Stephen King completes "Under the Dome"

Amhran Nua

Macsimus wrote: »

Aye, I enjoyed The Dark Tower as I was reading it - but without putting up any spoilers, I found the ending incredibly unsatisfying

Bigtime, he really phoned it in on the last couple of books. I still haven't forgiven him for going back and rewriting the rest either - if you're getting this series, get the ORIGINAL not the adjusted versions. Its fairly hard to imagine how he could have messed up what could have been an excellent series any further, but he managed it.

ixoy

From an Irish perspective, did anyone else find it amusing when

the only airline stupid enough to plough one of its planes into the dome was Aer Lingus (yeah yeah Air Ireland in the books but we know exactly what he meant!)

Block (8

Newfrocktuesday wrote: »

I remember being so frightened I used to have to leave it down and come back when I was braver or it was daylight again (under the covers with a torch! ) – it scared the absolute bejaysus out of me as it was my first experience with horror of any sort on a literary level.

Exactly the same as me when I read IT at around the same age

After that experience I went on a rampaging through SK's books and picked up Clive Barker along the way.
Just about to start Time Traveller's Wife (after seeing the film) and might give the dome a try after it.

NewFrockTuesday

I finished this on Monday. Im not giving anything away....but me and ol' SK will be having a frank and open exchange about his ending when I stalk his house - thanks God Youtube

If this book were a dish, it would be a fantastic beef and Guinness pie with a crappy shop bought pastry left too long in the oven.

NewFrockTuesday

ixoy wrote: »

From an Irish perspective, did anyone else find it amusing when

the only airline stupid enough to plough one of its planes into the dome was Aer Lingus (yeah yeah Air Ireland in the books but we know exactly what he meant!)

Youre evil.

I find the inner muttterings of the charachters very amusing. Big Jims in particular, hes very funny in his assessment of other folk from that pedestal hes got hisself on!

Exactly the same as me when I read IT at around the same age

I saw the film first and its still one of the scariest Ive ever seen, bearing in mind you wouldnt get me witin a million miles of Saw or anything involving Pinhead, so the treshold barely exists in my case Im such a wuss. Ive never even gone near the book as I know I wouldnt enjoy it.

I was home recently and found Needful Things. Im going to have it on standby for the next couple of months for when I cant settle on a genre that night.

@ Block(8 - if you want The Dome, I live in Dublin and can meet you in town to pass it on.

Eoin

I just finished this over the weekend. I have to agree with the general sentiment - vintage King for most of it, but an unsatisfying ending. I think the character parallels to The Stand are a bit of a stretch though.

Little thing I noticed - he seemed to make a big effort to throw in modern references for no real reason. As if he had a lot more of it written the first time around, and wanted to update it.

I'm not too sure why the time-line was so rushed either; perhaps it was to emphasise that it was Rennie that caused all the problems.

NewFrockTuesday

I thought the present and recent past events mentioned were a bit laboured as well - almost like he was trying to drag the script he comitted to so long ago kicking and screaming into the world today. I wasn't terribly comfortable with it really, kind of like sitting on a holiday suitcase cos youve packed too much in.

Agreed re the time lines as well. The degeneration of socisty was alot faster than in the stand. As one of his greatest works, its bound to draw parallels from a charachter stand point with anything he releases from then on.

orchidsrpretty

I would love to read this but am having trouble trying to find it in paperback(I hate hardbacks). Anyone any info?
Thanks

Pittens

Teh criticisms of the ending are a bit off, in my OP. The mechanisms for what caused the Dome are irrelevant - the real story was how people reacted under pressure. Thats what King was writing about, the Dome was a McGuffin and a Deus Ex Machina.

NewFrockTuesday

Pittens wrote: »

Teh criticisms of the ending are a bit off, in my OP. The mechanisms for what caused the Dome are irrelevant - the real story was how people reacted under pressure. Thats what King was writing about, the Dome was a McGuffin and a Deus Ex Machina.

Orchidspretty, if youre in Dublin you can have my copy. Its paperback. I find it far less painful when I doze off and the book flops onto my head

Yes Pitens, but that was the whole theme of the book. No excuse for a lazy ending.

