[June] 11/22/63, by Stephen King - Part 1

[Laura, Celestial Sphere Mod]

For the "number in the title or on the cover" pick for the June book of the month, there was a tie between two books. The mods figured we might as well do both!

For more information about the Book of the Month, see the introduction post.

* Part 1 - Wastershed Moment
* Parts 2/3 - The Janitor's Father / Living in the Past
* Part 4 - Sadie and the General
* Parts 5/6 - 11/22/63 / The Green Card Man

We're approaching the discussion a bit differently this time. Mods will provide one, slightly guided question. Discussion will then be completely open. If you have any questions yourself, feel free to post them. Subsequent comments can then answer whichever questions they find to be inspiring.

- Question: What do you think of the book so far? Reactions?

[Samantha]

It started a little slow for me but it started clicking around the end of part one.

Time travel always makes my head spin and leaves me with questions. How can a man not born yet have a belly full of root beer from 1963 in 2011?

I also wonder why these two men are convinced that saving JFK is a way to make the world better. Why not Bobby Kennedy or Martin Luther King or all 3? Not that I want anyone to be shot but seems to me that by changing history you may also be changing the good that came after the bad. Perhaps making making things even worse. Could you erase yourself?

In any case think I mostly was trying to grasp time travel and how making changes would impact the future.

[Laura, Celestial Sphere Mod]

I think time travel is much more interesting when it is surrounding a major life event, and one that we all know so well.

If it's just purely speculative then it's just another sci-fi novel, likely a young adult one. But if you add in real history then it's very interesting to think about.

Like Samantha said, what would have changed in the world, had JFK finished his presidency?

[Samantha]

Laura wrote: "I think time travel is much more interesting when it is surrounding a major life event, and one that we all know so well.

If it's just purely speculative then it's just another sci-fi novel, like..."

I hadn't really considered the real history aspect impacting my enjoyment but think you might be on to something Laura. I know it is part of why I am enjoying this as much as I am.

[Sophie]

I just finished part 1 and am quite excited to see what he's going to be up to next! I'm not familiar enough with American history to imagine the changes preventing JFK's assassination would bring (although could anyone really imagine them?), but I think King presented them well through Al's voice.

I find it really interesting that every trip's a reset and I can imagine quite a lot of back-and-forth "relive your day until it's done perfectly" bits in the rest of the book (which I really like).

If it happened to you, would you go back to the past? What would you do there?

[Lizzy]

Sophie wrote: "I just finished part 1 and am quite excited to see what he's going to be up to next! I'm not familiar enough with American history to imagine the changes preventing JFK's assassination would change..."

I loved growing up and going to college in the '60s... but I'm not sure it would be as much fun as I remember if I were my current age.
Would I go back to change something? I don't know, mostly because I like my children the way they turned out...

[Marin]

I like time travel books and Stephen King, so I'm really enjoying this one so far.

I'd definitely go all over the place trying to fix stuff if I had a time machine that could take me to any point (then if what I did made things worse I could go a little farther back and not do it), but giving up 5 years of your life to try to alter history is actually kind of a scary prospect. Your lifespan means you only get a couple tries, at most.

(Has anyone else here read It? I reread that one last year, so at the end of this section I was like "no do NOT go to Derry. That town is evil!")

[Ashley]

I know this is titled book of the month and these happen every two months, so does this going into July? I am planning on reading this at some point, but I'm not sure I could finish it this month, which is why I am asking. I don't want to commit to something I cannot do. Thanks

[Laura, Celestial Sphere Mod]

Yes, it will officially continue into July. I think it's particularly beneficial for this one since it's such a large book.

[Ashley]

Thank you.