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Fairy Tale audiobook

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Fairy Tale Audiobook Summary

A #1 New York Times Bestseller and New York Times Book Review Editors’ Choice!

Legendary storyteller Stephen King goes into the deepest well of his imagination in this spellbinding novel about a seventeen-year-old boy who inherits the keys to a parallel world where good and evil are at war, and the stakes could not be higher–for that world or ours.

Charlie Reade looks like a regular high school kid, great at baseball and football, a decent student. But he carries a heavy load. His mom was killed in a hit-and-run accident when he was seven, and grief drove his dad to drink. Charlie learned how to take care of himself–and his dad. When Charlie is seventeen, he meets a dog named Radar and her aging master, Howard Bowditch, a recluse in a big house at the top of a big hill, with a locked shed in the backyard. Sometimes strange sounds emerge from it.

Charlie starts doing jobs for Mr. Bowditch and loses his heart to Radar. Then, when Bowditch dies, he leaves Charlie a cassette tape telling a story no one would believe. What Bowditch knows, and has kept secret all his long life, is that inside the shed is a portal to another world.

King’s storytelling in Fairy Tale soars. This is a magnificent and terrifying tale in which good is pitted against overwhelming evil, and a heroic boy–and his dog–must lead the battle.

Early in the Pandemic, King asked himself: “What could you write that would make you happy?”

“As if my imagination had been waiting for the question to be asked, I saw a vast deserted city–deserted but alive. I saw the empty streets, the haunted buildings, a gargoyle head lying overturned in the street. I saw smashed statues (of what I didn’t know, but I eventually found out). I saw a huge, sprawling palace with glass towers so high their tips pierced the clouds. Those images released the story I wanted to tell.”

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Fairy Tale Audiobook Narrator

Seth Numrich is the narrator of Fairy Tale audiobook that was written by Stephen King

Seth Numrich won the Evening Standard Award for Outstanding Newcomer for Sweet Bird of Youth at The Old Vic. Additional Broadway and Off-Broadway credits include: The Merchant of Venice (Broadhurst Theatre), War Horse (Vivian Beaumont), Golden Boy (Lincoln Center), Travesties (American Airlines), Orpheus Descending (Theatr Clwyd), and Fathers and Sons (Donmar Warehouse). Numrich starred in four seasons of the AMC drama Turn: Washington’s Spies and appeared opposite Daniel Radcliffe in the film Imperium.

About the Author(s) of Fairy Tale

Stephen King is the author of Fairy Tale

Stephen King author of Fairy Tale

Fairy Tale Full Details

Narrator Seth Numrich
Length 24 hours 6 minutes
Author Stephen King
Category
Publisher Simon & Schuster Audio
Release date March 19, 2024
ISBN 9781797145297

Subjects

The publisher of the Fairy Tale is Simon & Schuster Audio. includes the following subjects: The BISAC Subject Code is Fiction, Suspense, Thrillers

Additional info

The publisher of the Fairy Tale is Simon & Schuster Audio. The imprint is Simon & Schuster Audio. It is supplied by Simon & Schuster Audio. The ISBN-13 is 9781797145297.

Global Availability

This book is only available in the United States.

Goodreads Reviews

LTJ

September 24, 2022

“Fairy Tale” by Stephen King was such a delight to read, it’s something you just need to sit back, relax, and enjoy slowly in stride. I loved how as always with King, he brings you back to a time when you were a kid and had to deal with all the usual things kids dealt with. Relationships, sports, family, friends, doing stupid things, and just trying to make sense of it all.I absolutely loved all the characters King created in this novel. Charlie, Mr. Bowditch, Leah, and even the fantasy characters were all fantastic. Now, for me personally, when it comes to Radar, I became a dog owner for the first time in my life back in 2021 as she really connected with me. I have a cockapoo by the name of Ozzy Skywalker and reading about Radar really hit home for me in so many ways. All the interactions, situations, events, and descriptions were exactly that of a dog and how a dog owner would react. I can imagine if you’re also a dog owner, you will feel the same way as you connect immediately with the dynamic duo of Charlie and Radar and the adventures that await them.Don’t worry, I will not ruin anything for you but this novel is simply amazing. The way King blurred reality into fantasy completely blew me away. Even all the scary and horror situations were perfect that led to an awesome fairy tale story that was unique and just so good. The atmosphere, world-building, character development, and the pure creepiness of everything King built just really resonated well with me. Once I got to the 80% mark, it was incredibly hard to put this down to see what would ultimately transpire.Also, the illustrations for each chapter brought me back to my childhood as I remembered reading a lot of horror and mystery novels that did this. I have no idea who created these graphics for King in every chapter but they were great and captured the essence of each one. As I read, I’d often head back to see the image just to give me that visual as it happened. Just really well done!When it comes to the ending, it really delivered after such a climactic buildup. I had no idea what would transpire but when it did, my goodness, it was wonderful and wrapped up an unforgettable novel. It was simply a perfect way to end things that left me beyond satisfied.I give “Fairy Tale” a perfect 5/5 and so far in 2022 at the time of this review, is the best novel I’ve read. King published this novel in September which is his birthday month. Considering he just turned 75 years young and wrote yet another impactful novel, truly made this year a great one for Constant Readers all across the globe. I highly recommend this novel to anyone that loves King, fantasy, horror, and wants to see what happens when both worlds ultimately collide.

