Bagging two awards, “11/22/63” remains a favorite for many readers for its character development and storytelling technique. Though one may notice the switch from first to third-person perspective narration in the story, it seemingly transitions fluidly, and readers will have no hassle comprehending the book.
Historical Context
“11/22/63” is a book of significant historical elements, including a dark time in the United States’ history. The assassination of President John F. Kennedy was a tragedy that led to a constitutional change solving what happens when there is an emergency that causes the President to be incapacitated.
After Kennedy’s assassination, the Civil Rights Act Bill of 1964 was signed by Lyndon B. Johnson, Kennedy’s successor. This crucial point in history marked the beginning of true freedom in America, and this is where “11/22/63” asked the question, what if that never happened because the President did not die?
The Civil Rights Act was a crucial point in American history, and making a slight change to events at this time could have affected the outcome of such a bill.
Stephen King wrote a story that showed how a world with Kennedy surviving would be and the historical and cultural impact of making that world a reality.
Stephen used excellent literature to explore the vast possibilities of time travel, and his ability to re-imagine each historical character was astonishing. Another thing King tried to answer was what the motivation for Kennedy’s assassination was.
After Oswald’s successful assassination of the President, the idea that his act was linked to Russia became a mystery as just two days later, he was shot dead by Jack Ruby. “11/22/63” brought Oswald back to life. Though the story does not tell a specific reason for why Oswald fired the shots, it gives us a glimpse of what Lee would have felt at the exact moment he shot the President.
Author’s Background
Stephen King is a prolific author whose works have reshaped multiple genres of literature. His works have been sold more than 350 million times, and he has won many awards for excellence in literature.
Stephen King stated that he was motivated to write “11/22/63” because it was like the 911 of his time. He felt that many of his peers held the pain of watching JFK’s assassination and none of them ever got any closure because they held on to the idea that the President’s death negatively affected the United States.
Besides “11/22/63,” Stephen King is popular for his horror fiction novels. He wrote the acclaimed books “It,” “The Dark Tower,” “Carrie,” “Pet Semetary,” and “The Shining.” Though these novels have been deemed among his best, “11/22/63” also sits at the top of his work.
Cultural Context
“11/22/63” has shown its cultural impact on the minds of its readers. The book throws its readers into a time of the Cold War and shows how people behaved in the late 1950s and early 1960s. The book then compares the thought frames of the past to the present, showing the disparity in both eras.
“11/22/63” also addressed politics and the Presidency of John F. Kennedy up to his assassination.
Stephen King’s idea to change time at a crucial point, President Kennedy’s assassination, created an alternate historical timeline where politics vastly affected the world for bad. With the turn of events, the world was set ablaze and plagued by radiation.
Stephen King’s choice of radiation and earthquakes as the means to the end of the world in “11/22/63” addresses the future impact of radiation if used as a weapon.
We did not ask for this room or this music. We were invited in. Therefore, because the dark surrounds us, let us turn our faces to the light. Let us endure hardship to be grateful for plenty. We have been given pain to be astounded by joy. We have been given life to deny death. We did not ask for this room or this music. But because we are here, let us dance.
Stephen King
Both in the past and present, people want to be happy, to love, and to feel loved, “11/22/63” showed the impact of love on people from two different worlds, and it showed the one thing that exists amid chaos is love and it knows no time or bounds.
Literary Context
“11/22/63” is one of the few historical fiction novels to tackle the past in detail. The novel takes time to introduce its characters and focuses on them instead of the time-traveling element.
It also compares the 1960s to the technological age of the 2010s. The novel does not shy away from the ups and downs of both times as Jake admits the past has a dreadful odor. Each symbol employed in the story points to the differences between both eras and shows how their strengths and weaknesses affected the individuals of both worlds.
Compared to similar novels, “11/22/63” stands on a distinct podium because it dives into the story of its characters’ lives instead of focusing on time alteration. The book made the primary aspect of the story seem like an afterthought. Though other books will struggle with this, it did not.
Critical Reception
“11/22/63‘s” reception was immensely positive as the New York Times put it on its top five fiction books of the year. With it staying at the best seller spot on the New York Times for 16 weeks, “11/22/63” was regarded as Stephen King’s best book in a decade.
The novel bagged the 2011 Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Mystery/thriller and the 2012 Thriller Writers Award for Best Novel. The book was nominated for other awards, including the 2012 British Fantasy Award for Best Novel and the 2012 Locus Award for Best Science Fiction Novel.
The pages of “11/22/63” fly by, filled with immediacy, pathos and suspense. It takes great brazenness to go anywhere near this subject matter. But it takes great skill to make this story even remotely credible. Mr. King makes it all look easy, which is surely his book’s fanciest trick.
Janet Maslin of the New York Times
Years after its release, “11/22/63” continues to receive praise from readers and fans of Stephen King. Many online forums have been set up to discuss the novel’s intricacies and they remain active to this day.
Modern Relevance
“11/22/63” remains one of the best historical fiction novels involving time traveling 13 years after its publication. Its themes continue to resonate with many people who are avid fans of Stephen King’s works.
Even though it was written long ago, the book still feels like a refreshing take on time traveling and the horrors that come with it. Stephen King’s words feel like they will never grow old and the novel will remain a solid work of fiction.
In 2014, HULU announced a TV series for “11/22/63” that premiered on February 15, 2016. The TV series had a positive reception and won two awards, the Saturn Award for Best Presentation on Television and the ASCAP Award for Top Streaming Series. The series also got nominated for 12 other awards.
With the book and its adaptations bagging numerous awards, “11/22/63” has left a positive impression on its readers and the audience.