Under the Dome

Under the Dome by Stephen King

Hardcover: 1088 pages
Publisher: Scribner
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1439148503
ISBN-13: 978-1439148501

From Publisher's Weekly: King's return to supernatural horror is uncomfortably bulky, formidably complex and irresistibly compelling. When the small town of Chester's Mill, Maine, is surrounded by an invisible force field, the people inside must exert themselves to survive. The situation deteriorates rapidly due to the dome's ecological effects and the machinations of Big Jim Rennie, an obscenely sanctimonious local politician and drug lord who likes the idea of having an isolated populace to dominate. Opposing him are footloose Iraq veteran Dale “Barbie” Barbara, newspaper editor Julia Shumway, a gaggle of teen skateboarders and others who want to solve the riddle of the dome. King handles the huge cast of characters masterfully but ruthlessly, forcing them to live (or not) with the consequences of hasty decisions. Readers will recognize themes and images from King's earlier fiction, and while this novel doesn't have the moral weight of, say, The Stand, nevertheless, it's a nonstop thrill ride as well as a disturbing, moving meditation on our capacity for good and evil.

Famous for writing horror books that contain vampires, ghosts, space aliens, the devil or demonic clowns, King has now given us something that is even more scarier - the human mind. What could be more scary than to have a large group of people confined to one area and shut off from the rest of the world?

The town of Chester's Mill gave me visions of the supermarket from THE MIST, only on a larger scale. Corrupt minds, religious fanatics and a thirst for power are capable of pushing certain people beyond the grip of what is normal. For those of you who thought there could be no one as evil as Randall Flagg (THE STAND), you haven't seen anything until you see 2nd Selectman Jim Rennie. Wrapped up in a religious package with a two-sided agenda, Rennie welcomes the mysterious dome that has enslaved his town. Now he has the opportunity to do the one thing he wants most in the world - control an entire town and have the people worship him as their savior.

Full of political maneuvers and corrupt law enforcement, with a little science fiction thrown in, UNDER THE DOME is a testament to the power of story telling that only King is capable of. Although 'SALEM'S LOT, THE STAND and THE DARK TOWER series will always be my favorite books by the master of horror, this new tome will have a place of honor with my King collection. Worthy of reading more than once, although you may have to fight carpal tunnel syndrome just to hold this book up while reading.

I am, and will always remain, a Constant Reader; and I thank you Mr. King for another great read!

Free Flowing Friday

So much is going on/has happened this week:

1.) Too many deaths this week: Ed McMahon, Farrah Fawcett, Michael Jackson and James Baker Hall. You've probably heard of the first 3, but unless you live in Kentucky, you probably don't known the 4th. James Baker Hall was a wonderful Kentucky author and he was our state's Poet Laureate from 2001 - 2003.

2.) Missing my youngest daughter so very much! She will finish up her first week of work at the Governor's School for the Arts and from all indications, she is having a wonderful time. This is the first time in almost 27 years that I have not had a child at home. I'm not liking the empty nest syndrome!

3.) Read 2 books this week: PYRES by Derek Nikitas (a KY author) and SKIN TRADE (Book #17 of the Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter series) by Laurell K. Hamilton. These were 2 totally different kinds of books, but both were great. Yesterday, I started on DUMA KEY by Stephen King - this one goes back to his beginning roots. I had quit reading King over the past few years because I was happy with several of the books, but he has redeemed himself with this one (and JUST AFTER SUNSET). I am eagerly awaiting his fall release, UNDER THE DOME.

4.) Hoping my oldest daughter and new son-in-law get home from their honeymoon in Myrtle Beach happy, safe and sound. I can't believe it - I'm now a mother-in-law! If you haven't had a chance to see the beautiful wedding photos, you can see them here.

5.) I started a FaceBook group this week for my writing group - The Community of Mercer County Writers. It is our plan to provide writing prompts or "spring boards" for area writers. The name of the group is Nomadic Ink and you can check us out on FaceBook. You can also check out our blog: Nomadic Ink.

6.) Today ends my first full week of being a local gardener examiner on Examiner.Com. Thanks so much to everyone who has visited my page and for your kind comments. Now that the wedding is over, I'm hoping to be able to devote more time to this page.

Way Back Wednesday - 'Salem's Lot

I have totally shifted gears with this week's Way Back Wednesday and I'm going to highlight a book instead of a movie.

With all the hubbub about the possiblity of a new Buffy the Vampire Slayer movie - without Joss Whedon, I may add - I've been thinking about my favorite vampire novels. 'Salem's Lot is the very first book I ever read of Stephen King's, starting a 32+ year obsession. 'Salem's Lot is also the first vampire book I read, although my love of vampires started in 1966 with Barnabas Collins on Dark Shadows.

'Salem's Lot is a 1975 horror novel written by Stephen King, and was his second published novel. The title King originally chose for his book was Second Coming but he later decided on Jerusalem's Lot. The publishers eventually shortened it to the current title, thinking the author's choice sounded too religious.

Ben Mears, a successful writer who grew up in the (fictional) town of Jerusalem's Lot, Maine (or “The Lot”, as the locals call it), has returned home following the death of his wife. Ben plans to write a book about the Marsten House, an abandoned mansion that gave him nightmares after a bad experience with it as a child.

The Marsten House has been purchased by Mr. Straker and Mr. Barlow, a business pair who plans to open an Antique Mall, even though Straker is the only one who is ever seen in public. The arrival of this pair in town coincides with the disappearence of a local boy, Ralphie Glick, and the suspicious death of his brother Danny.

Over the course of the book, the town is slowly taken over by vampires, reducing it to a ghost town by day as they sleep.

King has stated that during a high school class he taught, he was inspired by Bram Stoker's Dracula and wondered what would happen if Dracula lived in 20th century America. King originally wrote of Jerusalem's Lot in a short story which was eventually published in the collection Nightshift. He is said to have also drawn heavily from the works of H. P. Lovecraft.


The novel has been adapted into a television mini-series twice, first in 1979 and then in 2004. The novel was also adapted by the BBC as a seven part radio play in 1995.