My second book by Stephen King. Not just this year, but ever. The premise is simple, but fascinating. Jake Epping is an English teacher in a small town. He stumbles across a time portal in the back of a diner. And he's tasked with nothing less than preventing J.F.K. from being assassinated. Unfortunately, there's a catch. The portal has only one destination: The 9th of September 1958. Leaving him four years to be lived before he can really intervene.
With so many conspiracy theories to choose from, Jake has to make sure that Lee Harvey Oswald was the one to kill JFK. This means meticulously observing and investigating. But for Jake, that's just the second stop on the tour. He also has to do a test run, intervening in a minor tragedy to prove that he can change the course of history. In the process, he discovers that the past is resistant to any attempt at change. And uses the second catch of the portal - every time he enters almost everything gets reset to the original state.
I can't tell you how ironic I found the fact that the time portal is hidden in the back of a diner. Similar to the passage to Fairy Tale Land hidden in The Shed. Perhaps it was just an unfortunate choice on my part. The books were written 11 years apart. Also, I can't say that I've had a lot of fun with all the aspects of time travel and the resistance of the past to change. But it's very hard to argue with the premise when it comes to supernatural themes. I can't just go out there and prove the opposite, can I?
As a non-American, I found the whole premise of foiling JFK’s assassination to be more of a regular time-travel plot story than something I would find deeply thought provoking. I understand its significance for many, but for me it has been just one of the history's chapters.
The ending left me with mixed feelings. It was both satisfying and bittersweet, which seems to be King’s specialty. The journey mattered more than the outcome, and that’s where the book truly shines. 11.22.63 isn’t just about the historical what-ifs. They sort of play secondary role. It's more about choices that shape our lives.
Would I recommend it? Absolutely. Even if the historical context doesn’t resonate with you, the humanity of the story will. I'm already looking forward to read more of Mr. King's works in 2025 and wonder where it takes me.
Rating: ★★★★☆ ?