Today’s post is dedicated to a single book, and some thoughts, feelings and questions surrounding it. The book is Stephen King’s 11/22/63.
I’ve never read any Stephen King before, because I don’t like horror stories. And when I say that, I don’t mean they scare me; the problem is they don’t scare me. And if it’s not scary, then it just seems… pretty silly. What? There’s a giant spider terrorizing a town? That’s… the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard in my life.
Obviously Stephen King is known for his horror novels, but I recently became aware that he now writes NON-horror books, and that I’ve been missing out on an incredible author. When my sister was here, she recommended 11/22/63 and described it as “fascinating.” Shortly after she left, I bought the book
I don’t usually buy books- I get them from the library if I can. But I felt like I would be spending a lot of time with this one- it’s 849 pages- and I wanted to own it. Because it’s so long, I also didn’t want to deal with a hardcover version from the library.
I started the book on a rainy day, while I sat in Starbucks sipping my tea. My sister and I had this text exchange:
I know I’m a dying breed, but I just love reading physical books. In spite of the weight, it’s such a pleasure to hold it in my hands. I love putting the bookmark in, and seeing how much I’ve read and how much is still to go. I feel like I have a relationship with not just the author and the story, but with the physical book as well.
Okay, you might be thinking, but what is this book ABOUT??? The premise is, the main character- Jake, a high school English teacher- discovers a portal that takes him back in time to 1958, and he embarks upon a mission to stop the assassination of JFK. Now, I don’t mind time travel. The one thing that drives me nuts is the inevitable part of the story where the character can’t figure out what’s going on- “Why is everyone dressed so funny? How did that building get there? It wasn’t there yesterday!” Meanwhile, you, the reader, are screaming with impatience, “YOU WENT BACK IN TIME!!!” I hate that part.
Luckily King really is a great storyteller, so he managed to minimize that aspect as much as possible. . Fairly quickly, Jake is ensconced in the past and putting an elaborate plan in motion. I’m a little over halfway through the book, and we’re now up to 1962.
One of the things I’m loving is the description of life in the 1960s. That decade has a special place in my heart- I was a kid in the 70s, a teenager in the 80s, but I was born in 1966. I don’t exactly remember anything from the first four years of my life- only little snippets- but I feel like I ALMOST remember it.
It might just be the photos from when I was a baby and toddler, with my parents in their 60s clothing, or the fact that my parents would occasionally talk about the day JFK was assassinated. I just feel like the 60s is a decade tickling at the edges of my memory, and I always love reading about it.
I’ll talk more about the book next week after I’ve finished it. But for now I can say I’m enjoying it VERY much. And now for the book-ish questions!
1. Do you like horror movies and books? Do you think they’re scary, or silly?
2. Do you like the experience of holding a physical book? Or do you prefer the convenience of a kindle?
3. Are there any specific decades you love reading about?
29 Responses
I’ve heard so much about steven king but never read any of his books because I don’t like horror movies/books. I’d love to know whether you like it or not when you finish this one.
I used to be die hard physical books until I switched to kindle (by force because my organization stopped shipping books to where I live for free) and now I love it. the convenience, the lightness, and the option of having many books on hand. try it one day.
Yes, I’ll let you know! He also has several other non-horror books that are shorter than this one, if you want to try him out but don’t want to commit to 849 pages.
I love thrillers, but horror does not always work for me. That said, King has been a fave of mine since 5th grade, and he is just getting better and better.
I’ll definitely read more of him after this- but probably not the horror novels. Although my sister insists that The Shining is amazing, so MAYBE I”ll try that one.
Let’s talk!
The only SK that I’ve ever read is On Writing, which I remember as being very good. But I’ve never read his fiction and I’m not sure why. Until the last few years I hadn’t seen any of the movies based on his books, and it was a revelation that I loooooooooved The Shawshank Redemption and The Shining. People have been telling me to read 11/22/63 FOR YEARS, and I think you’re going to be the last person to tell me – I’ll read it soon;-)
Now horror and suspense as a genre – yes I’m a huge fan, but it has to be done right. There’s a certain skill in making the reader believe that a giant spider is terrorizing a town.
I’ve been Team Kindle for years, because it’s just so convenient. It’s not an either/or – you’re allowed to get a Kindle and only use it for travel or when you read the big door stoppers.
I love reading about the 70s for the same reason you love the 60s. Another time period that I love reading about is 2020 – yes four years ago. It was such a happy time for me and I love hearing everyone’s perspectives.
FYI my sister said The Shining is a great book and MUCH better than the movie. So you might like that! But I definitely recommend 11/22/63- I’ll possibly revise that after I read the whole thing, but I can’t imagine that I won’t like the rest of it.
2020? Hmm. It’s funny that you say that, because I think a lot of people don’t enjoy reliving the pandemic. In Happiness Falls the pandemic played a huge roll in the story, and it brought back a lot of anxiety for me. But the 1970s… yes. GREAT decade!
On Writing! I feel like he tried so hard to be honest, but never really gave enough credit to his wife who ran his life, took care of his children, and allowed him to spend the hours and hours necessary to be the OCD writer he is. I found that book so readable, though, and I agreed with most of his writing advice which made me think maybe I’m secretly a Boomer male with addiction issues.
