Initial Observations About Under The Dome
Under The Dome is one of the better Stephen King novels of recent years.
I enjoyed Blaze, with its homage to Of Mice and Men and what I considered a dash of Cormac McCarthy's No Country for Old Men. Yet, I still feel ambivalent toward Lisey's Story, which had its moments, but had a better book cover; it was a tough read. Duma Key, on the other hand, offered tons of memorable scenes. Which says a lot, since the last first-person novel he wrote and that I read (that I can remember) was Christine and it was another book I didn't enjoy. I think because it didn't seem the narrator (whose name I can't even recall and won't take the effort to research) didn't seem to change throughout the course of the novel. You could tell it in the way the character related events; he sounded like an ass, offended that the universe dared to spoil his teenage years. King's use of first person in Duma Key showed a range of emotion and it was a pleasure to sink into the head of Edgar Freemantle (no problem remembering that character's name).
So far, I'm a little more than a week into reading Under The Dome, more than a quarter through its 1,000-plus pages, and the experience reminds me of those days when I sat down and read non-stop. The book builds a hell of a lot of momentum in a few short pages. It's difficult to put down. My muse is wearing her plot hat, trying to figure out what's going to happen and why things started in the first place (even analyzing the cover for nuances, for heaven's sake); it's a rush trying to finish while I still appreciate how well King builds character and shows different places.
For example, one of the main characters references our sitting President as the "Blackguard-in-Chief," as well as a "pro-abortion son-of-a-buck" and "you monkey." I don't know King's political affiliation, and it doesn't much matter, because whatever his beliefs, I applaud his audacity. Just ... wow. :-)
I enjoyed Blaze, with its homage to Of Mice and Men and what I considered a dash of Cormac McCarthy's No Country for Old Men. Yet, I still feel ambivalent toward Lisey's Story, which had its moments, but had a better book cover; it was a tough read. Duma Key, on the other hand, offered tons of memorable scenes. Which says a lot, since the last first-person novel he wrote and that I read (that I can remember) was Christine and it was another book I didn't enjoy. I think because it didn't seem the narrator (whose name I can't even recall and won't take the effort to research) didn't seem to change throughout the course of the novel. You could tell it in the way the character related events; he sounded like an ass, offended that the universe dared to spoil his teenage years. King's use of first person in Duma Key showed a range of emotion and it was a pleasure to sink into the head of Edgar Freemantle (no problem remembering that character's name).
So far, I'm a little more than a week into reading Under The Dome, more than a quarter through its 1,000-plus pages, and the experience reminds me of those days when I sat down and read non-stop. The book builds a hell of a lot of momentum in a few short pages. It's difficult to put down. My muse is wearing her plot hat, trying to figure out what's going to happen and why things started in the first place (even analyzing the cover for nuances, for heaven's sake); it's a rush trying to finish while I still appreciate how well King builds character and shows different places.
For example, one of the main characters references our sitting President as the "Blackguard-in-Chief," as well as a "pro-abortion son-of-a-buck" and "you monkey." I don't know King's political affiliation, and it doesn't much matter, because whatever his beliefs, I applaud his audacity. Just ... wow. :-)