Book review- 11/22/63

So I remember as a young girl watching the start of a ABC Sunday Night movie. I thought it was a kid movie because there was a little boy playing with a boat in the gutter(?) and a clown. Yeah then it turned all freaky and scary and my parents realized I was in the room and turned it off. I later learned it was a movie called "It" and to calm my fears my mom later told me the ending was silly because the bad guy was just a "giant spider". Thanks for that one mom. 

That was my first encounter with Stephen King and I never wanted to meet him again. I will admit to having watched a Shining mini-series about 15 years ago but that was it.

Funny thing is I consider Mr. King to be a very talented writer. I have read excerpts of many of his novels for various classes throughout high school and college. Yet the idea of the evil clown and giant spider still kept me away. I know his stories, who doesn't? They have become cultural staples but I still wouldn't read him. I knew my imagination and I knew his writing the two never should meet. 

Then I found his latest book at Cost-co and it sounded intriguing. A book about time travel and going back to save JFK. I have to admit I have a weakness for time travel books and an even bigger weakness for change history time travel books. I downloaded the first few chapters onto my kindle and I was hooked. I checked it out from the library, only to have to return it a few weeks later still unread. Finally I was able to get it again and after two renewals finally had time to pick the book up and read it. I read the book in three days. 

The premise of the book is simple. There is a wormhole that leads back to 1958. At first this wormhole is used to buy cheap meat but then the finder (Al) realizes that he could change history. The interesting thing about this wormhole is every time you enter it is the same day, you "reset" history. Despite his best efforts to stop the Kennedy assassination, he develops cancer and doesn't make it to 1963. Instead he recruits a friend to do the job for him. 

Jake wants to make sure it works and tries changing an event where a family was killed. He goes back. Stops the killings and then returns to the present to see how it effected his time line. When he sees all is good he decides to give it a go and save the president. 

Now there are points where this book drags. Heads up the Kennedy Assassination doesn't even take place until around page 820 of a 900 page book. I wanted the story to move a long and hurry the pace at times but it did make this journey more believable. I was drawn into the life and found myself, like Jake, wishing to stay forever. The problems of the late 50s early 60s are not glossed over but life is presented in a very real manor. I loved this story. I was loathed to see it end. I felt the resolution was perfect and I was grateful that it had a bittersweet ending. 

Despite my love for this book I don't think I will be picking up anything else by Mr. King. He made sure of that when he slipped in the part about a killer clown...thanks, I appreciate the nightmare stalker the last few nights. I wonder if it too will be followed by a giant spider.




Note- The language in this book is well, there is a lot of it. If you don't like that stuff stay away, you will not find this book pleasant.