Scan barcode
A review by firstwords
Under the Dome by Stephen King
3.0
Odd to give a book 3 stars and also mark it "could not finish." The story was just fine, the premise engaging. A lot of elements and plot drivers from [b:The Stand|149267|The Stand|Stephen King|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1213131305l/149267._SX50_.jpg|1742269]. Intrigue, two camps, light v dark, the hidden violence in all of us, dysfunctions from our past continuing into an apocalyptic scenario (the addict before is the addict now, the abused housewife before is the abused housewife now, etc). I think if I had not read The Stand, I would have been able to finish this. As it is, this is a book clearly written by a famous, well-off, well-established author who's editor(s) probably let him have free rein. Too big to touch, as it were.
That's not meant as an insult, I have enjoyed King since I was a teen, but this book could have had probably about 15-20% shaved off of it without any loss *at all*. This is almost the same length as Stand, a book that I have ripped through 2 or 3 times, yet it felt perceptibly slower. Perhaps it is because this reader could predict the characters' arcs, knew who was going to join with who (and not just the obvious ones), and was even able to predict plot points many times over. Unlike with Stand, at no point did I have an "oh, wow!" or "who would'a thought!" moment.
Again, I think this is due to familiarity with the author and his works. If you want a LONG read, and have not read Stand or are not familiar with King's works, pick it up. Stress on LONG. I love long books, so that is also not an insult.
That's not meant as an insult, I have enjoyed King since I was a teen, but this book could have had probably about 15-20% shaved off of it without any loss *at all*. This is almost the same length as Stand, a book that I have ripped through 2 or 3 times, yet it felt perceptibly slower. Perhaps it is because this reader could predict the characters' arcs, knew who was going to join with who (and not just the obvious ones), and was even able to predict plot points many times over. Unlike with Stand, at no point did I have an "oh, wow!" or "who would'a thought!" moment.
Again, I think this is due to familiarity with the author and his works. If you want a LONG read, and have not read Stand or are not familiar with King's works, pick it up. Stress on LONG. I love long books, so that is also not an insult.