Teodora

February 14, 2023

5/5 ⭐ “You never know where the trapdoors are in your life, do you?” I bet you guessed it already from the rating above but I loved this book! Definitely a new favourite of mine from Mr King.The thing is as follows: this book is so unlike his usual style, but at the same time he keeps his usual pace and his usual details that make you feel chills down your spine from time to time. I said it's unlike his usual style because we all know his speciality is horror, he gave us some of the most iconic horror characters ever. However, this book, Fairy Tale , is constructed to be a fantastic journey in the sacred pace of traditional fairy tales.The plot is constructed as such: the pace is slow, the hero goes through various trials and challenges that change him from an ordinary boy in a small town to a brave and wise prince in a foreign world.It is a long book, yes. I know. And at some point it kind of drags, but the way the plot has been built little by little, step by step, with traditional fairy tale elements, with trials, with ordinary heroes, with helpers and magical objects and magical creatures and magical worlds? Brilliant, 10/10 for that. The dark premise that still makes you see it is King's doing is that he took elements from the original fairy tales that some of us grew up with, letting the sickeningly honey-glazed sugarplumed Disney version behind to eat dust. These were the real fairy tales, the ones the Grimm brothers and Hans Christian Andersen wrote, the ones with cruel and brute elements. Not the Little Mermaid who lost her pretty voice to Ursula but fell in love with the Prince, the Prince fell in love with her and they lived happily ever after. No. The Little Mermaid who couldn't speak because she sold it in exchange for legs, she couldn't make a step without feeling like a million knives were piercing through her flesh and, in the end, she fell in love with the Prince, but the Prince married another woman so the Little Mermaid died. Not because of jealousy and heartbreak though, but because she did not fulfil her side of the pact with Ursula, to whom she sold her voice.That's the kind of fairy tale King was building and he succeeded. He believes in the twisty ones. “It’s the stories of our childhood that make the deepest impressions and last the longest.” I love this book for a few more reasons, other than the great way it has been constructed. I loved it because it had a dog (and how could you not be obsessed with a story involving a dog) and also because Charlie was, actually, a quite relatable character. He didn't try too hard to get the spotlight, he was naturally good at things and naturally kind and sweet even though he hasn't had the easiest of lives, and one thing I absolutely adored about him is that even though his dad forced him to grow up faster than he should've (and made life hard for the both of them), Charlie still loved him dearly and they had a beautiful bond and a beautiful father-son relationship. There's a lot to dissect about this book but at the same time, there is not much happening. However, there are details that make it nearly impossible to reproduce in a few sentences. Two things are certain though: 1) you have to read it because 2) there's Radar and she's the sweetest and bravest dog and you'll fall in love with her!

Charlotte

October 30, 2022

An immersive beast of a novel. I fell into this world and didn’t want to leave. When Charlie sees his neighbour lying on the ground after a fall from a ladder, he takes it upon himself to look after the man’s dog - Radar. They form a kind of friendship and Charlie soon finds there is a world of secrets hidden in this grumpy man’s old house. The world Charlie discovers is full of terrors, curses and the fight between good and evil. He finds himself drawn to this world and their troubles, the people refer to him as the Prince that was Promised, and he can’t help but feel like he was meant to be there. A wonderful novel of epic scope. I thoroughly enjoyed this ride. ***********************Omg. library copy available for pick up I can’t believe this day is actually here!!!So freaking excited for this!!!

