Too many people associate King with the horror genre, but his writing spans so much more. 11/22/63 is a great example. Sure, there’s a science-fiction element (sci-fi or supernatural? what’s the difference? I really don’t know) with the time-travel notion, but for the most part, it’s part historical novel, part love story, part human condition story. And it’s all good.
The book was recommended to me a few years ago, but I wasn’t at that time in a mindset to pick up a novel that needed more commitment for its length but at the same time was one I could pick up and put down at time allowed. Until this fall, I wanted something I could be engrossed in, devour, and move from. Finally, the time was right, and this fall, I’ve slowly nibbled away at this work, enjoying every minute of it, but being able to come and go as life has allowed.
King’s writing style is one I enjoy. He’s descriptive and engaging. When reading King, I feel like I’ve been taken by the hand of the storyteller, walking along a path together as I learn more and more. Sometimes we stop as I listen, and the world changes before me, showing me vividly just what is being told. Yes, for me, his writing is that artful. At the same time, it’s completely approachable. King doesn’t assume you know more than you need to, but also when he educates you on things historic or necessary to his tale, he doesn’t do so with an air of superiority. I suspect that is a gift he’s grown after many hours of research for his works.
That research is evident in his tale here—the what if of Kennedy’s assassination and choices of going back to change that course. And the what-if if-not is fascinating. (This is an Afterword worth reading too. Learning of King’s discussions with Delores Kearns Goodwin (a writer and historian I greatly admire) was an absolute delight.) Also of great interest is the struggles we see our Jake (and George) go through as he navigates this known but at the same time completely unfamiliar world. Of course, what’s never different is the complex aspect of human relationships. Adding the nuances of making choices that can change the course of every possible outcome of life and reality, well, recall that Stephen King *is* our author.
I’m thrilled to see this being made into a miniseries (by Hulu) (produced by JJ Abrams (Lost) and, thankfully, King himself). This is just the sort of work perfect for spreading out over many episodes, but with an end-date. Likewise, it’s a perfect book to pick up and read in pieces. So don’t let the length intimidate you.
This is King, after all. And if you’re a fan at all, you just know it will be good.