I hate this...Also spoiler alert...

[GLewman]

My very first post, and it is going to be a negative review I have grown up with Stephen King. My first SK read was when I was 13 and it was Pet Semetary. A truly frightening and just about perfect story. Actually had to make sure the closet door was closed tight while reading it. That being said, I waited and waited for this book to come out in paper back (Less expensive and easier to read in bed) but couldn't wait any longer. Perhaps in these trying times, I want or need a positive picture of humanity. This book just depressed me. The hero and his crew of dissidents were victimized the whole book and then never really did anything heroic. In fact the story was resolved by the heroes begging for their lives just to survive. Big Jim Rennie, on the other hand, seemed to be so all powerful that it became absurd and ultimately unbelievable. Stephen King is the best writer in the last 50 years. Believable characters pushed to achieve unbelievable things, are his bread and butter. Jack Sawyer and Stu Redman come to mind. This one book won't keep me from the next one. Steve has the ability to surprise and inspire. Perhaps a sooner paperback release date would be my only wish .

[Moderator]

Sorry you had a bad response to the book and understand what you mean about the tone of the book. In response to your comment about quicker releases of paperbacks, that is happening. When I first started working for Steve, the average time between hardcover and paperback releases was about one year. That is now shortening by several months, sometimes to as little as a 6 month interval. My understanding is that Under the Dome will be available in paperback in June unless something has changed in the last month or so.

[Spideyman]

The tone of Under The Dome was different than most SK Books. In my opinion it was more about what happens to a group of people when they need to face their fears and anxiety when cut off from civilization. The mob mentality came into play- that monster that lives within some people. These were working class people who needed to find solutions in order to survive. Those that managed to overcome their fears survived. It was a different type of character study .

[Bryan James]

GLewman,

No apologies necessary. True fans of his work aren't afraid to discuss legitimate problem areas. Sure, there are some sycophants here that might go after you with some offensively defensive jabberwocky, but don't worry much about that. Most folks here (myself excluded) are quite cool. Unfortunately, many of them (again, myself excluded) won't say when a recent book(s) or magaziney thing doesn't quite reach the bar that we expect.

A true fan doesn't walk around with blinders on.

~BJS

[Hirsty]

Chin up, at least it was better than Cell

[wally wonder]

see, i saw a connection to hearts in atlantis, what with the begging, how that plays out, how it connects in a sense, to hearts in atlantis, a story w/such a subtle subtext that it gets lost in the fanatastic...seems like...but thank you, sir, gobless, merry christmas

[fushingfeef]

I'm still not sure what my opinion is on this book. Sometimes I don't know for years, I need time to digest my thoughts and feelings. Overall I liked the adventurousness and inventiveness of the plot and writing, and loved the characters, but as you stated the characters are forced into a passive role in the overall scheme of things. I also kept wondering why they didn't try to do more things to the device itself: pour molten lead over it or something. And some of the dialogue of the teenagers made me cringe a little.
I will probably give this book another read some day but not for some years.

[Rand]

The hero and his crew of dissidents were victimized the whole book and then never really did anything heroic. In fact the story was resolved by the heroes begging for their lives just to survive. Big Jim Rennie, on the other hand, seemed to be so all powerful that it became absurd and ultimately unbelievable.

Even though I liked the book quite a bit, I have to agree with the part of your post that I quoted above. The interplay between Big Jim and Barbie, our highly trained military black ops officer who can't figure out a way to take down one big fish-little pond car dealer with a god complex was difficult for me to accept.

[JohnDalglish]

The interplay between Big Jim and Barbie, our highly trained military black ops officer who can't figure out a way to take down one big fish-little pond car dealer with a god complex was difficult for me to accept.

Hi,

Perhaps that was part of the point.

We (I use the word inadvisely) don't seem to making an outstanding success out of doing basically exactly that in Afghanistan, do we?

Long days and pleasant nights

[GNTLGNT]

I will say just this, I won't be in a hurry for a re-read (the alien children need me to chalk out a hopscotch pattern for them)