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The Talisman cover art

The Talisman

Written by: Stephen King, Peter Straub
Narrated by: Frank Muller
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Publisher's Summary

On a brisk autumn day, a 13-year-old boy stands on the shores of the gray Atlantic, near a silent amusement park and a fading ocean resort called the Alhambra. The past has driven Jack Sawyer here: His father is gone, his mother is dying, and the world no longer makes sense. But for Jack everything is about to change. For he has been chosen to make a journey back across America - and into another realm.

One of the most influential and heralded works of fantasy ever written, The Talisman is an extraordinary novel of loyalty, awakening, terror, and mystery. Jack Sawyer, on a desperate quest to save his mother's life, must search for a prize across an epic landscape of innocents and monsters, of incredible dangers and even more incredible truths. The prize is essential, but the journey means even more. Let the quest begin....

©2001 Simon & Schuster; 2001 Stephen King and Peter Straub

What the critics say

Audie Award Winner, Fiction (unabridged), 2002
"A classic...rare and dazzling...a journey to rival the greatest adventure stories ever told." ( New York Daily News)
"Extraordinary...makes your hair stand on end." ( The Washington Post)

What listeners say about The Talisman

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    5 out of 5 stars

Fabulous book and excellent narration.

I read this many years ago, and loved it. After losing my eyesight, the world of books were closed to me for awhile, until I found Audible. I’ve been listening to many of Stephen Kings book, and have thoroughly enjoyed them ,but this one stands out for the incredible narrative skills of the narrator. He became Wolf(who I named my first German Shepherd for) and he became Speedy, Morgan, all the characters had their own voices and he thoroughly brought this book alive to me again. I have sat with rapt attention for the last 3 days, listening to this wonderful book and this incredible narrator. Buy it. You will love it like I do!

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15 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Don't Listen to this one at Night

I use Audible to lull my brain to sleep. This book was incredibly exciting, tension filled and addictive. The reader had a great voice and his characters were all individual, recognizable, and very believable. This is a King/Straub tour de force. I was immediately caught up in the story. The protagonist is easy to like and I found myself empathising with him and his travails. I can recommend this audio book whole heartedly, Just dont listen at night. I kept waking up when the Sleep timer turned it off and resetting for another hour.. I was exhausted, in that great way that you cannot wait to get back to the story. #Audible1

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5 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Best credit I ever spent

This book was amazing! I laughed, I cried, I was spooked. This is definitely the best Stephen King book I've ever read/listened to and this is coming from an avid King fan. Now to listen to some more of Peter Straub's work! Frank Muller does a fantastic job bringing each character to life and I found myself wishing the story would never end. I will recommend this to all my friends and family. Many thanks to all involved!

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4 people found this helpful

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    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Terrible Narrator

Terrible narrator. Story is interesting but story teller killed it. Too bad. Will watch for further readings by Frank Muller.

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3 people found this helpful

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I binge listened to this one

Magnificent,,,, I had read this book, "twice", ages ago. One of my favorite offerings, out of the King library.. And my fav, from Peter Strubb. Such amazing characters they created,, Wolf was the one I remembered, (and loved), the best.
Five stars seems hardly adequate praise of this strory

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1 person found this helpful

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One of my all time faves now.

I loved this book so much that I was terribly disappointed when it ended. Just the weirdest story ever, but with an edgy gruesomeness that just kept me wanting more.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Stephen King at his best!

A wonderful story, beautifully written and superbly narrated. I have already purchased the sequel “Black House”.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars

Weak characters

Are you tired of listening to characters getting beat up, abused and mangled for hours on end? Then this book is not for you. Despite having seemingly special powers and abilities that are hinted at during the story, our main character is one helluva punching bag with zero spunk at all in him. It's as if though he's a passive observer to his own misfortune, without any agency to do anything about it. And although he meets many interesting characters along his journey, many of whom possess extraordinary skills and physical strength, he utilizes none of them to his advantage. This boy is a glutton for getting punishment. And he's utterly helpless to do anything at all to change his fate or improve his situation . I can't say I enjoy this, because it goes on for the vast majority of this story, and it gets rather tiresome. There's nothing smart or cunning, no wit or schemes, just literally rolling with the punches.

Whatever there is to the overarching plot or story gets lost in the abuse that goes on for hours and hours. You wouldn't know what jack was trying to do if you picked up the story after an hour or so. I'm rather disappointed, considering King gave us such epic and grand tales like The Gunslinger.

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  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars

worst book l ever downloaded.

listened to 22 chapters and decided not to finish. it was the worst book l ever down loaded..

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Talisman is a Classic Tale

A blast from the past I had read when I was a teen. So engaging. The bad guys are really bad, and so few good guys. It was a great stroll down memory lane with classic lines like Fushing Feef, Bad Smells Jackie, It's Axiomatic, A Manner O' Things Will Be Well, and more. It makes you wonder, which is a hall mark of any great novel, about the territories, worlds within worlds, the multiverse as it has been come to be known. I could not put it down when I was a youngling, and I tore through it voraciously in the Audiobook format. I love it, and always will.

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1 person found this helpful