Eoin

Pittens wrote: »

Teh criticisms of the ending are a bit off, in my OP. The mechanisms for what caused the Dome are irrelevant - the real story was how people reacted under pressure. Thats what King was writing about, the Dome was a McGuffin and a Deus Ex Machina.

You're talking about two completely different things. The dome itself was contrived, but it worked. The ending didn't.

calex71

Just finished this , have to say I really enjoyed it. Wasn't too let down by the ending as I pretty much expected it and didn't see it ending much differently.

For me the book was all about the characters, It's been a long time since I've come across such a loathsome bastard as big Jim. I actually had this on audio book so I think it was very well read and made me hate big jim even more.

The Chef was also a favorite of mine.

One slight niggle was, I do agree the time line seemed a little rushed.

I popped my Stephen king cherry on this one, not sure why I've never read him before, maybe becasue I hate reading books if i have seen the movie 1st Glad I read this as there is a TV series in the works for next year, and very early on I said to myself hmmmm this kind of reads like a screen play Would this one be an accurate representation of king's work over all

sxt

calex71 wrote: »

I popped my Stephen king cherry on this one, not sure why I've never read him before, maybe becasue I hate reading books if i have seen the movie 1st Glad I read this as there is a TV series in the works for next year, and very early on I said to myself hmmmm this kind of reads like a screen play Would this one be an accurate representation of king's work over all

Well done on popping your SK cherry:)-Stevo is a master at character driven storytelling. I imagine that is why many directors try and translate his work to the screen. If you enjoyed "Under the Dome" you will really like "The Stand"!

calex71

sxt wrote: »

Well done on popping your SK cherry:)-Stevo is a master at character driven storytelling. I imagine that is why many directors try and translate his work to the screen. If you enjoyed "Under the Dome" you will really like "The Stand"!

I saw the movie when it came out, and so have a vague memory of the Stand so vague all I remember was it was good So I think I will try that one next, not sure if "Misery" would be a good one for me? I expect it's the same as the movie but just more gruesome?

Eoin

calex71 wrote: »

not sure if "Misery" would be a good one for me? I expect it's the same as the movie but just more gruesome?

That sums it up well. I think that was one of the better film adaptations. I think Pet Semetary is one his best books, so I'd give that a go as well. It moves at a decent pace as well.

ncmc

Just finished this last night and really enjoyed it. But would agree with the other sentiments that the end is a bit disappointing.

I thought the idea behind what was causing the dome was really clever, but felt the ending was so rushed. After being a major character for the whole book, Rusty was barely mentioned in the last 50 pages. I think he should have focused on more than just Barbie and Julie when the dome came down

. It reminded me a bit of Cell, great book, but the climax basically 2 pages, not like The Stand were it's building and building.

Still, a great return to form for King, I find it funny that people found it hard to get into. The minute I read the first page, I was hooked, again, like Cell in that respect. It got into the action straight away.

youcancallmeal

Just finished this last night as well and I enjoyed it for all the reasons previously mentioned. What annoyed though me was the way a big deal was made of it taking him 25 years to write the book and he still couldnt come up with a better ending than

begging and receiving pity from the mysterious leatherheads!?

Another thing that bothered me was the way he likes to end chapters/sections with silly remarks like 'that was last time he would ever see daylight' and 'they werent to realise just how bad the air would get'. He kind of spoils the book for you but I suppose it was of buidling up the tension to keep the reader interested?

millenniumlady

I just finished Under the Dome. I really really enjoyed it all the way through. I finished it very quickly. I really couldn't put it down, but I thought the ending was a little disappointing. Oh yeah, and the;

“…’Wear it home, it’ll look like a dress.’”

“She was talking about the brown sweater?”

“No. About our lives. Our little lives.”

“If she gave it to you, let’s put it on.”

Sorry, what? I'm sure the rest of you found it terribly deep and meaningful, but to be quite honest the message is kind of lost on me! I think 'the moral of the story' is clear without this added complication, and King puts serious emphasis on it.

I love some of the characters; Junior, Jim Rennie and Chef especially.

Maybe I'm being picky. It's a solid book.

Btw, the James McMurty song is real! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_pvmEH7LJE !