11/22/63 by Stephen King Review:
The master of horror and suspense has done it again, bringing a unique and epic look back at American history in his novel, 11/22/63. The story
follows Jake Epping, a high-school English teacher who is thrust into a world-changing adventure when his friend and local diner owner Al shows
him a ripple in time residing in his diner’s pantry. Al, who a day ago was living and thriving, is now much older and dying, and wants Jake’s
help in stopping Lee Harvey Oswald from assassinating John F. Kennedy. When he learns that each time he steps into the past, he goes back to
the exact same day, in 1958, he first goes back in time to help another friend of his, Harry Dunning, whom was brain damaged after his father
murdered his family and left him for dead. After a mildly successful trip to the past and stopping the murder, he realizes he has the power to
rewrite history, but will face life and death situations when the timeline tries to stop him from meddling. Soon he returns to the past, and
spends years there, investigating and following the life of Lee Oswald in order to determine if he was the sole assassin. However life gets
complicated when he meets Sadie, and falls in love. Juggling a desire to stay in the past and continue his mission to save Kennedy, Jake must
face the complications of living a double life, fighting the timeline’s attempts to stop him and saving the woman he loves from the dangers of
her past.
The book is a phenomenal read, and showcases that Stephen King is still at the top of his game. Getting a very real sense of what life was like
back in the late 50’s and early 60’s, this novel showcases the vast difference in societal views, exploring themes of racial tensions, religious
over-saturation and the global political scene as a whole. It actual has a lot of bearing on the current political landscape in our world, and
manages to bridge the gap between the past and the present. It also is a thrilling adventure, that explores the age old question, are things
meant to happen the way they do, or can they be changed? 11/22/63 is a must read novel that demonstrates to new readers why Stephen King is still
a master of his craft, while longtime fans will enjoy the nods to Stephen King’s established universe and the larger than life questions he always
asks through the themes of his novels. If you haven’t yet, you should read this book today!