Book Title: Under The Dome
Pages: 1074
Publisher: Scribner
Genre: Horror/Science Fiction
(Scale Explanation: 1) Meaning awful, 5) Meaning not good, but not bad, equal, 10) Meaning wonderful)
PLOT - 10
CHARACTERS - 10
BEGINNING - 10
ENDING - 8
FLOW - 10
OVERALL - 10
What I liked about this book:
What was there to not love about this book. You will see when you read on, but what I liked was the characters. Each one had their own life and Stephen King divulged things about their lives, he also showed you there personalities. There were so many characters, but it was so well written that I was still able to keep up with almost every one of them. I love how Stephen King can make you feel the most utter despair that you have ever felt by reading the written word. I love how he made me feel the gut-wrenching terror whenever it reared it’s ugly little, or in this books case, huge disfigured head. The book is very fast-paced, which I like because it was a page turner even at 1000+ pages. I loved the descriptions of places. I loved the research that Stephen King had to do, because wow, there were some interesting things going on in that book. I love how is not afraid to tackle anything there is to write about and tackle it head on. I loved the Woodchuck, though I will never look at one the same way ever again! LOL Through and though, this book really was a great read.
What I disliked about this book:
The ending was a bit abrupt, even though it turned out to be the ending that I would have wished for, it still just seemed rushed. Almost as if he was approaching a deadline and had to write it really fast. I’m not saying like the last hundreds of pages, I’m saying the very last chapter that is only a few pages. It just gave me a feeling of being rushed. I mean, the ending was a great way to end the whole book, but not the way he did it. It just wasn't fitting to me.
Who I would recommend this book to:
Anyone that is a fan of Stephen King and his remarkable work. Anyone that enjoys a book that you have to devote yourself to. Anyone that enjoys a good gut-wrenching terror inducing read. Anyone that enjoys horror. Anyone that enjoys science fiction.
What I felt the book was about:
The way I see it with this book, if I went through and wrote what I truly felt the book was about, it would take about five other blogs to do this and the reader(if there truly are any) would have grown a long white beard by the time they finished, so I’ll just touch on it.
Dale Barbara is a retired Iraqi war veteran and he lives in Chester’s Mill, Maine, but the day that the dome comes down over the entire town, he was on his way out. Only he was stuck, because the pretty young blonde girl driving the old truck didn’t stop when he waved. Hitchhiking is just not a good idea anyway. Basically as the dome comes down over the town, tracing the exact shape of the towns border, many things happen and Stephen King illustrates these with the most detailed and descriptive words that I have ever seen used when describing deaths and slicing. I’ll leave that part at that.
As the town is trying to piece together what has happened, there are many things going on all at the same time, there is a murder, Big Jim Rennie, a local used car dealer that has other ways of making his millions is trying to take over the town. Only he is smart about it. He uses his fellow Selectman, Andy Sanders to be his front man. Basically, he owns the town.
Colonel Cox, Barbara’s old Army Colonel contacts his via Julia Shumway’s cell phone. Miss Shumway is the local newspaper editor, and she basically writes most of the stories. They get in contact and it comes out that the President has promoted Barbara to Colonel so that he can take charge of the situation inside the dome, though Jim Rennie hates Barbara because of his run-in with Junior Rennie, Big Jim’s son.
Junior Rennie has issues of his own, including a terminal brain tumor that not really anyone knows about, except for the town doctor that expires shortly after the first day under the dome.
There were so many characters that it would be difficult to explain the stories that all of them are included on, but in the end Stephen King brings them all together and he does it brilliantly.
Moving on, Big Jim decides that he can pin the now 4 murdered bodies on Dale Barbara so that he can maintain control of the town. All of the kids in the town have had at least one seizure and all are saying the same things, things that make absolutely no sense. The bigger picture is they do, but that isn’t found out until later. There have been numerous suicides and Big Jim has appointed many of the town hooligans to be honorary police officers given the situation. This is not good because just about all of them end up abusing the power that Big Jim bestows upon them.
Meanwhile, the old police chief who was one of the casualties of ‘Dome Day’ has a very smart wife, she is also very curious and digs in her late husbands computer files and finds a file that he was putting together with the help of the DA against Big Jim Rennie, it seems as though he has something to do with a Meth-producing business and has made butt loads of money that way. They have everything they need to end Big Jim Rennie’s reign. Barbara gets arrested and is held for a few days before the people that are on Barbara’s side decide to break him out.
The US government has proclaimed the day ‘Visitor’s Day at the Dome.’ A day for the families that have family members inside the dome to visit them. It all goes to hell. Basically, there is an explosion which is also, in a slightly obscure way, connected to Big Jim, though also hugely connected to him as well. The explosion fills the dome with non-breathable gases and those that survive the fire are left to die from inhaling the fumes. The Barbara’s side peeps had broken him out and went to the far end of the dome, the US Government has set up fans to blow as much air as possible into the dome, there is a small amount of oxygen and water vapors that can make it though, bit not much.
Barbara’s peeps go to this side of the dome, because Colonel Cox had told him to find a Geiger Counter and this side of the dome is where they found the dome generator. Whatever was keeping it there.
From this point, I’ll leave out the details, but this is where they all decide that they have to try to get the dome lifted, or they will all die.
Favorite excerpts or quotes from the book:
““Minions,” Junior whispered. “Just another one of Big Jim Rennie’s filet minions.”” – Page 825
“”I’m the wolf now,” he whispered to the hot and empty house, “I’m the werewolf, and I saw Lon Chaney dancing with the queen.”” – Page 849
If I put my absolute favorite quote up, it will give away the whole entire book, so I’m not going to do it, just read it, you won’t be disappointed.
Love the review Paige. I just finished it today. I agree with much of what you said, although I didn't feel the ending was rushed. Instead I felt the pace picked up to make it impossible for me to put down for the last few chapters. But I can see, after reading it over again because of your observation, where some might feel he kind of abruptly said, "This is the end now folks. Like it or lump it."
ReplyDeleteI'm eager to know what your favorite quote is, would you post it in the pub?? Please.
I love that Junior quote. God he was such an awful, nasty, weird, wonderful character.
Maybe I really felt rushed because I was reading it like I felt rushed because I wanted to know what happened. :)(tongue-twister)
ReplyDeleteHaha. I agree. Junior's mental issues were very interesting and he turned out to be one of my faves, even though he was awful...ly fun to read about.