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Heart-Shaped Box
- Narrated by: Stephen Lang
- Length: 11 hrs and 3 mins
- Categories: Mystery, Thriller & Suspense, Thriller & Suspense
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A strange plague called the "Gets" is decimating humanity on a global scale. It causes people to forget - small things at first, like where they left their keys... then the not-so-small things like how to drive, or the letters of the alphabet. Then their bodies forget how to function involuntarily - and there is no cure. But now, far below the surface of the Pacific Ocean, deep in the Marianas Trench, an heretofore unknown substance hailed as "ambrosia" has been discovered - a universal healer, from initial reports.
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Lifestyle journalist Katrine escaped past traumas by moving to a coast renowned for seaside holidays and natural beauty. But when a vast hoard of human remains and prehistoric artifacts is discovered in nearby Brickburgh, a hideous shadow engulfs her life. Helene, a disillusioned lone parent, lost her brother, Lincoln, six years ago. Disturbing subterranean noises he recorded prior to vanishing, draw her to Brickburgh's caves. A site where early humans butchered each other across 60,000 years. Upon the walls, images of their nameless gods remain.
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Publisher's Summary
I will sell my stepfather's ghost to the highest bidder.
For a thousand dollars, Jude will become the proud owner of a dead man's suit, said to be haunted by a restless spirit. He isn't afraid. He has spent a lifetime coping with ghosts: of an abusive father, of the lovers he callously abandoned, of the bandmates he betrayed. What's one more? But what UPS delivers to his door in a black heart-shaped box is no imaginary or metaphorical ghost. It's the real thing.
And suddenly the suit's previous owner is everywhere: behind the bedroom door...seated in Jude's restored vintage Mustang...standing outside his window...staring out from his widescreen TV. Waiting - with a gleaming razor blade on a chain dangling from one hand.
A multiple award-winner for his short fiction, author Joe Hill immediately vaults into the top echelon of dark fantasists with a masterwork brimming with relentless thrills and acid terror.
What the critics say
- Audie Award winner, Thriller/Suspense, 2008
- Thriller Award, Best Novel, 2008
"Powerful....[Hill's] subtle and skillful treatment of horrors that could easily have exploded over the top and out of control helps make this a truly memorable debut." (Publishers Weekly)
"Mr. Hill elicits honest empathy for Jude, who turned his stage persona into a nightmare version of his fears and must now figure out what strength he has left for legitimate battles. This dynamic is both frightening and funny, and the book weaves together those two threads in clever ways." (The New York Times)
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What listeners say about Heart-Shaped Box
Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Heather Little
- 2018-05-30
Jury Still Out
This was the first book by Joe Hill I've had the pleasure of consuming. I enjoyed his writing, descriptive without being frilly or monotonous. His characters are well developed and very human with real, believable problems even though they're supernatural problems, they're introduced so well they're almost believable too.
The narrator did well with the reading, giving the proper tone to a horror novel and voicing all characters.
My only complaint is the MUSIC that just randomly pops up at the end of a part. WTH!? Whoever decided to stick music into a narrated novel needs a smack.
I want to say more about the novel and how wonderful it is, but I'm so angry about that music scaring the crap out of me it's all I can really remember about it.
4 people found this helpful
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 2020-09-10
Disappointing, Difficult to Enjoy
Hill has written better stories, and better characters. Worst thing about this audiobook is the voice actor. He gives this dull, slow, low-affect reading throughout the whole book. I lost track of what was going on at several points because the reading is so flat. Sometimes I could hear Lang reading through a yawn and while holding in a sneeze. Exacerbating the situation was Lang's strange approximation of a woman's voice, with very little variation between female characters. In a book where characters are possessed, you might have to rewind to catch when the change starts because his voice doesn't change if they're women.
Lastly, there's this sudden loud "rock-esque" riff that plays between sections. It doesn't fade in, and almost cuts off the voice actor in sections. Halts any immersion you might have managed.
