Under The Dome

In this day and age, I think that Stephen King's new novel Under The Dome can be best summarized as comparable to Chaucer's Canterbury Tales on a steroid cycle. King has written so much (and writes a lot of off the wall novels) that it can be daunting to choose what to read of his and what to skip. Yes, a Maine resident saying that you should skip some Stephen King, crazy I know, but, in all fairness, I also would like to point out that this is the first full on recommendation that I have done and could think of no other author more fitting than Stephen King. This book gets a strong recommendation from me if only for the novel's characters. I will admit some perverse desire to explore within myself, through books and movies, the drive to survive apocalyptic situations too.



This novel, however long and heavy (literally) it might be, should not be skipped. It is a study of small town life and the ever-present corruption of power on ordinary citizens and fear of our impact on the environment that everyone should read and reflect on wrapped up in a sci-fi thriller with absolutely incredible characters throughout. There are some cringe and bile inducing parts, but they are few and far between, at least as King books go. It is the interaction of the town's heroes and villains that makes this book a great read.



Why I Think You'll Like:



While this is a sci-fi novel, it deals with a lot of the make up of a small town, breaking this dynamic down with some stereo typical characters. However, for those that like to hate, the main villain is great. "Big" Jim Rennie jumps off the page and manipulates everyone that he can possibly turn. When he can't, he takes to killing them with outright maniacal energy. The combination of cerebral and physical threat works incredibly well.

It works well as a doomsday scenario, albeit extremely selectively with only one town sequestered off from outside contact. The dome coming down and all that happens as a result is handled masterfully. King is in his top form as far as pace goes. The description of the "Dome Day", as he calls it, makes it palpable and fear inducing. You don't know what is going on any more than the residents do when everything first happens.

As with many other of his novels, King uses every demographic to tell a story. Everyone, from old to young, has their time in the spotlight. From the teen aged "Scarecrow" McClatchey to "Sloppy" Sam Verdeaux every generation is accounted for. The novel really digs deep to fill in the town and it's residents, to make them as real as possible. King has always been good at this, but here he truly makes it seem effortless. Growing up in Maine may help quite a bit with this perception, but anyone with small town knowledge will be able to relate.

Why You May Dislike It:

If you have never heard the term "suspension of disbelief", this is a device to "justify the use of fantastic or non-realistic elements in literature" (Samuel Coleridge). If you cannot fully commit to the shared illusion that there is a giant invisible dome over this town that completely cuts them off from the outside world, than I suggest that you find another book. This is meant to be a ride. Along the way, the author waxes philosophical, but he does so through the filter of characters and situations.

Another downside to the novel is having such a Machiavellian character as "Big" Jim that you need a hero to provide the yin to the yang and bring balance to the novel. Here, King falls a little short. There are certain qualities that Dale "Barbie" Barbara possesses that would qualify him as a good hero, but if you look at the make up of the book, King has him incarcerated for a good portion of it. I think the author has split him in two among Dale Barbara and Eric "Rusty" Everett, a small town physician's assistant who risks a lot in trying to keep the town healthy and sane. Between the two main Rennie detractors, we get a hero of two parts.


Also, I tend to dislike the fact that King will sometimes, at the end of a paragraph, tip his hand as to what is going to happen next with a single line. "It was the last time he would ever see her again" is what I am referring to here, and it is this kind of statement that drives me up the proverbial wall. I prefer to be surprised, at least a little bit, with the events unfolding just as the action and dialogue allow. King's use of omnipresent narrator has bugged me for a little while now, but only with this example in this new novel did it really bring me down.

In Summary:

I thought that the book, while it is long (1074 pages to be exact), read very quickly for me. I haven't really touched on a lot of the characters and scenarios that unfold because, well, I hate spoiling things for people. (NEVER ask me what happens next while watching a movie because I won't tell you.) I think what most people will take away from this book is the abuse of power motif and the threat to the environment that King bludgeons you over the head with, repeatedly. In some interviews I had read, he said that we are all "under the dome" and need to pay attention to what we do everyday that can effect this very fragile ecosystem. A good message, but one that gets lost among the Jim Rennie's and Rusty Everett's of Chester's Mill. There are a couple of references to his other works, incorporating the Dark Tower theme that everything is intertwined which should make some die hard King fans happy. I thought it was definitely worth the time and effort. If anything else, it will help you build up forearm strength as you try to read it in bed.