Listen free for 30 days

  • Summer of Night

  • Written by: Dan Simmons
  • Narrated by: Dan John Miller
  • Length: 22 hrs and 2 mins
  • 4.4 out of 5 stars (78 ratings)

Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo + applicable taxes after 30 days. Cancel anytime.
Summer of Night cover art

Summer of Night

Written by: Dan Simmons
Narrated by: Dan John Miller
Try for $0.00

$14.95 a month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for $37.54

Buy Now for $37.54

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Tax where applicable.

Publisher's Summary

It’s the summer of 1960 and in the small town of Elm Haven, Illinois, five twelve-year-old boys are forging the powerful bonds that a lifetime of change will not break. From sunset bike rides to shaded hiding places in the woods, the boys’ days are marked by all of the secrets and silences of an idyllic childhood. But amid the sun-drenched cornfields, their loyalty will be pitilessly tested. When a long-silent bell peals in the middle of the night, the townsfolk know it marks the end of their carefree days. From the depths of the Old Central School, a hulking fortress tinged with the mahogany scent of coffins, an invisible evil is rising. Strange and horrifying events begin to overtake everyday life, spreading terror through the once-peaceful town. Determined to exorcize this ancient plague, Mike, Duane, Dale, Harlen, and Kevin must wage a war of blood against an arcane abomination who owns the night....

©2011 Dan Simmons (P)2011 Brilliance Audio, Inc.

What the critics say

“Impressive...combines beautiful writing and suspense into a book for which Dan Simmons deserves the bestseller status of King and Koontz.” ( The Denver Post)
“One can only wonder what Simmons will do next, now that he’s shown us he can do everything the best writers in horror and science fiction can do.” ( The Philadelphia Inquirer)
“It stands with the best of King and Straub in the traditional modern horror genre.” ( Seattle Post-Intelligencer)

What listeners say about Summer of Night

Average Customer Ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    45
  • 4 Stars
    22
  • 3 Stars
    6
  • 2 Stars
    4
  • 1 Stars
    1
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    50
  • 4 Stars
    12
  • 3 Stars
    4
  • 2 Stars
    3
  • 1 Stars
    2
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    38
  • 4 Stars
    20
  • 3 Stars
    8
  • 2 Stars
    3
  • 1 Stars
    2

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

I’d listen to it again

There are similarities to IT especially at the beginning it get almost identical. It does go off in a different direction though and I actually really liked it.
There were some portions I thought would be elaborated on or just didn’t fit in with the story at all which would’ve been better left out.
Don’t bother if you’re expecting a different version of IT as you will be disappointed. But the story in itself is worth a listen.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

Just awful

This book has been compared to Stephen King’s IT. Do not believe the review that compare it to that novel. The only way it is similar is that it’s a story about a group of boys. The reader is god awful. The story is slow and just plain bad. I personally made no connection with the characters. Dan Simmons is a great writer but this has to one of his worst books. Maybe it was just the reader. I can’t understand all the 5 star reviews.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Worth the listen

Give it a chance, it's a slow start and drags a bit with the narrative at times. But the story is worth it.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

If you liked King's novel It, you'll love this.

This story was a little slow to get started, but really picks up. I listen to audiobooks while working my job on the road, this book had me wishing i worked longer hours.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

good

Second listen, just as compelling as the first.
Look, I understand why folks would compare this unfavorably to IT, considering it a pale imitation, or at least like, written to cash in on ITs success, but...
I liked this a lot more. Yeah, it gets a little ridiculous, naturally, but darn it, it was intense. And it features my favourite secondary character of all time, the inimitable Cordie Cooke. I rarely identify with characters, but in this case, how could I not? A fat, slovenly, friendless weirdo, but criminally underestimated. Story of my childhood, haha.
And there were scenes that were genuinely upsetting (the "shirts versus skins" baseball game, for one, made me feel sick. That poor girl. It was an uncomfortably realistic portrayal of everyday sexual harassment. The way the author expressed her feelings of betrayal, sadness and disillusionment was just heartbreaking. Also, the dog. What more can I say? And that other completely shattering death. Like, the author went there, he really did. What a massive punch in the gut! Ugh, even the second time reading it, I felt so sad.)
The characters were well-developed, and even though there are blatantly obvious parallels between these kids and the kids in IT (a would-be writer, a kid with intense mommy issues... actually, i feel like that's a trope in most of these kids-in-peril-fighting-monsters stories. One always has to have serious mommy issues) they were all fully their own people, and you find yourself invested in them and their fates.
The world-building was pretty good, and the story was hard to put down, despite the length.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

Lost me early

I was lost fairly early, and I think it was because the narrator's "baby" voices for the boys really turned me off. I wish I could have stuck it out, but I like a bit more action than I found in the first 3 hours of listening.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Brilliant!

This is one of those stories that you just don't want to end. Yes, even at 22 hours long! I was a little concerned at first because I felt that it took a while to get into the horror aspect of the story, which is what I was really looking forward to. There was a slow build to the scary stuff, with little things happening one by one, and it turned out that the writing was so good that I didn't really even notice, even when the story (near the beginning) was mainly about the friendship between the children.

I read in some of the other reviews that people were reminded of Stephen King's "It" when they listened to this story. I agree, there are some similarities. And only in a good way. For me, Dan Simmons is one of those writers who can spin a truly compelling story without using too much frilly language or overusing metaphors, similes and other linguistic tools that many times can just bog down a story and become irritating. He has an excellent vocabulary but when it comes down to it he just tells the story & keeps you enthralled the whole way through.

I have 1 hour left of the sequel to this book, A Winter Haunting, then I plan on tackling Carrion Comfort!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Edge of my seat!

Very exciting listen. I like all the characters and they were well developed. I must admit the story reminded me of Stranger Things which I’m a fan of, so it was easy to give 5 stars.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Clever and Original

This book is amazing! It kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time. There was always something happening.
The narrator was not my favourite, but he was not awful. It didn’t ruin the book for me.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Loved this book!

I read Summer of Night years ago and loved it then. Upon recently listening to it, I love it more. It's a poignant yet thrilling coming-of-age story that captures the angst of pre-teen boys - and one odd girl - as they deal with family dynamics and as they are plunged into supernatural horrors that only such kids can overcome. The characters are sympathetic - young and old - and the story line is gripping from the first chapter. Dan Simmons is a fabulous writer and I am now a fan of Dan John Miller as a narrator.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!