Under the Dome: A Novel

King Is On Fire Again!

UNDER THE DOME is an incredibly long journey (1,000 + pages!) hinged together by some very simple concepts, but it works like a charm. I'm happy to report that Stephen King is back, and better than ever- the man's writing is on fire again, especially after a few novels that, while good, just didn't seem to measure up to his well-known and loved capabalities (including LISEY'S STORY, CELL, and DUMA KEY). Don't get me wrong- those are good books, just not MASTERPIECES- like UNDER THE DOME. DOME feels like it could've come from King's late '70's or '80's heyday and really reminded me, in many ways, of classics like IT, THE MIST, THE TOMMYKNOCKERS, and THE STAND. Not that it 'copies' any of these per se, but the sheer abandoned enthusiasm that you feel resonating off the pages is just so evident with DOME- you feel it from the opening chapter and it makes the book extremely addicting once you start it. You just won't want to stop reading- so be sure to have plenty of time available when you start this classic, epic tome. The story is simple- a small Maine town is encompassed by an invisible force field, cutting it compeltely off from the rest of the world. No way in, no way out. The Army, the Government...the world...must just watch helplessly, like the town residents are goldfish in a bowl. All rescue attempts fail, including a full-fledged missle attack on the mysterious force field that has encompassed its five mile radius. Even though there are wicked, supernatural forces at work when the 'why this has happened' is revealed, this is truly a back story when compared to the evil that some of King's characters do. In particular, there's town selectman, used car salesman, religous zealot, and meth drug dealer Big Jim- who pretty much tries to become the dictator of the isolated city, no matter who gets in his way. His actions---and the townsfolks' misinformed reactions--are pretty much what propels the novel into NEEDFUL THINGS territory, not to mention a soaking blo...