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

A must listen if you like time travel.

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Definitely yes. You dont want to stop listening. Craig Wasson is the best and the idea for the book is genius.

What did you like best about this story?

The idea to be back in time and observe Lee Harvey Oswald is a good one.

Which scene was your favorite?

When Jake see Lee Harvey Oswald on the sixt floor, aiming his rifle at JFK...Wow !

a wonderful adventure into what might have been.

Stephen King does it again by bringing the 50's and 60's to life in this thrilling take of time travel and mystery. Craig Wasson brings the characters to life and does a wonderful job keeping you immersed in the story. I would recommend this book to history buffs, and mystery fans alike as I think it has much to offer to any listener with interest in this time period and event.

Absolutely Fantastic!

What made the experience of listening to 11-22-63 the most enjoyable?

The painstaking research that went into painting the 1960's as they were. You honestly feel like you are there.

What about Craig Wasson’s performance did you like?

He sounded a little old to me at first, but I really got to like him. He did a great job at giving the different characters their own distinct style. Although, every New Englander sounds exactly like JFK. If I hadn't grown up in Massachusetts, hearing that accent all my life, I wouldn't have even noticed.

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

Yes. I would begrudgingly hit the pause button when I pulled up to every destination I drove to.

Any additional comments?

I am mostly a fan of non-fiction. However, this book uses real history to weave an exciting, fresh, amazingly well written tale of what it might be like to travel back in time. I found myself wanting my own rabbit-hole. This book takes it time to let the story unfold and it is worth every second.

My Favorite Book EVER

After my FOURTH reading of the longest book I have ever read I have to say, "This one is my all-time favorite!" It will be an annual pilgrimage for me because it really is a pilgrimage every time I read it. Having grown up in Texas as a 6th grader the year that JFK was assassinated, am fascinated every time with the historical fiction accuracy of King's writing. For me it's like reliving an era of history.

There is absolutely nothing about this book that I dislike. Despite the length of the book every time I start the read I cannot put it away until I've read it from cover to cover.

I would recommend this book to anyone who wants a thrilling depiction of the facts of the assassination of JFK and life during the late 50's and early 60's. Or if one is just looking for a thrilling ride through historical fiction this one is a tremendous ride/read.

I would rate this book on a five star scale as a TEN is every category. Thanks, Stephen King, for the gift of this book to modern readers!

B. Hollub, Austin, Texas

history, time travel, awesome

If you like thinking about the possibilities of time travel, and you have an interest in history, even a small interest, you will love this book. I was never much of a reader before audible came around, but since then I've listened to my fair share of books, and this one is really good. I had to have my headset surgically removed... not really, but you get the point. This book is 30+ hours long and I finished it in about 4 days. That doesn't sound like much until you consider that I work full time, and I'm in the final weeks of finishing a masters degree. This book stole priority from my other tasks, and it was all I could do to not sit on the porch and just listen. I had to limit my listening to when I was driving, or when I should have been sleeping. Awesome... just awesome... A great diversion and totally worth the time investment.

Another Great Story From The Master Story Teller

I've been reading Stephen King since the late 70s when I was in college. In the 30+ years since, I have read many excellent authors from several different genres and I think King is the best story teller of my generation. 11/23/63 is just the latest example of his talent. If you are a King fan, you will like this book. If you are thinking of trying him for the first time, this is a good place to start.

A real thriller wrapped in time travel

I will start that I am not a Stephen King fan. I didn't expect much from this book. However, hearing all the reviews that I have so far, this book was simply something I had to try. I am so glad that I tried it. The story was mesmerizing and the reader kept me engaged until the end. Great job to both Stephen King and Craig Wasson.

Best Stephen King Ever

I remember hearing the chilling announcement coming over the intercom in my freshman high school class that the President had been assassinated. One girl started crying and the teacher told her everything would be alright. She was wrong, nothing would be alright after that day. Stephen King manages to capture perfectly the emotions and events leading up to Nov 22. He narrates with ease the innocence and naivete of a country where nothing can go wrong and living is simple. I don't know how someone younger might view this book but I loved it and hated to see it end. The reader was also one of the best I've ever listened to. Thank you Mr. King.

Perfect!

I have to admit, when I first heard about this book (before it was released) I was skeptical. Well, I can definitely say that I am skeptical no longer. This is one of the best books I have listened to all year. It hooked me from the start with the brilliant narration by Craig Wasson who brought this story and it's characters to vivid life. I have read/listened to Stephen King's books for years and love the majority of them. But some of his books just stand out and this is one of them.

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.