As I’ve been making my way through Stephen King’s amazing collection of books I have found my way to 11/22/63.
This fun story of time travel, righting wrongs, and the unexpected love story that came.
Stephen King is a masterful storyteller, no matter what the idea. I have yet to read a story that doesn’t keep me on my toes one way or another. While this isn’t a horror the time travel elements add a different level of suspense.
Most people, a.k.a. nerds like me, know the basic rules of time travel and the importance of changing nothing. Even the smallest change can have an impact that you could never anticipate. Now when it comes to something massive like preventing the assassination of Kennedy, it had me wondering through the whole book if this was actually a good idea.
The story follows Jake Epping, a high school teacher from Maine, who stumbles upon a time portal in the local diner. Al, the diner’s owner, reveals a startling secret – the portal leads to September 9, 1958, and Al has been using it to attempt to prevent the assassination of President John F. Kennedy on November 22, 1963
King’s skill in creating believable characters is on full display as Jake immerses himself in the past. The meticulous attention to historical detail transports readers to the late 1950s and early 1960s, a time fraught with political tension and cultural shifts. The descriptions of everyday life, from the cars on the streets to the music playing on the radio, are so vivid that you can almost taste the nostalgia.
The heart of the novel lies in Jake’s emotional journey. As he becomes deeply entrenched in the past, he grapples with the consequences of his actions, the ethical dilemmas of altering history, and the bittersweet moments of life in a bygone era. The relationships he forms, particularly with the charming and enigmatic Sadie Dunhill, are beautifully portrayed and add depth to the story.
The story is wonderful and a wonderful journey down the rabbit hole. It did remind me a little bit of a short story that I read “Gwendy’s Button Box” by Stephen King *& Richard Chizmar which was also about changing events of time.
If you are a seasoned King reader, or just jumping in you will enjoy this journey.