Favourite Part - let's discuss

[Yomiuri Giant]

Hi this is my first post on this forum.

I have to admit this is the first Stephen King novel I've read in several years, not that I'm not a fan it's just that I haven't picked up an America non-fiction book in quite a while. My first SK was Eyes of the Dragon which I loved, and more recently a short story in the New Yorker called Premium Harmony which I also loved. That short story is the reason I grabbed an audio book (CD) version of UTD.

http://www.newyorker.com/fiction/features/2009/11/09/091109fi_fiction_king

I've noticed a few complaints on this forum about the ending of UTD, while I'd sort of agree that perhaps the ending was a little abrupt for me the real important ideas and impact came much earlier in the book (for me)and the ending was sort of a forgone conclusion. In a way the ending didn't really matter to me, when Big Jim died the book ended for me.
I just wanted to compare notes, for me the best part of the book was the section where Big Jim and Carter Thibodeau were trapped together after the explosion. I enjoyed the biblical references when Thibodeau asked what they should do, and Jim informed Thibodeau that they’d go “topside” and start picking up the pieces because that’s what the responsible people do” I just about crashed my car when I heard that because I laughed out loud. The descriptive section about Jim eating the sardines and spilling the oil on his pants that he’d never be able to get out, and how the sofa hissed as Big Jim sat down on it, and of course the relentlessly humming generator. But the absolute best part was when Big Jim gave his verdict on all of the events of the last decade like Y2K, possible nuclear meltdowns, etc. I loved that part, and coming from him I actually wanted to hear it, even though Big Jim was basically an evil presence it felt good to hear him wipe all of those events away as if they meant nothing. This section was what made the book for me.

Well there is much more I'd like to say, I hope some one will reply so we can discuss further.

[mrblonde]

I also consumed this via audiobook.

I LOVED the parts with the kids going to the generator, I loved Big Jim and how EVIL he was.
I thought the end was pretty good, esp the soldier and the kid from under the potatoes.
My biggest complaint was there was no "showdown" between Barbie and his crew and Big Jim and his police force.
That said, this is my 2nd favorite King after The Stand.

[GNTLGNT]

This will sound horribly coarse and remorseless of me, but I got a big grin out of Big Jim's come-uppance...

[PatInTheHat]

Oh Lord did I love all the action at the radio station!
I couldn't hardly wait to see what adventures our favorite fictional tweekers Andy & "Chef" were up to.....they were consistently my biggest hoot!

[MakaBozey]

So many favorite parts. The Airplane & The Woodchuck was a wonderful introduction. I really enjoyed any parts which focused on Sammy Bushey & ESPECIALLY Julia Shumway. I was getting worried when she started to lose a sense of centricity towards the end, and then BAM, she becomes the hero of the story. Which, of course, since she was my favorite character, was my very favorite part. I also enjoyed what they did to Andy Sanders (never would've seen that scenario coming) and the scenes in which the plans to rescue Barbie and meet at the plate were really, really intense.

[GLewman]

Stephen King is a master at putting people right where his characters are. You can actually feel the texture and smells of every situation he writes about. I felt short of breath when Ollie Dinsmore was laying at the base of the dome talking to the soldier and struggling for every breath of air. I was screaming in my brain to get the poor kid some oxygen!

[Yomiuri Giant]

Oh Lord did I love all the action at the radio station!
I couldn't hardly wait to see what adventures our favorite fictional tweekers Andy & "Chef" were up to.....they were consistently my biggest hoot!

In the audio book version Chef was kind of scary, I wonder if I actually read the novel I'd have thought they were funnier?

[Yomiuri Giant]

Yep the intro was great I agree I still visulaize that clearly in my mind. If it had been slow at all at the beginning I wouldn't have continued, I guess an amazing intro is a required component when you have such a massive book, otherwise people might not bother to read on.

[Yomiuri Giant]

Stephen King is a master at putting people right where his characters are. You can actually feel the texture and smells of every situation he writes about. I felt short of breath when Ollie Dinsmore was laying at the base of the dome talking to the soldier and struggling for every breath of air. I was screaming in my brain to get the poor kid some oxygen!

I also loved that part of the book, it kept an element of good when there were so many bad things happening.

[Yomiuri Giant]

I'm going to try The Stand as well after I finish with t he short stories, I briefly looked at the synopsis and noticed there was a character named Flagg, if I remember correctly Flagg was also a villian in The Eyes of the dragon, looking forward to "The Stand". Thanks for the tip.