Under the Dome

I'm writing this review literally five minutes after reaching the concluding page 1072 of one of Stephen King's longest works of his career. And that's saying something. But everything is very jumbled up in my head, and it could be conveyed in this review.

There is something I know for sure: Under the Dome is a masterpiece.

On an entirely normal, beautiful fall day in Chester's Mill, Maine, the town is inexplicably and suddenly sealed off from the rest of the world by an invisible force field. No one can fathom what this barrier is, where it came from, and when -- or if -- it will go away.

Dale Barbara, finds himself teamed with a few intrepid citizens -- the town newspaper owner, a physician's assistant at the hospital, a select-woman, and three brave kids. Against them stands Big Jim Rennie, a politician who will stop at nothing to hold on to the reins of power, and his son. Because time isn't just short... It's running out.

That's the story, except it's a lot more than that. It's a huge book, but King wastes no time. Instantly, we are thrust into a thriller-horror-sci-fi epic that all takes place in less than a week's time. The characters are numerous and compelling. The writing has a wondrous fluidity that demands pages be turned (look how fast I read it). The body count is second only to The Stand.

And so much HAPPENS. The book is filled with action and suspense from th moment an airplane crashes into an invisible wall. For the first time this decade, there is a book with a four digit page count that millions of people are clamoring to read. There is a talent behind these words that earns the name King, and I find myself hoping that he lives forever. Well, at least for another sixty years.

But his writing, endlessly compelling will never die... an idea King would love.

My rating: 10/10

Coming Soon: The rest of the lists.