11/23/63
I just finished reading Stephen King’s latest novel 11/22/63, and was once again reminded why reading a King book is much like spending time with an old friend.
in 11/22/63, high school teacher Jake Epping is shown a gateway to the past, and is asked by a dying acquaintance to correct a tragic wrong; prevent the assassination of President Kennedy. The only caveat: What you change in the past can be undone (or “reset” as Al best describes) by once again stepping back in time.
At first a non-believing Jake Epping derides any such notion as time travel, but soon becomes a believer and begins the task of changing history, unaware of the inherent dangers of changing events from the “Land of Ago”. The past, it seems, does not want to change (the book often chimes with the motto “the past is obdurate”), and the more you try to change it the more it puts up a fight.
Even though 11/23/63 clocks in at 849 pages (a typically sized King novel as of late), this novel goes by way too fast. And unlike the abrupt ending to The Dome (which was very unsatisfying, but man the bad guys in that were bad), King nicely closes out this novel in a way that seems natural, human, and very touching.
Whether you’re a hard core King fan, or simply enjoy reading the odd King book, you can’t go wrong with 11/22/63. King is back to old form with a tale about love, morality, and paradoxes that “Einstein could love”. Just make sure you have a fifty cent piece for the Yellow Card Man before stepping down through the portal…
Next book up: I, Sniper by Stephen Hunter





