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  • The Institute

  • A Novel
  • Written by: Stephen King
  • Narrated by: Santino Fontana
  • Length: 18 hrs and 59 mins
  • 4.6 out of 5 stars (2,687 ratings)

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The Institute cover art

The Institute

Written by: Stephen King
Narrated by: Santino Fontana
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Publisher's Summary

A 2020 Thriller/Suspense Audie Award winner!

A New York Times 100 Notable Books of 2019 selection

From number one New York Times best-selling author Stephen King, the most riveting and unforgettable story of kids confronting evil since It. 

“This is King at his best” (The St. Louis Post-Dispatch). 

In the middle of the night, in a house on a quiet street in suburban Minneapolis, intruders silently murder Luke Ellis' parents and load him into a black SUV. The operation takes less than two minutes. Luke will wake up at The Institute, in a room that looks just like his own, except there's no window. And outside his door are other doors, behind which are other kids with special talents - telekinesis and telepathy - who got to this place the same way Luke did: Kalisha, Nick, George, Iris, and 10-year-old Avery Dixon. They are all in Front Half. Others, Luke learns, graduated to Back Half, "like the roach motel," Kalisha says. "You check in, but you don't check out."

In this most sinister of institutions, the director, Mrs. Sigsby, and her staff are ruthlessly dedicated to extracting from these children the force of their extranormal gifts. There are no scruples here. If you go along, you get tokens for the vending machines. If you don't, punishment is brutal. As each new victim disappears to Back Half, Luke becomes more and more desperate to get out and get help. But no one has ever escaped from the Institute.

As psychically terrifying as Firestarter, and with the spectacular kid power of It, The Institute is “is another winner: creepy and touching and horrifyingly believable, all at once” (The Boston Globe). 

©2019 Stephen King (P)2019 Simon & Schuster Audio

What the critics say

"Stephen King's newest audiobook is compulsively entertaining and features a dazzling performance by narrator Santino Fontana.... Fontana does wonders with this diverse lineup of young characters who band together to fight their captors. Each of them sounds authentic and unique. Meanwhile, the adult characters, with a few exceptions, are a nightmarish bunch. Through them, Fontana shows that evil can have many different voices.... [King's] and Fontana's talents are a winning combination." (AudioFile magazine)

Editorial Review

There is nothing quite as disturbing as taking the innocence of children and exposing them to pure evil. The gifted young ones that are taken to the Institute are no exception.

Legendary author Stephen King tells the story of children with supernatural abilities who are imprisoned in a facility in Maine after their parents are brutally murdered. The disturbing plot of this supernatural mystery novel unfolds before the listeners in an intricate fashion, pulling them into the nightmare that has become these children’s lives. The Institute states that it experiments on the children for the greater good, which is a believable claim coming from a respectable organization, but there is a dark truth behind this peaceful front. King’s underlying political commentary and real-world parallels make this listening experience all the more chilling.

Stephen King has been the recipient of countless awards throughout his career and sold over 350 million copies of all of his works. Partnering with this legendary storyteller is Santino Fontana, who’s narration truly brings The Institute to life. His tone, pace and inflections perfectly complement every aspect of the story and he narrates it as if it was his own. This audiobook will have listeners both absolutely hooked and horrified.

Featured Article: Stephen King’s 32 Best Audiobooks: The Definitive List

Stephen King is one of the most prolific authors of all time. He has published 61 novels, more than 200 short stories, and six nonfiction books—and he shows no sign of stopping. With such an extensive portfolio, choosing one audiobook can be daunting. We’ve compiled a list of the 32 best Stephen King audiobooks to make the choice easier. Whether you’re looking to get stuck into one of his creepy, classic stories or a sci-fi novella, you’ll find a title on this list that will get your heart racing.

What listeners say about The Institute

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A modern classic

Not a scary book. But a thrilling, entertaining and emotionally resonant sci-fi/mystery. One of Stephen King's best. An imaginative and surprising narrative with memorable characters. And Santino Fontana's vocal performance is pitch perfect.

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another awesome Stephen King adventure

was really happy with this book I didn't allow myself to read to much about it going in as I knew I wouldn't be dissipointed with anything published by Mr King. this book grabbed my attention from the opening chapter and didn't let go even at the end. I didn't want it to end! don't want to say anything so I don't spoil any future buyers reading or listening experience. all I can say is it's awesome and well worth it!

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Another great King story

I've never listened to any audiobooks by Santino Fontana before but I thought he was fantastic. This was a great story mainly told from the perspective of a 12 year old boy. Great build-up with a decent climax. I feel like more could have been done with the ending, but it's satisfactory and King isn't known for his endings anyways. Definitely recommend.

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so good

I couldn't stop listening !! it was so hard to turn off and go to bed!!!

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Great read

This was a captivating story with the expected depth and character development from King. He builds up to moments that are both truly shocking and satisfying. It was read so well. Recommend to anyone who likes King or simply into thrillers especially with a paranormal edge.

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    3 out of 5 stars

NOT KINGS BEST WORK

I sometimes get the impression that King publishes books tohonor agreements rather than because he has something to say. This is one such book. However most of his works are brilliant, so one disappointment is no biggie.

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Typical, and that’s not a bad thing!

It’s Stephen King, so it reads just like Stephen King: strangely compelling, even when it’s bloated with descriptions or just wandering around instead of getting to the point. This made 12 hours in the car by myself very easy and enjoyable. It’s kinda like that movie on Rotten Tomatoes that only gets 63%, but you love it anyway because it struck your mood just right. Good bang for your buck. Not everything needs to be Hemingway.

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Great book, good narration

I love Stephen King books and this was another great one. I thought it was almost done somewhere around the middle, but there was a lot more story. Narration was great, he did use different voices for characters but it wasn't over the top.

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Not As Expected

My wife and I are voracious Stephen King readers. If I were given this book author unknown, I would never have guessed it was a King novel. It is surprisingly unenjoyable. Full disclosure, this review is written after only reaching chapter 46, and making the decision to not continue, but I would argue that 5 hours of listening is more than enough for a review. The first act of the book is alright but by the time the reader reaches act 2, at the Institute, with the children, the book bogs down into miniscule details written from a child's perspective. I keep waiting for something to happen and nothing so far has... the murder of the boys parents is expected, everything else after that seems anti-climactic. The narrator is ok, able to voice the different characters well enough but anything delivered that is not dialogue is delivered in such a monotone I feel the narrator is as bored as I am listening.

Obviously this book is not for me. I guess I was expecting another King version of the Doctor Sleep universe but sadly this book is a big let down.

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Fantastic book and beautifully read.

This was a fantastic book and was beautifully read. The reader brought the characters to life.

It reminds me of Stand By Me meets Firestarter.

A pleasure.

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