11-22-63

A Novel

By: Stephen King

Narrated by: Craig Wasson

THE #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER AND MODERN CLASSIC FROM MASTER STORYTELLER STEPHEN KING

A NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW TOP TEN BOOK OF THE YEAR

WINNER OF THE LOS ANGELES TIMES BOOK PRIZE

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 readers on an incredible journey into the past and the possibility of altering it.

It begins with Jake Epping, a thirty-five-year-old English teacher in Lisbon Falls, Maine, whose life is upended when 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 the dying 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 the world of Ike and JFK and Elvis, of big American cars and sock hops and cigarette smoke everywhere and to the small town of Jodie, Texas, where Jake falls dangerously in love. Every turn leads eventually 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.

Engrossing, compelling, riveting, and more...

As a teenager, I was a big fan of Stephen King. Carrie, The Shining, and The Stand were early favorites. I really should have known better, but I read 'Salem's Lot when I was alone for a several months, and had to call my sister at 2:00 am one morning after turning on all the lights and hiding the book in the freezer still couldn't keep me from seeing vampires outside my window. Even though King's books seemed increasingly creepy, I still read Thinner, It, Misery, Christine, and Pet Sematary. Then I had children and I read Cujo. To me, it was King's most frightening book of all because it could have happened, without vampires, possessed cars, and malevolent clowns in sewers. I could easily imagine the terrifying rabid dog scenario with my own children, so I quit reading King's books and haven't even been tempted in 25 years.

Until 11/22/63. I needed a book for my Book Bingo “At least 800 pages” square, and after trying (unsuccessfully) to read Centennial, I hoped Stephen would be more exciting than James. He was. I was incredibly surprised at how much I enjoyed reading 11/22/63, especially because I wasn't expecting to. It's completely engrossing, compelling, thought-provoking, philosophical, and a darn good story. There are a few things that I wish King might have written differently, like some of the slower parts while Jake/George was watching Lee Harvey Oswald and George de Mohrenschildt, along with some parts of the ending, but those are definite spoilers. I think the ending felt a bit rushed, especially after the long lead-up to it, but that may just be me wishing the book was even longer. I haven't been this caught up and absorbed in a novel in a long time, and King left me wanting even more, all signs of a great book for me.

Beware the Slow Start

I'm not an avid Stephen King fan, so I approached this book with no preconceived notions one way or the other. I started listening during a pre-Thanksgiving drive that was fraught with traffic stops; very frustrating. Whether it was the traffic or the book itself, I found the first two hours excrutiatingly slow, and I probably would have put it down if I had another choice on my iPod.

Once hooked, I spent the better part of the next ten days doing everything I could to finish the book. The story is wonderful; original and totally unpredictable. As reader, by the end of the story, you'll consider Wasson's performance just as incredible, though the voice took a while to get used to as well. I'm guessing that I'm not alone in hearing a touch of Bill Clinton slipping into some of the older Texas characters, and Jimmy Stewart in the FBI agent at the end of the book, but that simply added to the charm.

Bottom line-if you find yourself wondering what all the fuss is about in the first hour of the book or so, persevere. You'll be glad you did.

Great Time Travel

Both my husband and I thoroughly enjoyed the telling of 11-22-63. Stephen King takes us back into the 1960s before the assassination of JFK. It was a lovely look back into the politics, daily life, and different aspect of the 60s. It was a great mix of adventure and action. We both highly recommend it.

Good but....

I was a little hesitant about this book because well ....Steven King. The good points are that the enormous amount of research king had to do for this book. You really feel as if you're on the tail of Oswald and wondering how the past would fight back. The main characters are very likable. Overall I did to my surprise enjoy the story.

However there were a few things about the story that could have been explored to a greater extent. I won't describe them to avoid spoilers. At times the writing was ... well Steven King.

Overall it's worth the read. With 30 hours you won't feel cheated. I will watch the series on Hulu

Redemption For King

I had stopped reading Stephen King a long time ago. I felt that he was very good at writing short stories, but the longer his stories get the more they fall apart. Here is his redemption. All the nostalgia that permeates his other stories actually have a place here. His excessive need to describe things works well here too. My biggest pet peeve though is his repetition of certain phrases, the hammering home of a point so often that it makes me want to scream "WE GET IT ALREADY! SHUT UP!". This still plays a part, but thankfully it doesn't get too annoying until near the end. And he has finally mastered the ending of a book.

This is not a horror novel, and is only slightly sci-fi. But it is a good journey. I recommend it.