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

Fantastic

Great and memorable narrator. Would suggest reading IT before beginning this in order to accomplish true depth of understanding. Enjoyable and thought-provoking.

Engrossing and only mildly political

I feared this would be a political novel but on the contrary, it was a wondrous mix of light science fiction/concepts of time travel and frankly, a love story. Characters were rich, and richly portrayed in an engaging performance. It brought both tears and laughing out loud. I usually refrain from hyperbole but I have to express superlatives when commenting on this story. I had great difficulty putting my audible on pause to do anything else during this story.

Not "normal" King, but fascinating!

The only thing I didn't like about this book was the ending, but I don't know how else it could have ended. It is such a complex story, but told so well. I almost didn't read this book because I was afraid it would be too history heavy when I was looking for a good story, but 11-22-63 did not disappoint!

Very interesting. Did not want to stop listening.

I hated when I had to stop listening. how it made me want to be back in the past. his description is so good and I could just imagine what the character went through. I'm interested to see this on screen.

Outstanding!

Love the ability of time travel.But having changed the past has monumental effects on the future very good and some times very very bad.
I was taken by the love story that was Sadie. The love of your life was within the past of undoing the JFK assassination .

Excellent Story line as well storytelling

This story and narration kept me listening from beginning to end. Carig Wasson's dramatization of the characters only enhanced the experience. I was disappointed with the story having to end.

Forget Hulu, this is the Story you want

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

Yes, the performance brought all the characters to life which sucked me into the story.

Which scene was your favorite?

The last quarter of the story

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

The times that the character shows heart-felt emotion

If you watched Hulu, this fills in the gaps

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

It's too long to read twice.

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

That's not possible

Any additional comments?

I read this after watching the Hulu series and found I liked it this way, even though I knew what would happen. Even without the suspense it was a great story and the book "filled in the gaps"

I don't normally read book that are this long, but this book is not slow or dragging or overly detailed. With other long reads (such as the Goldfinch) I found myself saying "move on already!" or "we're spending way to much time on this!" or "is the editor asleep at the wheel?" I didn't feel that way here. This is also my first Stephen King novel and I will definitely read more of his work.

very captivating.

loved it. enjoyed every minute of the story. hard to stop listening once I got started.

Well crafted novel

Stephen King went to great lengths with this one...the characters are very realistic. The way he weaves common threads and 'harmonies' as his character, George/Jake calls them is skillful. This is the kind of book that you don't want to stop listening to. On more than one occasion I sat in my driveway refusing to turn off the book. I highly recommend!