Where is the past? Long gone, or at least stuck at that particular grid of space/time while all those reading this have moved on. In Stephen King's new one, 11/22/63, he uses time travel and the assassination as devices in an epic novel about the nature and relative importance of history, destiny, casualty, memory, moral responsibility, and love.
It also incorporates some of the author's personal history, in an artsy way, and I'd have to say that it is my favorite Stephen King, though I'm always prejudiced toward the last Stephen King I have read for that honor. I tend to overread them, but that's my perogative as a reader. It scarcely matters what King consciously had in mind.
We share some of the same memories, King and I, and many of his songs are my songs. King's protagonist delivers his own soundtrack in this novel which travels back to 1958 and then waits for an opportunity to change history for the better. Or can it be changed? And if it is changed, will it be better?
You should read this one even if you've read many of the other novels that involve similar time leaps--Stanley Shapiro's A Time to Remember, say, or Barry Malzberg's The Destruction of the Temple. Some of the other related works are at this link.
After finishing the book, I came on line to read the reviews and the interviews with King, talking about this novel. I'd advise you to do the same, and sooner rather than later. We should all be thankful for each moment, especially for each moment we have to share with loved ones.
Life turns on a dime.
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