Book Review Thursday: Under the Dome by Stephen King

Paperback: 1088 pages
Publisher: Gallery Books; Media Tie-In edition (June 11, 2013)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1476735476
ISBN-13: 978-1476735474

On an entirely normal, beautiful fall day in Chester's Mill, Maine, the town is inexplicably and suddenly sealed off from the rest of the world by an invisible force field. Planes crash into it and fall from the sky in flaming wreckage, a gardener's hand is severed as "the dome" comes down on it, people running errands in the neighboring town are divided from their families, and cars explode on impact. No one can fathom what this barrier is, where it came from, and when -- or if -- it will go away.

My Thoughts:
Those who follow me know that Stephen King is one of, if not, my favorite author. There maybe many reasons why this is beyond his writing style. I tend to like many of the same books, movies and TV shows he does. We were both born on the same day, September 21st. Mostly, I think the reason why I am such a fan of Stephen King is because maybe we see many things the same way and his novel Under the Dome is one of the books I love most by this amazing author because of how he captured the deep down human nature inside each of us.

I know many King fans were not overly happy with this novel by our beloved author. I can understand a lot of their reasons for that, however, even though there is a lot of detail and at times the plot slowed down quite a bit, the intensity of the plot was amazing. I think as readers we may have overlook what King was trying to do with this novel (and a novel that took him a long time to complete). So what is it that I think King was trying to do? To give us a good look at human nature and how people, or "sheepeople" as my son and I like to call them, react under extreme circumstances.

I think Kay (Tommy Lee Jones) said it best in the movie Men in Black. "A person is smart. People are dumb, panicky dangerous animals and you know it. Fifteen hundred years ago everybody knew the Earth was the center of the universe. Five hundred years ago, everybody knew the Earth was flat, and fifteen minutes ago, you knew that humans were alone on this planet. Imagine what you'll know tomorrow."

Stephen King really showed in perspective exactly what Kay was talking about in Men in Black. So Kudos to you King for doing a wonderful job.

Comments

VBT-Guest Author Spotlight Donna McDine

Donna McDine is an award-winning children's author, Honorable Mention in the 77th and two Honorable Mentions in the 78 th Annual Writer’s Digest Writing Competitions. Her stories have been published in many print and online publications and her interest in American History resulted in writing and publishing The Golden Pathway. Donna has two more books under contract with Guardian Angel Publishing, The Hockey Agony and Powder Monkey . She writes, moms and is the Editor-in-Chief for Guardian Angel Kids and Publicist for the National Writing for Children Center from her home in the historical hamlet Tappan, NY. McDine is a member of the SCBWI and Musing Our Children. What excites you most about your book’s topic? Why did you choose it? The Underground Railroad was a pivotal time in American history, one that should never be repeated. It is my hope ...

Five Tips for a More Marketable Children’s Picture Book Manuscript by Mayra Calvani

The world of children’s picture book publishing is extremely competitive. If you’re an aspiring children’s author, you need to make sure your manuscript is in excellent shape and has all the elements editors and agents look for before you begin the submission process. Here are five tips to make your picture book manuscript more marketable: Start right with the problem. Many times beginner writers begin a picture book with back-story. It’s okay to have this back-story in the first draft, but be sure to get rid of it when you edit. Back-story is unnecessary 90% of the time and it only serves to slow down the beginning of a story, making it weaker. You want to grab the reader right from the start. So don’t be afraid to begin your story at the heart of the problem. It’s okay to set the stage with a sentence or two—but no more! Have a protagonist readers can relate to. Generally, children like to listen to stories about other children or animals with children’s characteristics. ...

Interview Friday with author Rie McGaha

Rie McGaha was born and raised in northern California along the shores of Humboldt County where her grandmother often took her to dig for clams and watch the whales migrate. Being raised with the mountains on one side and the ocean on the other, gave Rie a deep love for nature. She has resided in the Kiamichi Mountains of SE Oklahoma for more than ten years with her husband, Nathan, where they rescue animals, nurses them back to health and tries to find homes for them. She is the mother of 12 and Nana of 33. VS: Rie, I want to thank you for being my guest here on The Writing Mama today. As you know, being a parent is hard work and when you throw writing into the mix . . . well it seems almost impossible to get everything done. I find myself asking if I giving my three children enough attention throughout the day. Now you didn’t really start writing until your children were grown, however, you have your grandchildren running around from time to time, so to start here is the first qu...

VS Grenier ~ Award-Winning Author, Speaker & Podcaster

Search This Blog