Under the Dome by Stephen King (2009, Hardcover)

A small New England town is suddenly, inexplicably cut off from the rest of the world, trapping a large cast of characters inside (or outside) a huge, clear dome. As the emergency escalates, various heroes (and villains) emerge to play a part in the drama. What is the dome? Why is it there? Will the town survive? This is the premise of Stephen King's big, long, thoroughly fascinating new novel.

King has rarely written a book as ambitious as this. As I was reading, I was constantly wondering about the motives behind the deceptively simple story. As with the best of horror and science fiction, it isn't just about a monster on the rampage. What clearly interests King--and us, the readers--is the reaction of the "ordinary" people of Chester's Mill, Maine, who are placed in this extraordinary situation. In the struggles of these heroes, villains, lovers, and fools, we can all see ourselves. And that is the mark of a great work of art, isn't it?

I've been reading Stephen King for 35 years now--I read his first 3 novels in college--and I've always been impressed by his work. But UNDER THE DOME is in a small group of King stories that go far beyond merely being entertaining fiction. This novel will inevitably be compared to The Stand because it deals with the horrors of the world around us. Forget ghosts and vampires and space aliens--there's nothing as horrifying as what humans are capable of doing to one another. Stephen King knows that: it's the reason his stories are so effective. In his long, distinguished career, he's rarely been as effective--or as entertaining--as he is here. UNDER THE DOME is a fast-paced modern horror story, and it's also an amazingly perceptive modern novel. Highly recommended.

At 1038 pages this book at first appears daunting at best. The average reader will probably have a difficult time even thinking about picking this book up and that would be a mistake.

Not since The Stand has the master story teller, Stephen King put together a plot twisted, character laden book that is not only difficult to put down, but so easy to follow.

The book takes place in Chester's Mill, a small town in Maine that is one day put 'Under the Dome' but the true story is the people, and there are a lot of them, so many that King put a list of the cast of characters in the book to help the reader keep track of who everyone is.

The book is full of suspense and full of character twists. You get caught up in the lives of each and every character.

Any true King fan will love this book and if you have never read a Stephen King book this is a great one to start with.

Get this book at any price, it is well worth the money and the time involved in reading it.

Under the Dome gets a lot of mileage out of a simple premise: on October 21, a force field encloses Chesters Mill, Maine. In the days that follow, the locals deal with rising temperatures, increased air pollution, the threat of dwindling supplies, and the power this sudden estrangement from consequences gives the town’s less morally inclined citizens. Chief among these is Big Jim Rennie, used-car salesman and local politician, who sees the Dome as a chance to upgrade his small-time power grabs to something far greater. Against him is ex-military man Dale Barbara, newspaper owner/editor Julia Shumway, and a miniscule group of concerned citizens. But Jim has a crazy son and an army of thugs to back him up—plus, as the days pass with no sign of relief, the whims of an easily led populace. This is a must read for any follower of Stephen King. I understand it's one he's wanted to write since the 1980s.

It is very rare to find a book that is almost 1,200 pages long that just could NOT have been any shorter! The pacing of the story is absolutely brilliant and keeps you hooked from the FIRST page all the way to the end! Something that even tiny 300 page books can't manage to do. The amazing thing about this novel is how it immerses you into the world of the dome, and you feel like you are right there living with the people and feeling their pain. The saddest part was finishing the book. I felt like I was saying goodbye to an old friend knowing that I would never see him/her again. I was just wishing for more. The ending may leave some people dissatisfied. I did feel like it could have had a stronger ending, but the way it was written, there was no other possible way that it could have ended. So heres to Stephen King. A master at writing. Thank you for the experience. It felt like more to me than just reading a book.

It was a long time coming, but the length of the book is testament as to why it took so long for Stephen King to release this book. I thought he had retired. The story is excellent! And, I highly recommend the book, 'though it is a very long read; so, you'd better pour a very, very large cup of coffee. UNDER THE DOME is one of the best novels out this year. A shorter read, but a good read, is NOT SAFE FOR VAMPIRES, also one of the best novels out this year in the YA fiction/fantasy genre. This book isn't getting the attention that TWILIGHT and some others have been getting, but NOT SAFE FOR VAMPIRES by William Frost is worth checking out. You may notice the two novels selling together on Ebay - one read for dad/mom and the other for son/daughter, I suppose. But, NOT SAFE FOR VAMPIRES is a good read, no matter what age. On the other hand, I wouldn't recommend UNDER THE DOME to a YA (Young Adult) unless your attention span is far greater than most teens!