Stephen King: "11/22/63" (releases on 11/8/11)
#126
DVD Talk Legend
Re: Stephen King: "11/22/63" (releases on 11/8/11)
I just finished the book about 20 seconds ago... wow, it was pretty great and I am so happy Steve-O ended a book well (he misses more than half the time) because this one had a great ending. In fact I don't think it could have ended any other way and been "right".
#127
DVD Talk Hero
Re: Stephen King: "11/22/63" (releases on 11/8/11)
Apparently Joe Hill re-wrote the ending for him. I agree, it was awesome. I finished up over a week ago, waiting for some discussion .
#128
DVD Talk Limited Edition
Re: Stephen King: "11/22/63" (releases on 11/8/11)
Joe Hill, his son, came up with the ending? Apparently you're kidding, I'm sure.
Apparently I'm the 1% who likes many of King's endings/conclusions.
Now I know who "No Suspenders" is - apparently I had to read further instead of backtracking to see who or what he was/is.
I like it, I'm all into it. For Kennedy fans, don't think you're going to get a lot of Kennedy stuff in the first half of this book, because there's nothing to do with him.
I'm at the part now where
Apparently I'm the 1% who likes many of King's endings/conclusions.
Now I know who "No Suspenders" is - apparently I had to read further instead of backtracking to see who or what he was/is.
I like it, I'm all into it. For Kennedy fans, don't think you're going to get a lot of Kennedy stuff in the first half of this book, because there's nothing to do with him.
I'm at the part now where
Spoiler:
#129
DVD Talk Special Edition
Re: Stephen King: "11/22/63" (releases on 11/8/11)
I heard that in the afterword, Stephen thanks Joe for coming up with the idea for an ending that was much better than his original idea.
#130
DVD Talk Hero
Re: Stephen King: "11/22/63" (releases on 11/8/11)
You are 100% correct and that is what I should have written.
#131
DVD Talk Limited Edition
Re: Stephen King: "11/22/63" (releases on 11/8/11)
I'm a little taken aback here with this story. He's got five years until 11/22/63, SO WHAT DOES THIS GUY DO?? He gets himself
Spoiler:
#132
DVD Talk Hero
Re: Stephen King: "11/22/63" (releases on 11/8/11)
I can't believe I've missed this thread for months. Well, I kind of stopped clicking on Book Talk.
Anyway, I thought it was one of King's very best books and his best in a long time.
BTW, Ash Ketchum is wrong, just like all the other JFK conspiracy nuts. Bugliosi was right. Gerald Posner was right. Donald Bellisario was right.
Anyway, I thought it was one of King's very best books and his best in a long time.
BTW, Ash Ketchum is wrong, just like all the other JFK conspiracy nuts. Bugliosi was right. Gerald Posner was right. Donald Bellisario was right.
Spoiler:
Last edited by movielib; 11-28-11 at 07:23 PM.
#133
DVD Talk Limited Edition
Re: Stephen King: "11/22/63" (releases on 11/8/11)
Hate to say it, but I quit reading this book in the middle of it. King lost his magic. He drained the reserves with great books for three decades...how much can the man possibly do now after all that?
#134
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Re: Stephen King: "11/22/63" (releases on 11/8/11)
It dragged in the middle for a little, but I thought the start and end were good enough to enjoy it overall. I'd have to read it again to really place it but I'd say middle of the pack compared to his other books.
#135
DVD Talk Limited Edition
Re: Stephen King: "11/22/63" (releases on 11/8/11)
I'll pick it up again, based on people's reviews on how good the end is. But King really screwed the pooch on that middle section - he had a tremendously great opportunity to explore other historical aspects between 1959 and 1963, but he decided to place his protagonist in a school with a romance deal besides.
#136
Re: Stephen King: "11/22/63" (releases on 11/8/11)
I just recently finished it after almost 2 months and feel that it was pretty much a waste of my time.
People can criticize me all they want but it was just incredibly boring to me.
Maybe I'm just not a hopeless romantic. However, it really seems like his books are steadily marching towards the point where the only people who are going to want to adapt them anymore are Lifetime and the Hallmark channel.
I've been enjoying his recent short stories, but novels like Lisey's Story, Under the Dome and now 11/22/63 really make me wish he had retired when he said he was going to years ago.
And for the record, I'm not saying that people who enjoyed it are stupid or lying. I just feel that people who dislike the recent King novels often get unfairly shot down as just being wrong or unintelligent readers.
