11-22-63

A Novel

By: Stephen King

Narrated by: Craig Wasson

Length: 30 hrs and 40 mins

Publisher's summary

On November 22, 1963, three shots rang out in Dallas, President Kennedy died, and the world changed. What if you could change it back?

In this brilliantly conceived tour de force, Stephen King - who has absorbed the social, political, and popular culture of his generation more imaginatively and thoroughly than any other writer - takes listeners on an incredible journey into the past and the possibility of altering it.

It begins with Jake Epping, a 35-year-old English teacher in Lisbon Falls, Maine, who makes extra money teaching GED classes. He asks his students to write about an event that changed their lives, and one essay blows him away: a gruesome, harrowing story about the night more than 50 years ago when Harry Dunning’s father came home and killed his mother, his sister, and his brother with a sledgehammer. Reading the essay is a watershed moment for Jake, his life - like Harry’s, like America’s in 1963 - turning on a dime.

Not much later his friend Al, who owns the local diner, divulges a secret: his storeroom is a portal to the past, a particular day in 1958. And Al enlists Jake to take over the mission that has become his obsession - to prevent the Kennedy assassination.

So begins Jake’s new life as George Amberson, in a different world - of Ike and JFK and Elvis, of big American cars and sock hops and cigarette smoke everywhere. From the dank little city of Derry, Maine (where there’s Dunning business to conduct), to the warmhearted small town of Jodie, Texas, where Jake falls dangerously in love, every turn is leading, eventually of course, to a troubled loner named Lee Harvey Oswald and to Dallas, where the past becomes heart-stoppingly suspenseful - and where history might not be history anymore. Time-travel has never been so believable. Or so terrifying.

©2011 Stephen King. All Rights Reserved. (P)2011 Simon & Schuster, Inc

Beware the Slow Start

I'm not an avid Stephen King fan, so I approached this book with no preconceived notions one way or the other. I started listening during a pre-Thanksgiving drive that was fraught with traffic stops; very frustrating. Whether it was the traffic or the book itself, I found the first two hours excrutiatingly slow, and I probably would have put it down if I had another choice on my iPod.

Once hooked, I spent the better part of the next ten days doing everything I could to finish the book. The story is wonderful; original and totally unpredictable. As reader, by the end of the story, you'll consider Wasson's performance just as incredible, though the voice took a while to get used to as well. I'm guessing that I'm not alone in hearing a touch of Bill Clinton slipping into some of the older Texas characters, and Jimmy Stewart in the FBI agent at the end of the book, but that simply added to the charm.

Bottom line-if you find yourself wondering what all the fuss is about in the first hour of the book or so, persevere. You'll be glad you did.

Engrossing, compelling, riveting, and more...

As a teenager, I was a big fan of Stephen King. Carrie, The Shining, and The Stand were early favorites. I really should have known better, but I read 'Salem's Lot when I was alone for a several months, and had to call my sister at 2:00 am one morning after turning on all the lights and hiding the book in the freezer still couldn't keep me from seeing vampires outside my window. Even though King's books seemed increasingly creepy, I still read Thinner, It, Misery, Christine, and Pet Sematary. Then I had children and I read Cujo. To me, it was King's most frightening book of all because it could have happened, without vampires, possessed cars, and malevolent clowns in sewers. I could easily imagine the terrifying rabid dog scenario with my own children, so I quit reading King's books and haven't even been tempted in 25 years.

Until 11/22/63. I needed a book for my Book Bingo “At least 800 pages” square, and after trying (unsuccessfully) to read Centennial, I hoped Stephen would be more exciting than James. He was. I was incredibly surprised at how much I enjoyed reading 11/22/63, especially because I wasn't expecting to. It's completely engrossing, compelling, thought-provoking, philosophical, and a darn good story. There are a few things that I wish King might have written differently, like some of the slower parts while Jake/George was watching Lee Harvey Oswald and George de Mohrenschildt, along with some parts of the ending, but those are definite spoilers. I think the ending felt a bit rushed, especially after the long lead-up to it, but that may just be me wishing the book was even longer. I haven't been this caught up and absorbed in a novel in a long time, and King left me wanting even more, all signs of a great book for me.

Great Time Travel

Both my husband and I thoroughly enjoyed the telling of 11-22-63. Stephen King takes us back into the 1960s before the assassination of JFK. It was a lovely look back into the politics, daily life, and different aspect of the 60s. It was a great mix of adventure and action. We both highly recommend it.

Good but....

I was a little hesitant about this book because well ....Steven King. The good points are that the enormous amount of research king had to do for this book. You really feel as if you're on the tail of Oswald and wondering how the past would fight back. The main characters are very likable. Overall I did to my surprise enjoy the story.

However there were a few things about the story that could have been explored to a greater extent. I won't describe them to avoid spoilers. At times the writing was ... well Steven King.

Overall it's worth the read. With 30 hours you won't feel cheated. I will watch the series on Hulu

Redemption For King

I had stopped reading Stephen King a long time ago. I felt that he was very good at writing short stories, but the longer his stories get the more they fall apart. Here is his redemption. All the nostalgia that permeates his other stories actually have a place here. His excessive need to describe things works well here too. My biggest pet peeve though is his repetition of certain phrases, the hammering home of a point so often that it makes me want to scream "WE GET IT ALREADY! SHUT UP!". This still plays a part, but thankfully it doesn't get too annoying until near the end. And he has finally mastered the ending of a book.

This is not a horror novel, and is only slightly sci-fi. But it is a good journey. I recommend it.

GREAT STORY TOLD BY THE MASTER!

This is the third time I have read 11-22-63. Stephen King's book is the best fantasy I could only imagine happening. If Kennedy was never murdered what could have happened? The book is better than any butterfly effect one could imagine. DO NOT MISS THIS GREAT LISTEN...A MUST FOR YOUR LIBRARY!

Wonderful Book!

One of the best books I’ve ever listened to. Definitely my favorite Stephen King novel. I would highly recommend it.

Excellent

Like any great book it was hard to stop listening, but only so many hours in a day.

11-23-63 could have been better

Would you consider the audio edition of 11-22-63 to be better than the print version?

Didn't read the print edition.

Would you be willing to try another book from Stephen King? Why or why not?

Yes, many fantastic stories in the past.

What does Craig Wasson bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

A nice job of taking on different voices and accents that add to the enjoyment of listening.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The killing of Sadie

Any additional comments?

The whole possibility of upsetting not just time, but the planet, galaxy, and universe was quite a teaser that could have evolved into something more my kind of Stephen King. But it didn't. It just ended with a plop, after all that build up. I still enjoyed the book but wished there was more imaginative writing going in the direction of not putting things back and seeing the consequences. After finding out all of the horrific things that had changed from his actions I thought things were really going to take off at that point and the best parts of the book were on the way. But it was over. There was no part 5 :(

Excellent novel

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

Yes, I'd highly recommend it!

Who was your favorite character and why?

Jake/George

What about Craig Wasson’s performance did you like?

Accents were great and inflections between characters always were perfect. Easy to tell each character apart.

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

Yes, but there was no way to do so.

Any additional comments?

Loved the Afterward read by Stephen King himself. Really added to the book.