This isnt a book review; its a love letter to Stephen King.
I read my first book by Stephen King when I was 11-years-old; the summer before 6th grade, 1992. I read It, and I dont remember a thing about reading it. Something tells me it was a little over a young girls head. I followed it up with Cycle of the Werewolf, which inspired me during the school year to write a short play based on the concept where all of the girls in my class that I disliked were killed by said werewolf. My 6th grade English teacher allowed a few of my friends and I to perform it for the class. As a side note, I also did a book report that year on Piers Paul Reads Alive; its a wonder to me now that that teacher didnt send me to the school counselor.
As anyone who is vaguely familiar with me knows, I am a book lover and have been an intrepid reader since the time I learned how. I read a lot. Last year, when I only completed 79 books (out of the 100 I had aimed for), I felt like a failure. I do not have a favorite author, or genre, and I will choose books based on their covers or on the flimsiest of recommendations. The way I see it, if someone has put their time and heart into writing something and then had the good fortune to get it published, it is probably worth a read. I certainly have never finished any stories Ive ever attempted to put to page, so I feel that if I even have the slightest bit of interest in what theyve written, I owe it to them to experience their art.
I have favorite books, to be sure. If pressed I will claim David Copperfield is my favorite book of all-time, but the truth is that it is just one of group of books that swim in my 5-star pond.
Not more than 30 minutes ago I finished reading 11/22/63 and by the last page (as I read the Afterword through tear-soaked eyeballs), I had redefined not only what a good story is, but also the concept of favorite book.
I love 11/22/63 because I am a lover of stories. I love being able to experience a part of another persons life. Stories are a window into a foreign soul and reading them is a way to open your eyes to how people are very different, and how people are often very much the same. The story of Jake Epping and George Amberson is the best representation of this that Ive seen, as it also illustrates how there are different versions of ourselves that lie dormant inside of us; it is often our environment and the people we encounter that causes these other versions to be freed.
I love 11/22/63 because I am a historian and a lover of history. (There are two very distinct things to be, and Im not sure you know the difference unless you are both.) Historians have been enthralled with the idea of what if? since the first historical record was put into print. If youve never looked up what if Germany won the war? or what if Hitler didnt die? I think youd be surprised at the enormous amount of theoretical writings that are available. This story uses its central character as a way to explore American history from not only the what if? context, but also from an incredibly interesting social history context. It is rare that anyone realizes they are in the midst of history while they are living it, but in this story our Jake/George knows that he is witnessing history before his eyes and oftentimes finds himself overwhelmed by the awe of it. Just imagine if we could all see our present with that kind of clarity?
I love 11/22/63 because I love love. Its not something Ive been very good at in my life, but it is something Ive experienced on a handful of occasions. Jake writes But I believe in love, you know; love is a uniquely portable magic. I dont think its in the stars, but I do believe that blood calls to blood and mind calls to mind and heart to heart. There are a lot of arguments out there for the different kinds of love, and the importance of lasting love and the heartache of unrequited love, but nothing has ever seemed as true to me as Jakes understanding of how to find, and recognize, love.
I love 11/22/63 because I know that if someone asked me what did you like so much about it? I would never be able to answer their question to satisfaction. As I sit here, thinking of how to end this, I find myself placing my left hand upon the cover, as if it were the Good Book and I was being sworn to testify. Its a book about a man going back in time to stop President Kennedy from being assassinated is a justifiable way of introducing it to another person, but its really not what this book is about at all. Thats like saying Donnie Darko is about a kid that hallucinates a rabbit or The Picture of Dorian Gray is about a phantom painting.
I love 11/22/63 because Ive never had an experience where Ive said Eight hundred and forty-nine pages was not enough. It wasnt. Not nearly.
I read my first book by Stephen King when I was 11-years-old; the summer before 6th grade, 1992. I read It, and I dont remember a thing about reading it. Something tells me it was a little over a young girls head. I followed it up with Cycle of the Werewolf, which inspired me during the school year to write a short play based on the concept where all of the girls in my class that I disliked were killed by said werewolf. My 6th grade English teacher allowed a few of my friends and I to perform it for the class. As a side note, I also did a book report that year on Piers Paul Reads Alive; its a wonder to me now that that teacher didnt send me to the school counselor.
As anyone who is vaguely familiar with me knows, I am a book lover and have been an intrepid reader since the time I learned how. I read a lot. Last year, when I only completed 79 books (out of the 100 I had aimed for), I felt like a failure. I do not have a favorite author, or genre, and I will choose books based on their covers or on the flimsiest of recommendations. The way I see it, if someone has put their time and heart into writing something and then had the good fortune to get it published, it is probably worth a read. I certainly have never finished any stories Ive ever attempted to put to page, so I feel that if I even have the slightest bit of interest in what theyve written, I owe it to them to experience their art.
I have favorite books, to be sure. If pressed I will claim David Copperfield is my favorite book of all-time, but the truth is that it is just one of group of books that swim in my 5-star pond.
Not more than 30 minutes ago I finished reading 11/22/63 and by the last page (as I read the Afterword through tear-soaked eyeballs), I had redefined not only what a good story is, but also the concept of favorite book.
I love 11/22/63 because I am a lover of stories. I love being able to experience a part of another persons life. Stories are a window into a foreign soul and reading them is a way to open your eyes to how people are very different, and how people are often very much the same. The story of Jake Epping and George Amberson is the best representation of this that Ive seen, as it also illustrates how there are different versions of ourselves that lie dormant inside of us; it is often our environment and the people we encounter that causes these other versions to be freed.
I love 11/22/63 because I am a historian and a lover of history. (There are two very distinct things to be, and Im not sure you know the difference unless you are both.) Historians have been enthralled with the idea of what if? since the first historical record was put into print. If youve never looked up what if Germany won the war? or what if Hitler didnt die? I think youd be surprised at the enormous amount of theoretical writings that are available. This story uses its central character as a way to explore American history from not only the what if? context, but also from an incredibly interesting social history context. It is rare that anyone realizes they are in the midst of history while they are living it, but in this story our Jake/George knows that he is witnessing history before his eyes and oftentimes finds himself overwhelmed by the awe of it. Just imagine if we could all see our present with that kind of clarity?
I love 11/22/63 because I love love. Its not something Ive been very good at in my life, but it is something Ive experienced on a handful of occasions. Jake writes But I believe in love, you know; love is a uniquely portable magic. I dont think its in the stars, but I do believe that blood calls to blood and mind calls to mind and heart to heart. There are a lot of arguments out there for the different kinds of love, and the importance of lasting love and the heartache of unrequited love, but nothing has ever seemed as true to me as Jakes understanding of how to find, and recognize, love.
I love 11/22/63 because I know that if someone asked me what did you like so much about it? I would never be able to answer their question to satisfaction. As I sit here, thinking of how to end this, I find myself placing my left hand upon the cover, as if it were the Good Book and I was being sworn to testify. Its a book about a man going back in time to stop President Kennedy from being assassinated is a justifiable way of introducing it to another person, but its really not what this book is about at all. Thats like saying Donnie Darko is about a kid that hallucinates a rabbit or The Picture of Dorian Gray is about a phantom painting.
I love 11/22/63 because Ive never had an experience where Ive said Eight hundred and forty-nine pages was not enough. It wasnt. Not nearly.
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