And before somebody tells me the plot's not what was important, that it's about the characters, his characters have steadily become caricatures in the last decade. People in J.D. Salinger's short stories feel more real and fleshed out than anyone in this 800+ page book.
I'm seriously considering just stopping reading anything he writes that's over 200 pages long at this point.
People can criticize me all they want but it was just incredibly boring to me.
Spoiler:
Maybe I'm just not a hopeless romantic. However, it really seems like his books are steadily marching towards the point where the only people who are going to want to adapt them anymore are Lifetime and the Hallmark channel.
I've been enjoying his recent short stories, but novels like Lisey's Story, Under the Dome and now 11/22/63 really make me wish he had retired when he said he was going to years ago.
And for the record, I'm not saying that people who enjoyed it are stupid or lying. I just feel that people who dislike the recent King novels often get unfairly shot down as just being wrong or unintelligent readers.
And before somebody tells me the plot's not what was important, that it's about the characters, his characters have steadily become caricatures in the last decade. People in J.D. Salinger's short stories feel more real and fleshed out than anyone in this 800+ page book.
I'm seriously considering just stopping reading anything he writes that's over 200 pages long at this point.
#137
Re: Stephen King: "11/22/63" (releases on 11/8/11)
I kind of agree that I would have enjoyed this book much more as a novella. He could have easily just chopped out the Oswald part entirely and I probably would have enjoyed the book a bit more. I did dig the ending of this one though, but the middle could really have been shortened down quite a bit or went in a different direction.
#138
Moderator
Re: Stephen King: "11/22/63" (releases on 11/8/11)
Just finished this. Great book, put it on the shelf with the best of King. Surprised to see complaints about the middle section -- without it, the ending wouldn't have had any emotional resonance. But what do I know...I thought the "Millennium" stuff was the best part of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo.
#139
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#140
DVD Talk Ultimate Edition
Re: Stephen King: "11/22/63" (releases on 11/8/11)
I just finished this up the other day, and that's how I felt too. I know the middle gives us the emotional resonance of the ending, but I thought it dragged on a bit too long. That said, I agree that it's one of the best endings he's done in quite a while. Overall, I enjoyed the book.
#141
DVD Talk Hall of Fame
Re: Stephen King: "11/22/63" (releases on 11/8/11)
I just finished this up the other day, and that's how I felt too. I know the middle gives us the emotional resonance of the ending, but I thought it dragged on a bit too long. That said, I agree that it's one of the best endings he's done in quite a while. Overall, I enjoyed the book.
Glad to hear that it'll be worth it in the end.
#143
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Re: Stephen King: "11/22/63" (releases on 11/8/11)
I loved this book.
Let me say that I have read pretty extensively about the assassination, both pro-conspiracy and against. I believed it was a conspiracy for a while, but most of the theories are just too much over the map and none of them hold up to scrutiny. For example, most of the other shooting locations have been tried and weren't feasible. A Grassy Knoll shooter would have hit the side of JFK's head, not the front. All of the things people say Oswald couldn't have done (Shoot Kennedy; Make to the second floor 90 sec later, Make it to where Tippet was shot), he could have done easily.
Posner and Bugliosi's version of events is internally logical and consistent with the facts. Oliver Stone's is not.
Let me say that I have read pretty extensively about the assassination, both pro-conspiracy and against. I believed it was a conspiracy for a while, but most of the theories are just too much over the map and none of them hold up to scrutiny. For example, most of the other shooting locations have been tried and weren't feasible. A Grassy Knoll shooter would have hit the side of JFK's head, not the front. All of the things people say Oswald couldn't have done (Shoot Kennedy; Make to the second floor 90 sec later, Make it to where Tippet was shot), he could have done easily.
Posner and Bugliosi's version of events is internally logical and consistent with the facts. Oliver Stone's is not.
#144
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Re: Stephen King: "11/22/63" (releases on 11/8/11)
I got it on audio cd.
It starts off real good and I guessed what the story was going to be about and that's what got me in to it. But there is way too stuff that could have been taken out of this long book.
If this book was to be made on film it would make a great 30 minute TWILIGHT ZONE episode.
It starts off real good and I guessed what the story was going to be about and that's what got me in to it. But there is way too stuff that could have been taken out of this long book.
If this book was to be made on film it would make a great 30 minute TWILIGHT ZONE episode.
#145
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Re: Stephen King: "11/22/63" (releases on 11/8/11)
Just finished this. Great book, put it on the shelf with the best of King. Surprised to see complaints about the middle section -- without it, the ending wouldn't have had any emotional resonance. But what do I know...I thought the "Millennium" stuff was the best part of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo.
