Wall Street Journal: 11/22/63 Is A Deeply Researched Novel

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online.wsj.com

Alexandra Altar has a fantastic, and thorough article about Stephen King in the Wall Street Journal.  Altar calls 11/22/63 a "deeply researched, something he's never done before."

King described writing historical fiction  "Like learning to wear a new pair of shoes."  Altar says that King has grown "increasingly private" but in person he appears "relaxed, profane and unguarded, discussing everything from his love of dogs, especially corgis, to his aversion to cell phones, which he called "slave bracelets." Eating a cinnamon bun in his kitchen, he spoke about how his sons Joe and Owen, both writers, tend to show their manuscripts to their mother rather than him."

The New Stephen King:

King reveals in the interview that he hopes this novel will reach a new -- wider -- audience.   Altar quotes King, "This might be a book where we really have a chance to get an audience who's not my ordinary audience.  Instead of people who read horror stories, people who read 'The Help' or 'People of the Book' might like this book, if they can get the message." 

Scribner is seeking to "rebrand" King, Altar says, aiming at history buffs.  Does that mean constant readers are likely to walk away?  No way!  Most of us don't read King just for the scares, we read him because no one else in the world can tell a story the way he does.  His -- voice -- speaks to us in a way no one else really does.  That doesn't mean we only read King, but it does mean that for many of us, only King consistently connects with us.

If anyone is actually concerned King is making too big a break with horror, remember, he is currently writing a sequel to The Shining!

In the research process, Altar reveals that King had dinner with Doris Kearns Goodwin -- the author of one of my favorite books, Team of Rivals.  Team Of Rivals tells the story of Lincoln's cabinet, how they didn't get along, and the presidents ability to benefit from a very diverse group of people.

35 years in the making:

Everyone is always interested in where an idea came from.  So. . . where did 11/22/63 come from? 
Altar says the idea for the novel "first struck him in 1973, when he was on the brink of publishing his first novel, "Carrie," about a bullied teenage girl with psychic powers. At the time, Mr. King felt the historical novel required too much research, and greater literary chops than he possessed. Though Mr. King doesn't keep a writer's notebook—"The good ideas stick," he said—the idea lingered for 35 years."

Altar promises that though this is new ground for King, it still bears many of his trademarks.   She calls it "ultra-violent" and suspenseful with "supernatural overtones."  I think what many of us like about King is not just that he is violent or supernatural -- it's that he's not afraid to let the story take any turn it needs to.  He doesn't kill people just for the sake of killing them -- that would be Richard Laymon!  But he has no fear of letting to story take the path it needs to without his own self imposed limitations.

11/22/63 Connects To IT !

Altar also reveals that the new novel contains some characters from IT.  It would actually be unusual for King not to connect a novel to his other works.

The article is here.  Be sure to watch the video as well as read the article.