just can’t read his stuff. 0.o
Was it just the ending that caused the lower rating? I’ve only read one King novel (Dumas Key) and though it too was a bit tedious, I enjoyed the story.
I am a huge Stephen King fan girl so really it was just that the whole book didn’t live up to my expectations of him. The end was a bit of a non-payoff!
As much as I love Stephen King, he does get a bit tedious sometimes. It has been a long time since I’ve read or listened to one of his stories. I’ve got the audio for Christine to listen to very soon. I picked it because Holter Graham narrates it and I love him in the Alpha & Omega series. I also know that I tend to like King’s older works, which this book falls into.
I love his older stuff–it is the last 3 years where his stuff has been hit/miss for me. I am ok with his rambling because it usually leads to an awesome payoff. Lately–the ends have just been disappointed.
You know I still haven’t read a Stephen king and though I want to at some point, none of them really appeal to me :/ the less than stellar ending makes me not want to start with this one, even it was really good most the time. Maybe someday one will call out to me.
Start with The Stand! I know it is a bit of a HUGE undertaking but it is by far his best book ever 🙂
I hate it when a book is hard to rate and a confusing mess of things I liked and things I hate, but I’m glad you enjoyed the narrator. 😀
The narrator was AMAZING! Seriously he made this book better 🙂
Ahh! No Will Patton? I did enjoy the guy who narrated 11-22-63 Craig something. I keep thinking I need to read this one, but it isnt screaming to me, and I am such a King fan. I think I will get to it soon though. I wasn’t a huge fan of Mr Mercedes so I think thats why I am hesitating.
This is bit like Mr Mercedes in the rambling style and the ending was a bit “predictable”. It went off his good/evil themes and how sometimes they flip places.