#146
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Re: Stephen King: "11/22/63" (releases on 11/8/11)
I just recently finished it after almost 2 months and feel that it was pretty much a waste of my time.
People can criticize me all they want but it was just incredibly boring to me.
Maybe I'm just not a hopeless romantic. However, it really seems like his books are steadily marching towards the point where the only people who are going to want to adapt them anymore are Lifetime and the Hallmark channel.
I've been enjoying his recent short stories, but novels like Lisey's Story, Under the Dome and now 11/22/63 really make me wish he had retired when he said he was going to years ago.
And for the record, I'm not saying that people who enjoyed it are stupid or lying. I just feel that people who dislike the recent King novels often get unfairly shot down as just being wrong or unintelligent readers.
And before somebody tells me the plot's not what was important, that it's about the characters, his characters have steadily become caricatures in the last decade. People in J.D. Salinger's short stories feel more real and fleshed out than anyone in this 800+ page book.
I'm seriously considering just stopping reading anything he writes that's over 200 pages long at this point.
People can criticize me all they want but it was just incredibly boring to me.
Spoiler:
Maybe I'm just not a hopeless romantic. However, it really seems like his books are steadily marching towards the point where the only people who are going to want to adapt them anymore are Lifetime and the Hallmark channel.
I've been enjoying his recent short stories, but novels like Lisey's Story, Under the Dome and now 11/22/63 really make me wish he had retired when he said he was going to years ago.
And for the record, I'm not saying that people who enjoyed it are stupid or lying. I just feel that people who dislike the recent King novels often get unfairly shot down as just being wrong or unintelligent readers.
And before somebody tells me the plot's not what was important, that it's about the characters, his characters have steadily become caricatures in the last decade. People in J.D. Salinger's short stories feel more real and fleshed out than anyone in this 800+ page book.
I'm seriously considering just stopping reading anything he writes that's over 200 pages long at this point.
#147
DVD Talk Special Edition
Re: Stephen King: "11/22/63" (releases on 11/8/11)
I didn't see this mentioned yet:
Running Against Time
History professor David Rhodes never has got over the death of his older brother, 1966 in Vietnam. When he hears the rumor that a famous professor is working on a time machine, he immediately contacts him and persuades him to allow him to travel back in time and correct history. If he could save President Kennedy's life, Vietnam war might never have happened!
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0100529/
Running Against Time
History professor David Rhodes never has got over the death of his older brother, 1966 in Vietnam. When he hears the rumor that a famous professor is working on a time machine, he immediately contacts him and persuades him to allow him to travel back in time and correct history. If he could save President Kennedy's life, Vietnam war might never have happened!
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0100529/
#148
DVD Talk Special Edition
Re: Stephen King: "11/22/63" (releases on 11/8/11)
Just finished the book last night and I thought it was great. I kinda enjoyed the middle of the book. Sure George could have done a lot more than just settle down for a few years but he had one goal while he was there. Plus he would have taken more risk of getting caught if he changed the past more than he did.
I think It is going to be my next read. So far every King book I’ve read has been excellent. Though I’ve only read a few, salems lot, the stand, Dark tower series, Under the Dome and now this.
I think It is going to be my next read. So far every King book I’ve read has been excellent. Though I’ve only read a few, salems lot, the stand, Dark tower series, Under the Dome and now this.
#149
DVD Talk Platinum Edition
Re: Stephen King: "11/22/63" (releases on 11/8/11)
Just finished the book last night and I thought it was great. I kinda enjoyed the middle of the book. Sure George could have done a lot more than just settle down for a few years but he had one goal while he was there. Plus he would have taken more risk of getting caught if he changed the past more than he did.
I think It is going to be my next read. So far every King book I’ve read has been excellent. Though I’ve only read a few, salems lot, the stand, Dark tower series, Under the Dome and now this.
I think It is going to be my next read. So far every King book I’ve read has been excellent. Though I’ve only read a few, salems lot, the stand, Dark tower series, Under the Dome and now this.
#150
DVD Talk Legend
Re: Stephen King: "11/22/63" (releases on 11/8/11)
I finished reading this a while back and found it quite entertaining, though a bit slow in the middle. I thought the ending was the correct one for a true sci-fi story.
I am not an avid King reader but, have partaken of some of his past effort. What were all of the actual connections to other novels this time? Obvious was:
Spoiler:
I am not an avid King reader but, have partaken of some of his past effort. What were all of the actual connections to other novels this time? Obvious was:
Spoiler: