11/22/63

Stephen King

Mar. 20, 2024

I never thought I would read Stephen King's books. I had the assumption that all he wrote was horror. The Shining, Misery, It, Pet Sematary. Books I have legitimately zero interest in reading. Horror is not for me. I only have so much time to read books in my life. I don't want to use it reading horror. (If you love horror, please don't be offended. It just isn't for me). My friend Clayton gave me his copy of 11/22/63, assuring me it wasn't horror. He told me it was a science/historical fiction story revolving around the JFK assassination. I am grateful that my friend thought I would enjoy this book and gifted it to me. It was incredible. I am legitimately sad it is over, and I'm confident it has landed a spot on my list of books I know I will re-read.

This story follows a high school teacher from 2011, Jake Epping, who finds himself back in 1958 by traveling through a portal in the local diner. Al, the diner's owner, convinces Jake to carry out his mission in the past. To stop the JFK assassination. King mixes science fiction, historical fiction, thriller, and even romance into this story so well. Scenes made my heart race. Chapters made me emotional. I found myself so invested in the characters, at times knowing in my gut what might be coming and dreading it. King builds relationships with the characters of this book so beautifully. I felt genuinely connected to the characters. Even minor side characters felt important and personable. I wanted to know them and felt a connection to their role in Jake's life in the past. King blended the past and the future seamlessly, and kept me excited about what was coming.

One of my favorite parts of the book was the most basic premise of the plot, time travel. I love time travel. It is one of my favorite science fiction tropes. Two things made this time travel fascinating to me. The first is the idea of multiple timelines. The idea of timelines splitting off because of our actions is always a little mind-bending for me. Secondly, I loved the time travel being in a version of our world. In a regular America in 2011. Going back to regular America in the 50's and 60's. It made it feel more engaging and realistic. (I know it isn't realistic I promise you I don't believe in time travel. It would be so freaking sick though). The time frame of both the past and future in the book felt relatable. I knew about different events that were talked about. The fictional events felt plausible.

I also loved the idea of the past being obdurate. The entire time Jake is in the past, he continues to remind himself that the past doesn't want to be changed. That the past is resistant to change. I thought it was such an interesting way to interact with the story. It almost felt like the majority of people in the past that Jake interacted with, especially those close to events he was trying to change, had some force pushing on them to push against Jake. King wrote so many characters in a way that they could tell Jake didn't belong. They felt like he wasn't a real part of their world. So they naturally went against him. I just loved it. It made his interactions in the past mysterious. I often found myself almost nervous when Jake interacted with and met people. It also helped make the relationships with the people who trusted Jake feel even more important and precious. The past may have been fighting against him, but he found people that wanted to fight with him.

If you like Stephen King, it should be a no-brainer to read this book. If you enjoy American history to any extent, you should read this book. If you want an exciting, well-paced, and incredibly written adventure, you should read this book. If you decide to, come and tell me about it.