Stephen King and 11/22/63
On Saturday I finished 11/22/63 by Stephen King. It was gripping and thrilling and from the moment I started it I was completely sucked in.
The only other Stephen King book I've read is On Writing. On Writing is partially a memoir and partially tips from King about writing and the creative process it entails. I loved that book so much and thought, "This is why he has a million bestsellers!" It was fascinating to learn how he got ideas for his books and how he has been obsessed with writing since he was really young.
I wanted to read more of his books but wasn't sure where to start, especially since I know I can't handle anything too horror-filled. 11/22/63 was recommended on a book list by one of my favorite book bloggers so I decided to give it a try.
11/22/63 is the day JFK was assassinated, and that's the event the main character (Jake/George) is trying to prevent. He is goes back in time to stop it from happening and has to live in the past for 5 years while doing so. The book covers his journey from Maine to Dallas and all his hiccups along the way.
It was a great read- I felt that I could visualize the cultural differences that Jake experienced going from 2011 to 1958. Many of the characters were good people that I could relate to. And yet, it's definitely not a book I would recommend to most people.
I'm a pretty sensitive person- I cry easily at things I read about in books or see on TV, and can barely stand to see any violence. This book at times was too much for my sensitive self. It is graphic in many different areas and made me feel a little sick sometimes. The plot was so good that I felt I couldn't put it down, but I know I'll never reread it because I could not stomach another go-around of the violence and F-words.
So while I did finish this huge 800-word novel in about 4 days and could not stop thinking about this book during that time, I know that I am not going to be picking up another Stephen King book anytime soon, possibly ever. I've decided that even his books that aren't technically in the horror genre are still too graphic for me. However, if my description has not turned you away from 11/22/63 and you are intrigued about the historical aspect (which is great) and time travel (which is interesting), you should definitely check it out.
The only other Stephen King book I've read is On Writing. On Writing is partially a memoir and partially tips from King about writing and the creative process it entails. I loved that book so much and thought, "This is why he has a million bestsellers!" It was fascinating to learn how he got ideas for his books and how he has been obsessed with writing since he was really young.
I wanted to read more of his books but wasn't sure where to start, especially since I know I can't handle anything too horror-filled. 11/22/63 was recommended on a book list by one of my favorite book bloggers so I decided to give it a try.
11/22/63 is the day JFK was assassinated, and that's the event the main character (Jake/George) is trying to prevent. He is goes back in time to stop it from happening and has to live in the past for 5 years while doing so. The book covers his journey from Maine to Dallas and all his hiccups along the way.
It was a great read- I felt that I could visualize the cultural differences that Jake experienced going from 2011 to 1958. Many of the characters were good people that I could relate to. And yet, it's definitely not a book I would recommend to most people.
I'm a pretty sensitive person- I cry easily at things I read about in books or see on TV, and can barely stand to see any violence. This book at times was too much for my sensitive self. It is graphic in many different areas and made me feel a little sick sometimes. The plot was so good that I felt I couldn't put it down, but I know I'll never reread it because I could not stomach another go-around of the violence and F-words.
So while I did finish this huge 800-word novel in about 4 days and could not stop thinking about this book during that time, I know that I am not going to be picking up another Stephen King book anytime soon, possibly ever. I've decided that even his books that aren't technically in the horror genre are still too graphic for me. However, if my description has not turned you away from 11/22/63 and you are intrigued about the historical aspect (which is great) and time travel (which is interesting), you should definitely check it out.
I feel that way about "A Thousand Lives" which is a book about Jim Jones and The People's Temple. I couldn't put it down and even though everything in the book is true it was all just too graphic. I couldn't recommend it and I also can't stop thinking about it.
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