Reviews tagging 'Religious bigotry'

11/22/63 by Stephen King

9 reviews

adventurous emotional tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: No

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slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: No
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

The first and likely the last Stephen King book I will ever read. I only finished it because it’s this month’s book club book. I am not sure if Stephen King has ever met a woman, and if he has, if he’s ever talked to one at length. You could argue that it is just the character, but I think we are supposed to like the main character, so I think it may be indicative of King’s beliefs. Either way, the time travel aspect was interesting but the second the one-dimensional love interest, Sadie, was introduced I was annoyed from there on out. The way he described women, usually on looks alone, was problematic and infuriating. And of course this straight white man enjoyed the late 50s and early 60s. Who cares about racism and sexism if they don’t affect you? Or better yet, work in your favor!! The main character has a savior complex, a virgin fantasy, and desperately wants to be told he’s right. 

Some notes I took while reading:
• Excuse me, the 16-year-olds dancing was “sexy?!” Creep.
• Sex as the cure for a headache from almost OD-ing?! You wish, Stephen. 
• Yes, I’m sure her most pressing concern after being traumatically attacked by her abusive ex-husband is how she looks in front of her current boyfriend.
• SADIE “THE VIRGIN” AS HER IDENTIFIER?? SERIOUSLY.
• Yes, because she needs a man to make her obviously very accomplished life worthwhile. 
• And I hated the frequent use of phrases like “smoothly naked” and “her formidable bosom.” 

In conclusion, I would hate to be written by Stephen King and I wish I could unread this book.

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adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful informative mysterious tense slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

One of Stephen King's best books.  Well researched and thorough.  Exciting storyline 

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adventurous dark tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: No

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adventurous mysterious tense slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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reflective slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Plot
Strong character development: No
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

To be honest if this wasn't written by Stephen King it would have been one of my rare DNFs.
But I kept going because hos books so often start slow building a base for the action, this was the first of his books I finished still thinking it was boring.

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adventurous challenging emotional funny hopeful informative mysterious reflective tense fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful mysterious sad tense slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus: No

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dark emotional tense slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: No

Stephen King's "11.22.63" was just not my cup of tea, really. I plodded on through the chapters in a dozy fashion and at the end of three days of the book, I can proudly say I'm done.

I will give King credit, the Kennedy Assassination is a complex and long-winded network of errors in the US police force and special forces, including the FBI. The concept was interesting, but the story just felt drawn out and intercepting moments did not need to happen. Unlike other King stories, I wasn't sold on the relationships between the protagonist and his beau. The leading man Jake Epping/George Amberson and the bonny young lass sidekick Sadie Dunhill spend most of the novel together and yet I did not feel the chemistry. 

I will argue, I prefer King's horrors to his other genre-branches, and thus I'm biased against King on this 740 page book that spent 500 pages setting up the actual "book" itself. 

I apologise, Mr. King, for such a harsh critique. I commend the interesting take on a time-travel story, quite a classic in the genre of sci-fi, and bringing it to its unique selling factor: Jake Epping himself. If it were not for the main character's 'I'm just a simple man here to kill the president's assassin' persona, I would not be sold. But Jake is the average American male, a respected teacher, a citizen concerned with maintaining friendships with the elderly. Just off to kill Lee Harvey Oswald.

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