Guns

By: Stephen King

Narrated by: Christian Rummel

Length: 48 mins

Publisher's summary

In a pulls-no-punches essay intended to provoke rational discussion, Stephen King sets down his thoughts about gun violence in America. Anger and grief in the wake of the shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School are palpable in this urgent piece of writing, but no less remarkable are King's keen thoughtfulness and composure as he explores the contours of the gun-control issue and constructs his argument for what can and should be done.

King's earnings from the sale of this essay will go to the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence.

Stephen King is the author of 11/22/63, Under the Dome, Carrie, The Shining, and many other best-selling works.

"The overwhelming response from readers of the Kindle Single edition of Guns underscores the great need for thoughtful discourse on the issue of guns in America…I’m thrilled Audible is bringing Guns to the quickly growing audience of audiobook listeners." (Stephen King)

©2013 Stephen King (P)2013 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

"There are a handful of subjects in America so emotional and polarizing that the national dialogue around them amounts to little more than a shouting match. Chief among these is the subject of guns. In this intimate and moving Kindle Single, Stephen King employs all his gifts as writer and citizen to address gun violence in America. But why should we care what Stephen King has to say? As it turns out, there are a number of reasons. Despite his "liberal creds," King is an unapologetic gun owner himself. He is also the author of a novel--published under the pseudonym Richard Bachman--that has served as a "possible accelerant" for at least four real-life high school shooters. King had his publisher take that book off the market long ago, but the guns and the occasional bursts of unfathomable violence remain. When division is everywhere, is it possible for someone to argue passionately for the middle road? That is what King seeks to do here--this is a frank and thoughtful contribution to a dialogue in dire need of voices from the 'all-but-deserted middle.'" (Chris Schluep, Amazon.com)

Decent Centrist Viewpoint, Excellent Performance

What did you love best about Guns?

The passion and performance. Nice to hear a centrist opinion

What was the most compelling aspect of this narrative?

The personal story behind King pulling the Rage story.

Have you listened to any of Christian Rummel’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No, this is the 1st time I've listened to him

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes. That was the point of a 99 cent listen

Any additional comments?

While I don't agree with King's opinion that "assault rifles" and high capacity magazines should be banned he is at least man enough to admit he's a gun owner and sees some value in the 2nd amendment. However, I'm concerned about celebrity figures clouding the truth about semi-automatic firearms. They simply aren't all that bad. Banning one will likely mean a short road to banning them all. When hunting squirrels it actually is beneficial to have a semi-auto 22 because if they are in trees you might need to take a few shots in quick sequence to hit such a small target. Also, when hunting ducks and geese it's extremely helpful to have a semi-auto shotgun. The birds simply don't want to wait around for you to pump and no animal will wait for you to reload a single shot breech load.People forget that hunters actually perform a ecological benefit by reducing animal populations where few predators exits now days. Living in northern IL the geese have really taken over with the expansion of water retention ponds on corporate lands. Recently, coyotes have made themselves known in N IL. With this animal you actually do need more than a few rounds ready because if you stop to reload you'll take your eyes off them and they are gone.King also says semi-autos are only best for the shooting range where you can rapidly get off 10 shots without reloading and practice your shot control better. I disagree. Sure it's fun to shoot endlessly at the range but it's really like wasting money on fireworks. However, there are other active shooting sports that are much more challenging and rewarding with an AR platform rifle. These courses are outdoor ranges and require you to run and engage targets, stop, control your adrenaline/breathing, acquire target and shoot again. There is nothing criminal about these sports and the basic concepts of such sports have been a part of the Olympic games for years.I also think King would have been better off as a centrist reminding gun owners that safety begins with them. Safes, trigger locks, ammo storage, etc would have been a better argument than a ban. I respect the opinions of others and King's writing is passionate. As for pulling Rage, I think many of us look back at our high school classmates and think about that one odd guy who once made an off color comment or perhaps a sketch in a notebook that made us wonder.I think in any gun free zone, security needs to be regulated and mandated. Every school should have a shooter incident plan and every movie theater should have a security plan where exit doors are secured and not propped open. If not to prevent another Aurora, CO event but simply to deter theft of a movie seat. Even King admits these shooters are singling these places out for the impact they will net.As a centrist I think the worst enemy of the 2nd amendment is the rogue shooter or criminal use of a firearm. I only wish persons convicted of weapons violations were held more accountable. In Chicago, they give gangbangers 60 days probation and GPS monitoring sometimes even if they've had multiple violations. That element is the enemy of the 2nd amendment.

If only we could all think so rationally . . .

Would you listen to Guns again? Why?

Yes. I think that it portrays ideas that we should all consider.

Any additional comments?

I think everyone trying to discuss gun control should read/listen to this. It was very well written.

much needed

Any additional comments?

Everyone should read this. It's so true. We need gun reform. He's not a teetotaler on either side. He makes great points. We really need to wake up, open our minds and find real solutions.

I wish I could have written it

I don't know why I get so surprised every time he writes something that isn't scary ( And I love his scary stuff) and it is REALLY GOOD WRITING! He is such a good writer and this is right to the point. I wish everyone had to read it.

A Must-Listen

In spite of the many great novels, novellas, short stories, and essays produced by King over his long career, this short piece of writing is definitely some of his finest. Not kidding -- this is a must-listen!

Attention Reasonable People!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

An essay both reasonable and passionate on gun violence. This piece illustrates the kind of conversation I WISH I could have with my friends on the Left AND Right. I write this the day after a news reporter, cameraman, and interviewee were shot on live television in Virginia. Two died at the scene - the audience witnessed their last moments on earth, could hear their screams. The camera caught the shooter as he walked towards his victims to finish the job. My friends on the Right call for yet more guns & liberties, my friends on the Left call for no guns at all. This impasse and inertia will allow more massacres like the one we experienced yesterday to occur, like those that have occurred nearly every day this year. Every. Day. Sometimes more than one. So common, in fact, that most don't make national news. There is a great swathe of ground in the middle of this issue that simply isn't being explored and it MUST BE. Because until we all meet in this centrist no-man's land, the killings will continue to become more horrifying and more frequent.

Very Informative

Where does Guns rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

I really enjoyed this audiobook. It is a short one and very informative about our gun rights and the government behind the decisions. I shared the information with quite a few of my friends

What did you like best about this story?

The lesson on our gun history and future

Any additional comments?

It is a good read in our current times of legislative gun rights decisions and the false information that our government would like for us to believe about guns in our nation.

Excellent

Would you consider the audio edition of Guns to be better than the print version?

Did not read the print version.

What other book might you compare Guns to and why?

Stephen King's book "On Writing"

What about Christian Rummel’s performance did you like?

It was ok.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

No.

Any additional comments?

King offers a very common-sense approach to the current issue of gun control. It is a non-biased look at our current societal issues related to guns and mass shootings, and the ways we can bring about change.

Great opinion piece about Gun Violence!

King gives a no holds barred point of view on gun violence in the United States.

Powerful emotional stuff

Very powerful stuff. Everyone should read. King makes very valid points. Very passionate reader. Overall excellent.