C King is very ,very good.
592014
I , as everyone else love it this is my 3rd copy and the reason I never loan out music.
4194427
This book sees Stephen King as a very matured writer. I have probably read some 36 of his books over the years, and there was none I was looking forward to as much as this one. He said he wanted to write it in the 70s, and I'm so glad he didn't.

What Mr. King has put together here was a very well researched book about the history of the Kennedy assassination as a time travel story, and also a good novel with heart and soul, with his protaganist Jake. Oh, I don't want to give away anything. It is just a wonderful, wonderful novel from a man who has really made his place among American novelists, and I highly recommend it.
462349
One of King's earlier pieces, it is extremely well-crafted and intriguing.
1236908
As always, King provides the best.  Even the 'not so deep' ones keep me reading to the last, if not in one sitting, then no more than two!
1148632
I thoroughly enjoyed this even if it was a bit choppy. Typical King. References to characters from previous books is always a pleasant surprise. I wish it was longer.
3593803
First, I'm an avid Stephen King fan.  I'm pretty sure I've read all of his books but I don't think I can say I've read every word he's written....but I have to be close.  After reading Just After Sunset, I'm convinced that King's true talent lies in the short story/novella sphere.  He is a master at developing stories and characters quickly and like a spider can spin his web with perfection.  His novels, all of them, are worth reading.  You won't be sorry having invested the time with any of them, but his true masterpieces are in his collections of short stories and novellas.

Just after Sunset is comprised of 13 stories, many published previously.  For example, The Cat From Hell was originally published in 1977.  King displayed, even then, his willingness to experiment with publishing.  Originally, only the first 500 words of Cat From Hell were published in Cavalier.  Readers were invited to finish the story and the completed work was published later the same year.  The story has been published, revised, and then published again.  The story was also used in Tales From the Darkside. Others, such as Willa are recent creations and are a treat for the mind.

"N" continues King's willingness to experiment in getting his stories out to the public in innovative ways.  The short story "N" was the basis for the animated series of the same name.

Harvey's Dream, originally published in New Yorker in 2003, is a story of fathers, daughters, and dreams and is a read that will keep you interested throughout.

Of all the stories included in Just After Sunset, my favorite is Stationary Bike.  Richard Sifkitz has a belated physical and learns that his cholesterol is extremely high; dangerously so.  Like so many of his generation he decides to get a stationary bike to exercise and hopefully ride off his health problems.  Unlike many of his contempories, however, Richard rides his workout machine.  He rides and he rides and he rides.  He decides to paint a mural in the room he rides in to give him something to look at while he's working out.  As in all of King's work, the simple mural turns out to be unique and Richard's bike takes him on trips he really doesn't want to make.  This is a riveting story and is worth the cost of the book by itself.

Other stories of note (my opinion only) are "The Things They Left Behind", "Graduation Afternoon", and "The New York Times at Special Bargain Rates".

I especially appreciated the last section, Sunset Notes, comprising King's own thoughts about each of the stories in the collection.  I always like the special note he includes to readers at the end of many of his books.

Thank you once again Stephen King.  "And the beat goes on!"

Peace to all.
1473045
Great song selections. The King at his best. I recommend it.
912942
I guess I am one of Stephen King's "constant readers" as I've read everything he's ever written and loved a higher percentage of his work than any other author I can name.

I am not however a King fanboy that just loves whatever he writes.

11/22/63 is the best >>story<< King has written in a long time. It's got an undeniable hook in that anyone my age did see it as a watershed event, so it is quite a grabber as a topic.(Yes I remember where I was when Kennedy was shot...also where I was  when Bill Mazeroski won the 1960 World Series that George bet on!)

But the part that I particularly enjoyed was that it was not about "mind-bending paradoxes of time-travel". Thank you, Stephen, for that. You kept it simple. It was a love story with a lot of unusual context, I'd guess I'd call it. But most important of all as SK has said many times, "It's all about the story!" I loved the story and the characters, especially Sadie.

I read a lot....mysteries, biographies and what I might call fantasy/mystery like Jim Butcher's Harry Dresden stuff. In many so-called page turners, you fly by a lot of the text paying light attention on the way to the exciting conclusion. 11/22/63 is almost the reverse...I found myself wishing it was longer as I was reading it. It was an engrossing and thoroughly enjoyable >>story<<.

