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11/22/63

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'11/22/63' by Stephen King is a time travel novel that follows the story of Jake Epping, a high school teacher who is recruited by a diner owner to travel back in time to 1958 with the mission to prevent the assassination of John F. Kennedy. The book delves into the complexities of altering history, the consequences of changing the past, and the personal sacrifices Jake must make in his quest to rewrite a pivotal moment in American history. Through a blend of historical events, time travel elements, and a touch of romance, King weaves a compelling narrative that keeps readers engaged as they follow Jake's journey through the past.

Characters:

The characters are well-rounded and memorable, with Jake serving as a relatable protagonist and Sadie providing depth to the love story.

Writing/Prose:

King's writing style effectively combines detailed character development with relatable themes, creating an immersive reading experience.

Plot/Storyline:

The plot reveals a time travel adventure where a teacher attempts to change a pivotal historical event, leading to personal and societal consequences.

Setting:

The setting richly portrays 1950s and 60s America, adding depth and nostalgia to the narrative.

Pacing:

The pacing is uneven, with a slow start that picks up momentum towards the climax.
After the benediction (spoken by Father Bandy, who rarely missed an LHS function), I made my way through the milling friends and relatives to where Harry was standing alone in his billowy black gown, ...

Notes:

11/22/63 explores the butterfly effect and how small changes in the past can lead to significant consequences in the future.
The story is narrated by Jake Epping, a high school English teacher in 2011 who travels back in time to 1958.
Jake's primary mission is to prevent the assassination of President John F. Kennedy on November 22, 1963.
The novel incorporates historical details about Lee Harvey Oswald and his family, making them seem more relatable.
The book features elements of romance, particularly between Jake and a librarian named Sadie Dunhill.
King includes characters from his previous works, particularly from the town of Derry, which also appears in 'It.'
The narrative conveys a nostalgic view of America during the late 50s and early 60s while addressing issues like racism and sexism.
Despite its length (about 850 pages), many readers find it engaging and hard to put down, as it has a compelling plot.
The book emphasizes that the past doesn't want to be changed, introducing a magical realism aspect to time travel.
The ending of the novel is bittersweet, prompting introspection about love, loss, and the implications of changing history.

Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings

Contains themes of violence, death, domestic abuse, and some graphic descriptions that might be distressing to some readers.

Has Romance?

The relationship between Jake and Sadie is a significant element of the story, adding emotional depth and complicating Jake's mission.

From The Publisher:

One of the Ten Best Books of The New York Times Book Review

Winner of the Los Angeles Times Book Prize

Now a miniseries from Hulu starring James Franco

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, 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 fifty 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.

Ratings (306)

Incredible (98)
Loved It (122)
Liked It (49)
It Was OK (22)
Did Not Like (11)
Hated It (4)

Reader Stats (588):

Read It (307)
Currently Reading (1)
Want To Read (177)
Did Not Finish (13)
Not Interested (90)

4 comment(s)

Incredible
2 weeks

This book and I have had an ongoing battle for quite some time. I've tried to read this multiple times but DNF'd each time yet I've not been able to stop thinking about this book. This time however I not only successfully read it, I loved it. Full 5 stars which comes to a real surprise due to the difficulty getting into it. One of the top books I've read with time travel and yet again King shows he can write a great book that isn't horror

 
Incredible
2 months

An engaging romp through time

 
Loved It
3 months

4.5/5

 
Incredible
8 months

Now I have never rated a book 5 stars before, even in my favorite series (the wheel of time, in case you are curious) but I thought this was just too great to get anything less than that. This is the first Stephen King book I have ever read and I thought it was a brilliant book and it tugged on my heartstrings in such a complete way that I will be reading his other books and looking for more time travel books of the same type now. Read it. You won't regret it.

 

About the Author:

Stephen King is the author of more than sixty books, all of them worldwide bestsellers. His recent work includes Billy Summers, If It Bleeds, The Institute, Elevation, The Outsider, Sleeping Beauties (cowritten with his son Owen King), and the Bill Hodges trilogy: End of Watch, Finders Keepers, and Mr. Mercedes (an Edgar Award winner for Best Novel and a television series streaming on Peacock). His novel 11/22/63 was named a top ten book of 2011 by The New York Times Book Review and won the Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Mystery/Thriller. His epic works The Dark Tower, It, Pet Sematary, and Doctor Sleep are the basis for major motion pictures, with It now the highest-grossing horror film of all time. He is the recipient of the 2020 Audio Publishers Association Lifetime Achievement Award, the 2018 PEN America Literary Service Award, the 2014 National Medal of Arts, and the 2003 National Book Foundation Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters. He lives in Bangor, Maine, with his wife, novelist Tabitha King.

 
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