Free Essay

Stephen King Book Review

In:

Submitted By cbra97
Words 765
Pages 4
Carina Braun
Ms. Breuer – 8
Book Review
18 October 2012
11/22/63 by Stephen King I have always loved Stephen King and his disturbing ways of writing. After reading 11/22/63, I was amazed at all the different types of writing he is capable of. I first fell in love with Stephen King’s ways after watching the movie It and later reading the book. I have continued reading his books and watching his movies as they are always spine-chilling, exciting, and very creative. I was over-joyed at the thought of him writing a book about one of my favorite periods in history, the 60’s.
My parents gave me 11/22/63 the Christmas of 2011. I started reading this book right away. It begins with a 30-year-old man named Jake. He’s a high school English teacher in the year 2011. Almost every night he eats at Al’s Diner where he knows the owner, Al. Al is about 45 years old and full of life, but one day Jake suddenly notices he’s becoming very sick and weak. Turns out Al has been traveling back in time to the year 1960 and experiencing time back then. Al opens up the opportunity to Jake of going back in time, as Al is now developing cancer. Al gives Jake the mission of going back to 1960 and stopping President John F. Kennedy from being assassinated. Along the way, Jake finds himself changing the future as we know it. He ends up in some tricky situations, such as lying about where he comes from and falling in love with a girl with a messed up past. It’s not an alternate reality sort of book, but it is a great thriller.
When I first started reading 11/22/63, I assumed the book would tell me about how King imagined what the future would be like if John F. Kennedy wasn’t assassinated, but I was so wrong. He shows more of a time-travel and action story than a “what would happen if...” story. King is outstanding at providing very sensory details. He made me feel as though I could taste the 1960’s root beer, smell the gasoline running through his Ford Sunliner convertible, and feel the freedom of life that was back in the 60’s. King also draws you into the characters, to a point where it’s difficult to put the book down and return to 2012. The New York Times book reviewer, Errol Morris, called 11/22/63, “One of the best time-travel stories since H. G. Wells.” Now that in and of itself is an amazing accomplishment considering how huge H.G. Wells’ book, The Time Machine, was. Stephen Beck from the Barnes and Noble Book Review team said, “What makes King great isn't his writing, but his knack for prodding the average person to wonder about time, fate, theodicy, and humanity (for King finds the humanity even in an assassin) in a useful, albeit rudimentary, way…King's imagination may be weirder and woolier than many of his contemporaries, but the themes explored in 11/22/63 -- loss, nostalgia, regret, and wishful thinking -- belong to all of us.” 11/22/63 was given many awards and titles such as; it was on the Top Ten Books in 2011 of the New York Times, won the Best Hardcover Book Award from the International Thriller Writers Association, and it also won the Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Mystery/Thriller. As you can see King really knows how to write and he exceeds expectations in this book. I very strongly recommend this book to those who love drama, action, and romance.
Stephen King is a 65 year old writer and director. He had his first short story sale in 1967 to Startling Mystery Stories. He became a high school English teacher at Hampden Academy in 1973. Doubleday & Co. published his first novel, Carrie, in the spring of 1973 and that provided him with the means to become a full time writer and leave teaching. He has since published over 50 books and has become one of the world's most successful writers. King now lives in Maine and Florida (in the winter) with his wife, Tabitha King, who is also a writer. They contribute to many charities including some libraries, and have been honored locally for their generous accomplishments. King has won countless awards, written numerous novels and short stories, and has even directed classic movies. Overall, he is an interesting and creative person and I hope he continues his writing pursuits.

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

Criticism Of Stephen King

...heart of a small boy. It is in a glass jar on my desk” (Stephen King). Stephen King: father, husband, most famous horror writer of all time. With many successful books, Stephen King has quickly made himself the most renowned author of the horror genre and can prove it from the countless awards he has received like the British Fantasy Award, Edgar Grand Master Award, and Goodreads Choice Awards Best Fiction. Because so many of his books are successful, many of them have been adapted into mini series on television or even into movies. Most notably the screen adaptations for The Shining (1980) and It (1990 and 2017) are what most people immediately think about....

Words: 1816 - Pages: 8

Free Essay

Stephen King: Two Books, One Story

...Stephen King: Two Books, One Story In 1974, the world was first introduced to Stephen King through the publication of Carrie. Since then, King has released over fifty-four novels, short stories and essays (King, Written Works). His themes are vast and touch such subjects as aliens, telekinesis, life in prison, trucks coming to life, and the end of the world. In 1999, a car accident almost ended Stephen King’s life. After his recovery, he published five novels that were received with poor sales and unkind reviews. When Under the Dome was released in 2009, it showed that Stephen King was returning to a formula that worked so well for him in a previous book called The Stand. To understand these two books, one must first understand their author. Stephen King was born September 21, 1947. His father abandoned his mother, older brother, and himself when he was two (King, Writing 3). His mother, Ruth took a succession of poorly paid menial jobs, leaving her sons in the care of various relatives. Stephen attended the grammar school in Durham and then Lisbon Falls High School, graduating in 1966. He attended college at the University of Maine, and that is where he met his wife Tabitha, who was also a student. In 1970, he graduated from the University of Maine at Orono with a B.A. in English, and his first child was born. Stephen worked as a high school English teacher for a few years in Maine while he started writing his first novel Carrie. Carrie was an instant hit and an overnight...