I saw the unavoidable references to "IT" and the clown Pennywise and Derry of course, but I didn't feel like I had to call upon my two readings of the Dark Tower series recited backwards and a decoder ring to enjoy this story thoroughly.

Stephen, this constant reader will remain so as long as you are kind enough to share your story-telling ways with us. The really good ones are old-timers, so you may just be coming into your prime! Look out, readers!
1117455
In my humble opinion, this is one of King's best novels in years.  I was worried at the length of the book, thinking the story might get bogged down in places.  I was pleasantly surprised that it kept me fully engrossed throughout.  In fact, the last half of the book which focuses on the Kennedy/Oswald storyline was a page-turner for me.  I finished the last 400 pages in a day.  The characters are well developed.  The time travel aspect (always a fun topic for me) was well presented.  Although there is some violence throughout, it is fairly tame in that regard when compared to some of King's other more "horrific" works.  In other words, don't avoid this because you don't like the horror genre.  This one is different and offers something for almost everyone.
4460025
There's a new King in town.  Stephen Kings son is writing under the name Joe Hill.  Its worth a read.  He has his own sense of timing and takes readers on fantastic stories.  He deserves a serious look.  Check him out.
4249489
I really enjoyed my time reading 11/22/63. There is not one boring part. The suspense is ratcheted up to an amazing degree. I admired how much research King did to make this whole thing seem authentic. Though he never lets that get in the way of telling a compelling narrative.

One of the story lines that I thought would for sure not work was the love story. Man was I wrong. I started caring about that thread just as much as Jake/George's upcoming date with destiny.  The whole appeal of the small town that he settles into is such a great honey trap.

There was one major thing that stopped me giving this five stars. *******Major Spoilers********* Once he has won out and he returns to the present to find the world has gone, and getting worse I had a sinking feeling in my stomach. I do not demand happy endings, I just want to know that the story had some impact. That the main character left an lasting impression. Though once he comes back and sees what he has done, I thought King had written himself into a corner that I wasn't sure he was going to be able to write himself out of. In my opinion the ending left me shrugging my shoulders. The only thing that the main character had been able to accomplish is the piece of mind, of the memories that he gained in his journey. If you cannot save Kennedy I am fine with that. What I am not fine with is the characters journey and the 25 hours I spent with him was all for naught. In the end he just resets it gets the benefit of remembering. That would be fine for a short story but I felt cheated at the end. ********End of Spoilers*******

Though even though I didn't care for the ending this is still a fantastic read. I got many hours of enjoyment out of it. I love how he never makes it easy on Jake/George. I would pay again just to revisit some of my old friends from Derry.
474206
For the most part, I lost interest in King's work back in the late 1980s, when his unique talent for spinning horror-yarns was (in my opinion) on the wane following a number of 1970s/early 80s novels & short story collections that still qualify as American masterpieces of the genre. The occasional novella or longer work caught my eye and intrigued my sensibilities over subsequent years, but I felt King had generally devolved into a curious mediocrity as far as the bulk of his material was concerned.

It is with pleasure that I give this new collection of four short stories an enthusiastic five stars, each one of those stars hard-earned by an author who is hopefully enjoying a long-overdue rennaissance. In 'Full Dark, No Stars', King returns to the economic brilliance and uncanny command of narrative that characterized his best work from bygone days. Each story, in its own way, basks in deceptive simplicity at the surface and then dives deep into primordial wellsprings of terror. A dusty farmer and his son plot unspeakable acts of violence amid the cows and chickens. A bored, declining authoress is "rejuvenated" in all the wrong ways by an unexpectedly insidious shortcut. This is fine stuff. King has always been at his best, of course, when he utilizes the mundane to prod at and prey upon the innate fears of his audience. That talent has been resurrected to visceral effect once again. Gone are the superfluous detours and distractions of some earlier efforts, along with King's previous tendency to, at times, heap his idiosyncrasies one atop the other as a substitute for compelling ambience. The writing is deliciously tight. The characterizations are organic and, thankfully, not overwrought. The effect is fingers-down-your-cerebral-cortex disturbing.

