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

great book

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

one of King's best

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

great story, but truly the narrator is what makes this audiobook

Which character – as performed by Craig Wasson – was your favorite?

Jake/George

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

laugh at times

Great Use of a Credit!

As per his usual, this book was long, and very well written. There were a few points that started shivers up my spine, but not nearly as many as previous books. The narrator was really good, except for two traits. One, he made the janitor, Harry sound terribly slow. And two, which was my biggest pet peeve, since King is from Maine and so am I, was the narrator's mispronouncing a few words in his New England accents. Bangor up here, is not pronounced BANG-er, it's said Bang w/ a hard G and -OR. So Ban-Gor. Other than those, this was a credit well spent, not to mention an enjoyable way to spend 30 hours.

I think this is Kings best to date

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

I am a middle aged man and this hit so many memories both good and bad. Some parts I would be laughing out loud and the next I would find myself with damp eyes! Any book that can touch me on so many emotional levels and bring back so many vivid memories is what I buy fiction for.

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

Somehow Wassons voice was never a factor in listening to this title he was a natural in my mind I don't recall ever hearing him before but I will now search for him in my future audio selections

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

I found myself looking foward to listening to the audio

Any additional comments?

I have now placed this book into my top 10 of all time a true classic that will go down is history!

Favorite audio book yet

I'm not typically a Stephen King fan since he tends to scare the heck out of me and manages to do it with such raunchy language most of the time. But this book is without question my favorite listen (of any audio book) thus far. The story line alone is fascinating - something only King could dream up. Despite its length, it never dragged for a single moment. The performance was incredible, the ending so sweet and touching. I deeply "missed" the book after it was over.

Good book, horrible narrator

Any additional comments?

I'd have to strongly disagree with all the other reviews here. While this story is a good one, Craig Wasson's performance is horrible. He (strongly) emphasizes sentences every third or fourth one - ie, far, far too often, to a point where listening to him is quite tiring to listen to. Additionally, he occasionally breaks into trying to act out - badly - random sentences, be they description or spoken. It all adds up to what might best be described as a bad William Shatner impression, distracting from the story rather than enhancing it.

Another Great Read (or Listen)!

Thanks Mr King for another unforgettable experience. The reader made the characters come alive. Made me want to stay in the car and keep listening even though I had arrived at my destination.

Stop shopping and get this

Right now, stop what you are doing... Add this to your cart and then proceed to checkout. Do not thank me.. Just thank The yellow card man

Cautionary tale about changing history

Wonderful characters and suspenseful story about the dangers that await those who would love to go back and change history.

Be careful what history you wish for, says Mr. King.

What a great listen!

After downloading all four parts, I was a little unsure about listening to a 40 hour book. However, I was hooked immediately. Surprised myself that I wasn't ready for the book to end...could have kept going with this one.. Great story, excellent narrator!

As in life, the real monster is 'If Only.'

Endearing, captivating, deeply satisfying. Protagonist Jake Epping is the kind of character Stephen King creates with such a deft hand: the reluctant hero, grounded in his reality and ours, who is handed terrible power and the chance to right horrific wrongs. A Frodo Baggins in khakis and a sport coat.

Like Tolkien's Frodo, ordinary Jake embarks on a quest fraught with dangers - not the least of which is the temptation that power brings. Like Frodo, Jake navigates his path with terrible grace, besting supernatural forces but forced to accept heartbreaking truths.

"Hearts can't break," Jake tells us. "If only they could."

If only.

In this epic journey of the heart, the most terrifying monsters are the If-Onlys.

Highly recommended, even if you have never been a fan of horror. There are horrific events in play throughout 11/22/63, but in spirit this novel is reminiscent of King's sweetly nostalgic short piece, "Stand By Me," which Ron Howard turned into a memorable film.

Actor Craig Wasson gives distinctive voices to dozens of characters, and does credit to familiar voices like JFK's. A few of the characterizations seemed a bit too comedic for the circumstances. But Wasson brings such clarity to dear, brave, unassuming Jake, it would just be mean to score the performance with less than 5 stars.