11/22/63

Stephen King, fiction, thriller, suspense

Plot: B    Characters: A-    Prose: A-    Language: C+ (Actually not too bad by Stephen King standards, fairly heavy at times, frequent f-bombs)    Adult themes: some sex, strong violence, abuse.

Overall Score: B (not too shabby, but not King's best by a long shot)

Fairly normal by Stephen King standards, the hero of this story is directed to a hole in time that opens on the same point in the 1950s. Events done in this past period effectively change the future, and horrific acts done int he past can be rectified, if approached thoroughly. However, the past is obdurate (a phrase seen often in the book). The vast bulk of the 800+ pages of this novel deals with the challenges the protagonist of the story encounters while trying to prevent the assassination of JFK.

Stephen King is one of my all time favorite authors. Nobody can put words on a page like he does, discussing the most mundane, everyday events in such a way that the reader cannot put the book down. I've read everything he has ever written, and one of my all time favorite books is King's 'Salem's Lot, but unfortunately 11/22/63 just isn't quite up to his normal riveting standards. Typically, I finish a 900+ page Stephen King book in as short as a couple of days (good thing I function just fine on little sleep...), but this one took more like a weekish to get through its 850 pages. A good amount of it is devoted to fairly repetitive dialogue and narration of events, which doesn't grab the reader as well as it could. The characters are quite well developed, perhaps better than most of King's other characters, and the relationships become the focus, which is a refreshing change. And it isn't as downright bizarre as many of King's other novels.

While slightly disappointing for a fan of Stephen King (his other recent works, Under the Dome and Duma Key, were more compelling than this book, if not quite as engrossing as his classic works), 11/22/63 was still a solid read.

I, Steve: Steve Jobs in His Own Words

Steve Jobs, autobiography, nonfiction, quotes.


Plot: NA    Characters: NA    Prose: B+    Language: A   Adult themes: some sex, strong violence, abuse, political intrigue.

Overall Score: B- (fine, but don't make it a priority)


This informal collection of quotes provides an interesting insight into the values and passions of one of the greatest minds of our time. Steve Jobs, best known for his work with Apple and Pixar, was an incredible man who fully comprehended the nuances to developing quality products, and ended up altering the concept of the personal computer forever.

While undoubtably interesting to the Steve Jobs-ophile, or to the aspiring business man who has the desire to change the world as we know it, most laypeople may find the majority of the quotes included to be less than inspiring. This book contains some true gems; however, I suspect that they would be readily found in other locations as well. And, obviously, this book is not intended to read like the typical autobiography, but more of a coffee table book that proves to the casual observer that the possessor is well-read and knowledgable. Yes, I think it may be geared toward a hoity-toity audience. Regardless, it does provide that insight into the workings of Jobs mentioned above. Not a must read for everyone, but well worth a casual look through.

 How appropriate that I read this book on my iPad.

Escape from Camp 14: One Man's Remarkable Odyssey from North Korea to Freedom in the West

Nonfiction, North Korea, Biography, Blaine Harden

Plot: A    Characters: A    Prose: B+    Language: B- (Regular bad language, authentic depiction of the language encountered. Not excessive, no f-bombs)    Adult themes: some sex, strong violence, abuse, political intrigue.

Overall Score: A (must read)

Escape from Camp 14 tells of the harrowing life and escape of Shin Donghyuk from a North Korean political prison camp, the only person born and raised within the confines of these camps to successfully do so. Political journalist Blaine Harden gives a brief, but fairly unbiased introduction to the political problems of North Korea to set up Shin's life, presenting the prison camps as comparable to the Soviet gulags and the Nazi concentration camps. This information is presented in a very matter-of-fact method, and Harden clearly tried to maintain a proper journalistic perspective when writing it.

Without giving things away, this book gives as authentic a look into North Korean prison camps as anything we have access to. Harden has checked his facts as much as he could, verifying Shin's story with other refugees from North Korea and political experts on North Korea. And what we find is truly shocking. The complete and utter lack of human decency depicted is a strong as anything I've read, although not sensationalized as much as it could have been. As he was born in the camp, Shin was suffering for his ancestors' mistakes, following the policy that political enemies' families should be punished for three generations. He didn't even experience the (relatively) normal society and life that the 23 million North Korean citizens experience outside the camps. Shin grew up competing for food from camp authorities with his mother and other family, and was instrumental in turning his mother and brother in to the authorities, which ultimately ended in their public executions with Shin sitting in the front row. He didn't have anyone truly show him that they cared about his welfare until he was well into his adult years. And an estimated 200,000 or so political prisoners are continuing to experience those hardships even now.

While Harden does an excellent job of illustrating Shin's life and experiences in a clear and concise manner that shows proper reverence to the subject matter, he does seem to hedge and cover himself a bit excessively. He also ends the book on a less powerful moment, as he moves into the issues that Shin has encountered as he tried to adapt to a more functional society, instead of the climactic escape. I do understand that he is trying to maintain a proper journalistic perspective, but with just a touch more literary-esque approach, the story would be more effectively told and received. By Harden's own admission, this book was written to help increase world knowledge of the North Korean prison camps, and its current approach doesn't leave the reader on a particularly high note. He also touches on several significant ideas that are not developed properly.

Regardless, this is a powerful and poignant reminder of the atrocities currently being committed by a corrupt and powerful government, impacting millions of people. While the themes are undoubtedly adult and no punches are pulled, it is a must read. The plight of the North Korean people is tragic and the world should be aware.

Read on May 28, 2012