King has always excelled at meeting the demands of the short-story format, and even though there are only four, here, 'Full Dark, No Stars' represents his best, most cohesive collection to date. Excellent, keep-you-up-til-midnight work by a master, not only of horror and suspense, but of American writing, period. Just grand.
362597
I'm not going to waste a lot of time with Stephen King's myriad awards, honors and accolades.  What I will say is that he's written over fifty books, most of which I've read, and he continues to surprise and amaze me.  The dude is just plain good.

  Based on the dust jacket alone, Mr. Mercedes  is a novel that, had it been written by anyone else, I probably wouldn't have bothered with.  A troubled man steals a car and drives it into a crowd of unsuspecting people at a job fair, killing eight and injuring many more.  That's the opening scene in a nutshell, which seems like an appropriate enough metaphor since the man behind the senseless murders is obviously crazy.  I'm not into gratuitous violence.  I'm not into a lot of blood and gore.  Why would I read a book that starts like that?  Two words--Stephen King.

  Yes, King is often labeled a horror author and some of his novels, especially the earlier  ones, tended to get rather gruesome.  He can make your spine tingle and your blood run cold but he has a whole lot more than that in his tool box.  Mr. Mercedes is a classic suspense novel.  Opening scene notwithstanding, there's nothing horrific or even remotely supernatural, another Stephen king trademark.

  Bill Hodges is a retired police detective.  He spends his days watching television, feeling sorry for himself and thinking seriously about eating his father's old gun.  Then, a mysterious and disturbing message brings him back to the one big case he was unable to solve when he still carried a badge.  The killer was dubbed Mr. Mercedes and he was never made to pay for his crime.  Getting away with murder wasn't good enough.  He wants to taunt and tease and torment..  It also becomes clear he's planning another attack.  This one could be even more deadly and hit a whole lot closer to home.

  Mr. Mercedes is vastly different than what might once have been considered a typical Stephen King novel.  Remember Christine?  That 1958 Plymouth Fury seemingly possessed by the devil?  That car killed a lot of people too, and that's really where the comparisons end.  I know of many life-long book lovers who won't read Stephen King because of the type of writer they think he is.  Quite simply, they're wrong and it's most definitely their loss.  I give Mr. Mercedes five stars, and that's something you can expect from Stephen King novel almost every time.
851134
Also very well written, very well performed, have some news for you: Somewhere down the line I believe that Allen King is my cousin, I believe he is like my fourth cousin.
3627143
Most SK fans will tell you that what makes King such a great writer has little to do with the scary plot line and almost everything to do with character development - this ability to get inside the characters' head and allow you to identify with them on an almost intimate level. This is also the difference between a merely ok (or bad) King novel and great one.  Sometimes he's pouring his soul onto the page - other times he's blowing his nose on it.

This is Great Stephen King.

Starting with the primary character who finds the "thing" in the forest, adding her long time friend and lover, then weaving outward to encompass the entire town, these are all believable, likable (or not) characters with textured lives reacting to a super natural event.

Others have summarized the plot. I just reread it after 19 years and enjoyed it more than I did the first time.

The Tommyknockers definitely rates in the top 5 on my SK list.
2505681
What can I say that hasn't already been said about this book? "11/22/63" was everything that I wanted it to be. Great characterization, a solid plot, a significant number of twists and turns, and a satisfying ending were all part of this voluminous work. It's a better book than King's most recent humongous tome', "Under the Dome" if, for no other reason, because it's written with more passion (but I did like "UtD"). King's done his homework and really makes the reader feel part of the world of the late '50s and early '60s. Baby Boomers, especially, will relate to the many references to '50s TV shows, commercials, products, and the like.  The bottom line...King's legion of fans won't be disappointed because this is more like the earlier works of "The Master".  HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
3081999
One of King's best. It's not supernatural and it's not incredibly scary, but it's amazing if you like shows like Criminal Minds. You get into the head of the unsub and the head of the detective and it's a brilliant, jarring dichotomy of personalities and morals. In some ways you almost pity the "perk" (find out why I call a perp a perk by reading the book!) because his mother did quite a number on him. His backstory is just very good.