Re-Record this, and maybe it'll be worth readers' time and credits.
1 person found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- jacques
- 2019-10-26
pretty good
Reminded me of Dean Koontz, with his magic dogs and brilliant lights from doors to the afterlife. ending seemed kindof slapped together. still a good listen.
1 person found this helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Rose
- 2018-02-05
Creepy
Creepy story, well built up story line until the last chapters which fall flat of the surmounting tension this thriller develops over the course of the book. Still worth a listen for the thriller/horror fans.
1 person found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Kasey McNaughton
- 2021-03-08
Music was distracting
The book was good- but the sporadic music was distracting - I noticed multiple reviews mentioning it- and didn’t think it could be that bad. But it really was. It makes the book feel cheap and cheesy- had nothing to do with the overall tone of the book- just shakes you out of the moment.
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- SilkeForce
- 2021-03-03
bugs
nasty bugs in my recording caused a lot of skips. really messed up a perfectly good book.
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story2 out of 5 stars
- K. Betz
- 2021-01-24
It's Fine
For a short novel, it was a fine way to pass the time, but that's about it. The story was ok, with a few good character moments and a couple spooky scenes. Overall I did not really connect with the characters or understand their motivations. The overall story seemed a bit silly. I won't be recommending this to anyone. (I had no problem with the audible version, by the way, just didn't like the story). This is my second Hill novel and it paled in comparison to N0S4ATU.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Dustin Hertel
- 2020-12-05
Awesome story, good performance, okay production
The book is great, and the narrator does a good job. the only thing I didnt like is the music that plays between chapters because it would last WAY too long once the narrator had started reading again, which was distracting and frustrating. otherwise, a great listen.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Connie Genert
- 2020-11-21
Great Storytelling
Such a great story and the fellow reading it is really quite good. For some reason the producers plopped in some generic 80s synth muszack in between some (thankfully not all) chapter breaks. It’s jarring and breaks up the tension built by the performance and the story. If it was supposed to be representative of Judas Coin’s music, I think they missed the mark by a country mile.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 2020-10-21
amazing story
I am a big fan of the author and he didn't disappoint with this amazing story. I gave it four stars for the performance because there was this super distracting music that would come in occasionally. it didn't fit the style of the musician in the story in my estimation but everything else about the performance was great
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- Lesley
- 2007-02-23
Yikes! Five stars for fright
I bought this book for the concept: a dead man's suit that comes with a ghost. I figured it would be good and scary, and I wasn't wrong.
I read a lot of stories that I think are going to be scary, but then I'm disappointed when it turns out the monster really isn't much of a monster. But parts of Heart-Shaped Box scared me so much I could barely listen, even in a brightly-lit health club with dozens of other people there.
I won't describe any of those sections for fear of spoiling other readers' fun. Let's just say that some stuff happens that scares even the main character--a guy who owns a cookbook for cannibals.
Although this book is frightening, and a thriller, the writing doesn't suffer. All the characters had fully realized story arcs, even some of the minor ones who turned out later to be more important than they seemed at first.
I particularly liked the main character, Judas Coyne. Even though he has apparently been mean to others through some of his life, I found him fairly easy to sympathize with through most of the action. By the end of the book he'd won me over--I was cheering for his side all the way.
The production of the audiobook itself was good, too. The narrator did a fine job, even with voices for female characters, which is often hard for a guy. Between sections, there are a couple of musical breaks--the first one startled me, but only because I wasn't expecting it.
I definitely recommend this one for people who don't mind a good scare. I hope Joe Hill has some more on the way.
227 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Laura
- 2012-05-10
Wonderful!
I can't remember when I have enjoyed a book as well as this one. The story is one that has left me with chills and the characters are not only entertaining but realistic. The reader is just outstanding and really pulls the listener into the story. I loved this book, would highly recommend.
36 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 2018-10-06
Wtf is up with the crappy techno music between chapters?!
