11/22/6311/22/63
Score Modern
What it's about
Jake Epping, a high school English teacher in Maine, learns that the local diner holds a portal to 1958. The diner's owner, dying of cancer, gives Jake a mission: live in the past for five years and stop Lee Harvey Oswald from assassinating John F. Kennedy. Jake settles into life in a small Texas town, falls in love, and discovers that the past doesn't want to be changed.
Why it's worth reading
It was a #1 New York Times bestseller and became a Hulu series. Many readers who don't usually read King call it their favorite of his books, a time-travel thriller, love story and portrait of America in the early '60s.
You'll love it if you liked
The Stand
Doomsday Book
The Dead ZoneGood to know
It's not horror. It's long, and the middle is a slow, lovely stretch of small-town life.
By the numbers
- Readers93 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics0 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Bestseller87 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #14 of the 313 science fiction books we rank
- #67 of the 1,573 modern books we rank
- #124 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Adventurous
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Quick answers
Is 11/22/63 worth reading?
Yes. It was a #1 New York Times bestseller and became a Hulu series. It ranks #124 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 85.9 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is 11/22/63 about?
Jake Epping, a high school English teacher in Maine, learns that the local diner holds a portal to 1958. The diner's owner, dying of cancer, gives Jake a mission: live in the past for five years and stop Lee Harvey Oswald from assassinating John F. Kennedy. Jake settles into life in a small Texas town, falls in love, and discovers that the past doesn't want to be changed.
How long does it take to read 11/22/63?
About 18 hours (740 pages), or about 5 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after 11/22/63?
If you liked it, try The Stand by Stephen King, Doomsday Book by Connie Willis or The Dead Zone by Stephen King.