David

January 15, 2023

For me this book, in a way, is an enigma. I loved it for the main reasons I love most of King’s works and at the same time there are things I wish he would’ve done different. Not quite a love-hate, but a love…ah—disappointed maybe. First, he chose to write the entire book in first person but in the reminiscent voice. I’m a huge proponent of the Fictive Dream. I love being dropped into the story and having my real world disappear and time turn elastic. When I finally pull my head out of the book to look up four hours has slipped away. And it feels like only twenty minutes. With the reminiscent voice King held me at arms-length from the story and even went as far as bursting the “forth wall,” when he stopped the story and the main character (author/story teller) gives us information. I don’t like it in movies and I don’t care for it the stories I read. I prefer the active voice where the author sets the scene, drops me in and I stay there living the events along the main character. The reminiscent voice is “telling,” the story as if I’m in a bar with King and he’s relating what happened to him. Most authors would have a difficult time pulling this off, but King is a master craftsman and still held my attention throughout, (for several reasons I’ll elaborate on later). In addition, the choice of the reminiscent voice gives up a great deal of tension and suspense because we know the hero is going to make it through, (and he keeps reminding us that he makes it through the ordeal by bursting the forth wall). Otherwise, I wouldn’t be sitting at the bar with him telling me the story.Anyway, I’ve dwelt too long on this aspect.In the first hundred-and-seventy pages King does what he does best, he establishes character and more important, with his voice and characters, he relates wonderfully well with the reader. He reminds the reader of things consistent with the character and the reader’s life. This is what makes his work so engaging. What makes King, the King. In fact, this part is so real and interesting he could’ve continued on without introducing the fairy tale part of the story and I would’ve stayed with him for another thousand pages. That’s really saying something. When he does make the shift that contrast of the two worlds is not only fascinating but goes a long way to make it real. Make it believable.I do book signings at Barnes and Noble and talk with readers about books and the poll I’ve taken on this book is a mixed bag. Some die-hard fans said they lost interest in the middle, some say there were too many characters once he entered the fairy tale land. I think both of these comments (pretty consistent too) are related.When the main character goes down into the well, the setting takes on equal weight in the story as the main character. In fact, the setting comes very close to overpowering the story. But for me I loved it. For me, this is where King excels. I wanted to see every little detail (and again this might be because of the contrast, how he made the first 170 pages so real). Once the main character gets captured and thrown into the dungeon, (sorry spoiler here, and I work hard not to have these) King has to endear the reader to the fellow captives in order for us to feel for them when they are put at risk. Several times (when the bursts the forth wall and talks to the reader), he even admits to the reader that there are too many names and apologizes.In the dungeon, I thought King’s creativity flagged a little. He dropped into a tired old trope used in Ben Hur, The Gladiator, Hunger Games and on and on ad nauseum. In stark contrast to everything else like the play on all the old fairy tales. These were so fresh. Several new aspects though rescued me, like the huge daughter, the despicable girlfriend, the blue aura on the captors, just to name a few. I’ve gone on too long, sorry for the ramble. I could continue, I love King (most anyway). I’ll end by saying for me this is a solid five stars and goes up there alongside my favorites of his which is saying mouthful.David Putnam author of the Bruno Johnson series (and now the Dave Beckett series).