I’m also not a fan of horror, so I’ve never read Stephen King but this book definitely sounds more interesting, as I do enjoy historical fiction.
I was born in 1992 but the only big events I remember from the 90s are the Columbine shooting and Y2K, so I like reading things from that time to give me a better idea of what life was like when I was a little kid. I also like the 00s period because that was the first decade that I really remember and a lot of stuff happened, not just in the world but personally!
Yes, that’s a great point- it’s fun to read about what was happening when you were little and were alive, but had no idea what was really going on in the world. About this book- I was trying to get my son to read it, but he doesn’t like “historical fiction.” I can’t really put it in that genre though- it’s kind of like historical fiction mixed with a slight bit of fantasy. Only because it involves time travel and trying to change the past. There are some interesting threads about how the past doesn’t want to be changed, what happens if you do change it, etc. It’s just a really good book. And yes, I guess it IS historical fiction as well so if you enjoy that, you would like this.
Hey! I think my older kid and I watched this as a TV show with James Franco…
I don’t read horror any longer–but back when I used to, it really used to get to me. I’d be awake in the dark imagining and replaying all sorts of things. I’m quite suggestible, it turns out.
I find I tend to have a physical paper book, a digital Kindle book, and a book to listen to on long commutes most days–so all three!
I don’t have a particular decade, but I do love historicals as a genre.
Was this a TV show? I was thinking it would make a GREAT movie- maybe someone else had the same idea.
I could read so many more books if I did audio- but on my commutes (and while running and working out) I like to listen to podcasts. My son and I are going to pick an audiobook for our upcoming road trip though!
Do you like horror movies and books? Do you think they’re scary, or silly? – I do not! As a teen I kinda liked watching tame horror movies, but now. NO WAY. That said, I haven’t read any Stephen King in decades and I did enjoy some of his books. Maybe something to revisit…but not yet.
2. Do you like the experience of holding a physical book? Or do you prefer the convenience of a kindle? And 100x I prefer a physical book. The e-reader is great on vacation but it just doesn’t have the same satisfying feeling for me. I keep going back again and again to paper books. Like you, I also appreciate the tactile things like putting in a bookmark, smelling the pages/ink, the sounds of turning pages. That said, for travelling, an e-reader is the best. It’s amazing to be able to fit a dozen books into something that’s the weight of a feather.
I think if I traveled more, i would probably have a kindle. As it is right now, I feel like I don’t really need one (although people try to convince me they’re great for reading in bed..) Another thing about physical books- sometimes if a passage is memorable to me, I can actually remember where it was on the page and what side of the book it was on, and I love that. I can even go back and find it by flipping through the book, knowing approximately where it was. I think I would miss that on a kindle.
I greatly prefer paper books. I have a Kobo which I use for travel, because there’s no other good way to take 10 books with you, but I really prefer a paper book. I feel like my brain reads differently on a screen for some reason.
I do not read horror, I don’t like that genre at all. I have read only one King book and it was when I was like 15 so it’s been a while. It was Misery, which I guess is horror, but the book was scary because it was about an unhinged and mentally ill woman and also addiction. I have occasionally tried to read other King books but you know what, they are not for me. I DO NOT LIKE MALE AUTHORS IN GENERAL and that does deserve an all-caps. I’m all about the ladies!
There’s no specific decade I like reading about, I just like a well-done book – I find historical fiction in general to be a tricky genre. That said I LOVED Girls They Write Songs About and My Last Innocent Year which took place in the 90s, a decade I remember very well as I was a young woman!
You and Engie- i know she prefers female authors as well. I don’t usually care if the author is male or female, but I have read a couple books lately where I felt like the female characters were poorly drawn, and wondered if it was because the author was male (probably!)
And yes- I also think my brain would read differently on a screen. I’ll stick with my physical books as long as I can!
I have wanted to read this for many years but the length is a bit intimidating for me. SK actually has quite a few “non horror” books. He is such a talented writer. I ready “Joyland” a few years ago when I was in a postal book club (each person picked a book and sent the book + a notebook to someone, and then it was mailed from person to person each month). His writing is phenomenal!
1. I do not like horror. I am such a wimp. I don’t like to be scared at all.
2. I am team kindle for life. I do not like holding books and I especially don’t like them because of my stupid RA. I tend to get flares in my hands so holding a book, especially a heavy one, is actually quite painful.
3. I am fascinated by the 60s as well. Phil and I have watched a lot of documentaries about that time. 168 was such a horrific year with several assassinations. Things can seem kind of scary in the world now so when we watched those docs, we had a good discussion about how scary the late 1960s were and how people probably thought things were never going to get better and then they eventually did. So it kind of gave us hope that things can improve? I think we were watching them during peak pandemic + George Floyd protests and things felt fragile. They still feel fragile. I’m also fascinated by the Vietnam war era because we did not learn about that time in my history classes. We basically got to WWII and that was it… My parents graduated from HS in 1966 and got married in 1969 so they talk quite a bit about where they were when they found out JFK was assissinated.
