Sleeping Beauties: A Novel by Stephen King
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Sleeping Beauties: A Novel

by

Stephen King

(Author)

4.3

-

20,194 ratings


In this spectacular New York Times bestselling father/son collaboration that “barrels along like a freight train” (Publishers Weekly), Stephen King and Owen King tell the highest of high-stakes stories: what might happen if women disappeared from the world of men?

In a future so real and near it might be now, something happens when women go to sleep: they become shrouded in a cocoon-like gauze. If they are awakened, if the gauze wrapping their bodies is disturbed or violated, the women become feral and spectacularly violent. And while they sleep they go to another place, a better place, where harmony prevails and conflict is rare. One woman, the mysterious “Eve Black,” is immune to the blessing or curse of the sleeping disease. Is Eve a medical anomaly to be studied? Or is she a demon who must be slain?

Abandoned, left to their increasingly primal urges, the men divide into warring factions, some wanted to kill Eve, some to save her. Others exploit the chaos to wreak their own vengeance on new enemies. All turn to violence in a suddenly all-male world. Set in a small Appalachian town whose primary employer is a woman’s prison, Sleeping Beauties is a wildly provocative, gloriously dramatic father-son collaboration that feels particularly urgent and relevant today.

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ISBN-10

1473681286

ISBN-13

978-1473681286

Print length

717 pages

Language

English

Publisher

Hodder Paperback

Publication date

December 31, 2017

Dimensions

5.12 x 1.5 x 7.8 inches

Item weight

1.11 pounds


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Product details

ASIN :

1473681286

File size :

3066 KB

Text-to-speech :

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Supported

Enhanced typesetting :

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Editorial reviews

“Stephen King and son team up for a beauty of a horror tale [that is] epic, ambitious, heartbreaking and, when it comes to its central horrors, all too timely. Sleeping Beauties melds the elder King’s talent for exploring the darker sides of human nature when people are thrust into terrifying situations with his youngest son’s gift for juggling multiple genres and complex characters. The final chapters bring all their skills together in a fast-paced, explosive finale and emotional aftermath. A thought-provoking work that examines a litany of modern-day issues.”-- USA Today

“It’s a violent, dystopian thrill ride that will leave you horrified– and hooked.”--People

“Entertaining. . . Sleeping Beauties is a bulging, colourful epic; a super-sized happy meal, liberally salted with supporting characters and garnished with splashes of arterial ketchup. This epic feels so vital and fresh.”-- The Guardian

“King fans who enjoy his blunt language and vivid gore will find lots to like.”-- Associated Press

“A fast-paced thriller [that is] ambitious and sympathetic, Sleeping Beauties is both a love letter to women everywhere and an incisive look at what drives men to violence, neatly wrapped in enough fantasy elements to soften the more caustic edges of the commentary. From “Carrie” to “Dolores Claiborne” to “Lisey’s Story” and beyond, Stephen King’s compassion for women is an identifying characteristic of much of his work, and “Sleeping Beauties” continues the trend. The Kings have created deeply textured women to populate their book.”-- Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

“Sleeping Beauties is an ambitious work that combines some age-old Stephen King themes with a distinctly sci-fi premise. Sleeping Beauties is no “take your kid to work” project on Stephen King’s behalf. Owen King is an accomplished author in his own right, and their collaboration reflects positively on both. No matter which King was tapping the keys, readers will enjoy a riveting novel with plenty of characters to root for, and to root against … and, in another King trademark, to root both for and against.”-- Bangor Daily News

“This delicious first collaboration between Stephen King and his son Owen is a horror-tinged realistic fantasy that imagines what could happen if most of the women of the world fall asleep, leaving men on their own. The authors’ writing is seamless and naturally flowing. Once the action begins, [SLEEPING BEAUTIES] barrels along like a freight train.”-- Publishers Weekly

“Another horror blockbuster, Mercedes and all, from maestro King and his heir apparent…In a kind of untold Greek tragedy meets Deliverance meets—well, bits of Mr. Mercedes and The Shawshank Redemption, perhaps—King and King, father and son, take their time putting all the pieces into play: brutish men, resourceful women who've had quite enough, alcohol, and always a subtle sociological subtext, in this case of rural poverty and dreams sure to be dashed…A blood-splattered pleasure.”-- Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

“Following the renewed interest in Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale and an increasing climate of wolf-whistle politics, this examination of gender stereotypes, systems of oppression, and pervasive misogyny within American culture feels especially timely…The large cast of characters allows for a multitude of narrative perspectives—from both the affected women and the men they’ve left behind. Violent, subversive, and compulsively readable. The true horror of this father-son-penned novel derives more from its unflinchingly realistic depiction of hatred and violence against women than from the supernatural elements.”-- Library Journal

“The novel provides enough action, thrills and humor to keep readers burning the midnight oil....There’s comfort to be found in tales such as this... Sleeping Beauties is a well-tooled horror thriller, a worthy venture from a productive family business.” —San Francisco Chronicle

