Sleeping Beauties
by Stephen King, Owen King
Narrated by Marin Ireland
Why Listen to This Audiobook?
What if every woman fell asleep and the men left behind proved exactly who they are — Marin Ireland narrates this with quiet, precise fury.
- Great if you want: sprawling feminist horror with a large ensemble cast
- Listening experience: slow-burn and dense — a 25-hour commitment that pays off gradually
- Narration: Ireland's understated intensity suits this female-driven story perfectly
- Skip if: you want lean King — this is maximalist at its most indulgent
About This Audiobook
Sleeping Beauties opens with a global phenomenon: women who fall asleep become encased in a fibrous cocoon, and those who disturb the wrapping wake feral and violent. The men of the world are left alone with their devices, their grievances, and the question of what civilization means without half of it. Stephen and Owen King write the gender-reversal conceit with sociological seriousness, centering the story in a small Appalachian town where the tensions are personal before they are symbolic.
Marin Ireland narrates the massive twenty-five-hour audiobook with formidable commitment, carrying both the realistic drama of the town and the dreamlike logic of the women's alternate existence. Her female-led cast of voices is among the strongest achievements in the audiobook, and her command of the novel's tonal range — from intimate domestic scenes to large-scale social breakdown — makes the format the best way to experience the novel.
