11/22/63

1. My rating of this book is a 4.5/5. I would recommend the book to anyone interested in history or time travel. King masterfully combines both topics into a well written and interesting novel. The atypical mix of genres works well in this modern classic.

2. Plot: The Plot of Stephen King's 11/22/63 consists of the main character, Jake Epping traveling back in time through a portal landing him in the late 1950's, to attempt to stop the Kennedy Assassination. During his travels back in time he also tries to right other wrongs, falls in love, and gets the unique experience of witnessing life in the 50's and 60's. The conflict of course, is stopping Lee Harvey Oswald in his attempt on the President's life. Though it is about saving the country's leader, it abuts on being a revenge story at certain points.

3. Characters: The main Protagonist is Jake Epping, a high school English teacher that is shocked by a GED's dour recollection of life shocks him. Another main character is Lee Harvey Oswald, JFK's killer who Epping has to prevent from killing the President. Finally, Sadie Dunhill is Jake's love interest in the novel.

4. Theme: The theme of 11/22/63 is that somethings are not meant to be amendable. Though changing the past can have good effects, they can also produce cataclysmic results. This leaves the question of whether the past should be "fixed" or left up to fate.

5. 11/22/63 is an extremely well written novel by one of the world's greatest storytellers. I like the mix of science fiction and history in the book, as well as King's writing style. The characters are well developed and the plot is very interesting. My only criticism is that the story seems stretched. The book is a whopping 1089 pages which could have been shortened easily. This however, is a personal preference because of my withering attention span. The book's length could be representative of how Jake time dragged on while he waited to defeat the President's killer. There is some terrible language in this book so parental discretion is advised.

6. Setting: The setting of the novel is 1950's and 60's America. The book takes place in a myriad of cities but is mostly set in Dallas, Texas.