Under the Dome, by Stephen King

It's been a good 20 years or more since I've read anything by Stephen King.  His 2009 book Under the Dome reminded me why he's one of the best-selling authors around.  Some might look at Under the Dome's 1000+ pages and scoff that no novel should be that long, or be put off by the length.  It is long, but I don't think there's a wasted page.  There's a huge cast of characters; King skillfully weaves their stories together into a cohesive, compelling story of a town trapped under a mysterious dome.

One of King's trademark themes is exposing the evil that people are capable of given the right conditions.  When the small town of Chesters Mill, Maine, suddenly comes to be enclosed by a force field of some kind, physically isolating the town from the rest of the world, the character of the townspeople is tested.  Selectman Jim Rennie had always viewed the town as his little fiefdom.  Being trapped inside the dome opened up the opportunity for him to become a vicious tyrant, willing to kill in order to gain and maintain control.  As he builds his personal army and orchestrates events to deepen his powerful hold on the people of Chesters Mill, we are reminded again and again that it could always be worse.

Another of King's trademarks is gore.  Under the Dome is not thematically a gore-fest; there are no mad dogs, possessed cars, or deranged hotel caretakers on a killing spree.  But when someone does die, King makes sure we get a detailed, colorful picture in our minds of brains splattered on the wall, blood spilled on the floor, eyeballs hanging out, people frying like they're on a barbecue.

I enjoyed Under the Dome thoroughly.  I could hardly put it down.  But I do have a beef with King's treatment of Christians.  I don't remember his animosity toward Christians showing up in other books (but like I said, it's been a couple of decades).  Big Jim, the town tyrant, is a Bible toting, scripture quoting guy.  He does not use bad language and insists on "getting knee-bound" to seek God's guidance.  Yet he has no qualms about killing people who get in his way, including his pastor.  He manipulates people, frames people for his own crimes, rules the town with an iron fist, and runs an illegal drug operation out of the Christian radio station.  The other major Christian figure is the female pastor of the Congregational church, who, by the way, doesn't believe in God.  I know it's only fiction, but what is King's problem with Christians?

King is a great story teller, with great insights into the stark divide between good and evil.  Spend some time under the dome getting to know the people of Chesters Mill.  You'll be glad you did.