11/22/63 "the work of a master craftsman" but commented that "the wires go slack from time to time" and the book wanders from genre to genre, particularly in the middle. More pointedly, "Los Angeles Times" book critic David Ulin called the novel "a misguided effort in story and writing"; Ulin's primary criticism is the conceit of the story, which requires the reader to follow two plotlines simultaneously – historical fiction built upon the Kennedy assassination as well as the tale of a time traveling English teacher – which adds a page load to the novel that Ulin found excessive. On September
King of California and her manic depressive father, King of California is a charming tale of familial relations and treasure hunting". On Metacritic, the film had an average score of 63 out of 100, based on 22 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews". "New York Times" film critic Stephen Holden described "King of California" as "a sequel of sorts" to "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" (1975), noting the similarity between the characters of Charlie and Randle McMurphy (played by Jack Nicholson) in the two films. Praising Michael Douglas' acting as "his strongest screen performance since "Wonder Boys"," Holden concludes that "King of California"