Gabriel

October 01, 2022

He caído bajo el hechizo Kingniano y su propio cuento de hadas al más puro estilo clásico.«Un hombre valiente ayuda. Un cobarde solo hace regalos.»Cuando eres lector constante de un autor como Stephen King comienzas a ver sus aciertos y falencias. Descubres de qué pie cojea y sobre cuál mantiene el equilibrio. En este caso, siempre he dicho que tiene una manera de narrar muy pausada y a veces, me pasa últimamente que cuando veo que sus libros tienen más de 800 páginas me pregunto si valdrá la pena todo el viaje final. Y vaya que sí, para mí lo ha valido con creces. Es de esas veces en las que ni siquiera estuve pendiente del número de páginas que faltaban y solo quería más y más, sumergirme en el cuentazo y todos sus detalles fantásticos que me tenían maravillado.«El whisky no huele como la ginebra… y a la vez sí. A mí todo el alcohol me huele igual: a tristeza y pérdida.»A ver, no voy a mentir, en el primer cuarto de libro parece que no pasa nada y a la vez todo. King relata de manera paulatina la vida de Charlie desde que era un niño hasta su adolescencia. Con aire costumbrista nos envuelve en el pueblo, la escuela, su casa y finalmente hasta lo más importante: su relación con el señor Bowditch y Radar, la perra de este. Hay una magia impregnada en esta primera parte que te va dando dosis de referencias a cuentos de hadas populares para finalmente sumergirte en el mágico y misterioso mundo abierto a muchísimas posibilidades. Por ejemplo, en un comienzo sabemos de la existencia de la caperucita roja que salió y nunca regresó porque tuvo un accidente, el padre ausente y alcohólico que es un completo pusilánime, el pirata y su buque lleno de oro, el hombrecillo (Rumpelstiltskin) con voz tonta y que da miedo; además de que también anda en busca de oro (toma tu referencia a las habichuelas mágicas), la casa vieja, gótica y espeluznante que tiene un halo sobrenatural o encantado, el viejecillo (leñador) que tiene una perra que en tiempos anteriores confundían con una bestia temible y luego está el cobertizo; el centro de todo, la amenaza viviente que se encuentra bajo candado y de la que se escuchan rasguños tras la puerta de madera. Y por último nuestro protagonista, quien nos narra de manera ulterior todo lo que aconteció en su vida y que es ese típico muchacho que siempre se embarca en una nueva aventura por explorar, donde le esperan muchas cosas agradables y desagradables en igual medida en mundos que transgreden la lógica con seres fantásticos.«Me gustaría deciros que al final recuperé mi lado bueno. Deciros que me arrepentí. No sería verdad. En todos nosotros hay un pozo oscuro, creo, y nunca se seca. Pero allá vosotros si bebéis de él. Esa agua está envenenada.»Y es allí, en ese otro mundo donde se reproduce al fin el verdadero cuento de hadas. Bichejos e insectos gigantes, un hoyo profundo con muchísimos metros de profundidad, que tiene escalones en espiral que te llevan a un pasadizo y finalmente un reino repleto de oscuridad, seres, maldiciones, promesas, leyendas, misiones, belleza, fealdad y horror sin igual. El misticismo y encanto de la naturaleza y el campo, con el peligro y decadencia de una ciudad de jade con torres de cristal: apodada la ciudad embrujada, encantada o como le quieras llamar.Bueno, allá en ese mundo del que hablo hay un campo de flores rojas, una cabaña donde vive una mujer deforme y casi sin rostro, una chica de las ocas que no tiene boca, un anciano ciego, un hombre que no puede sentir, una mujer sorda, un reloj capaz de manipular el tiempo, un enano malvado e imprudente, gigantas temibles, personas grises, soldados de la noche, sirena, lobos, un cielo adornado con dos lunas llamadas Bella y Arabella, el Asesino del Vuelo, un dios dormido, prisiones, juegos mortales, deportes sangrientos, persecuciones y brutalidad sin igual.«En toda la historia del mundo —de todos los mundos—, la ignorancia nunca ha cambiado un solo error.»Una historia que comienza en la más tranquila cotidianidad y termina en un mundo mágico con la misión noble de salvar a una perra, para terminar convirtiéndose en una aventura por la supervivencia propia y de un grupo de habitantes del Reino de Empis. Un mundo lleno de maravillas y tormentos. Y aunque es obvio que tiene algunos pequeños fallos que no me convencen por su falta de verosimilitud bien se los perdono porque precisamente esto es un cuento de hadas, y en ellos abundan las coincidencias, las rarezas, el destino, o fuerzas mayores que actúan para que pase lo que tiene que pasar. Es más, hasta el mismo protagonista hace una especie de comparación un poco acertada: «¿Pensáis que algunas de las cosas de mi relato son difíciles de creer? Pues intentad imaginaros a Paul Newman de indio. Eso sí que es llevar la credibilidad al límite.»Lo importante es la atmósfera y el tono mágico que abunda de manera preciosa y terrorífica de una manera sutil. Creo sin duda que al final es la historia de amor de un chico hacia su perra; la misión del héroe con la que cualquier lector puede empatizar si tiene de compañero una mascota a la que ama. Así que sí, me pongo la venda en los ojos y digo que he disfrutado de este cuento de hadas al estilo de los hermanos Grimm con referencias literarias muy directas a Lovecraft y todo su horror, además de otros exponentes del terror.

