Has anyone read UR?

[O!Discordia]

The idea of a kindle causing hysteria just cracks me up. I know my kindle has cause gross neglect in my house!!! I just read this SK story the other day, But haven't seen it mentioned anywhere yet...

[frisbee]

Welcome O!. Yes, I read it and really liked it. You can download Blockade Billy from Amazon for $7.89 so I recommend you do that. Glad to see another Kindle user on the Board.

[Doc Wilson]

Yeah I read it, decent read.

[fushingfeef]

I'm probably a rare species, I own a Kindle (well, my wife does), and I'm a huge Stephen King fan, but I haven't gotten around to reading UR yet. My reading list is just too big at this point!

[the_last_gunslinger]

I don't own a Kindle (too expensive and I have this strange affliction with new technology) but as soon as it came out as an audio book, I got it, first one I've ever bought.

I really liked it, though I was less than enthused with Holter Graham's reading of it. He wasn't bad, but just a little bland. King's writing style seems way different in my head than it does when someone else reads it aloud.

That being said, I was quite entertained, though I kind of saw where the story was going. A bit predictable, but then again, most alternate reality stories tend to fall into that trap.

I especially liked the part where Wesley first logs on and a big screen saver appeared on his Kindle, a black tower. That brought a smile to my face.

[Homebrew]

I almost did, then read a few reviews and almost immediately decided against it. Apparently it's being described as an advertisement for the Kindle itself. More like a celebrity endorsement for a new product. Don't quote me, as I never read the book, but there was a hell of a lot of criticism about selling out, etc floating around a few days after it was published. In summation: Stephen King is to UR is to Kindle what Tom Hanks is to Cast Away is to FedEx. Or so I hear.

[the_last_gunslinger]

I almost did, then read a few reviews and almost immediately decided against it. Apparently it's being described as an advertisement for the Kindle itself. More like a celebrity endorsement for a new product. Don't quote me, as I never read the book, but there was a hell of a lot of criticism about selling out, etc floating around a few days after it was published. In summation: Stephen King is to UR is to Kindle what Tom Hanks is to Cast Away is to FedEx. Or so I hear.

I wouldn't let that stop you from reading it. Though the ending was a little weak, I thought the premise, the set up and the story itself was one of the most intriguing reads I've had in a while.

I also don't understand the "selling out/product placement" criticisms. First off, I don't even see how Stephen King can be considered a sell-out simply because he published this Kindle exclusive. And even if he did, so what? It doesn't hurt my enjoyment of the story. I doubt selling out was a key factor in publishing this anyways. What would be the point. It's not like he's hard up for money.

The product placement argument is even more ludicrous. Yes, the story deals heavily with the Amazon Kindle, but I never felt as though King was trying to sell one to me. The story was just one writer's attempt to utilize a popular device in today's gadget driven world. Besides which, to who would the advertisements be aimed? It was a Kindle Exclusive (at first). Most of the people that read it already had a Kindle, otherwise they wouldn't have had access to it. I guess there's always the chance that a die hard King fan might shell out the nearly three hundred dollars out of a mad desperation to read everything that he writes, but I kind of doubt it.

I would recommend it regardless of all the negative reviewers. And if you don't have a Kindle, the audio book is a nice alternative, especially the cover design.

[O!Discordia]

Plus the "experimental" tab on the Kindle does lend itself to some creepy ideas, no? Who better to take off and fly with that one, huh?

[aunt sam]

I whined about UR being for Kindle and my husband bought me a kindle and a gift card for my birthday. For x-mas i got a pink cover I think it was totally appropriate for the story to be in that format and I have passed my kindle around so friends and family could read it. Blockade Billy happens to be less expensive for Kindle and it won't take up space on my already over-crowded book shelf.

[#1fanofking]

UR...What i want to read it but i don't believe in Kindle cuz there is nothing liek a real book