UR Audio CD – Unabridged, February 16, 2010

For me, this was another great Stephen King short story! It's a quick read,1.5 - 2 hours depending on fast you (or, umm, UR KINDLE😉) read. It was my intention to read it in two 45 minute to hour long sittings, but after about 30 minutes there was just no putting it down. Some reviews I've seen on this book were kinda nit-picky about it being slow to start out, but for a Stephen king book, I didn't think it was at all. My guess is that at least some of those reviews came from other writers or wanna-be writers, who naturally nit pick ALL other stories they read. But as just a casual reader i felt like the back story was not only necessary but made the rest of the story that much more interesting. I also appreciated the little Easter eggs referencing things from his other books. It wasn't necessary to have read his other works to follow this one, but those little nods always make me feel that much more connected to whatever story I'm currently reading. In my personal opinion, yes, read this book!

I'm a dedicated King fan, but I'm not one who thinks all of his stories are equally great or all 5 star master pieces. I have no issue with stating if one of my favorite author's works didn't work for me. That said; this novella (as it's more than a short story, but less than a novel) is a wonderful - almost 5 star product. I'll skip the summary of what the book is about as that is readily available, and quite accurate on the product description summary and get to my review.UR keeps true with King's talented style of in-depth characterization. Our primary character, I shall call the Professor, is a fully fleshed out person despite the fact this is not a 500+ page read, but rather under 80 (on my Kindle with the current font settings). The Professor is presented with all the plumage and personality that one would expect from a master of his craft known to draw creations so vividly; you feel as if you know them.Equally, the setting of the story - a rather unknown and unremarkable college and its town - is presented just as fully formed. And aside from the events which unfold during the duration of the story, is a very believable setting.The writing is crisp, clean, witty, and engrossing. The editing - top notch.I wasn't entirely sure what to expect with UR. Horror? Sci-Fi? Perhaps a little of the obscure that can come from King's imagination on occasion? Touching ala Shawshank Redemption? Parallel universes and the races to save them? The response, I found, was a little bit of each with emphasis on sci-fi and parallel universes and a dusting of thrills that combine wonderfully.The story started not so much slow but it doesn't immediately throw you into other worlds or make you scared to investigate that noise downstairs. It builds upon itself, steadily, until you are so immersed wanting to know what will happen next; you don't want to put it down.The tension builds ever so slightly until you're enraptured.As I neared the end of the story I was 30 minutes late to an engagement because I HAD to know what happened. Waiting was simply not an option. While this was a brief tale, it was well told, organized, suspenseful, detail oriented, and exciting. (But again, it's paced a bit slower to start. Think of a 2 inch fused unknown type of firecracker as opposed to 1 inch fused known one. The colors and bang are just as great, and perhaps a tad bit more gratifying because you knew an explosion was coming, but not what or when!)I could anticipate some directions of the plot, but not all. And it wasn't a detractor because of how well the story is told and there were still some facets I clearly wasn't anticipating when the time came. I really enjoyed the small tie in to some previous King works that were present. If you haven't read those stories I'm alluding to, it won't take away a thing from this story or leave you confused in any way. If you have, you'll instantly see what I mean when the time comes.I also enjoyed the relatable fact of the Kindle usage. For those of us who have owned Kindles from the earliest days - or the more basic non-HD/color versions - there are very identifiable aspects of the story. Technophobes will easily relate to the Professor as well, as this story deals with a Kindle and technology. But you need not have either experience to become fully immersed or understand the journey we are on together with this tale.I would readily suggest this to anyone who enjoys sci-fi, Stephen King, persons who love a great all around story of any genre, and really almost anyone. Depending on how quickly you read, it is a relativity rapid read however don't be fooled by the lack of pages. There is plenty of story present and you will think about the what-ifs after the last word is devoured.I'm not sure I will ever pick up my Kindle again without thinking of this story. UR is a splendidly told tale which engages on many levels. There isn't gratuitous sex, violence, over abundant obscenity, car chases with stolen nuclear devices, ninjas, or superheroes. Just a fabulous, at times humorous, chilling, suspenseful on occasion, thought provoking, and engaging story that will capture your attention and keep it. An average guy in an unusual situation which yields a phenomenally above average read.I think UR going to love it, I did!

If you’ve ever wanted an SK story to have its characters live happily ever after, Ur is the one for you! It’s an excellent read worthy of the King!