Trish

September 13, 2022

My god, is there ANYTHING the "king of horror" cannot do? It doesn't seem to matter what kind of book SK writes, he always produces a wonderful story.Hero of Fairy Tale is Charlie, a 17-year-old who has been through hell ever since his mother was killed in a hit-and-run following which his father became an alcoholic. He's in a pretty good place at the beginning of this book, but he doesn't really trust it. Also, some stuff he's done in the past is haunting him. But when a dog alerts him to the plight of a reclusive neighbor, he does the right thing and helps. Charlie even becomes his caretaker.Eventually, Charlie not only becomes Mr. Bowditch's friend, but is told his secret and that opens a whole new can of worms. Not because Charlie is greedy - because he cares. In fact, caring is basically what this book was all about for me.Stephen King took the best elements of various Grimm fairy tales such as Jack and the Beanstalk (the original versions, not the Disney-esque ones) and combined them with the essence of portal stories like Narnia before turning the mix into his very own blend of fantasy and horror.There were many great references to pop culture as well as to other SK stories. The Crimson King definitely featured in here but if this is his origin story or just another example of him possessing and corrupting people and places, we can't be sure. I think the author is deliberately leaving that up to the reader.However, it is obvious that this book gives us another of the worlds of the wheel we were introduced to in The Dark Tower, which means we also get elements of gunslinging heroics and desolate worlds.Honestly, the worldbuilding was the best. In Charlie's world and the other. Though I also thoroughly enjoyed the growing relationship between Charlie and Mr. Bowditch. OK, Charlie's father was cool, too. My favorite character, however, was Radar. Hands down. Nobody beats the old girl. And her fate also kept me on the edge of my seat the most.As I said before, this is not one of my favorite SK books, not even top 3, but that is just because SK sets the bar so high and is producing so many incredibly fantastic books - this one was still absolutely enchanting and a wonderful adventure.

Mau (Maponto Lee)

