Set in a small-town North Carolina amusement park in 1973, Joyland tells the story of the summer in which college student Devin Jones comes to work as a carny and confronts the legacy of a vicious murder, the fate of a dying child, and the ways both will change his life forever.
Book Review Blog: Joyland
As one should know, unless you’re living under a rock, Stephen King is a name synonymous with horror. He is, after all, the “master of horror.” What many may neglect to note, aside from those familiar with his body of work, is that Mr. King is a versatile writer having written across an assortment of genres, including horror, fantasy, science fiction, and drama, to name a few. Joyland, however, brings King into the mystery, crime pulp genre.
Joyland tells the story of Devin Jones in the summer of ’73, who works for the amusement park Joyland who becomes entwined with a mystery of a murdered woman at the park a few years prior. This mystery takes a backseat to Devin’s experiences that summer, initially before eventually kicking into high gear. Joyland, and Devin’s story, is a nostalgic story, at least to me, that brought me back to that often memorable summer ambiance that comes to mind when the golden rays of the sun peak over the horizon and cast long shadows. It is these moments of tranquility invoked by reading Joyland that made me an instant fan. It is also this feeling that speaks volumes about King’s incredible and marvelous ability to write.
Being no stranger to King, one might, with good reason, expect to be frightened when opening a Stephen King novel. However, a mystery novel may not yield such emotion. But like the Thunderball or the Carolina Spinner, you can expect to be taken on a rollercoaster of a ride with Joyland. King’s ability to intermingle the story of a boy on the brink of manhood, the paranormal, and a gruesome tale of mystery, is masterful. Joyland indeed brought me a sense of joy when reading, and I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough. There was a mixture of emotion strewn throughout – humor, drama, tension, fear, sympathy – you name it, and it was there. King had me hooked from the very beginning, and he never let up. Again, I can’t say that this was scary, nor do I think that it’s intended to be scary, but going into a King novel, it is assumed. King shines when telling a coming-of-age tale, as we have seen in many of his works such as he did in IT, The Body (Stand by Me), and Carrie, to name a few. Of course, a King’s coming-of-age story is not without its twists. King is predominantly known for his horror fiction, but he is indeed a masterful storyteller who does not bog himself down to a single genre. Joyland was, indeed, a joy to read, and it is one that I look forward to reading again.