I was an avid "real" book reader for years and then gave in and purchased a Kindle. I'm so glad it didn't turn out to be pink! Cool story!

When I first heard that Stephen King was releasing a Kindle-exclusive, I felt a little disappointed. As I do not own a Kindle I settled in for what I expected to be a long wait--most likely in an upcoming short story collection.It actually came as a complete shock when UR was released on audio; I hadn't heard anything about it, and it just sort of happened. I was ecstatic, though and I bought it right away, even though I've got no prior experience with Audio Books. And I was glad I did.First off, I felt it was a very original tale: What if you were given access to a whole wealth of unpublished literature, books and articles that don't even exist in our dimension? Newspapers, (local and global), events that run parallel to what we accept as reality? What if we could read novels, that right NOVEL, written by the greatest Gothic Romantic writer of all time in Poe? Four of them! Or imagine a world in which Hemingway is not the classic writer that is held in such high esteem now. What if he was a writer of dime-store detective novels (with The Old Man and the Sea as his seemingly constant novel in all worlds). All of this, accessible through the use of a rare, pink Kindle. Where did it come from? Why has it been given to Wesley, and what are the ramifications of having a device that can, quite literally, open up worlds of information?These are precisely the questions King seeks to answer in this two-hour story.I popped this into my CD player the first chance I got, and listened to it all in one sitting. Holter Graham did an acceptable job as the reader, though he seemed to lack emotion at time. And I can't even begin to describe the strangeness of having someone else read King's work to me. The pauses and pace are much different, so it might be jarring to anyone who has no experience whatsoever. For those of you who do, I don't imagine it will be much of a problem.There were also some pretty heavy Dark Tower references throughout, and for anyone who is a fan of that series (as I am) I'm sure these little inside references will be a welcome delight.My only real gripe about it (actually there are two) is that, once the main conflict is made evident, it is not too difficult to predict what road the story is going down. Anyone who has ever read much fiction dealing with those who know of future/alternate events probably won't be terribly shocked. Also, (POTENTIAL SPOILER)........The main antagonists of the piece will be quite familiar to Constant Readers. They've made appearances in numerous King stories before, and I'm not a big fan of this. It seems that King has a penchant of reusing villains from previous works and it is fun at times, but the reader is robbed of the chance to get to know a brand new villain. This isn't a huge detriment, but it's just enough of one to prevent a five-star review.Anyways, I highly recommend this story, and despite what people may say, this does NOT read like an infomercial for the Kindle.

A short story in classic King mode. It held me from the first word to the last, as does all of King's writing. I highly recommend it to King fans & readers who do not know him - yet!

I have been an avid reader of Stephen King since I was a teen. I love his alternate way of thinking and his take on the kindle is mindblowing. I am always amazed how he is always thinking outside the box which has made him one of the must read authors for over forty years.

Everyone asks "what if..." at some time or other, and one man receives a Kindle that gives him the answers, but sometimes the only thing worse than a question is the answer.Not a long book, & not a major Stephen King thrill-fest, but certainly worth a read. Some have said that it's essentially a very long Kindle advert that you pay for the privilege of reading, and maybe it is, but one I'm glad I took a chance on, and if it were made into a short film I would willingly watch. Yes, it plugs the Kindle many times, but until mine's untimely death a week ago at the paws of 2 Bengal cats, I had a Kindle keyboard and was so happy I should've been on commission from Amazon as a number of people were persuaded to buy by my enthusiasm.

Pretty typical fare for a Stephen King short story. Don't get me wrong, I'm a HUGE SK fan - and this holds it's own - I guess I'm just waiting for something spectacular from the master.Worth reading as a first ebook on your Kindle because it's ABOUT a very special Kindle...(We now have 3 of those in the family and we love 'em!).Overall - I'll hold onto the fifth star for when SK re-Kindles his mojo!(BTW - if you like SK you probably also like James Herbert... But have you tried Dean Koontz? Try "Fear Nothing", the first "Odd Thomas" book, his take on "Frankenstein" or - for the longer read - "False Memory". You're welcome!)- Doombar.

Amazon Kindle might have paid for this one and we may argue this is not the King's best story...but King is still doing his magic.He takes an everyday mundane object (a Kindle) and connects it to the surreal. Afterwards he explores how an average person like most of us would respond to the supernatural events. And the question of free will, fate, time paradox and all universes intertwined comes in the end, but remains unanswered.I gave it 4 stars because to me it felt like a draft for a bigger and deeper story.