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infinite_kay's review against another edition
4.0
I finished reading Under the Dome about a month ago and had so many thoughts and comments that I wasn’t able to write a review that made sense. Now, the Domealong event has come and gone, and it it finally time I put fingers to keyboard to make sense of all this. I decided to do it in simplicity with general themes, rather than sharing every single thought I had when reading the book – and with 1074 pages to read, there were a lot of thoughts!
I was pleasantly surprised with my reading. I had heard comparisons of Under the Dome to The Stand, and I can see why (though The Stand remains my favorite of the two). The cast of characters is huge and King writes even the smallest ones with many layers of complexity. I’ve always thought that one of King’s strengths, as a writer, were the characters, and Under the Dome is no exception.
While I was completely taken by the characters and anxious about the story, I felt immensely let down by the ending. The book was a clear 5 stars novel until I reached the end, but the way the Dome was finally explained felt like an afterthought, like the author suddenly remembered “Hey, I should probably find an explanation for that thing”. I wanted something that would blow my mind, but it didn’t. Sigh. Also, too many dead dogs. Can’t you keep a pet alive for once, Mr. King?
What I take away the most though, and this is a constant theme is Stephen King’s work, is the nuances of good and evil depicted in the story. There are some horrible characters in there, but my reactions to them weren’t the same. For instance, there was something extremely miserable about Junior and the main reason he was acting the way he did, and while it would never excuse anything (I don’t think something this horrible could eve be excused!), I didn’t hate him as much as his father, who made his crimes with much more calculation. I also wondered; would Junior be the same, or act the same if it wasn’t for what pushed him over the edge? With a father like Big Jim, and the relationship he had with him, I tend to think that he probably would.
More interestingly, King explores different shades of good and evil not only in his characters, but also in the reader. Through all the violence, it’s easy to position ourselves as good people, thinking we would act differently; yet there was one scene where I found myself having very little sympathy for a character suffering from a very violent event (for those who read the book, I’m talking of the supermarket scene; I think you’ll know who I am hinting at here!) It really made me question myself, and my reaction to this violence. It’s easy, it seems, to cheer on violent acts when the villains are being punished, yet that was an extremely uncomfortable moment for me.
All in all, despite a very weak ending, I really enjoyed Under the Dome. Unlike its TV incarnation, it was a vivid story of humanity, of good versus evil, of deep and complex characters struggling to stay alive. I’m not sure which King novel I’ll be reading next, but I know this certainly wasn’t the last!
(on a side note, I love love love, that cover; it’s so perfect, I couldn’t imagine a better one)
I was pleasantly surprised with my reading. I had heard comparisons of Under the Dome to The Stand, and I can see why (though The Stand remains my favorite of the two). The cast of characters is huge and King writes even the smallest ones with many layers of complexity. I’ve always thought that one of King’s strengths, as a writer, were the characters, and Under the Dome is no exception.
While I was completely taken by the characters and anxious about the story, I felt immensely let down by the ending. The book was a clear 5 stars novel until I reached the end, but the way the Dome was finally explained felt like an afterthought, like the author suddenly remembered “Hey, I should probably find an explanation for that thing”. I wanted something that would blow my mind, but it didn’t. Sigh. Also, too many dead dogs. Can’t you keep a pet alive for once, Mr. King?
What I take away the most though, and this is a constant theme is Stephen King’s work, is the nuances of good and evil depicted in the story. There are some horrible characters in there, but my reactions to them weren’t the same. For instance, there was something extremely miserable about Junior and the main reason he was acting the way he did, and while it would never excuse anything (I don’t think something this horrible could eve be excused!), I didn’t hate him as much as his father, who made his crimes with much more calculation. I also wondered; would Junior be the same, or act the same if it wasn’t for what pushed him over the edge? With a father like Big Jim, and the relationship he had with him, I tend to think that he probably would.
More interestingly, King explores different shades of good and evil not only in his characters, but also in the reader. Through all the violence, it’s easy to position ourselves as good people, thinking we would act differently; yet there was one scene where I found myself having very little sympathy for a character suffering from a very violent event (for those who read the book, I’m talking of the supermarket scene; I think you’ll know who I am hinting at here!) It really made me question myself, and my reaction to this violence. It’s easy, it seems, to cheer on violent acts when the villains are being punished, yet that was an extremely uncomfortable moment for me.
