Under the Dome
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Under the Dome 〰️
I read this book back when it first came out. Well, maybe not when it came out. I got the book because I saw the show, and I loved the show, so I picked up the book. It's been years since I've read this book, so it was basically like reading it for the first time since my memory forgot most of the events. (I also don't remember much of the show, but I do recall that a lot was changed in the show.)
I enjoyed this book my first read, but I know for a fact I was more invested in this second read and that I loved it even more. I don't even mind that it was aliens all along. What I did feel, however, was so much sadness in this read. So many characters, good and bad, died pretty horrible deaths. Even the characters we were meant to hate, like Big Jim, died horrifically. We spent a lot of time with so many characters and this whole plot about corrupt politicians, drug deals, and just random people, that, in the end, it almost didn't matter. So few survived. Everything Big Jim did was in vain (which, good, he's the villain, but also he caused most of the disasters inside the dome). Almost everything everyone did was in vain. But hey, sometimes that's life, I guess. At least some survived.
I also feel King's writing style was slightly different than his other works. You can still read it and for sure know it's his style. His writing style is very distinct. But it still reads a bit differently. It's not a bad thing; I just want to mention it. I appreciate all the time he took to build lives and backgrounds for so many characters. Even characters only appearing for a sentence seemed to have life and distinct personalities. Love that. I applaud King for pulling it all together. And though we spent around the first 20% of the book just dealing with people and what they were doing when the dome fell, he didn't make it boring or repetitive.
I love King's work, and this one is one of my favourites. It's a long read and a bit of a downer with all the deaths, but I think it's an excellent read. It shows people's true nature when it comes to an unnatural disaster like the dome.
Original rating: 4 stars. Original review:
This book was excellent, though it did have a few flaws. (Of which the show fixed). Things like how electronics worked when the dome fell. In the show, everything stopped working because the dome cut all the power lines, which makes sense. Not in the book.
Also, I didn't care for the ending. For a book with such a great premise, the fact that it was aliens just threw me off. Still, it was a good read.
