11/22/63 in Around the World in 80 Books

Nov 26, 2011 Laura rated it it was amazing

Shelves: bricks, hf, xx2012xx, library-request, ashley-s-list, lib-has-audio, favorites, us-history, crime-thriller-suspense, love-stories

Yes. Leg-hump worthy, as one friend said, true. Exceeds expectations, as another one said, also true. I call this one my "jello book". It's like falling into a swimming pool filled with jello. Easy to fall in, hard to crawl back out of.

I started reading Stephen King in high school, maybe even middle school. When I read him, I expect a thrill-ride, a spine-tingle, you know....King. You expect what he consistently delivers. This book was so much more.

As I was reading, I kept wanting to write down Yes. Leg-hump worthy, as one friend said, true. Exceeds expectations, as another one said, also true. I call this one my "jello book". It's like falling into a swimming pool filled with jello. Easy to fall in, hard to crawl back out of.

I started reading Stephen King in high school, maybe even middle school. When I read him, I expect a thrill-ride, a spine-tingle, you know....King. You expect what he consistently delivers. This book was so much more.

As I was reading, I kept wanting to write down my thoughts, so that when I wrote my review, it would have more meaning. The only problem was, the story was so unputdownable, that I only got one thought down on paper. And that was this: "It's like sitting down at the kitchen table with someone you've known forever, who you like and are comfortable with, and they're telling you a story." A story that you never want to end. A story that feels so real, even though time travel is a significant element. No joke!

To experience this book is to be totally immersed in the story. And I don't even like books about time travel. I am not a sci-fi fan. Never have been. Fantasy, yeah, but time travel??? It's too "out there", too unbelievable. But not in this book.

To sum up the plot in one sentence, someone goes back in time to see if the Kennedy assassination can be undone. That's the story. OK, so at one point, while reading, I stopped to think "Wow, so does he do it? Can he really undo that event, and change history? Well, obviously he didn't, because Kennedy did die, and he was shot in Dallas that day."

I know, right? And then I immediately thought "Holy crap, I am so immersed in this story that I actually had that thought! Wow! What a master King is!"

Yes. What a master. Do you need any more encouragement? Read the freaking book.

It's all here. It engulfs you from page one, you care about the characters (a lot, and all of them), there's a love story that screams for a movie remake (and it will happen, and I really hope Hollywood doesn't foul it up), the pages literally fly by. At one point, I was very mad to have a job because I had to put the book down after my lunch break and get back to work. True! It's just one of those books, a must-read. Well, I take that back. Must experience. You don't read this book, you experience it. Brilliant. ...more

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Mar 09, 2017 MichelleCH rated it it was amazing

Shelves: historical-fiction, scifi-fantasy, first-reads, us-texas

My very first King novel and boy did I do a good job picking it. Right from the beginning I was drawn into the characters and story line. If you knew you could possibly change something in the past to create a different future would you take that chance? We all have had the thought about what-ifs in our own lives.

If only. Nothing is simple and dots don't always connect. Could it possibly be that some horrible things have to happen so other even worse events don't occur? Crazy, right? ...more

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Dec 31, 2011 Carla rated it really liked it

King ranks among my favorite storytellers, although, because I'm so strong visually, I can't read his horror, blood gushing stuff. It leaves me sleepless and skittish for months. Granted, I formed this opinion in my twenties from reading Salem's Lot and I was a lot younger then.
But, I crave good storytelling the way some crave chocolate, and the King man has that in spades. I'm also reading his book, On Writing, because of 11/22/63. He'd make a late-life writer out of me if anyone could.
I lived ...more

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Nov 09, 2011 Kiri rated it really liked it

Shelves: reviewed, historical-fiction

This is definitely not science fiction, even with the time travel element. It straddles the line between Fiction and Historical Fiction. Either way so far it is well written and engaging.

Personal note (aka things to find out)
"bad squeeze" [drink] - bad homemade hooch or moonshine?
Is this a regional colloquialism that is escaping me?
Tom below has explained what "squeeze" is I'll let you read his note if your interested in knowing.

Full review pending ...more

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May 23, 2012 Johanne rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2012-books, all-time-favourites

This took me ages to finish, but I enjoyed it a lot. Stephen King at his best. The horror was subtle - what would happen if you could go back in time and change the course of history. Of course, being Stephen King, it's not good. I loved the idea of how a modern 21st century man would adapt to life in the late fifties and sixties. ...more

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Dec 26, 2011 Kathleen Valentine rated it it was amazing

Many more people have written better reviews of this book than I can but I absolutely loved it. King's construction of the physics involved in time-travel is mind-bending. His imagining of what might have happened had JFK livid -- a worst-case scenario -- is genuinely horrible. But above everything is the love story between Jake and Sadie. The last scene is about as beautiful as anything I have ever read. Love this book! ...more

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Apr 18, 2017 Mike rated it liked it

As with every Stephen King, by half-way through I didn't want to put it down. A long story, the build up seems to take forever, and the climax and twist both are far too short, but very enjoyable.

I only gave it three stars as post reading, it seems to be more ice-cream than meat - very pleasant going down but unlikely to stick to the ribs. ...more

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