11/22/63 by Stephen King
Hardcover, 849 pages
Published November 8th 2011 by Scribner November 22nd, 1963 was a rapid-fire sequence of indelible moments: Shots ring out; a president slumped over; a race to the Dallas hospital; an announcement, blood still fresh on the First Lady's dress. But what if President John F. Kennedy didn't have to die; if somehow his assassin could have been thwarted? For Maine schoolteacher Jake Epping, those hypothetical what if's become real possibilities when he walks through a portal to the past. Without special skills and still unfamiliar with his new/old surroundings, he struggles to discover a way to change the history he left. Like its Under the Dome predecessor, Stephen King's 960-page novel shows that this master of suspense is back at the top of his game.
I haven't read a King book in many years. After reading this one, I will definitely have to go back and catch up.
What if you could go back and change the past? Would you do it? What if by doing so, you changed everything...the good and the bad?
The premise of the story involved Jake Epping/George Amberson traveling back in time to prevent the assassination of JFK from happening. During his travel, he prevents some other horrible things as well...but by doing so, he changed everyone's life, including his own.
Yes, this book is 800+ pages, but once the story captures you, it won't seem as long. You will be transported back to a simpler time, to lindyhopping, to a world where bad things didn't happen, people trusted each other and a person's word was all it took to make a deal.
Jake/George is an English teacher who is asked by a friend to help him prevent the assassination. He travels back to September 1958 and everything changes. There is no horror in this story that King is known for, but some horrible things happen... or do they? There is also a love story that unfolds...but the ending may surprise you. Friends and enemies are made, bets are won, lives are lost and changed forever.
I loved how the story unfolded and "reset" several times and each time a string to the original past was left. If you like time travel with lots of "what if's" thrown in, I think that you will enjoy this story.
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3 comments:
I'm like you. I used to read everything he wrote, but haven't read anything for quite some time. I don't know if I'll go back and catch up, but I'm definitely intrigued by this one. Great review.
I'm definitely getting this book now. I've been debating about it. I was quite intimidated by the pages. I think I'm ready to give it a try now.
Yup getting the book now. Never thought I'd go back to reading Stephen King, but I think it's time
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