How Many Times Did You Change Your Mind? * Possible Spoilers *

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The Nameless

M-O-O-N - That spells Nameless
Jul 10, 2011
2,080
8,261
42
The Darkside of the Moon (England really)
I just finished this, and even at my slow pace, I seemed to just whizz through it. I really liked it and had many suspects throughout my read. Over the course of the book I thought it was: lane, Eddie, buddy, the manager (whose name I can't remember, despise only just finishing it) and a new character not related to joyland.

Good read this, it was a nice little change from the usual heavy king novels.
 

Lina

Committed member
Jun 24, 2009
3,356
6,024
Russia
Just finished Joyland. It was the same with me. Usually I am a slow reader due to my work schedule, but this time I managed to read the whole book in just 6 days. It was really great to read something easy for a change. I really loved the book, though I did not feel like it was the Stephen King I always loved... But no matter what, this is a very good book. Different does not mean bad :) And the plot is really exciting. AT first I also was thinking: "Oh, it must be Eddie, of course...oh, no, he is not... Maybe, it's Fred?" And so on... But in the end, when we get to know who the killer is I did not have any guesses and I was surprised. Really coold book!
 

NightShifter

Well-Known Member
Nov 8, 2013
63
344
Mansfield, Massachusetts
I really thought it was Eddie the moment the gloves were mentioned and before we learned the tattoo was fake. Once Eddie was no longer a suspect in Dev's mind, I was really unsure. I knew King was misleading us with the gloves and I could bank on a known character being the killer. Once the killer called Dev on the phone I thought it was the manager. I was shocked it was Lane. If I just followed my Scooby-Doo logic, it's always the one you least suspect. And he would've gotten away with it too if it wasn't for those mangy kids!
 

The Nameless

M-O-O-N - That spells Nameless
Jul 10, 2011
2,080
8,261
42
The Darkside of the Moon (England really)
I really thought it was Eddie the moment the gloves were mentioned and before we learned the tattoo was fake. Once Eddie was no longer a suspect in Dev's mind, I was really unsure. I knew King was misleading us with the gloves and I could bank on a known character being the killer. Once the killer called Dev on the phone I thought it was the manager.

Exactly what I thought.
 

blunthead

Well-Known Member
Aug 2, 2006
80,755
195,461
Atlanta GA
I think I don't try to who-done-it with sK. Joyland is an ideal example of why not. He created a character whom I wanted not to be the bad guy, along with other characters I cared less for. The relationship which was consequently induced meant I was hooked like a fish easy to be drawn wherever sK wanted. In several stories sK's twists are surprising enough for me not to believe I'll succeed in knowing who the bad guy is or necessarily predict anything else, so I wonder, fully aware that the odds are slim that I'll figure anything out. sK obviously enjoyed waiting to reveal Joyland's mystery to the last conceivable micro-segment of page...
I finally assumed it was the office manager, then I reluctantly thought it might be Lane, then I was hoping it was the office manager and it was looking very much that way, then, dammit. [\spoiler]
 

GNTLGNT

The idiot is IN
Jun 15, 2007
87,651
358,754
62
Cambridge, Ohio
I kept expecting something otherworldly - that is really was a person and not a monster, alien or apparition was the surprise for me. Loved the book, though. I don't try to figure things out as I go - I'll get myself all confused and have to go back and re-read to see if I was making something up. My memory is slipping.
...I've said many times, that this tale had a "classic" King feel to it...
 

The Nameless

M-O-O-N - That spells Nameless
Jul 10, 2011
2,080
8,261
42
The Darkside of the Moon (England really)
I kept expecting something otherworldly - that is really was a person and not a monster, alien or apparition was the surprise for me. Loved the book, though. I don't try to figure things out as I go - I'll get myself all confused and have to go back and re-read to see if I was making something up. My memory is slipping.
Me too, I was convinced that
the girls ghost would play a larger part, would actually interact more, but no, she just appeared to a view people before being set free

I was also expecting more from the Gypsy fortune teller, just waiting for a massive revelation.
 

Hall Monitor

All bars serve the Beam.
Nov 7, 2013
187
1,013
New Jersey
I just finished it this morning. Early on, I bought into the deke about
Eddie and the gloves
, and once that was proven wrong realized that I had forgotten all the lessons that watching 24 and Castle should have taught me ... it is never the obvious choice when a master is telling the tale. The
cap tilt clue
actually led me to the real killer shortly after that, but the notion that I could be wrong again left me doubting it until the reveal. Overall, it felt to me a lot like Bag of Bones with some Desperation/Regulators-style role reversals going on. I really enjoyed this one.
 
Oct 15, 2010
5
23
I just finished this a week ago and really enjoyed it. I actually rather wish it was a bit longer but that's just me not wanting to end the story and leave that little world King created. In all I thought it was a tight and well constructed read and I loved all the characters. As for the killer, I felt that King was giving us a red herring with Eddie but after all the little clues he gave us (it's not white) I just gave up trying to figure it out and just let King take me to the killer on his own. I wasn't disappointed either...well, finding out who did it was saddening in a way. I didn't want it to be them but it made sense.

I'm glad there wasn't as much supernatural occurrences in this book, oddly enough. It's still there but what we got of it felt like it fit juuust right for me. Most enjoyable read I've had all year.
 

kingricefan

All-being, keeper of Space, Time & Dimension.
Jul 11, 2006
30,011
127,446
Spokane, WA
Not that I'm bragging but I suspected the real killer from the beginning as King's introduction of the killer is somewhat of an aside, meaning that this character is introduced quickly and then sort of forgotten about for a sizable chunk of the story. I absolutely love this book, tho! Yes, King made me cry at the end, too!
 

MaxShalamar

Member
Apr 20, 2014
21
99
43
Once the Carny connection to the old murders was established it really narrowed it down to two - I guessed right but did still have a doubt or two near the end - Steve keeps you guessing :)

My ex-wife hated the fact that I would guess the killer very early in things like Midsomer Murders and the like - does that prove that I have a great detectives mind, sort of psychic or is TV crime drama predictable and formulaic? :D