Monday, June 4, 2012

UR; Stephen King


Title: UR
Author:  Stephen King
Publication Year: 2010
Publisher: Simon and Schuster 
Edition: audiobook 
Reader: Holter Graham 
Source: Library 
Date Completed: 5/2012
Rating: 3.5/5
Recommend: yes

I've been on a Stephen King kick in this past year, ever since I feel in love with 11/22/63 at the end of 2011. I then listened to The Gingerbread Girl on audio (a short novella, and next up was an audio book (another novella) called UR.  The story is about an English teacher in his 30's, named Wesley Smith. He and his girlfriend Ellen have just broken up. She couldn't understand his obsession with books and why he had so many in his house.  He decides to purchase an eReader (yes a Kindle) to spite her.

When Wesley's Kindle arrives, "it's pink", and he is puzzled. He clearly must have received some other person's purchase. From the minute he first powers on the device, he is amazed at all the books he now has access to at his fingertips, but before long it's pretty clear that this is no ordinary eReader. There's a function on this pink Kindle marked UR and when used the UR takes Wesley to parallel universes, where never heard of before literary titles by folks like Hemingway are available for this Kindle.

While the entire audio book is only (2) cds, the later portion of the story got a little weird I thought. I still enjoyed it, and while this book definite works as a promotion for the Amazon Kindle, it was still  a fun audio book. I think most book lovers feel this way as well.  The reader Holter Graham did a great job.
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10 comments:

  1. Natalie~Coffee and a Book ChickJune 4, 2012 at 7:51 PM

    I've heard that this story is like a long promotional commercial for the Kindle, but I've also heard that Stephen King likes to write about society's obsessions with the newest, latest and greatest tech fad. That's what he did in The Tommyknockers also. I'm excited to listen to UR because I really don't mind when he veers off with a story, but he does sometimes get wicked weird.

    Feel free to link up this book to the June reviews at The Stephen King Project site with the button/link to the post as well!

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    Replies
    1. (Diane) Bibliophile By the SeaJune 4, 2012 at 9:22 PM

      Yes he does seem to like to write about gadgets --- CELL, was another one.

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  2. Brian's Home BlogJune 4, 2012 at 8:03 PM

    I sure am glad our Kindle was correct when it arrived!

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  3. rhapsodyinbooksJune 4, 2012 at 9:16 PM

    He is just amazing. How can one person turn out so much, with so much of it being good?!!!

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  4. Amritorupa Kanjilal June 5, 2012 at 7:34 AM

    Loved UR. So deliciously bizarre!

    http://riversihaveknown.com/

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  5. AnnaJune 5, 2012 at 10:17 AM

    Wow, this one does sound really different. Glad you enjoyed it.

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  6. TiJune 5, 2012 at 12:28 PM

    I've never heard of this one or Gingerbread Girl. Just goes to show you how many stories he's written.

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  7. JennersJune 6, 2012 at 8:24 PM

    I wonder if he wrote it to promote the Kindle or something? I wish I could get this e-reader!

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  8. DCMetroreaderJune 7, 2012 at 6:53 PM

    I've never heard of a novel about a haunted Kindle, but then again he has done cars and dogs so why not?

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  9. GraciegreenJune 8, 2012 at 9:06 PM

    Diane, Have you read King's Under the Dome??? I am still having nightmares...

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