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

Time ... and Time again ....

Ever been nostalgic for another period in time? Ever had fond memories of a long lost lover or a love long lost? Ever wanted to visit another place in time, or re-live, or do-over a piece of time? After you read this book you may not be so anxious to hop in the old time machine and experience that ???blast from the past.??? Memories are best viewed in hindsight, not foresight.

Stephen King is, as nearly every connoisseur and consumer of horror fiction knows, a master story weaver. With ???11-22-63: A Novel,??? King has weaved yet another haunting masterpiece; but not JUST another masterpiece. This may end up being THE definitive classic masterpiece in a long line of King???s classics.

In this tale, I found myself literally transported back in time to a critical period in American history, and not only read/listened to what it was like, I felt and tasted it. I was born in 1962 and as such, never consciously ???experienced??? those days; however when this story ended, I was feeling a strong sense that I had. It was one of the most sublime literary experiences I???ve ever had the pleasure of experiencing.

You will NOT regret downloading this book. DO NOT download the abridged version either. You will kick yourself if you do. I am going to pick up the hardback version for my collection.

~L.Fleming, Tyler Texas

great story from start to finish

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

great story from start to finish, easy to read/listen to.. characters are fleshed out with a ton of personality.

A very intriguing concept, mesmerizing !

If you could sum up 11-22-63 in three words, what would they be?

Science-fiction, romance, historical

What was one of the most memorable moments of 11-22-63?

Reliving the injustices before civil rights were enforced.

Which scene was your favorite?

The Lindyhop? I never heard of it, but I can picture it by the vivid descriptions!

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

Yes, & I never wanted it to end!

Any additional comments?

Very different from the author's usual novels, I feel.

I got over my fear of Stephen King! Loved this!

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

The narrator was wonderful and really painted a movie with his characterizations and voice talent. I could not have wished for more from him - I even liked his women characters and recognized them as women.

Who was your favorite character and why?

All of the characters are so well fleshed out that I couldn't pick easily. Even the brief appearance of Mrs. Kennedy was sweet. If you forced me to choose, I loved Al. You cried for him being unable to do this one thing he wanted so much to do for himself. Then you wanted him to at least find out how his mission came out via his friend Jake.

What about Craig Wasson’s performance did you like?

As noted earlier, I even liked his performance as women. I never forgot it was a man's voice, but he put such a spin on Marina and Sadie - not to mention Ivy - that I saw them as clearly in my mind as any male character.

Any additional comments?

I could have withstood a little more time on the ending. A little more explaination as to WHY everything took the turn it did after the past was altered might have been nice, although the ending was not a bad one. Specificity is one of King's strengths, so a clearer map of why things did what they did would have been welcome, though overall it was fine.

Beautiful and Riveting

The reader did a fantastic job with the telling of this story. I've sat and read this book three times since it came out, and the experience of listening to it told was a delightful way to pass my work commute.

A methodical, exciting, utterly engrossing listen

I hugely enjoyed listening to this novel. The narration and the prose were both fantastic. I enjoyed the way Stephen King could immerse me in an account of the past that was simultaneously exciting and rustic. It takes a talented author to construct a novel that can follow the quiet, introspective moments of its characters as well as their heart-pounding, exciting ones. I would recommend this book to anyone. Romance, action, sci-fi, suspense--once again, one of the greatest authors of our time is able to skillfully combine them all into an absolute gem of a novel.

A King book that makes you ask-what would I change

Would you listen to 11-22-63 again? Why?

I have always been a Stephen King fan. His books are always great but some of his works seem to flop at the end. This is not one of them. King's books that don't have monsters are my favorites (Misery and Dolores Claiborne to name a few). I enjoyed this book from beginning to end.

What did you like best about this story?

What I enjoyed best was the endless possibilities it caused me too think about. How many times have you wished you could undo an event. But what would that change undo in the present. I know the book is fiction, but this book makes you rethink fate and cause-effect.

Have you listened to any of Craig Wasson???s other performances before? How does this one compare?

This is my first Craig Wasson audio, but I am a fan of his movies. He has the perfect voice for audio.

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

The whole concept of this book sucked me in pretty much from the beginning. The temptation to change events is a fantasy almost everyone has entertained.

Six star story~!! Loved it!

What about Craig Wasson’s performance did you like?

The whole story made me feel like I was a part of it. He dis a great job on the different parts and kept it fun and easy to listen to.

Any additional comments?

I waited to get this book. I wont lie the thought of a book about President Kennedy would bore me to tears. This book was amazing the Kennedy part was second to the whole story leading up to it. I didnt want this book to end. One of the best books I have ever heard a definite must get!!

Typical Stephen King (In a Good Way)

Too many words, too long, but impossible to stop listening to. I most enjoyed the trip back to the 50's and 60's. The cars, the clothes, the local soda shop, the music, (and everybody smokes) all bring back so many memories and emotions. The story seems quite plausible as written, even though I have never personally known anyone who has physically gone back in time. The struggle to save JFK and the outcome of these actions are quite interesting.

A Sensational Book

A very imaginative story. It held my interest from start to finish and I developed a genuine fondness for some of the characters. Also, the narration by Craig Wasson was sensational!! His voice work on this project was the perfect compliment to King's excellent writing.