Young Devin Jones has just had his heart broken. Or rather, he's just about to have his heart broken. Or rather, it all happened 40 years ago. A much older, somewhat wiser Devin tells us the story, and King weaves his narration back and forth in time effortlessly, putting the story's cart before its horse in a way that risks seeming glibly clever on the one hand and incoherent on the other.
But this is King, and the reason to read him is that he tells a story like your favourite uncle, one drink down and a twinkle in his eye.
Having taken a summer job at the not-quite-broken-down amusement park Joyland, Devin meets the requisite cast of colourful and unlikely characters, who induct him into their world and teach him self-respect.
He makes friends for life, discovers an unsuspected talent for entertaining small children, and is distracted from his broken heart by a young single mother who wants nothing to do with him.
Guess how that ends. It's all as old as the hills, yet King makes it as fresh as tomorrow's news. The murder mystery bubbles along in the background, waiting for its moment in the spotlight.
When the moment arrives, it's effective and startling. But the reason it's so startling is that it's an intrusion into a book that doesn't need it.
This is first and foremost an old man's merciful reflections on a young man's troubles, and it's a lovely, easeful read.