About the Author

Stephen King is the author of more than sixty books, all of them worldwide bestsellers. His recent work includes the short story collection You Like It Darker, Holly (a New York Times Notable Book of 2023), Fairy Tale, Billy Summers, If It Bleeds, The Institute, Elevation, The Outsider, Sleeping Beauties (cowritten with his son Owen King), and the Bill Hodges trilogy: End of Watch, Finders Keepers, and Mr. Mercedes (an Edgar Award winner for Best Novel and a television series streaming on Peacock). His novel 11/22/63 was named a top ten book of 2011 by The New York Times Book Review and won the Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Mystery/Thriller. His epic works The Dark Tower, It, Pet Sematary, Doctor Sleep, and Firestarter are the basis for major motion pictures, with It now the highest-grossing horror film of all time. He is the recipient of the 2020 Audio Publishers Association Lifetime Achievement Award, the 2018 PEN America Literary Service Award, the 2014 National Medal of Arts, and the 2003 National Book Foundation Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters. He lives in Bangor, Maine, with his wife, novelist Tabitha King.

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About the authors

Stephen King

Stephen King

Stephen King is the author of more than fifty books, all of them worldwide bestsellers. His first crime thriller featuring Bill Hodges, MR MERCEDES, won the Edgar Award for best novel and was shortlisted for the CWA Gold Dagger Award. Both MR MERCEDES and END OF WATCH received the Goodreads Choice Award for the Best Mystery and Thriller of 2014 and 2016 respectively.

King co-wrote the bestselling novel Sleeping Beauties with his son Owen King, and many of King's books have been turned into celebrated films and television series including The Shawshank Redemption, Gerald's Game and It.

King was the recipient of America's prestigious 2014 National Medal of Arts and the 2003 National Book Foundation Medal for distinguished contribution to American Letters. In 2007 he also won the Grand Master Award from the Mystery Writers of America. He lives with his wife Tabitha King in Maine.

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Reviews

Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5

20,194 global ratings

KellyEFrazier

KellyEFrazier

5

King & Mini-Me King

Reviewed in the United States on July 17, 2022

Verified Purchase

I always worry when King brings someone else in to write with him or ‘along side’ him. I say this (mostly) because his style is so specific that I can tell when it’s NOT him in a story or collection. However, I do not know Owen Kings’ work but he IS Stephen’s son—I feel that counts for something. So I gave this book a try. They were strong on alliteration and metaphors which I don’t mind. To love Stephen King means to understand that he enjoys spending a lot of time on character development (Their past, why they are where they are, their desires and motivations). I’ve heard some people complain about this as a ‘rambling’. I’ve never looked at it that way. I like it and in the end it is usually helpful to have known each persons path and character arc. This book is long…over 900 pages. I don’t mind this. The Stand was super long and it’s my absolute favorite of King’s books. Some may find it daunting. There is a preface with a list of characters that I found myself often flipping back to review. I found myself thinking back to The Stand and Needful Things as his other works with a large cast of characters. I won’t say too much more as I believe each reader should draw their own conclusions. I liked it, but I’ve loved King since I picked up my mothers paperback of Carrie when I was six years old. It was a perfect summer read for me, a Constant Reader. I’m glad he got to do this with his son, something I’m sure Owen will always cherish. I’d love to see them do something else together!

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8 people found this helpful

Lisa L Emerson

Lisa L Emerson

5

Really enjoyed it

Reviewed in the United States on August 22, 2024

Verified Purchase

This novel pulled me in fairly quickly. It was something that I had a hard time putting down because I wanted to know what was going to happen next.

Leslie2008

Leslie2008

5

Social commentary wrapped in a great story

Reviewed in the United States on October 12, 2017

Verified Purchase

The King powerhouse does it again, but this time with a different agenda. I suspect that many will not like this book, but those are the ones that probably need it the most. Part "classic King," part social commentary, this is a MUST READ. When a work of fiction is able to deliver scathing social commentary, something wonderful happens. And the Kings deliver on that promise.

Not knowing, I dove in with both feet as there's no such thing as a "bad" Stephen King novel. I was also pleased to hear Owen add his own voice to the mix.

This book is even more important given the current administration (where a presidential candidate can talk about grabbing a woman's p**** and still get elected.) As women's rights are being slowly stripped away, "Sleeping Beauties" shows how the presence of women in positions of power leave an indelible mark on our society. Much like the movie "A Day Without a Mexican, "Sleeping Beauties" shows the often silent and invisible mark they make on society as a whole.

Equal parts suspense, horror, and more importantly, social commentary, this book asks readers to really think about the impact women have on the world in general and in the US in particular.

How would the world be different without the moderating influence of women? "Sleeping Beauties" portrays a chillingly possible reality. The actions of the men, when the women in their lives are suddenly unavailable to them, shows the often conflicted, frequently lost, and always diverse emotions & reactions.

This novel boldly asks "what if." What if there were no women? Reproduction aside, this novel offers a chillingly realistic glimpse into a world where men are forced to rely solely on themselves. Read it, then examine the silent, often invisible and frequently derided impact of the women in your life. This goes for women as well because, "we [women] do it too." P. 493.

If you don't understand the concept of gender politics, male privilege and how women are still subjected to discrimination, here's a primer for you. If you DO understand them, here's an additional lesson. The best lessons are those that are given to you while you're not looking.

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7 people found this helpful

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