11.22.63 | Mumsnet

cantdothisnow1 · 2020-10-11T11:59:26+00:00

Has anyone else read it? What did you think? I've just finished it on Audible and am listening again. I have no idea why it has touched me so much, 'life turns on a dime' and 'oh how we danced Jake'. I wonder if it is reading it now, in 2020 and with the current pandemic which has made me feel this way?

JustCallMeGriffin · 11/10/2020 13:07

I loved this book. Think it's one of King's best in recent years. If you're a Tower junkie too (The Dark Tower series) you get all the little connections making up the big picture like travelling to Derry and seeing the kids (Beverley and Bill?) after they fought IT.

There's a TV show made about it too but haven't ventured towards that because King adaptations aren't known for being good.

BookWitch · 11/10/2020 13:09

I really enjoyed it too. It's the only Stephen King I've ever read.

I still think about it.
It was one of my late dad's favourites too, he was staying with me while he was reading it and I have fond memories.

The tv series was rubbish (watched a couple of episodes on a plane)

Backofthenewt · 11/10/2020 13:13

Love that book.

Original poster

cantdothisnow1 · 11/10/2020 13:13

@JustCallMeGriffin

I loved this book. Think it's one of King's best in recent years. If you're a Tower junkie too (The Dark Tower series) you get all the little connections making up the big picture like travelling to Derry and seeing the kids (Beverley and Bill?) after they fought IT.

There's a TV show made about it too but haven't ventured towards that because King adaptations aren't known for being good.

No I haven't read any other King books, this one leapt out at me because of the Kennedy plot line, although I think that actually was the secondary plot line. I have never been keen on fantasy books, so I am shocked to have enjoyed it so much.

Perhaps I'll move on the Dark Tower series!

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Original poster

cantdothisnow1 · 11/10/2020 13:15

@BookWitch

I really enjoyed it too. It's the only Stephen King I've ever read.

I still think about it.
It was one of my late dad's favourites too, he was staying with me while he was reading it and I have fond memories.

The tv series was rubbish (watched a couple of episodes on a plane)

I really think it will stay with me too.

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Peridot1 · 11/10/2020 13:15

I really enjoyed it too. Have kept it to read again.

Peridot1 · 11/10/2020 13:16

It’s the only one of his I’ve read too actually. Didn’t think I’d be keen on his books.

TheNewLook · 11/10/2020 13:22

Is Stephen King one of the authors who lined up to slate JK Rowling for her recent feminist statements? (Which were interpreted as anti-trans)? If so, I wouldn’t touch his books with a barge pole. He is a misogynist. Along with Margaret Atwood, Jeanette Winterson, Neil Gaiman et al.

FYI if sex isn’t real, the lived reality of women globally is erased is what JK said. Unacceptable apparently.

peachgreen · 11/10/2020 13:27

I love King's writing (despite him occasionally veering into coke-fuelled craziness!). IT is one of the most incredible books I've ever read and has stayed with me so much.

Original poster

cantdothisnow1 · 11/10/2020 13:27

TheNewLook that has nothing to do with enjoying his books. It's as bad as any of the TRAs who want to ban JKR based on their views.

I actually love JKR for what she is doing for women's rights and am disappointed by Stephen King and Margaret Attwood for their stance. But that does not mean I cannot enjoy and read his books.

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ItWorriesMeThisKindofThing · 11/10/2020 13:27

I love this book, first one of his I ever read, and it encouraged me to read The Stand which I thought was equally good, and then the Dark Tower series which was hard going in places but very intriguing in others. I would have loved him to come out in support of JKR but I feel we have to accept that many people feel differently to her and they are entitled to their opinion.

AuntieMarys · 11/10/2020 13:27

I loved it.

Spied · 11/10/2020 13:29

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.

peachgreen · 11/10/2020 13:29

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.

DilysPrice · 11/10/2020 13:31

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.

MadisonAvenue · 11/10/2020 13:33

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

Original poster

cantdothisnow1 · 11/10/2020 13:34

@DilysPrice

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.

Thanks for the recommendations, I'll try those.

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WhoWants2Know · 11/10/2020 14:43

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.

Original poster

cantdothisnow1 · 11/10/2020 15:04

@WhoWants2Know

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.

But I didn't post this thread to ask if people liked Stephen King's views on transwomen, I posted that I really enjoyed the book and that it moved me and asked if other people felt the same about it.

As I stated upthread on the point of 'transwomen are women' I lean on the JKR point of view but that doesn't mean that I didn't really enjoy this book and want to talk about how I felt about it.

I find a suggestion (not from you but from the pp that I shouldn't read his books on that basis) concerning as it amounts to cancel culture that we are swift to accuse TRAs of. But this is derailing the point of my post which was about the content of the book.

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Peridot1 · 11/10/2020 15:33

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.

TheNewLook · 11/10/2020 16:02

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.

Original poster

cantdothisnow1 · 11/10/2020 16:23

@TheNewLook

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.

No problem, thanks for coming back on to explain.

FWIW I don't think he means it either and I do think it makes him (and others like him weak) and it is worse than saying nothing.

If you can bring yourself to read it it is a really good book!

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WhoWants2Know · 11/10/2020 17:16

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.

Lepetitpiggy · 11/10/2020 17:21

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!

JustCallMeGriffin · 11/10/2020 17:35

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.