Under the Dome

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Under the Dome

Manufacturer: Hodder & Stoughton
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Product Description

The achievement of Stephen King is unlike that of any writer. He has taken a genre which was somewhat moribund when he came to it -- the horror novel -- and transformed it into one of the most phenomenally successful areas for quality popular writing -- what's more, his unprecedented sales success has inspired hundreds of imitators, and while few can match his inspiration (or, for that matter, his jawdropping productivity), there is no question that he has rejuvenated the horror field. Not that King confined himself to the strict parameters one might associate with the genre; several of his books -- such as this latest one, The Dome, stray into science fiction territory). But King’s achievement doesn't end there -- such is his influence over other genres (notably the crime and thriller field) that writers in those genres have been obliged to up the ante in terms of gruesome compulsiveness (Thomas Harris’ Hannibal Lecter books, for instance, owe much to the King transformation of the popular literature field). And as for that loaded world – ‘literature’ -- isn't Stephen King reputed to be the author who has brought quality writing into a field not noted for such things? (Not, that is, since the halcyon days of Edgar Allen Poe in a previous century). Is that claim true of the new book?

So... The Dome. This massive novel, 25 years in the writing (if Stephen King is to be believed), is quite his most ambitious project, and brings to mind earlier blockbuster novels which aficionados considered to be among the writer's best work. Something like the basic premise here may be found in a classic piece of British science fiction, John Wyndham’s The Midwich Cuckoos (filmed as Village of the Damned). In that book, a village is isolated by an invisible force field -- and in the King novel, the residents can no more get out than the outside world can enter. John Wyndham's narrative involved the insemination of the women in the town by unseen alien presences, but Stephen King in The Dome has chosen to work in a different area. When the small New England town of Chester's Mill is cut off from the outside world by a mysterious force, all the laws of physics seem to be up for grabs; cars leaving town come up against invisible barriers, and there is death and mutilation for whatever was caught in the boundaries of an invisible field. Inside the dome, the inhabitants of the town deal with the catastrophe in a surprising (and often alarming) variety of ways: ex-military hero Dale Barbara has already come up against the antisocial elements of the town, and has been trying to get out. But the self-styled boss of the town, the demagogue Big Jim Rennie, soon establishes a Machiavellian control (another echo of the books of John Wyndham, in which catastrophe always throw up vicious, fascist-style leaders who capitalise on the disaster).

As ever, King develops his massive dramatis personae with great assurance, and demonstrates once again that his imagination in terms of plotting is as strong as ever. Those, however, who have made a case for King as a quality writer rather than a great popular entertainer will not find much ammunition for their arguments here, but this great sprawling canvas affords many pleasures. --Barry Forshaw

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Wish it wasnt but this is a fail

Review Date: September 2, 2010

Reviewer: Martin, United Kingdom

I am a long time fan of Stephen King and really wanted this book to be a return to form. But sadly it isn't. There are just too many fail points:
- Its a huge book with a cast of hundreds but no real characters. Most fall into simple 2D categories: goodies, baddies and cannon fodder. Barely any have any depth. This is epitomised by the hero, "Barbie", he feels like a shadow of Jack Reacher but isn't anywhere near as interesting. There are a few honourable exceptions, Sammy, Rusty, Julia and Horace come to mind. Burpee too once he appeared (too late). And what a shame to leave the one real King creation to the close. Had the Chef made an earlier appearance and taken a bigger role this could have been a very much better book. (Fwiw my plot would have him as the main evil with Big Jim just a hapless small town politician/bigot struggling to contain events way beyond his capacity).
- The time line. All the events are meant to take place in a few days. This just takes credulity and stretches it way beyond breaking point. OK the folks in the Mill have it a bit rough. But over time millions have had it much, much worse (miners in Chile right now for example) and not imploded. According to the plot the vast majority of people in the Mill had pretty much given up all hope after just a couple of days. Unbelievable and a little sad wrt the human spirit. I gave up after a while, to keep my belief I had to expand time so every day that passed became a week.
- The macguffin and consequent ending. When first discovered the cause of the dome has a mystic symbol written on it. Translated this says "This is a plot device who's main purpose is to allow the author to engineer a situation of his choosing without having to explain it." As for the ending, well.. boringly predictable in terms of who makes it and who doesn't. Believable? Interesting? No. (I've rewritten so that the bunker had ample supplies of food/air. The dome just goes away as mysteriously as it came leaving Big Jim as the sole survivor.)
(small point on the ending btw. cars need to breathe too. That's why they have air intakes.... If conditions is as bad as described then the car they drove in would most likely have broken down. I had to rewrite as I went along so they used the Prius instead...)

So in summary. An OK read that will pass the time provided you leave your brain on idle. But if you want cut out heroes and villains read Jack Reacher first. And if you want a real King brick of a book with characters who live and an evil that really disturbs then read (or re-read) It.

not sure why this is listed in the childrens section?

Review Date: August 30, 2010

Reviewer: 1jim, Nottm UK

As per title, dont know why this is listed in the childrens book section?

Im not bashing the book, have ordered to read on my kindle when it arrives, just think that the listing is a little "odd"...perhaps older children maybe?

Excelent Read

Review Date: August 29, 2010

Reviewer: Oakey,

This in my opinion takes Stephen King to a whole new level. Set in the recent past this book follows a town of people who are trapped under an invisible dome. The way it has been written is a bit hard to grasp at first but makes the story more like an account of a real event made by Stephen King than a story.
Recomended read.

Usual great King characters but plot is lacking

Review Date: August 27, 2010

Reviewer: mo,

If you're a big fan of Stephen King you're gonna buy this book regardless of any review. However, you'll be pleased to hear that you won't be disappointed with this one. Buy it!

The dome situation is a good storyline but loses some credibility when the plot accelerates faster than a speed-freak on crack. I mean King could have gradually built up the introduction and wound the clock on three months but instead opts to commence the madness almost immediately. There are a great cast of characters (always the best thing about King's books) and best of all are the bad guys. The baddies are superb. Not because they are axe wielding homicidal maniacs but because they are exactly the same people you meet in any small town. There are a helluva lot of characters in this book and at first I found it a bit hard to keep up. So I Googled the book and printed out the character list which made following things much easier. I just wish I could have found a decent map of the town instead of the scant outline.

The descriptions and interactions of the townsfolk and their sub-plots are great and far overshadow the "real story" which although it provides some mystery, ultimately lets you down with a rather lack lustre finish. In saying that, I loved this book, I think it's probably his best since The Stand (and of course the Dark Tower series). Not least because Big Jim Rennie is my favourite character since Harold Lauder.

Recommended for fans of Stephen King but won't appeal to everyone.

Same ol' same ol'.

Review Date: August 27, 2010

Reviewer: Blitzkrieg111, UK

Not a disappointing Steven King, just seriously lacking in the horror elements that made him popular in the first place. The socio-political aspect of this book is interesting, although I don't think the dynamics are fully explored. However, the events do seem to play out believably enough. I couldn't help thinking though that for a book of this magnitude, the content could have been a lot more engaging. It held pace throughout, but just barely. Certainly not his finest work, but a decent story nonetheless.

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