Words: 4074 - Pages: 17

Free Essay

Research Paper: Stephen King

...someone who everyone would be familiar with, regardless of whether they are a fan or not. I choose to write about the very famous author, Stephen King. Stephen King has always fascinated me, not only as an author but as a person. This is a man who seems to have an imagination that is never ending, with a soul and mind so dark, is it beyond compare. How else could you write and publish over 60 horror books? All of which are unique, intense, and ultimately terrifying. My question is, who is this person and what is it that inspires this creativity and horror? As a child, I grew up in a household of readers. There was never a time I that I can recall my mother, father, brothers, or myself not having one or more books that each of us were reading. My mother’s favorite author was (and is) Stephen King. There was something that intrigued me about this, though I was not allowed to read most of his works for the longest time; of course my mother was concerned that they would be inappropriate for me to read. This only made the intrigue of the author that much more. Once I was old enough to begin discovering his works, I started to understand the attraction. He’s book were like mental train wrecks; there were times when all you wanted to do was put the book down, but couldn’t seem to do so. Even though I have known what a phenomenal author Stephen King is, I feel as though I have always had the burning question, what is it that inspires and drives him? He was the first thing to cross my...

Words: 3352 - Pages: 14

Free Essay

Popular Literature Paper

... The paper will identify the literary production of The Green Mile written in 1996 by Stephen King. The paper will provide a brief description of what the novel is about, Stephen King’s background, and rather the novel fits other literature of the genre. Furthermore, the paper will discuss the cultural significance; whether the novel is economically successful or has fan followings and also what cultural values are reinforced or challenged. Background The Green Mile is about a man that was sent to prison for the rap and murder of two little girls and a prison guard who over time believes in the man’s innocents. The readers believe in the man’s innocents from the beginning; since, many times when and African American is put in prison in the beginning of a story there is always an assumption that he or she is put in prison over something a Caucasian has done. The suspense in the novel makes it difficult to put the book down, just when the reader thinks that he or she thinks they know what will happen-something changes. Stephen King is known a writer of horror fiction; many of his stories have unsuspected endings. The endings of most of his work keep the reader in suspense wondering if there is going to be a sequel to the story and wanting more. The Green Mile is a piece of literature that fits into the fiction genre; however, it is not a piece that fits in with horror as the Stephen King is known for. This novel can most likely fit as a fictional history genre. The novel may...

Words: 911 - Pages: 4

Free Essay

Reflection Essay

...CWV-101 March 29th 2014 Joe Stanley Role Model Review Outline Directions: * Identify the worldview of the role model you chose. Their worldview will be one (or a combination of two for some of the role models) of the worldviews that we have discussed in this course. * Write an Introduction of 3-5 sentences to set up the purpose of the outline. Include the identification of the worldview of the person you chose in the introduction. * Write a Thesis Statement. This should appear at the end of your introduction in the final draft of the paper. A sample thesis would look something like: Martin Luther King Jr.’s worldview can be seen in the way that he viewed family, the nature of God, and social issues. His view of these three topics will be compared with my own. * Address each question with a topic sentence (the first sentence in the paragraph) and 1-2 additional sentences (“a” = 1 sentence / “b” = 1 sentence). In the topic sentence you should clearly identify the topic being discussed. A sample topic sentence would look something like: Martin Luther King Jr.’s worldview can be seen in how he views the issue of family. * Write a Conclusion of 3-5 sentences to wrap up the purpose of the outline. In this paragraph you should explicitly state why you do or do not consider the individual you wrote about to be a role model. * Write your References in GCU style: These should be three academic references that you will use and cite throughout your...

Words: 773 - Pages: 4

Free Essay

Monarch and Democracy

...ENGL 1301 MR. James Ford 15th June, 2016 Compare and contrast between the Democratic and monarchy system around the world as the people of the modern world would like to be a part of the government with their opinions and views A thesis with an annotated bibliography Even though monarch is one-man rule, but people prefer democracy over monarchy because, it’s the people’s opinion that creates democracy, democracy does justice to all and it reduces the risk of new oppressed coming up. Large, Stephen S. Monumenta Nipponica 57.2 (2002): 239-42. Web. Stephen S. Monumenta Nipponica is a book that shows the history of the Japanese Emperor and the monarch rule of the ancient times and the circumstances and Situations people were put into and compares it with the democracy of the present Time world in Japan. Cannon, John. The English Historical Review 122.497 (2007): 804-05. Web. The English Historical Review by Cannon. John describes about the modern world Democracy and explains its advantages. “democracy cannot possibly mean that people will rule themselves. There is no conceivable mechanism that would achieve such a thing, it does mean that people have at least some choice of their rulers, and some slight influence over them.” LOCKHART, Bruce M. Sojourn: Journal of Social Issues in Southeast Asia 19.2 (2004): 308-12. Web. Bruce M. Sojourn:...

