Under the Dome

Starred review from September 14, 2009
King's return to supernatural horror is uncomfortably bulky, formidably complex and irresistibly compelling. When the smalltown of Chester's Mill, Maine, is surrounded by an invisible force field, the people inside must exert themselves to survive. The situation deteriorates rapidly due to the dome's ecological effects and the machinations of Big Jim Rennie, an obscenely sanctimonious local politician and drug lord who likes the idea of having an isolated populace to dominate. Opposing him are footloose Iraq veteran Dale “Barbie” Barbara, newspaper editor Julia Shumway, a gaggle of teen skateboarders and others who want to solve the riddle of the dome. King handles the huge cast of characters masterfully but ruthlessly, forcing them to live (or not) with the consequences of hasty decisions. Readers will recognize themes and images from King's earlier fiction, and while this novel doesn't have the moral weight of, say, The Stand
, nevertheless, it's a nonstop thrill ride as well as a disturbing, moving meditation on our capacity for good and evil.

In King's new novel, THE STAND meets "The X-Files" when a solid but invisible dome descends over a small Maine town. Those inside are trapped in a new civilization of their own making. Raul Esparza attempts to do justice to King's epic, but hearing King read his author's note at the end of the book demonstrates how miserably Esparza falls short of an authentic Maine accent. Narrative passages, delivered without an accent and with impeccable timing, keep the long story moving. However, the dialogue of the primary antagonist, described as a lifelong Mainer, does not sound realistic. Esparza's children and women also fare poorly as they are voiced inconsistently and bear little resemblance to the author's details on their origins and character. R.L.L. (c) AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine