King's Under The Dome is a massive Senate health care sized tome, that pits what King does best: the trials of tribulations of a large cast from everyday USA against an unseemly occurrence that brings out the best and worst of society. Set in his fictional Maine universe, the small town of Chester Mills suddenly finds itself encapsulated by an impenetrable force field, that cuts through everything causing at once multiple deaths, car crashes, a plane crash, and many dead birds.
King wastes no time in bringing on this event, and most of the characters are developed after 'Dome Day'. It is an interesting premise, and I found that the people on both sides of the dome somewhat accept it a little too easily. Yes they are perplexed on why a force field was dropped on them, but they quickly realize what it is and prevent any other cars from crashing into it or other accidents (although the field is electric, so anyone with a pacemaker should stay away from it).
As compared with The Stand, King also delineates the Good vs. Evil teams as well. The 'Good' team is led by former Iraqi war hero Dale 'Barbie' Barbara who has turned into a nomad and is a short order cook. However he uses his officer skills and begins directing and helping the town in controlling some of the near term disasters. Unfortunately this outsider has also run afoul of the 'Bad' team, led by Selectman and used-car dealer, Big Jim Rennie and his sadistic son Junior. Big Jim is by far the best character in the novel; a devout Christian with multiple criminal tendencies, Rennie sees the Dome to his advantage; to take control of the town. He justifies his numerous transgressions in a perverted Christian ethos and that he is trying to 'save the town', somewhat reminiscent of the current problem with radical Islamicists.
King is as his best building the characters of this dysfunctional town. What occurs over the next week is multiple acts of violence, destruction, and the overall breaking down of society that King can describe so well. Smalltown USA can devolve into a Third World country when faced with a major disaster in King's eyes, and the book can be very brutal. But also fun; this is why you're reading a King book in the first place right?
With the US Government unable to help the town, they are left to their own devices and the overall tyranny of Rennie and his new police force mostly made up of his son's criminal thuggish friends as they terrorize multiple citizens in the name of 'protection'. Rennie even goes so far to incite violent riots to cement his role as the necessary leader. Rennie has also been leading a criminal conspiracy which its facts add to the overall uneasiness of this small town which has disastrous effects towards the end of the book.
The Good team eventually finds out what is causing the Dome, and this is where the book falls somewhat short in its description. I don't want to spoil the cause, but King tries to tie in the philosophical failings of human nature as an overall metaphor for the Dome. Of course the story is inexplicable anyway; a Dome has surrounded a small town. But the rest of the characters and plot are very realistic so the reader somewhat expects are more 'plausible' explanation. King cannot be at fault in this regard, as the characters both inside and outside of the Dome have believable reactions about what caused it and what to do about it.
It is a very long book, but written easily so one can plow through it quickly, and at times it is hard to put down. The number of characters can get at first confusing, but the story solidifies (since most of the characters introduced dies) and the problem dissipates. It is a fun book that King can write well: a terrifying predicament that affects normal people in the USA, and how they react and what the consequences will be, for better or for worse.
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