Words: 435 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Federalist Articles

...The constitution can be defined as the supreme law of the United States of America,that establishes rules and distinctive powers of the federal Government. Keith Whittington on his report,How to read the constitution, precisely defines the constitution as “an act of communication, of instruction, from the supreme lawmaker within the American constitutional system to government officials. It conveys their intentions as to what power government officials would have, how that power would be organized, to what legitimate purposes that power could be used, and what limitations there would be on that power”(Whittington,2006). On looking at the constitution written by our founding fathers,it clearly begins by explaining why it was established and the underlying reason of protecting and upholding the fundamental values and interests of the American people.It starts by declaring “We the people of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America”(The constitution,1787). In article one, it talks of the representation of all the states and rotational election of senators(which I think is important in a democratic government) as well as the making of the necessary laws empowering the government in its execution of...

Words: 2742 - Pages: 11

Premium Essay

Nat Turner Character Analysis

...way, the role of significant revolutionaries to the attainment of freedom is equally important.  One of the most significant characters was Nat Turner who life and activities are clearly reconstructed in Stephen Oates’ the Fires of Jubilee. Ideally, it is reasonable to assume that prior to many of the events leading to the civil war, the white and black children were living peacefully with each other. But of more importance however, is the role that religion played in enhancing the events as explained in the Fires of Jubilee.  To understand the issue further, the essay’s focus hopes to analyze the various aspect of the book; the Fires of Jubilee.  Ideally, the author argues that regarding Nat Turner’s rebellion, oppression is an equally similar occurrence to violence and whose price is like a double-edged sword. This means that the rebellion...

Words: 785 - Pages: 4

Free Essay

Beowulf Essay

...English reader. The most recent adaptation was director Robert Zemeckis’s Beowulf, which starred actors such as Anthony Hopkins and Angelina Jolie. Using “performance capture technology”, the movie uses digitally enhanced live action to make a world that looked animated. The movie stays faithful to the old story with the characters and events, but there are many differences that separate the film from the book. King Hrothgar is depicted not as a noble king, but a miserly man full of guilt. Rather than being portrayed as a noble hero, the Beowulf in the movie is a flawed character who succumbs to his desires. Grendel’s mother is a seductress who tempts Beowulf with promised wealth in Zemeckis’s version, and was originally a ferocious creature akin to Grendel. Compared to Seamus’s literature version, director Robert Zemeckis’s film Beowulf introduced humanistic flaws of sin and guilt through his portrayal of Hrothgar, Beowulf, and Grendel’s mother. One of the characters that changed in the movie version of Beowulf was King Hrothgar. In the literature, he was a respected and noble king who was admired by his countrymen and was generous in rewarding his troops. Full of wisdom and knowledge, he served as a role model for...

Words: 1559 - Pages: 7

Premium Essay

Storm Dancer Analysis

...offence. Shock. Anger. Don’t panic. Negative book reviews, especially those that are potentially malicious, are near the top list of nightmare scenarios for every writer. You have been putting your heart and soul into pursuing your passion. So it is understandable when you would like to act first in the face of negativity and have regrets later. Please don’t! Hold your tongue.
 It makes no difference if you won the Pulitzer Price, or if you teach English in high school classes, or how many books you have sold. Check it out, many negative reviews show up on Bestseller...

Words: 1112 - Pages: 5

Free Essay

Colonialism in Braveheart

...then begins setting the tone for the movie, telling of how King Longshanks has claimed Scotland’s throne for himself. We then meet the main character, William Wallace, as a child, just as mysterious violins begin to play and set the tone for the dead bodies, which are about to be found. At the end of the scene William’s brother and father leave William behind when to go to fight, they don’t return to him alive. This whole first segment sets up not the full story, but also allows for William’s character to develop and the audience to attach to him and sympathize with him. Within the first 15 minutes of the movie our main character has lost everything he knew to the English. While William watches his father and brother get buried, the main recurring song in the movie is heard for the first time. This song will play many times throughout the movie and connect William’s character back to his roots. To bid farewell to William’s family, some of the villagers are said to be playing “outlawed tunes on outlawed pipes (Braveheart).” This is the last we see of the child William Wallace. The film then cuts to the King of England, Edward the Longshanks. He is marrying his son to the princess of France. The King has been busy trying to form a way to gain full control over Scotland. First he suggests buying off the Scottish nobles, or maybe sending his own nobles to Scotland, but these ideas are both shot down by his advisors. The King then decides to reinstate the law, primae noctis, which allows...

