What if you could go back in time and change the course of history? What if the watershed moment you could change was the JFK assassination? 11.22.63, the date that Kennedy was shot - unless....
King takes his protagonist Jake Epping, a high school English teacher from Lisbon Falls, Maine, 2011, on a fascinating journey back to 1958 - from a world of mobile phones and iPods to a new world of Elvis and JFK, of Plymouth Fury cars and Lindy Hopping, of a troubled loner named Lee Harvey Oswald and a beautiful high school librarian named Sadie Dunhill, who becomes the love of Jake's life - a life that transgresses all the normal rules of time.
With extraordinary imaginative power, King weaves the social, political and popular culture of his baby-boom American generation into a devastating exercise in escalating suspense.
©2011 Stephen King (P)2011 Simon & Schuster Audio
“This new epic from Stephen King rates among the best he’s written – no small praise for the man who wrote Carrie, It, The Stand and Under the Dome.” (Trucking News)
"Excellent!!! sai King"
I dont often write review, but this book has just cost me two nights sleep, i could not stop listening to it.
The story construction was excellent, it really got the grey matter turning..
That said its not the typical Stephen King novel, horror was lacking which is a breath of fresh air.
Stephen King just shows what a truely great story teller he really is in this very long but highly enjoyable book.
This is the first time ive listened to the narrator, Craig Wasson was perfect, i now rate him among the best and will be looking for more titles he reads,
thankyou thankyou thankyou, now for some catch up sleep...
I am an artist, living in Cairns, Queensland, Australia right next to the Great Barrier Reef. I listen to audiobooks everyday while making art and on into the night. I really like mysteries with a good serving of suspense on the side that keep you wondering right to the end. However, I won't say no to any entertaining and well written book which has been read by an excellent narrator.
"the best!"
I am now going to have to review all my previous book reviews and down grade them all to a 4 because none reaches the standard of this book by Stephen King. This is his best so far. The plot is well researched, interesting and very entertaining. The overriding theme is love, care for mother earth, and the world that is our reality. King has described with great thought about the world and how it might have turned out somewhat differently if changes to historical facts had occurred. I found this book immensely satisfying and thoroughly recommend it. I was a bit hesitant about the reader for for about the first minute but was quickly absorbed into the story and the storytelling by the narrator who is a true artist. Much better than The Dome. I will think about this book for a long time to come.
"Simply the best audio book I have listened too"
I haven't been much of a Stephen King fan but when I saw this book I was interested in the premise so I decided to give it a listen. There are so many things that I enjoyed about this audio book that the review I could write would be longer than the book itself! The narration was done in such a good way that I felt I was sitting down at the kitchen table while the main character was just telling me his story. I found myself being sucked in the story so much that the only thing that was missing was my ability to stop and ask questions,
Now...being someone that belives that there is no way Oswald operated alone, or fired the fatal shot for that matter, that aspect of the story challenged me, but hey.. isn't that what good chats around the kitchen table are suppose to do!??
A++++ from me..
"My First Stephen King Book I've Ever Finished"
The story is absolutely amazing. The story is so much more then the storyline.
Nothing, it's unique. I loved it.
No I haven't but I give him 10 stars. This was my absolute favorite audible book and it wasn't just because the story is amazing. Craig Wasson did a wonderful narrative.
Lol, ok that's funny. The book is 31hrs long to listen to. No this is not a book I wanted to listen to in one sitting. But, it wasn't just because of the length of the book. The story was so in depth that I really enjoyed listening to it on my commute and then getting the chance to sit and ponder the concepts.
I have never been able to finish a Stephen King book before. Don't get me wrong I understand Stephen King is an amazing author. His other books are just not my genre. I honestly let that hold me back a few times when I viewed this book online. I thought it sounded interesting but let the predominant genre of Stephen King's other books hold me back. If you're in the same boat I was in just buy this book. It's absolutely amazing. You wont be disappointed.
An unashamed Audiophile who has his own studio and business called iZENEARS which brings Australian travel and history to life for locals and visitor's alike.
"You can 'smell & taste' the past!"
A great yarn indeed and worth every dime, penny or drachma. My first foray into Stephen King’s world and loved it. It must have been very hard to write to keep the thread working for he has so many balls in play, making it believable would not have been easy but he does. Great fun for any baby boomer who wants a totally different slant on what did, didn’t or might have taken place in Dallas all those years ago. Great read too which makes it a bonus.
"Way too long!"
Don't get me wrong, this is a great story. The premise of time travelling to alter events is really interesting, but the author goes into way too much detail about things that don't affect the storyline. I found myself wishing that the story would just get to the point. I wanted to hear this book so badly, but found myself really bored and disappointed. It would have been fantastic in an abridged format!
The narrator is great and does a good job.
"sorry when it finished"
king is a great storyteller and the narrator made it even better. I was really sorry when the book ended, and I did not expect the outcome which was sad and a bit of a surprise.
Social Scientist and Researcher; mostly retired but conducting longitudinal research into social issues especially the media and social networking. Avid SF and alternative history fan; enjoy a good crime yarn and have become something of an addict for audiobooks.
"A brilliant piece of work."
I confess to not being a Stephen King fan, despite wading through a few superficially attractive works. I managed a sneak preview of this work and then went straight to audible.com.
This is a long story about time-travel and its perils and paradoxes and Mr King has excelled himself. Working initially on the somewhat unlikely premise that the world would have been a better place had JFK not been assassinated, the hero is a rather nice person who becomes hardened by experience. A port to the past or rabbit hole has been the secret of a hot-dog restaurant who has made slight changes to the past which have had no world-wide change but a cigar-chomping, old marine has terminal cancer and time is running out. Enter the hero Jake Epping, who eats at the old boy's premises and has become friendly. The dying marine has a burning ambition - to prevent that day in Dallas. He obviously cannot achieve the goal but youth, a growing empowerment and a couple of simple excursions to alter history slightly for the benefit of others,not himself, show him that time-travel has potential problems with history trying to be "obdurate" but he persists.
The death of his marine pal leaves him little choice and a moral dilemma. To say more would be to give some of the plot away and that is something I will not countenance because Mr King deserves every accolade possible for this work. I remember the 1950s well and he has it down pat, trading off the advantages of a cleaner time than 2011, although his hero certainly misses cell phones. The characterizations are finely drawn and thoroughly believable,, along with the premises of the plot.
I would go so far as to say that if you don't buy another book this year, this is the one - an absolute gem.
"Loved It!"
Really enjoyed this one, was a bit different from some of his other stuff, if ur a King fan like me, get it you wont be disappointed!
"Enthralling Narration"
I would definately recommend this book. It has kept me interested from the start. I walk with my audio books and find I am walking further and further just to keep listending.
The Narrator's voice reminds me of Nicolas Cage's voice, smooth and soothing. He brings words to life and I think I may have put a hard copy of this book down sooner if I was just reading it.
Use Craig Wasson for other narrations! He was excellent and brought Mr King's story to life. He made me feel like I was watching a movie.