11/22/63 (SPOILERS!)

Blue & White · July 2014

I just am opening this thread so we can talk about this fantastic book, 11/22/63 by Stephen King.

For those of you that haven't read it yet, go read it: it's $2.99 on Amazon for almost 900 pages! And it comes with a fancy video that I haven't watched yet. But don't read on because, duh, spoilers...

Blue & White · July 2014

My overall impression of the book: at first, I thought it would be a good read because obviously @swazzle recommended it and she's pretty smart. But I wasn't sure how the time travel thing would pan out and 900 pages? Couldn't that get a bit messy/drawn out/boring? Um no.

My favorite storyline was Jake's time in Jodie, because I'm a sap and like things like teaching, helping out students, and love stories. I knew the lameo ex-husband (Clayton) was going to come back and demolish Sadie and I think that's a load of horse manure. I kinda loved that she didn't die in the final rendition of things though, since Deke and Ellie saved her!

I thought Lee Harvey Oswald was a slimebag the whole book (I think that's normal) and my inner feminist wanted to kill most of the men in the book. Because a lot of them just didn't respect women. I don't really think that's how it was in the 50s-60s, but it was a different time and women weren't expected to be awesome like I expect them to be now (not that we always ARE awesome, but ya know)

Also, I thought it was hilarious that the first discussion group question was: where were you when JFK was assassinated? I was...an egg? My mom was 10, and I think she was home sick from school that day if I remember correctly. But she wasn't preggers.

Also, I thought that the whole like nazi-like crazy "future" after assassinating JFK was ridiculous. I get the butterfly effect, but could the whole world go to shit just because one president WASN'T assassinated? I dunno.

buddysmom80 · July 2014

I haven't read the book in a couple years, but @blue you brought up a good point that made me go "huh?" after I read it. If JFK wasn't assasinated why would the world go to shit? SK made it seem like if JFK lived he would do something crazy which would snowball into the future that Jake found.

Blue & White · July 2014

@buddysmom80 yep, I mean I understand SK wanted the future to be vastly different than it is now, and typically in time travel stories, the future has to be worse because the butterfly effect can't ever be good (apparently) but that was a LOT worse. Like, I'm glad I don't live in that future because I don't want swastikas all over the place and crazy teenagers rioting, etc.

Also the "harmonies" creeped me out. Especially Sadie Doris Dunhill and Doris Dunning.

buddysmom80 · July 2014

Blue & White said:

@buddysmom80 yep, I mean I understand SK wanted the future to be vastly different than it is now, and typically in time travel stories, the future has to be worse because the butterfly effect can't ever be good (apparently) but that was a LOT worse. Like, I'm glad I don't live in that future because I don't want swastikas all over the place and crazy teenagers rioting, etc.

Also the "harmonies" creeped me out. Especially Sadie Doris Dunhill and Doris Dunning.

Yeah, I think that was my thought. Like, I get where it's bad, but the future seemed REALLY BAD!!!!

I don't remember the "harmonies" thing, refresh my old brain, please.

Blue & White · July 2014

@buddysmom80 The "harmonies" were like..different pieces of all the different realities that kept overlapping - like Sadie and Doris had almost the same name, the bookies he kept betting with had similar names, traits, conversations. The green card man described it as some effect that happened when all the strings got crossed.

Swazzle · July 2014

Re: where were you when JFK was assassinated: I wasn't even an egg yet. My mom was born in 1964!

I was concerned with the length too but it was such a fast read for me! I seriously couldn't put it down and I think it's the longest book I've ever read.

I felt bad for Marina. In real life though, was she a conspirator? Do you think she knew how crazy her husband was? I admittedly know nothing about the real assassination.

Peaseblossom55 · July 2014

I thought the scenario also was really overblown if JFK had lived. I don't remember the harmonies thing either. I read the book in March of 2013 too.

Blue & White · July 2014

@swazzle understandable. I'm not a huge history buff either, so I always get sucked into these historical fiction books thinking they're real but obviously not EVERYTHING is real. I think (due to the 60s theme of being a housewife) that she may not have known about the assassination, although I think she was likely scared of him and that he likely abused her as in the novel. I feel that way about a lot of psychopaths though - their families know there's something off, but don't ever expect them to do something so heinous.

Maybe that's naive of me, but I don't want to believe someone could KNOW their husband was going to kill the president and be okay with it? And...not try to stop it?

Blue & White · July 2014

I think I was trying to force the book into being scary too, lol. Cause the word "jimla" just creeps me out now

cu97tiger · July 2014

I loved the book. I didn't 'love' the part about the future if JFK lived, but for different reasons than you all. I thought it was certainly plausible (didn't it say right in the book that JFK and LBJ had differing opinions on some particular issue (nuclear armament?) and that had JFK lived, he would not have done the same things that LBJ did. I think it's VERY possible that had JFK lived, the world would be very different now. I can't say how, but I do think that someone with that much power (to declare war, etc) has a lasting effect.

I

Stephen King. If you have not already read it, immediately go download Under the Dome.

Blue & White · July 2014

@cu97tiger done

I apparently love having book gift cards that let me buy books whenever I want to, lol

buddysmom80 · July 2014

@swazzle IRL Marina claims she knew nothing. My mom had a book about their relationship (she's a big Kennedy buff) if anyone is interested I can find out the name for you. It was "Mrs. someone's Kitchen" if I can remember.

Peaseblossom55 · July 2014

Oh Under the Dome looks good too!

Blue & White · July 2014

I think it's like..."Mrs. Paine's Garage" maybe? lol - SK said he used it as a reference in writing 11/22/63. Or it could be a totally different book

buddysmom80 · July 2014

@blue that's the book! I knew it was a name and a room.

Blue & White · July 2014

@buddysmom80 it helps I read the acknowledgements like two days ago

Mrs. Paine was a neighbor/friend that Marina stayed with when she and Lee were separated a few times.

[Deleted User] · July 2014

If I don't enjoy historical fiction, should I bother reading this? It's literally my least favorite genre, other than biographies of actual historical figures.

Blue & White · July 2014

I read it a bit more as adventure/love story than straight historical fiction. It's 900 pages though so I wouldn't want you to suffer through it if you hate it. I would still give it a shot haha @‌eisleyjogo

cu97tiger · August 2014

@eisleyjogo - While the premise of the book is based on a historical event, I wouldn't call this 'historical fiction.' So I'd give it a try. Assuming you like Stephen King, that is.

Swazzle · August 2014

I agree with PPs. I really wouldn't refer to this book as historical fiction.

[Deleted User] · August 2014

I liked Misery! I don't think I've read anything else of his, though. . . Yet I have a huge collection, because I inherited them from an old roommate.

KeptInStitches · August 2014

I haven't been much into Stephen King - should I give this a go anyway? I keep looking at it going "that looks so interesting, that looks so good, oh wait it's by Stephen King."

GoldenPenguin · August 2014

KeptInStitches said:

I haven't been much into Stephen King - should I give this a go anyway? I keep looking at it going "that looks so interesting, that looks so good, oh wait it's by Stephen King."

This is one of King's books that isn't in the "horror" genre - much like "Stand by Me" and "The Green Mile." If that's what you're worried about, anyway

11/22/63 (SPOILERS!)

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