Words: 1311 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

Defining Words for Worship

...2013 TABLE OF CONTENTS Underlying Assumptions and Principles of this Study 3 Introduction 3 Thesis Statement 3 Musical Praise and Worship of the Lord 7 Frequency of the Usage, the Greek and Hebrew Translations of the Words: Glorify, Serve, Honor, Humble, Exalt and Delight 9 Conclusion 11 Figure 1 – Number of Occurrences of each Word in the KJV Bible and its Components 13 Figure 2- Illustration of the Greek and Hebrew Translations, Frequency of the Usage of each Word in the KJV Bible 14 Bibliography 15 UNDERLYING ASSUMPTIONS AND PRINCIPLES OF THIS STUDY All studies are founded upon certain principles and concepts. This study is based on the definition, translation and the number of occurrences of six words in the King James Version of the Bible. The six words which will be reviewed are: glorify, serve, honor, humble, exalt and delight. In order to properly address these six words, the principles which are discussed by Hill and Tracy (2003) will be explored. Introduction In the early 1990’s, Andrew E. Hill published his treatise which is titled: Enter His Courts with Praise: Old Testament Worship for New Testament Church. Hill dedicates the content of this treatise to one component or another of worshipping the Lord in the context of the Old Testament. The vocabulary words which are applied in the Old Testament are reviewed. The production of biblical histories is reviewed. The holy places, actions and forms are reviewed in this essay. This analysis...

Words: 3688 - Pages: 15

Premium Essay

Nat Turner's The Fires Of Jubilee

...Jubilee was researched and written by Stephen B. Oates his expertise being biographies of 19th century historical figures. The book is written as a dramatic narrative, but the research into the ambiguous character of Nat Turner and the events surrounding his life is thorough and extensive. A more perfect and horrendous thought experiment about political ethics, divinity, and morality and could not have been imagined than the real life events that preceded, culminated in, and followed the slave rebellion of Southampton...

Words: 1192 - Pages: 5

Free Essay

Perks of Being a Wallflower Movie Versus Book

...Courtney Vargas C. Abbott English 102 May 2, 2013 The Perks of Being a Wallflower: Which is better, the movie or book? Being nominated for awards from groups such as Toronto International Film Festival, Writers Guild of America for Best Adapted Screen Play, and Detroit Film Critics Society for Breakthrough Artist, Best Screenplay, and Best Supporting Actor, and winning Independent Spirit Awards for Best First Film and Boston Society of Film Critics for Best Supporting Actor, it is no wonder that The Perks of Being a Wallflower is described as a “heartfelt and sincere adaptation that is bolstered by strong lead performances” (Rotten Tomatoes, 2012). Just as far as the movie goes, The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a story to remember. Stephen Chbosky is not only the author of The Perks of Being a Wallflower book, but is also the director of the movie. Taking place in the early 1990s, The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a story of a teenager who is starting high school and his experiences through his freshman year. Charlie, the protagonist, is a loner entering high school and shortly after entering his school he essentially gets adopted into a group of smart, outcast seniors. His two best friends in the group Sam and Patrick, “seniors, stepsiblings, and self-defined misfit toys” (Chaney, 2012), give Charlie the time of his life his freshman year meeting new people through parties, football games, The Rocky Horror Picture Show and trying new things that most high school students...

Words: 2205 - Pages: 9

Premium Essay

Babylon and the Old Empire

...Research Paper The Babylonian Empire and the Old Testament Submitted to Dr. Curtis Fitzgerald, Ph.D, In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the completion of the course OBST 520 LUO (Summer 2014) Old Testament Orientation II Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary Marcus Banks-Bey_L2444950 June 29, 2014 Thesis Statement This research paper will discuss, and review the history of the Babylion Empire, its rulers, and the Empire’s influential relationship upon some of the major events which developed within Old Testament literature. Introduction Through my research, it is my intent to identify significant points within the history of the Babylion Empire, including its origins, development, expansion, eventual decline, and why it became a focal point of many of the major events of the Old Testament. From the Great Empire of Akkad, Babylon became a major seat of learning, culture, and technology. More than simply a city-state of defiance, and sinful practices, Babylon’s influence, very often viewed through a negative scholarly lens, shaped the history of Asia Minor, Northern Africa, and the world when approached from a biblical standpoint. As such, Babylon remains a critical, powerful nation in relation to its nation-state of Israel, and Old Testament history. Nimrod The Cushite The first nation-state identified within contemporary Biblical literature is the land that is “Ethiopia”, as mentioned...

Words: 3302 - Pages: 14