This isn’t my favorite Joe Hill book, but it’s pretty good. However there is this generic techno miso that intermittently pops up between some chapters. It is jarring and out of place. It really takes you out of the story, and makes the whole thing feel cheesy.
39 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
- Patricia
- 2007-11-30
Disturbing
Intricately written and extremely descriptive, this story leaves you wondering who the real victims/villains are...the roles are not clearly defined and each character crosses back and forth across the line of decency. Yet, it becomes fairly evident 'who's the evilest one of all' as the book progresses...but then what?
This book was clearly written by someone who knows his way around character development. My main criticism is that the reader was tediously slow in his reading and could have done more to act out the characters. I had to put my IPOD speed to "faster" just so I wouldn't give up because of the slow pace. Not sure if this was all the fault of the reader, but most of it probably was. It's well worth listening to, but at times will give you an uneasy feeling, so I'm not sure that I would put this book in my top 5 favs.
71 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Susan
- 2014-10-07
Nightmare in a suit
I could not put this one down. As good as NOS4A2 just not as freaky/creepy. This was a crazy, paranormal, mystery served with a little romance on the side. Joe Hill is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors because of his ability to keep a good steady pace along with original stories in each of his books.
Jude is a rock star that loves to collect macabre objects until one day when he purchases a Heart Shaped Box that sends his whole life into a tailspin. Unfortunately everyone in his life is drawn into his treacherous paranormal, nightmare that may just suck them all down the death road. Great, sinister, October read with believable characters and top notch narration.
38 people found this helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance2 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Steve C.
- 2018-05-07
not bad
The story is interesting, the writing is well done. The narrator wasn't very good in my opinion. Also, there is music that plays sometimes and its loud and a bit jarring. Totally unnecessary. Overall it's a 3 star experience.
10 people found this helpful
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
- Jodee
- 2007-07-03
Good enough, but not momentous
Two things lessened my enjoyment of this book: The reader and the Audible interview hyping the book, which misrepresented it in an effort to broaden its appeal.
I didn't care for the reader's approach to the southern accents in the book. This was part of the plot, that accents changed as the characters traveled south, but most of his female characters sounded like Mr. Rogers.
I am not devoted to the genre, but I will read it occasionally, maybe once a year. I picked this book because of the interview in 'This is Audible.' The slant of the interview was that this crosses genre, can even hold its own among literary fiction. This is hype that tainted my listening experience. I kept waiting for conflict, catharsis, character growth...
Literary fiction it is not. However, it is every bit as good as the best X-files episode, and the book could have been honestly presented as such. If that had been my expectation, I am sure I would have had no problem recommending it.
8 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
- Amanda H.
- 2011-08-14
Spooky, Creepy, and Smart!
One word comes to mind after listening to Heart-Shaped Box.....TALENT! The book was extremely spooky and creepy. The characters are well written with depth. Had a hard time pausing the book, I did not want to leave the story or characters.
32 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
- Jonathan
- 2009-11-10
A well-crafted thriller
I agree with those who have compared this book favorably with Stephen King's work. Hill does an excellent job of creating fully fleshed-out characters and a viscerally chilling narrative, using a very accessible prose. I didn't love the ending, and I thought the paranormal stuff verged on silly at times, but it's still a very entertaining read. Solid narration by Mr. Lang, too.
23 people found this helpful
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Overall1 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story1 out of 5 stars
- Sabrina
- 2013-04-15
Not scary.
Has Heart-Shaped Box turned you off from other books in this genre?
Maybe not from the genre, but certainly from the author.
Which scene was your favorite?
None.
Any additional comments?
I had read numerous reviews about this book to make sure I would not be wasting my money, but the reviews were misleading. This book was touted as being intensely frightening and scary, but it was neither. I found it boring and silly, not in the least bit terrifying. It felt more like a short story that was stretched much too far in order to make it into a novel. Incredibly boring and not worth my time.
20 people found this helpful