September 22, 2022

Érase una vez, Stephen King se atrevió a escribir una novela llamada "Cuento de Hadas", tomando prestado de los cuentos clásicos que todos conocemos, tanto los estándares antiguos como los clásicos modernos, para poner su propia firma en un género fantástico dentro de una narrativa que abarca mundos con gigantes devoradores de hombres, zombis eléctricos, castillos y sirenas, duelos a muerte, un gobernante cruel y una bella princesa. Sin embargo, es un chico y su mascota quienes conquistan nuestro corazón, así como los esfuerzos pasados de King han desconcertado nuestra alma.Los cuentos de hadas, que hoy en día se consideran bonitas historias para dormir, solían ser parte de las pesadillas. Las versiones que se encuentran en los libros para niños son a menudo versiones suavizadas de las parábolas crueles y espantosas que son las originales, cuyos "felices para siempre" están lejos de ser garantizados. Las hermanastras de Cenicienta, por ejemplo, mutilan sus propios pies en su desesperación por entrar en esa zapatilla de cristal. No muy diferente, la malvada madrastra de Blancanieves es castigada por sus fechorías haciéndola bailar con un par de zapatos de hierro al rojo vivo hasta que cae muerta.Dados todos estos grotescos escenarios, los cuentos de hadas originales podrían ofrecer mucho para que un maestro moderno del género de terror y el suspenso se apoye. Y, en su novela “Cuento de Hadas”, Stephen King hace exactamente eso, presentándonos un reino mágico de gigantes, princesas y animales parlantes, pero asegurándose de que el lugar esté todo menos desinfectado, untándolo con fluidos corporales y blasfemias extremas.Las cosas comienzan de manera bastante mundana en la zona semirrural de Illinois. Allí, el estudiante de secundaria Charlie, una fusión poco común de ratón de biblioteca y atleta, viene al rescate cuando su anciano vecino misántropo Howard Bowditch se cae de una escalera y se rompe una pierna. Charlie y Bowditch forman un vínculo, y no pasa mucho tiempo antes de que este último le revele al chico unos secretos inimaginables y espectaculares.El mundo alternativo del libro combina elementos de los cuentos de hadas de los hermanos Grimm con el horror cósmico de H.P. Lovecraft, pero nos lleva un tiempo llegar allí, y cuanto más leemos, más apreciamos las preliminares en la narración de King. Nuestro héroe, Charlie, no comienza su viaje hacia lo fantástico hasta aproximadamente una cuarta parte del libro. Además de algunos extraños ruidos que emanan del cobertizo del viejo Señor Bowditch, la primera sección de la novela está dedicada a la relación de Charlie con su padre y su creciente amistad con el malhumorado viejo, un vínculo cimentado por su amor compartido por la pastor alemán del anciano, Radar. Algunos podrían llamar a esto un comienzo lento para una historia de fantasía y aventuras, pero no lo es en absoluto. Charlie es un buen chico, pero es muy consciente de su capacidad para comportarse de otra manera. Deja el equipo de béisbol de la escuela para cuidar al Señor Bowditch una vez que el anciano sale del hospital, pero una motivación no insignificante para esto es su deseo de pasar más tiempo con Radar, quien se acerca al final de su vida.Cuando Charlie descubre que el Señor Bowditch ha estado escondiendo algo increíble en su cobertizo de madera, las intenciones de la novela se enfocan. Es un escenario de cuento de hadas, pero claramente arraigado en las encarnaciones más antiguas, oscuras y violentas de esos cuentos. Charlie encuentra muchas oportunidades para reflexionar sobre cómo éstas chocan con las versiones de Disney.En la dedicatoria de “Cuento de Hadas” se lee: "Pensando en REH, ERB y, por supuesto, HPL", referencias que Charlie, un devoto lector de la ficción de principios del siglo XX, seguramente no tendría problemas para identificar como Robert E. Howard (creador de Conan el Bárbaro), Edgar Rice Burroughs (creador de Tarzán), y H.P. Lovecraft. Si los relatos modernos de cuentos de hadas pueden carecer de la terrenalidad de los originales, los cuentos de aventuras antiguos, aunque a menudo son muy divertidos, no suelen preocuparse por la profundidad emocional. Pero “Cuento de Hadas” proporciona tanto la fragilidad humana carnal como un corazón completamente funcional. Su trama no está impulsada por el deseo de su héroe de buscar fortuna, sino por algo tan potente como el amor de un chico por su mascota.Ese amor es infantil y simple, y Charlie está dispuesto a arriesgar su vida para salvar a Radar. Cualquier amante de los perros puede entender la extravagante devoción de Charlie por una criatura a la que adora. Es ese amor lo que lo atrae hacia lo fantástico, pero es el amor de Charlie por su padre, enriquecido y complejo, lo que lo trae de vuelta. El apego que Charlie siente por su padre es en parte el vínculo elemental entre padre e hijo y en parte la recompensa ganada con tanto esfuerzo por lo que han pasado juntos y lo que han hecho el uno por el otro. Ni el chico ni el hombre dudan en expresar sus sentimientos, ya que ambos saben muy bien cómo de repente aquellos a quienes amamos pueden dejarnos. Las primeras páginas que King dedica a retratar su relación repercuten a lo largo de la novela, profundizándola.Hay momentos durante “Cuento de Hadas” en los que Charlie se ve obligado a aprovechar sus sentimientos negativos. El odio es una fuerza tan grande en esta novela como lo es el amor. Un tema permanente en el trabajo de King es que cada ser humano tiene el potencial de hacer el mal, y que solo reconociendo esto y manteniéndonos alerta, podemos tener la esperanza de vivir vidas morales. “Cuento de Hadas” es a la vez amplio y autónomo, cómico y aterrador, conmovedor y sombrío. Al final de la novela, Charlie debe tomar una decisión tan inevitable como dolorosa. Es lo correcto, pero lo sabe sólo porque ahora comprende lo fácil que es hacer lo incorrecto.Esta novela es una mezcla intertextual que atraviesa multiversos y salta géneros, impulsada por encuentros memorablemente extraños y una acción bien interpretada, a menudo emocionante. En una de las mejores (y más extensas) secuencias de la novela, Charlie se ve forzado a participar en actividades en las que deberá decidir si asesinar o ser asesinado. Pero es que a los 17 años, Charlie ya ha visto los efectos persistentes de los pozos oscuros en su padre, un alcohólico en recuperación. Charlie tendrá que aprender a vivir con lo que ha bebido de los suyos. Después de todo, la bondad no es algo que eres, incluso si eres el príncipe elegido que ha venido a salvar un reino: la bondad es algo que haces y Charlie Reade siempre está haciendo todo lo que está a su alcance.A pesar de los giros y vueltas de la trama, la mayor sorpresa que "Cuento de Hadas" tiene para ofrecer podría ser la promesa del libro de un final feliz. En un momento, Charlie nos advierte que esos finales requieren "algo improbable", trucos narrativos hechos "apetecibles para los lectores que quieren un final feliz, incluso si el narrador tuviera que sacar uno de su sombrero". Pero, podríamos apostar que a muchos lectores hambrientos de una aventura genuinamente agradable no nos importará qué tácticas usa King para lograr tal final: en estos días, algunos de nosotros aceptaremos todos los finales felices que podamos obtener, por improbables que estos parezcan. Reseña completa sin spoilers en mi canal de YouTube ➡ Maponto Lee 📚 Link aquí!

