Chelsea Humphrey's Reviews > 11/22/63

Even though 11/22/63 has been swirling inside my brain for a little over a week now, I haven't had the chance to properly sit down and write out a coherent review. Life is busy, and yet I cannot shake the feeling of pleasure I received from reading this book. It is a masterpiece, no doubt, but also the type of story that is suited to King's old style of dialogue and flair for throwback culture. Dare I suggest that this book is the author's unicorn? Clearly he is immensely talented, and a good number of his other works are amongst my favorite novels of all time, but there is something unique to this historical time-traveling fiction that keeps blinking in my peripheral, almost like a jealous lover, keeping me from fully enjoying any book that I have picked up since finishing this one. Maybe writing this review will give me a sense of release, or perhaps I'll gear up the old audible and dive in for a reread. In the meantime, let me try to put into words what most of you have already said, since I'm the last person on planet earth to read 11/22/63.

If I'm wrong about the above statement and you haven't read this yet, all you really need to know going in is that an ordinary teacher from "present day" time travels back to the late 50's in preparation to attempt to prevent JFK's assassination. However, even that above statement is deceitful, because that's literally all I knew about this book going in, and it is SO much more. In fact, the JFK stuff doesn't really kick in until the last 35% of the book, but please don't take that as a criticism. The way that Stephen King chooses to prepare us and lead us up to that moment is nothing short of brilliant; the process in getting to that fateful day is just as suspenseful, intriguing, and emotional as the climax.

As unbelievable as it sounds, King has written one of the most tender, intimate, and swoon-worthy romances of all time between these pages. There are heaps of action, suspense, and easter eggs planted for fans who have read other books by the author (visiting Derry right after the first summer that the Losers Club experienced Pennywise was unreal). If you're an audiobook lover, I highly suggest listening to this book, or at least supplementing your hardcopy with it. I would love to see King write something similar to this in the coming years, but even if he chooses not to, I'll cherish this experience, and every reread after, as one of the most compelling stories ever written in our contemporary age.