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Fairy Tale cover art

Fairy Tale

By: Stephen King
Narrated by: Seth Numrich, Stephen King
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Publisher's Summary

Legendary story teller 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 higherfor their 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 10, and grief drove his dad to drink. Charlie learned how to take care of himself—and his dad. Then, when Charlie is 17, he meets a dog named Radar and his 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 about another world than ours, in which good is pitted against overwhelming evil, and a heroic boy—and his dog—must lead the battle.

©2022 Stephen King (P)2022 Simon & Schuster Ltd

What listeners say about Fairy Tale

Average Customer Ratings
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loved it

love how every character and setting is described in detail. feels like you're there.

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Love it

Really enjoyed this Fairy tale and it’s ending, not classic King but a winner for me.👌

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Stunning

A great story brilliantly performed to make it even greater.

I love Stephen King, but the performers gave it colour and depth that kept me hooked.

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  • Overall
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Really enjoyed it.

Really easy to listen to. It built up slowly. His use of words were excellent. I really enjoyed the person who read it. I though it was a good match.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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The King of Kings

This book takes everything I love most about King’s writing and puts it in a single wonderful story. The realism of his character development and the magic of his fantastical worlds both feature in this book and I feel like it is the best of everything fans want from King’s writing. I loved this book. I loved the narration - and having some done by King himself was a treat. And most of all - spoiler alert - I love that the dog didn’t die at the end.

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  • Overall
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Not as original as other King Novels

Quite fantastical, another story about a boy who discovers another world and is the hero in the prophecy. Not original and definitely not as good as other Stephen King books, but still good because King is King.

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that has to be one of my top 5 King books.

wonderfully read. brilliant characters dreamed up once again.... just loved it as it transports you to the best of your childhood, the worst of adulthood and everywhere in between.

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Amazing Narration

The narrator is really good. He sounds totally gorgeous but having worked in radio, I'm assuming that's not the case, lol.
Classic King, a good, rambling story that hooks you in!

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A Wonderful Fairytale for Adults

This is one of those books that you never want to end. I wanted to slow down time as it hurtled towards the final chapters. A mix of fantasy and horror, never terrifying, frequently disturbing. It’s beautifully written by a master storyteller. Seth Numrich’s outstanding narration was a perfect match for it. Highly recommended.

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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Effectively 2 books

If you loved the green mile the first half is for you if you are hunting for of the fantasy elements the second half after the “TAPE” is what you are looking for the first half could be enjoyed entirely by it’s self and you could stop once you reach the “tape”

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