All in all, despite a very weak ending, I really enjoyed Under the Dome. Unlike its TV incarnation, it was a vivid story of humanity, of good versus evil, of deep and complex characters struggling to stay alive. I’m not sure which King novel I’ll be reading next, but I know this certainly wasn’t the last!
(on a side note, I love love love, that cover; it’s so perfect, I couldn’t imagine a better one)
annacrouse's review against another edition
5.0
I first attempted to read this book 3 years ago and stopped around page 700 due to lack of motivation. I have since then started back at the beginning of the book and read it all the way through. I absolutely love this book, the characters and the plot pulls everything together. This is a longer read, 1000 pages, and it's definitely worth it. The pace of the book is a little slower than other books I've read, but it still keeps the reader's attention. Out of all the characters in the book, my favorite would be Barbie, Big Jim, and James O. Cox. Barbie for his intelligence and problem solving skills. Big Jim for being an interesting antagonist and seeing his thought process throughout the novel. James O. Cox for seeing his outside perspective on the dome. I'd recommend this book to anyone that likes longer novels, science-fiction, and mystery.
rosecontreras's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
why
automatichumanoid's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
bbrassfield's review against another edition
5.0
Holy shit. I mean HOLY SHIT!
In the afterward Stephen King talks about how he wrote this novel to be intentionally fast paced and when he would write a passage that disrupted this flow, his editor would remind him to keep his foot on the pedal. The result is a very long novel that reads like a story that is much shorter. This is mostly owing to how difficult it is to put down the heavy tome that is Under the Dome. King's foot to the pedal works. He doesn't always write like this but the pace sets the tone, which is impressive when you consider that the expansive cast of characters trapped under the dome requires a lot of deft plotting to pull of a novel of this scope. Under the Dome succeeds greatly on several levels, but I think the one that hits the hardest is the lessons in empathy and the roundabout way the architects of the Dome factor into this part of the story. Under the Dome also features one of King's great villains in Big Jim Rennie. Big Jim encapsulates several characteristcs of modern America so well that his brand of evil has proven somewhat prophetic for our own time fifteen years later. Ultimately I think this novel is about the need for more empathy in our little lives, at least in the grand scheme of the things that is the larger universe in which we exist.
In the afterward Stephen King talks about how he wrote this novel to be intentionally fast paced and when he would write a passage that disrupted this flow, his editor would remind him to keep his foot on the pedal. The result is a very long novel that reads like a story that is much shorter. This is mostly owing to how difficult it is to put down the heavy tome that is Under the Dome. King's foot to the pedal works. He doesn't always write like this but the pace sets the tone, which is impressive when you consider that the expansive cast of characters trapped under the dome requires a lot of deft plotting to pull of a novel of this scope. Under the Dome succeeds greatly on several levels, but I think the one that hits the hardest is the lessons in empathy and the roundabout way the architects of the Dome factor into this part of the story. Under the Dome also features one of King's great villains in Big Jim Rennie. Big Jim encapsulates several characteristcs of modern America so well that his brand of evil has proven somewhat prophetic for our own time fifteen years later. Ultimately I think this novel is about the need for more empathy in our little lives, at least in the grand scheme of the things that is the larger universe in which we exist.
redchinese19's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
s_nebulosa's review against another edition
challenging
dark
informative
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
jcoryv's review against another edition
5.0
The best thing King has written in a long while-- I really enjoyed this book... 9 out of 10, but I'm giving the nudge up to 5 Stars.
I've talked to a friend who wasn't crazy about it, and read some mediocre reviews as well. But it boils down to entertainment when I read a book, and it was definitely entertaining.
I could nitpick, but I won't. I also won't be kicking any ant hills any time soon.
I've talked to a friend who wasn't crazy about it, and read some mediocre reviews as well. But it boils down to entertainment when I read a book, and it was definitely entertaining.
I could nitpick, but I won't. I also won't be kicking any ant hills any time soon.
jehibdon82's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
gsciolla's review against another edition
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0