Regina

October 12, 2022

Absolutely loved the first section set in the "real world," but my interest waned as soon as our main characters ventured into the fairy tale. Clearly this is user error. If you love fantasy, you'll love this.

Michael

September 13, 2022

Stephen King returns after last year's dreadfully dull Billy Summers with a pure and undiluted reminder about what makes him not only one of America's best, and perhaps most important (and certainly most influential), authors, but about the power of storytelling to begin with. Yes, there have been a few bumps along the way of King's illustrious career - that's bound to happen when you're as prolific as King - but Fairy Tale is a potent reminder about why King is, well, king.Seventeen-year-old Charlie Reade is mourning the loss of his mother (she was walking home along a bridge when she was struck and killed by a vehicle operated by a distracted driver, shades of King's own brush with death when he, too, was struck by a van in June 1999), while his father lapses into, and eventually recovers from, alcoholism (shades of King's own struggles with addiction - can you tell this is a deeply personal story from its author?). Riding his bike home from school one evening, he hears the cries for help from Howard Bowditch, the old recluse who lives in a large house reminiscent of the one in Psycho. Charlie made a promise to God that if his father would quit drinking, he would work to pay off his debt. After his prayer is answered, Charlie is sure the ailing, broken-legged Bowditch is his chance to return the favor and make good on what's owed. But as he and Howard begin to bond, and as Charlie falls deeply in love with the man's dog, Radar, Charlie begins to learn of the older man's secrets, particularly the one about the padlocked shed in the backyard...the one with a mysterious well in it, with stairs leading down, down, down...into a different world entirely.The first couple hundred pages are devoted almost entirely to Charlie's burgeoning relationship with Howard and Radar, showcasing King's talents for deftly creating realistic characters that are both familiar and compulsively readable. He affords us the opportunity to become simpatico with Charlie, and although the teenager promises he isn't all good, it's genuinely difficult to hold that which he is guilty for over his head because he's such a decent fellow at heart (one might even say he's a prince of a young man). It's a slow burn, as King teases us with thumps and scratches from inside the shed and Bowditch's little mysteries, but a necessary one, one that lures us in and offers to us a chance to settle in and get comfortable, just before we're made uneasy. Fairy Tale recalls some of King's past forays, with the book's opening segments calling to mind "Mr. Harrigan's Phone" (from 2020's novella collection, If It Bleeds), but also works like The Talisman and even "The Body." On the latter mention, Fairy Tale is narrated in first-person, with an older Charlie telling us of his past coming-of-age adventures into the make-believe storybook land of Empis. This is King's ode to all those childhood fairy tales we grew up on, from the Little Golden Books classics and the much darker original stories by way of the Brothers Grimm to (at least for my generation) The Never-Ending Story and Legend. He also draws upon some of his own childhood inspirations, like H.P. Lovecraft, Edgar Rice Burroughs, and Robert E. Howard, to whom this book is dedicated and whose DNA is woven into this story's fantasy. King revels here, fully, in the power of storytelling, of mythmaking and magic, and the hero's journey as Charlie is transported to a fantastical realm and discovers within himself the power to save a kingdom. Where King succeeds most strongly, though, is in capturing the power of a story's most important purpose - of providing its reader with an escape. Fairy Tale is a 600-page long opportunity to forget about the struggles and hardships of the real world, to ignore the dangers of an on-going viral pandemic, wildfires, earthquakes, wars, death, a former president and insurrectionist stealing nuclear secrets to likely sell to the highest bidders, and Twitter trolls trolling everything they deem "woke," like Black elves and a Black mermaid and a Black Death... Fairy Tale is pure, unadulterated, unabashed escapism, a chance to sit at the knee of Uncle Stevie at his most captivating and engrossing, with his heart fully on his sleeve, because he has a story to tell, and he knows how to tell it better than anyone. It's a light in the dark, a story where love, hope, compassion, and goodness can win the day, because it is, after all, a fairy tale, and that's exactly what we need right now.

