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
Cultural depictions of Stephen, King of England Henry II, the first of the Angevin kings. Stephen is a prominent character in Sharon Kay Penman's novel "When Christ And His Saints Slept," portrayed as a loving husband and good warrior, but an indecisive monarch who cannot control his barons. King Stephen is depicted in Ellis Peters' historical detective series "Brother Cadfael", which take place during Stephen's reign. He appears in two of them. "One Corpse Too Many" (1979), set in August 1138, takes place against the background of Stephen's conquest of Shrewsbury and his decision - described as "uncharacteristically harsh" - to execute all members of the former