Seriously Disappointing Ending

[Kaleidoscope]

Okay I know I'm new here so I hope my opinion isn't out of place.

I finally managed to get Under the Dome from my local library 3 weeks ago and spent much of that 3 weeks doing little else other than reading it. I was excited by the claim on the front "His finest epic since the Stand" and I LOVE The Stand and it remains one of my all time favourite books.

I really liked UtD. I devoured it. I hit one irritating chapter but it didn't last long and I didn't hold it against the book. But it was great! I was ready to believe the claim about it matching up to The Stand.

And then I got to the ending. Oh gods how disappointed was I? I had been talking to a girl on another forum about it and she kept telling me to come back with my opinion when I'd got to the end. Now I understand why. How on Earth King could justify an ending that weak, that quick, that....pathetic for lack of a better word, I really don't know. There's this huge build up to it. Fireball destroys vast majority of the town, surviving characters are dwindling faster than I can turn the pages. I was waiting for this huge impressive climax. But it never came. So one character decides to go whine at these alien kids and everything's all better? Sorry but I don't buy it.

I think my main issue was that it happened just too quickly. It was all over in, what, a page? Two pages? A whole 800+ page book and it boiled down to pretty much nothing. I dunno, I don't think I'm explaining myself very well. I was just sorely disappointed with the lack of imagination that went into it I guess.

Also I wanted Big Jim to have a more justified death. Not just a heart attack and then dying of sufforcating from sticking his air into the bad air. I would have preferred the police offer he was with (sorry names have escaped me and I've returned the book) to have shot him in the face and then police officer to die under the ground.

I've been reading this forum and know a lot of people really liked the book so I hope you don't mind me saying all this. I seriously loved the book too. Until about 10 pages from the end. Which is sad 'cause it means, although I enjoyed the rest of it, I won't read it again. 'Cause the ending left me feeling hollow.

[JohnDalglish]

Hi,

Welcome to the MB, and keep posting!

Personally, I loved the ending but I did think it crassly commercial for the publishers to state 'His finest epic since The Stand' 'on the cover.

Although it may well prove to be (I'll tell you after I've read it 20 times or more) surely that's an opinion for the reader, not the publicity dept of the publishers? And it's inviting the reader to make the (unfair) comparison.

Long days and pleasant nights

[smunchkin]

To each his own. I saw it completely differently. Everything is better? An entire town of people died for this cause. A handful escape with a fullfilling lesson learned. I myself loved this book i think it was one that matches the stand. The town was captive of an alien race true but they came to there own demise they ended things by their own hand. For big jim to be thwarted by that betrayer, his heart that he pushed to the limit was satisfying to me. Through the entire book he is gorging on fatty food and saying screw the doc who gave him orders to take better care of his heart. So fitting that it was his heart that took him down. The ending was a little quick but come on it was a massive book. I was thrown off by the ending really through the whole mystery part of the book i was imaging government conspiracy and retribution from god and then blam alien children playing with their ant farm! Once again ty sai king really loved this one.

Thank you for your opinion you came to the right place to give it and you are not the only one who feels this way. I for one just dont.

[Doc Wilson]

Good point, JD. I didn't believe the blurb for a second (so sure am of my Stand love), and hence I wasn't disappointed.

[edkemper]

I just finished this the other day and I thought this book was great. I guess I felt the ending was rushed a little also, but at 900+ pages I was thinking how in the hell is he gonna end this? I think he did a great job with the book, and for me personally its gonna go close to the top of my favs list.

[Bryan James]

I was happy when I got to The End.

You can decide for yourself what I mean by that.

~BJS

[vermontcathy]

I loved the book from beginning to end.

I'm surprised when people say that the ending was a shock and came out of nowhere. In the middle of the book, aliens are suggested as a possible source of the dome. Then, a ways prior to the end, some of the characters saw the leatherheads. Well before the fire, characters are discussing that it is aliens holding them captive, perhaps children. One of the kids touches the box and confirms that it is child aliens. This is all before the inferno. Yes, the idea of simply asking the aliens to let them go comes up fairly suddenly, but it is the kind of thing that perhaps people wouldn't think of until they are at death's door and all other potential solutions have been exhausted.

[the_last_gunslinger]

I personally found the ending to be the book's great redeeming quality, though I may be compelled to agree that it was a tad bit short.

For me, it was one of King's better endings. Not as good as the Dark Tower, but still pretty good.

[Kaleidoscope]

I find it interesting how many people liked it not in a bad way! But the first person I spoke to about the book (the girl on another forum mentions in my OP) she was always on about how I'd change my mind when I got to the end. But it's nice to see other opinions. And maybe I was a bit hasty when I said I'd never read it again. I mean it was a good book and I think I'd be happy enough to re-read it at some point.

The alien's weren't a shock to me, as vermontcathy said because they were hinted at earlier on in the book. But I thought it would be something more than that. And that it would take a bigger sacrifice than ones dignity to release the town from the dome.

Thanks for the replies and welcomes to the forum

[jackson992]

I also loved the ending. I actually liked it better than the ending of The Stand which I have never liked