I don't remember whose recommendation convinced me to pick up this book; just that it was along the lines of “this isn’t the Stephen King you read in your teens”. And it sure isn't. 11/22/63 was unexpectedly good: powerful, moving, with deeply human characters facing extraordinary challenges.

Tome-length jokes aside, King’s writing is crisp and riveting. It was hard to put this book down. The story is a good one and the protagonist/narrator exquisitely self-aware; we feel his conflicts. King has matured tremendously. (Or is it me? If I reread his 1980’s work will I find this level of compassion and intelligence?)

Unfortunately for me he still feels the need to infuse some mumbo-jumbo: the past “harmonizing” with itself, two aura-of-evil presences, and a sort of sense of a Grand Scheme Of Things. Not much, just very light occasional sprinklings, but enough to drop to four stars. I guess I'm sensitive to those.