“11/22/63” by Stephen King {Book Review} #2012readingchallenge

11/22/63 by Stephen King ~

I used to read Stephen King books all the time, but I haven’t read one since the late 90s, I believe. I guess I just read so many that I got burned out. However, something about the concept of this story just seemed so intriguing to me that I could not pass it up (even at a whopping 850 pages).

It’s a time travel story, if you didn’t already know that, but I don’t think it’s so complicated and far fetched that people who are not fans of sci-fi will be detoured, although I think you have to like sci-fi at least a little to be a fan of Stephen King. I wouldn’t call myself a huge sci-fi fan, but I do really enjoy the Stephen King books that relate to things that I understand or that “seem” real and believable (“Tommyknockers” was definitely NOT one that I felt seemed either real or believable).

I think history buffs will really enjoy 11/22/63. I also think that people who are into all the Kennedy assassination conspiracy theories might be interested in this novel. To me, this book is like “Butterfly Effect” meets “The Time Traveler’s Wife.” Although I think that, for me, there will never be a Stephen King book that tops “The Stand,” this one is definitely one of the better ones. “11/22/63” has brought me back to the days of reading for hours on end and not wanting to put the book down. Ah, how I missed those days. Thanks for that, Stephen King.

I think 11/22/63 could have been a very ignorant book (and that did have me worried just a little bit). By ignorant, I mean it could have really made a mockery of the events that led up to the assassination. Even though it’s a novel, it also concerns true events and sometimes authors really go too far, in my opinion. I don’t think it’s right to exploit the death of someone just for a buck. I don’t feel that Stephen King did that. I think he said what was necessary to get the story across without dwelling on it, and I am glad of that.

I am generally good at figuring out how books will end. Most seem rather predictable to me. This was not and I really had no idea how he was going to wrap this story up! It just seemed like too much to me, if that makes any sense. However, I think he did a marvelous (and believable) job and I can find nothing to complain about in this book. It was fabulous!

*In the afterword, Stephen King writes that his son, Joe Hill, came up with the ending to “11/22/63” (which was a great ending, in my opinion). My husband read a book by Joe Hill a few years ago and we had no idea that he was Stephen King’s son. My husband said that the book was great (“Heart Shaped Box”). So, I thought I would share that for anyone else who may not know that.

Click here to see who won a copy of “11/22/63” by Stephen King!

 

 

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