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A review by tjr
Under the Dome by Stephen King
5.0
A novel of the scope and size of Under the Dome not only requires adequate time to actually read, but also requires sufficient time for reflection.
One aspect that I really enjoyed about Under the Dome was how epic it was on such a miniscule scale. Reading Under the Dome makes the reader realize (or, at least it made me realize) how time can be subjective: although the novel is concerned with about a hundred individuals, give or take, and the events take place during the span of about a week, the novel leaves the reader feeling as if eons and lifetimes have passed—which in a sense, I guess, they have.
Another thing that stuck me was how current Under the Dome really is. Although King claims that this is a novel that’s been brought back to life and resuscitated (originally conceived in the ’70s), the current incarnation of Under the Dome definitely takes place in the “here-and-now.” This novel incorporates contemporary issues: in politics, ethics, technology, religion and the environment. That is no small feat—but neither is writing a novel with 1,100 pages either. Size aside (or maybe because of it), I enjoyed how this novel brings contemporary issues to life through a cast of such animated and diverse characters.
There is a lot of food for thought in King’s Under the Dome, its breadth and scope can be overwhelming, and so I do not have a conclusive or all-encompassing, defining statement.
One aspect that I really enjoyed about Under the Dome was how epic it was on such a miniscule scale. Reading Under the Dome makes the reader realize (or, at least it made me realize) how time can be subjective: although the novel is concerned with about a hundred individuals, give or take, and the events take place during the span of about a week, the novel leaves the reader feeling as if eons and lifetimes have passed—which in a sense, I guess, they have.
Another thing that stuck me was how current Under the Dome really is. Although King claims that this is a novel that’s been brought back to life and resuscitated (originally conceived in the ’70s), the current incarnation of Under the Dome definitely takes place in the “here-and-now.” This novel incorporates contemporary issues: in politics, ethics, technology, religion and the environment. That is no small feat—but neither is writing a novel with 1,100 pages either. Size aside (or maybe because of it), I enjoyed how this novel brings contemporary issues to life through a cast of such animated and diverse characters.
There is a lot of food for thought in King’s Under the Dome, its breadth and scope can be overwhelming, and so I do not have a conclusive or all-encompassing, defining statement.