Tanzina Tabassum Nova
What would you do if you could change history? 11.22.63 by Stephen King tells us a story about what might happen if someone gets this chance.
Jake Epping is a high school English teacher from Lisbon, Maine, in the USA. Incidentally, he finds a way to travel back in time. In 2011, he discovers that he can go back to a certain time in the past when he can try and prevent the assassination of the American president John F. Kennedy, and thus change the course of history forever. Jake decides to take on this seemingly impossible task. He goes back in time and, with some difficulties, tries to blend in with that time and society. He even manages to fall in love.
However, as the story progresses, we come to know that the past is obstinate, and it resists any change. The bigger a change you try to make in the past, the greater resistance you will face. Therefore, to create such a massive change, like attempting to prevent the JFK assassination, naturally, Jake would have to overcome a great many hurdles. Does Jake succeed in his mission to save JFK? If yes, does the world in 2011 remain the same when he comes back from the past? Does it get better? Or does it get worse?
Stephen King needs no introduction. He is an amazing storyteller, who can take weird, unbelievable plots, and weave brilliant stories out of them. In my opinion, the most attractive part of his writing is his detailing. He also has a knack for diving deep into the characters’ minds. Some might complain that he drags his stories unnecessarily, which makes them dull. However, I personally never felt that. In its 740 pages, not once did 11.22.63 lose its charm. I thoroughly enjoyed all the detailing and the psychological aspects of the characters. One other interesting thing about the book is the description of America in the 1950s and the 1960s from the perspective of a person from 2011.
Overall, I had a great time reading this book. I hope other readers will also enjoy it as much as I did.