WHAT IF you could go back in time and change the course of history? WHAT IF the watershed moment you could change was the JFK assassination? 11.22.63, the date that Kennedy was shot - unless . . .
King takes his protagonist Jake Epping, a high school English teacher from Lisbon Falls, Maine, 2011, on a fascinating journey back to 1958 - from a world of mobile phones and iPods to a new world of Elvis and JFK, of Plymouth Fury cars and Lindy Hopping, of a troubled loner named Lee Harvey Oswald and a beautiful high school librarian named Sadie Dunhill, who becomes the love of Jake's life - a life that transgresses all the normal rules of time.
With extraordinary imaginative power, King weaves the social, political and popular culture of his baby-boom American generation into a devastating exercise in escalating suspense.
Rating: 5 Stars
Positives: Well where should I begin? This is the first full length Stephen King book that I've had the pleasure to read, and for the most part it was a pleasure.
I don't really know anything about American history or the assassination of JFK, it's not something that they really teach here in the UK being American history. So I was kinda walking into this novel hoping that dear Mr King would provide some of the details of what is supposed to happen to one of America's most famous Presidents. Luckily I wasn't disappointed. I became instantly drawn into whether or not Lee Harvey Oswald was a lone shooter, and I guess that is something we will never really know.
I was a little worried that with the story being based around time travel, and the possibility of being able to change the past, that I wouldn't be a fan of this story. I'm not huge on sci-fi stuff despite being an avid Doctor Who fan, I never have been. It's just not my cup of tea. However I really enjoyed this book and I mean really enjoyed it. I found myself wanting to go back to America myself and do all the dances. I even had the odd dream about it.
What I liked though was that despite this potentially incredible power and foresight Jake now possesses he's just a normal guy. You see him living his life as a substitute teacher, and falling in love with Sadie. Admittedly I didn't like Sadie at first, but I didn't dislike her either. She just held no interest for me. Oh if only I knew how that would change.
This was an absolutely fantastic read, although I did rang my Dad afterwards sobbing my little heart out over Sadie, I want to blame the pregnancy hormones but I also blame Stephen King for being such an emotive writer. Damn you Mr King, I wanted to not like Sadie, not cry like a baby over her.
Negatives: Well if a book is this good then why should I look for a negative or two? Because no book is perfect. I think for me, the flaw in 11.22.63 was thatas a whole I didn't like Jake's character. I don't know why I just didn't like him.
And then there's the whole idea of the butterfly effect. Sure I understand the concept of that theory, we all do. But I found it somewhat hard to believe how much of an effect one person's life could have. Could JFK being saved really cause an earthquake only days later killing thousands of people? No I don't think so. But sending a country into complete anarchy in times of such political delicacy? Yes I can see that happening. Either way I'm now firmly turned off of the idea of time travel for life.
Would I recommend this book? Hell yes! This was a brilliant read and I found myself completely gripped. Just maybe have some tissues handy for the ending.
No comments:
Post a Comment