I’ll definitely read more of his non-horror books after this one. I feel like I’ve discovered a “new” author, ha ha (meanwhile everyone else has been reading him for like 40 years.)
Yes, great point- the 60s were scary in a lot of ways, and then there was Vietnam. I’m also fascinated about the Vietnam war because I was alive then, but had NO idea all that was going on! There was the Cuban Missile crisis and all the assassinations- so… things seem scary right now, but we have to remember that things have seemed scary many times in the past as well. It’s not necessarily worse right now.
Old school. I love going to the library. I always read a real book.
Lately I’m been reading mysteries. I enjoy them.
Not a fan of scary movies or books.
I LOVE mysteries!!! I could just read mysteries all the time, and have to force myself to read something else once in a while. i also love going to the library-and the bookstore. But the library is free.
King is very readable, but he’s inconsistent. You never know if you’re going to get “Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption” (genius) or “The Song of Susannah” (absolute trash).
1. Do you like horror movies and books? Do you think they’re scary, or silly? I do watch them sometimes. My husband likes them. I am into psychological horror, but sometimes it’s too intense for me. We had to watch The Babadook over the course of three days and finish in the broad daylight because it was Too Real for me.
2. Do you like the experience of holding a physical book? Or do you prefer the convenience of a kindle?
Kindle4LYFE. I would love to do most of my reading on my Kindle, but my library has a more robust physical book collection than it does ebooks, so I do read a lot of physical books. I also prefer books with maps, charts, or photos to be in physical form. But most books? Ebook all the way.
3. Are there any specific decades you love reading about?
No, but I am obviously obsessed with the historical fiction of Ken Follett. He writes about building a medieval church? I’m in. He wants to do the history of the world in the 20th century? I’m also in.
Okay, that’s good to know- check reviews on a Stephen King book before reading it.
Psychological horror- maybe. I could get into that.
I agree that books with maps and charts should be physical books, definitely not ereaders! But I’m sure there are people who would also disagree with that.
1. Do you like horror movies and books? Do you think they’re scary, or silly?
I do not like horror generally, or even the creepier end of the fantasy spectrum. I love T Kingfisher, but a few of her books are right up against the edge of my comfort zone. And I definitely am not going to watch a horror movie!!
2. Do you like the experience of holding a physical book? Or do you prefer the convenience of a kindle?
I’m on Team Both. I love the physical books I have, especially the older ones, and continue to buy a few, but more and more often, I’m reading the ebook versions (using the Kindle app on my phone or tablet). A few books are especially heavy and hard on my hands (arthritis), and then as my eyes get worse, I prefer to read on the Kindle and make the font bigger, rather than wearing readers. I do prefer to get physical books from the library when I can, though, as I tend to forget I have borrowed ebooks!
Yes, I can definitely see how ebooks would be easier on your hands, wrists, and eyes! My kindle-loving friend says she loves to read in bed, and as she gets more and more tired she keeps enlarging the font. We’ll see…. someday…
I don’t like horror books or movies or anything. I just don’t like being tense and not knowing what awful thing is going to happen.
Stephen King came up a lot when I was looking for Maine authors to read on my trip to Maine, but I just couldn’t. i did read a few chapters of The Eyes of The Dragon in high school, and there was a really well written passage of someone picking their nose and I thought, “this is brilliant, but also I don’t know that it’s what I want to read for 300-some pages.”
I love physical books- I think I connect more with them. But I fully realize that I read a lot more on my phone or iPad than I would if I just read physical books.
Luckily my lifestyle allows me to carry physical books around with me when I know I’ll want to read. If I traveled a lot I’m sure a kindle would be more convenient.
I feel the same way about the “thriller” genre- sometimes it just makes me too tense. I don’t like books where you’re on the edge of your seat the whole time.
My son got a Kindle for his birthday to take out West. He said he is getting good use out of it! IF (and that’s a big IF) I did read a book, it would be paper. But I’m pretty much strictly audiobooks! Reading books puts me to sleep and I’d much rather multitask with an audiobook 🙂
Your son’s situation is the perfect example of why kindles are good. And I’m impressed that he’s actually reading- sounds like his summer is pretty packed with adventures.
I never listen to audiobooks! I know I could read so much more if I did- but I’m always listening to podcasts.
I do not like horror movies or books and just stay away from them. Don’t need that “anxiety” in my life 😉
I still enjoy physical books, but reading on the Kindle is so convenient (sigh). I always have the book with me in my pocket, which is just the best.
11/22/63 is a book that has been on my list to read for so long, but the length intimidates me! I may buy a Kindle version of the book at some point. I don’t like lugging around big chonkers like that!
1. Do you like horror movies and books? Do you think they’re scary, or silly? I don’t like horror movies or books. My overactive imagination makes them even scarier than they already are!
2. Do you like the experience of holding a physical book? Or do you prefer the convenience of a kindle? Both! I read about 50/50 physical books and e-books and I like it that way.
3. Are there any specific decades you love reading about? I think my favorite time period is turn of the century up to, like, the 1930s. Such a great time period!