• 11-22-63

  • A Novel
  • By: Stephen King
  • Narrated by: Craig Wasson
  • Length: 30 hrs and 40 mins
  • 4.7 out of 5 stars (68,229 ratings)

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11-22-63  By  cover art

11-22-63

By: Stephen King
Narrated by: Craig Wasson
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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

Featured Article: We're Your #1 Fans—A Stephen King Character Guide


With a mind-boggling portfolio of 62 novels and more than 200 short stories (and counting!), Stephen King undeniably reigns supreme over literary horror. From Danny Torrance to the dreaded Pennywise, check out some of his most iconic characters with this comprehensive look. (But beware: there are spoilers ahead! So, much like when you press play on a Stephen King audiobook, you should proceed with caution.)

Editor's Pick: Best of the Decade

A nostalgic trip
"Stephen King’s 11.22.63 is a technicolor romp to the past where the root beer tastes better, cars have more class, and listeners are warned to beware the yellow card man. I was not alive in 1963, but after spending 30+ hours listening to narrator Craig Wasson bring these fictional (and real) characters brilliantly to life, I feel like while I didn’t live there, I’ve at least visited for a long weekend. Blending time travel, history, a little romance, and political intrigue, this is an oddly feel-good tale—odd because it's about assassination and comes from the king of horror. The thing is that King also just happens to be a masterful storyteller whose best work of the decade will warm your heart more than scare the hell out of you." — Tricia F., Audible Editor

What listeners say about 11-22-63

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
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    50,798
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    13,097
  • 3 Stars
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Performance
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Story
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  • 4 Stars
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  • 3 Stars
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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Enough foreshadowing to predict the plot twists

What did you love best about 11-22-63?

This novel contains obvious research and attention to detail about times past. Besides the information that is highly documented, there were also subtler details about things like cars, fashion and social attitudes. The leisurely descriptions of vehicles, textures, tastes and sounds brought the time of

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)

I don't know whether I've read too many Stephen King novels, or whether I am just growing more astute in my old age, but I had a feeling about where the novel was heading from fairly early on.

What about Craig Wasson’s performance did you like?

Craig Wasson has the ability to portray different accents convincingly enough for my midwestern ears. He uses different speech patterns to portray different characters. This helped greatly in keeping a fairly large cast of characters from becoming muddled together.

Any additional comments?

Although I liked the story line, the characters and the reader, I feel that this book was overly long for the story arc that was presented. I have listened to audio books of similar length, but I actually took a break from this book after the first three parts in to listen to another book before returning for the final audio part.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

King Rermains King of the Suspense Novel

Where does 11-22-63 rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

It ranks high up since it is not a short book. It takes time for the set up

What other book might you compare 11-22-63 to and why?

none come to mind just yet

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

not listened to any others

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

The discovery that time travel was possible and travelling back and forth was even easy to do. Learning the possible upside of preventing tragedy is always the best abgle to consider when time traveling.

Any additional comments?

Time travel favorite book is Time and Again by Jack Finney. It alters outcomes too.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Perfection!

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

Haven't read the print version -- and I'm glad I didn't. I can't imagine experiencing this book any other way!

What other book might you compare 11-22-63 to and why?

It stands out as a singular memory for me. The inventive plot and characterization made this story one of my top 5 books of all time.

What about Craig Wasson???s performance did you like?

I believed him. I never questioned his embodiment of the protagonist. His delivery kept me listening from the very first page.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

An indisputable, triumphant masterpiece! Think Back to the Future with the emotional power of Unchained Melody!

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Can The Course of History Be Changed?

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

I love audio books. Did not read the printed version.

What other book might you compare 11-22-63 to and why?

I don't generally read time travel material, but found this kept my interest.

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

He is a good narrator. Changes his voice to match the characters.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Very entertaining

I enjoyed this book very much. Good narration. Stephen king is one of the best story tellers! I love history so this one was even more entertaining to me.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Good story

If you like SK then you will enjoy this book. It's very typical King, slow at points and in love with the simple picture of life.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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Highly recommend!

I LOVED this book, ending it is so bittersweet. Stephen King did not disappoint and the narration is amazing!

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Great book!

Great book and a great narrator! Listened to it on a road trip and it made the time fly.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Performance was magnificent

The story kept me listening.

The writing imaginative. A workmanlike product but I wouldn't classify it as great literature.

I was curious never having read the author.

Main impression: It was fun. The performance was superlative, many accents well done.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Thrilling, one of a kind. wish there was more!

Amazing story and characters... to bad there are not many books like it with alternate history and time travel.

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