11/22/63

There are writers who simply are destined to become a legend. Michael Crichton. Clive Barker. Stephen King. Especially King is perhaps the only author in the world whose name is familiar to all - even those who have not read even one book in their life. This is not accidental - even aside from the fact that the adaptation of his novels and stories are more numerous even than his own works, ranging from very mediocre (The original "Shining" - I am Kubrick fan, but the movie just is not at the level of the book is simply not acceptable for a director of this caliber, "The Dead Zone" - not the show, the movie), through the "medium good" ("IT", "Pet Sematary," "Running Man") and finally to the startling masterpieces ("The Green Mile", "The Mist", "The Shawshank Redemption", "Misery" ...). I think, however, that even without the thousands of movies and shows on motives of King (or his original scripts), his name would still be synonym for qualitative and legendary author. Why? Quite simply - because King is a master storyteller whose writing style is simply no equal. When King finished his "Magnum Opus" - the legendary fantasy series "The Dark Tower", there were rumors that King retired from business. He himself had mentioned it several times and everyone expected that the final, titanic seventh volume of the saga will be the last meeting with the master of the thriller. Fortunately this did not happen. King did not give up - on the contrary, he gave us new novels, some of which were good, but not as much ("Duma Key"), and the majority - wonderful ("Under the Dome", "Full Dark, No Stars"). Now, finally, came perhaps the strongest novel in his work so far. "11/22/63".

But what exactly is it? Science Fiction? Romantic drama? Alternative history? Psycho thriller?

Little bit of everything.

But mostly "22/11/1963" is a kind of reverence to America in the late fifties and early sixties - years, through the prism of us who live in the twenty-first century seem so distant, so naive and different as if they never existed. From present day, high school teacher Jake Epping finds himself in the past - five years before the Kennedy assassination, and must learn to get used to these strangers to him ever. And while the day when the young teacher (under the name George Amberson) will try to prevent the assassination of the president and change the history, coming, Jake will experience many things - he will find love, will visit drenched in dark aura town of Derry, Maine (chilled of evil, named simply "It")...

No, there is no slimy monsters or deserted towns, inhabited by crazy kids. Do not look for, because you will not find them. But you will find the one true King. The characters are living, breathing and you just can not help but love them (or hate to death), atmosphere that has always been among the strengths of the King is so solid and real. After all - "In the kingdom of the tale, the writer is king." And Stephen King is one of the few "King of Kings."