11.22.63

Sorry to wake up this almost zombie thread, but I had to see if any fellow mn'ers had read 11.22.63. and here you are.
I also loved it and felt so incredibly sad when it was over.
SK has such a way of describing a feeling I've felt many times which I've never been able to put words to.
Having finished, I decided to WATCH the series. I like James Franco and IMDb reviews were favourable.
However, obviously written by people who haven't read the book.
I was angry within minutes of watching the bloody series!! WHY CHANGE SO MUCH!!!

@chilling19 I disagree. The gunslinger isn't strong, but there are events in there that definitely shape the relationships between the characters and how Roland develops as a person...it's especially pertinent to the ending of the whole series.

As it's such a short book, if you're going to read the Dark Tower series skipping the first one seems silly. The final three books are hefty by comparison (200 page count vs 845 page count).

@Nara2k sorry missed your comment.

UR is a novella King wrote. It felt very much like a great big Kindle advert when I saw it advertised and purposefully avoided it until my forum folk suggest I give it a read (especially I as can read novella's in one sitting).

It is about the Kindle...but very closely linked to the Dark Tower in an Insomnia/Hearts in Atlantis way. I really enjoyed it!

Interstellar - when I realised there was a first book I did give it a try but just couldn't get into it at all. Whereas with the 2nd I was hooked almost immediately. Enjoy!

@chilling19 I’m glad I read your tip as I’ve read the first dark tower and didn’t really enjoy it. It just seemed very dreary with not much going on so I didn’t read any more.
I might try the next book now.

Tip about the Dark Tower series - give the first book a miss. It was written long before the others and isn't very good. I missed it out by accident when my son bought me the series without it and I didn't notice.

I absolutely loved this book and was the first King book I had read in years. I just enjoyed reading it so much and was so sad when it was over and still think about it. I got my Mum and Grandad to both read it afterwards.
I then reread The Shining which I think is also a great book. I got the Stand for last christmas but equally dont think this is the year to read it.

It's not my favourite of his (those would be the Dead Zone, Delores Claibourne, Needful Things and The Stand... and if we are counting work he published under a pen name, The Long Walk of course) but it's a heck of a lot better than Cell and Insomnia and From A Buick 8!

I didn't like Sadie much though and I dont know why. I wanted to, I thought I should, but I just didn't. I should re read and really concentrate on what I feel about her and why, maybe.

"But even so, I love how he gets you to know a character in just a few sentences."
Totally, like the Stand, but I couldn't read that this year

Loved 11/22/63 & all the easter eggs, loved mr mercedes & nearly all his books but I could never get in to the dark tower. Should I try again...?

Griffin what's UR pls?
Now off to look up the long walk (cos that doesn't sound familiar) & the dead zone (even tho that does )

I love that book and it’s one of dh’s favourite books. I prefer Stephen kings writing when he doesn’t have a million characters. But even so, I love how he gets you to know a character in just a few sentences.

Stephen King does seem to support JKR on his twitter though?
I don’t know what he believes about the whole trans issues but I can’t blame him for backtracking through fear or genuinely not wanting to hurt the feelings of his fans? It’s a complex issue for many.

The tower series is a bit marmite, those who love it like me see how King has created an interconnected literary world with easter eggs dotted around the place making each book resonate a little stronger.

You'll probably enjoy UR. I was completely sceptical about a book that King wrote as a seeming advertisement for the Kindle, but it has the same vibe as 11.22.63 and is a quick read.

I agree Misery is exceptional, but might make you wince a few times! Under the dome is a long read but very entertaining too (please ignore the TV show).
I can highly recommend the Mr Mercedes book series too.

Further down the rabbit hole of sci-fi mashing with elements of horror is Desperation and it's twin The Regulators.

The book of his that probably messed with me on a psychological level the most though is The Long Walk. I felt every step those boys took, one of his first stories written but a glowing gen of how prolific a writer he'd become.

Lisey's story is the most powerful book I've ever read from the perspective of someone who is trying to cope with their own mental health. It's not easy to read, but is easily the best writing he's ever done. It's not everyone's cup of tea but I found it to be incredible.

As to the King vs JKR issue. I support JKR even though I dislike her immensely as a person. Cancelling someone's voice because you don't like what they've said is the whole issue. Not buying King's works won't make any impact on the multi millionaire, but engaging with him and challenging his views might.

I read this a few years ago and find myself re reading it every six months or so. I just think it's such a good story!

Yeah, OP, I understand that my post feels like a derailment, and doesn't seem to answer your question.

But ultimately, that is the answer to how I feel about the book. On initial reading, I was transfixed. I enjoyed the storyline and the characters, but was a little mixed about the whole mechanism of time travel.

Normally I would go back and read a book like that more than once. But now it's like I view the characters through a different filter and I don't enjoy them the same way. It's a shame, but it is what it is.

But that's me. You can feel however you want about it.

OP, I know what you mean and I do try to overlook a writer’s personal views on most things but some issues just bother me too much and this is one of them. Anyone who parrots the “transwomen are women” mantra just loses my respect instantly. I find myself unable to move on from from that. My problem really as I guess it means I will sometimes miss out on good art because of it.

I don’t think Stephen King believes for a second that transwomen are women, that makes it worse for me. He’s just saying it to stay on the woke side of the debate, right side of history etc etc No sane person believes it. The fact that so many will pretend they believe it is astonishing. It’s a really cynical move, to protect their profits.

I do wish I didn’t feel this way actually. Sorry to have derailed your thread a bit. I’ll slide out of it now. All the best.

I read it when it came out so way before any of the JKR stuff.

Currently reading her Robert Galbraith books. Just started the second.

I’m sure I’ve read and enjoyed books by many authors who have differing viewpoints on things to mine. The only difference is the Trans/JKR stuff is so current.

I can see what the above poster meant about not wanting to give him money after his response to JKR.

It's possible to both enjoy a person's talent and disagree with their behaviour on a particular occasion or their views on a particular subject. (A bit like enjoying Quality Street without agreeing with Nestle practices.)

But as a fan of his writing over many decades, that incident actually gave his words a different feeling or meaning for me, and I just don't feel as interested as I used to.

I loved it, I’ve read most of his books over the years and this is one of my favourites.

I really enjoyed it though I wasn’t particularly emotionally engaged with the love story. I’d recommend The Dead Zone as an interesting follow up read if you enjoyed 11.22.63. And Misery which is his non-genre masterpiece.

Also you can disagree with his political viewpoints all you like but there's no arguing with the fact that he's a far, far better writer than Rowling and that's what the thread is about.

Fantastic book. I did love it.
I do tend to keep away from the more sci-fi King however so I've never fancied the Dark Tower stuff. Give me the older classics any day.