Under The Dome

The planned 13 week summer series, Under the Dome, based on the book by Stephen King premiered last night.  I really enjoyed it.  I loved this book, and was happy to see the strongest characters and themes from the book represented.  Mr. King is a producer of the series, so I’m sure that keeps the integrity intact even when changes are made. 

Imagine a clear dome coming down over a mid-size town of Chester’s Mills.  (big enough for a hospital, small enough everyone knows your business)  Cellular, television, and power are all cut off.  Only signals generated inside the dome are functioning, anything in the path of the dome when it came down was bisected.  Touching it caused a short of shock, but only the first time.  Although a lot of people have generators (it is in Maine, they do have wicked storms!) eventually, if this lasts, people are going to start to run out of necessities.  What then?  Who will lead them?  How will things be provided?  Divided? 

Outside the dome, the military has showed up it seeing what they can do, but so far, no one knows where this thing came from and how to get rid of it.  In the meantime, some strange seizures have been happening to some people…muttering something about stars. 

Also, it seems being in too close a proximity to the dome seems to cause a malfunction in pacemakers and possibly other devices which transmit. 

I can’t wait to keep watching this!

For example!  The cow that got sliced in half length-wise was probably the best thing I have ever seen on network television!  In the book this was a woodchuck, which was great, but definitely would not have been as great as impact on tv.  I especially loved the casting of Big Jim Rennie, Breaking Bad’s Dean Norris, he has that good ‘ole boy feel down pat!  Rachelle Lefevre is great as Julia Shumway, inquisitive with an outsider feel. 

Under the Dome

I couldn’t get enough of Stephen King’s latest examination of the human species!  I stayed up way too late, nearly was late to work, and begged out on social engagements in the name of getting through this hefty novel.  Coming in at 1074 pages, its nothing to scoff at–Uncle Stevie even makes light of that himself by having a woman who considered being an author concede that if you wrote your 1000 page masterpiece and no one liked it that that would suck.  (I’m paraphrasing here!).

So the plot basically is this, a clear but impenetrable dome comes down on a town in Maine one fine fall Saturday (Dome Day).  Cut off from outside help, resources, and order, the residents begin to self destruct.  Local dirty politician, Big Jim Rennie is right involved in the power plays as he has set himself up to run the figure-head leaders.  What seems an idyllic small town has some major issues going on just under the surface. Living under this dome, where no weather conditions are happening, but the sun is causing it to warm up, while the people there are using up all their resources causes frightened people to go to the extremes.

Think part small-town in a snowglobe, very normal people in an odd situation (I’m reminded of It, here), the human struggle turn Lord of the Flies (think The Mist, as everyone is in the grocery store) with very Ray Bradbury type cultural warnings.  King gives us his usual pop culture references which make the work all the more real, and includes warnings (or at least thought provoking commentary) on social issues such Meth, global warning, free speech, greed, and righteousness.

What’s more is he does it while never giving his Constant Reader any lag time.  From page 1 you are drawn in and the ride never slows down until the end.  How someone can take 1000+ pages and have it all be dramatic is amazing to me.  I wish I had that talent.  There are a ton of people and personalities here but they are so vivid and different (while being someone you KNOW in real life) you aren’t left searching your memory as to what this person has previously done.

One of King’s best in years.  I don’t know that I’d say the BEST ever, but its on my shortlist!

I made it!

Earlier today I finished the 1074 page behemoth that is Stephen King’s new novel Under the Dome. Needless to say, I will post a full review tomorrow, but its a rave!

Book Orders

I must say, one of the best thing about being a librarian is getting or order books that I want to read.  I just did a book order for next month and I’m pretty excited.  There are a ton of things I’m going to snap up when they come in the door.  Some being:

• Pirate Latitudes by Michael Crichton
• Under the Dome by Stephen King
• Breathless by Dean Koontz
• I, Alex Cross by James Patterson
• Ford County by John Grisham

so, now you know what my review list for November looks like!

My second favorite thing about working at the library…Getting the new books first!