Ruben

October 15, 2022

I can only tell that to me this book is just one more star to add to Stephen King's writing history. What's different? The fact there's magic involved and some legendary/mystical creatures, which make the story a Fairy Tale and this time the story is told by the main character in the story (Charlie Reade) who will do anything and everything to save Radar (his recently inherited female German shepherd left behind by late Mr. Bowditch), but drawn also by the curiosity it represents to step foot into a hidden world. Will Charlie succeed in carrying out what he intends? Being a Fairy Tale, what else will he find throughout his journey that may make his task difficult if not virtually impossible? What other characters will Charlie bump into who might make his journey easier or perhaps even more difficult than he thinks? Being a Stephen King novel, are we expecting a happy ending or...? As usual, there's just one way to find out.

Sara

April 14, 2022

First of all, thank you to @simonandschuster and Stephen King for the opportunity to read this eGalley of the upcoming book “Fairy Tale”, releasing September 6, 2022. “Fairy Tale” is the story of Charlie Reade, a teenager who has dealt with a lot in his life: the death of his mother and the struggles of living with an alcoholic father. He crosses paths with a reclusive neighbor, Mr. Bowditch and his dog named Radar, who I will never ever forget. But Bowditch has a few secrets, and one that is revealed after Bowditch’s death will change Charlie’s world forever. King has described this book as the one he wrote to make him happy during the early days of the pandemic. And I am happy to report this book will make you happy too. “Fairy Tale” delivers in a way I never expected. The world building is masterfully done, and the characters will stay with me forever. First of all, Radar, the beloved dog of Mr. Bowditch and eventually Charlie, immediately found his way into my heart and revealed his love and loyalty throughout the story. Charlie is a young man, wise and mature beyond his years, who becomes a hero in ways he never knew were possible. Intermingled with the great fairy tales of our childhoods, “Fairy Tale” is a must read book this fall, and is another example of the absolute brilliance of the modern master himself, Stephen King.

Frequently asked questions

Listening to audiobooks not only easy, it is also very convenient. You can listen to audiobooks on almost every device. From your laptop to your smart phone or even a smart speaker like Apple HomePod or even Alexa. Here’s how you can get started listening to audiobooks.

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While you can listen to the bestsellers on almost any device, and preferences may vary, generally smart phones are offer the most convenience factor. You could be working out, grocery shopping, or even watching your dog in the dog park on a Saturday morning.
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Research showcasing the brain health benefits of reading on a regular basis is wide-ranging and undeniable. However, research comparing the benefits of reading vs listening is much more sparse. According to professor of psychology and author Dr. Kristen Willeumier, though, there is good reason to believe that the reading experience provided by audiobooks offers many of the same brain benefits as reading a physical book.

Audiobooks are recordings of books that are read aloud by a professional voice actor. The recordings are typically available for purchase and download in digital formats such as MP3, WMA, or AAC. They can also be streamed from online services like Speechify, Audible, AppleBooks, or Spotify.
You simply download the app onto your smart phone, create your account, and in Speechify, you can choose your first book, from our vast library of best-sellers and classics, to read for free.

Audiobooks, like real books can add up over time. Here’s where you can listen to audiobooks for free. Speechify let’s you read your first best seller for free. Apart from that, we have a vast selection of free audiobooks that you can enjoy. Get the same rich experience no matter if the book was free or not.

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It varies. The easiest way depends on a few things. The app and service you use, which device, and platform. Speechify is the easiest way to listen to audiobooks. Downloading the app is quick. It is not a large app and does not eat up space on your iPhone or Android device.
Listening to audiobooks on your smart phone, with Speechify, is the easiest way to listen to audiobooks.

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