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Docreed2003

(16,876 posts)
Wed Nov 22, 2023, 05:37 PM Nov 2023

11/22/63

If you had the opportunity to travel back in time and thwart the assassination of JFK, would you do it? That is exactly the concept behind the Stephen King novel "11/22/63". I am, admittedly, a huge fan of King's body of work but this is one of my favorites. If you're looking for a page turner this holiday weekend, I'd recommend checking out this novel.

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11/22/63 (Original Post) Docreed2003 Nov 2023 OP
I hate to be disagreeable, but murielm99 Nov 2023 #1
You're fine, everyone has different takes on books Docreed2003 Nov 2023 #2
You might enjoy also dweller Nov 2023 #3
Awesome, thanks for the recommendation. I'll check it out Docreed2003 Nov 2023 #4
I could not finish it either. PoindexterOglethorpe Nov 2023 #5
Part of that "not noticing the differences" Docreed2003 Nov 2023 #6

PoindexterOglethorpe

(25,898 posts)
5. I could not finish it either.
Sat Nov 25, 2023, 01:58 AM
Nov 2023

The problem with Stephen King is that some years back he was able to refuse to be edited, and ever since then his books are at least 40% too long.

When I was reading it, I kept on thinking that the narrator was simply not noticing the difference between his time, and when he went back to. Example: in the present smoking is not very common, doesn't happen in public inside spaces. In the past, many more people smoked and they smoked everywhere. I'm a non-smoker, and so if I went back I'd be seriously annoyed by all the cigarette smoke. I bet a smoker would think he'd died and gone to heaven.

Here's a better change of history novel: Making History by Stephen Fry. It involves making sure Adolf Hitler is never born, Amazing book.

Docreed2003

(16,876 posts)
6. Part of that "not noticing the differences"
Sat Nov 25, 2023, 09:22 AM
Nov 2023

Is that the narrator actually has to go back several times precisely because he wasn't as familiar with the time period as the diner owner who tasked him with undoing the assassination. He stops commenting on the differences because he's become accustomed to the difference, which is extremely problematic and has big repercussions on the end of the novel.

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