“Under the Done” by Stephen King

“Under the Done” by Stephen King
2009, Scribner
ISBN: 978-1-4391-4850-1

“Under the Dome” by Stephen King is 1,074 pages long. I weighed it after my wrists started hurting and I had to put on my wrist splints. It is 3.8 pounds. It doesn’t feel like 3.8 pounds. It feels like it weighs about 7 pounds. Now, for the first time in my life I have a better perspective where I can appreciate small losses of weight when I step on the scale in the morning.

Okay, to the book. I absolutely loved it. I positively, absolutely loved it. If you’ve never read a Stephen King book in your life before you will love it. If you are already a Stephen King fan you will know what to expect: horror that seeps out of everyday life.

There are always so many ways to tell a story and I love the way Stephen King does it. It’s like being able to swim underwater for long periods of time. As a writer I can appreciate it not being able to do it myself very well. It’s the ability to give bones to a character and to relationships. To take the time (thus a very long book) to paint for the person reading the book an exact picture of what is going on.

Yet, there is always that underlying talent of King’s where he says to himself, “But, what if?”

Remember when you were a kid and examined a bunch of busy ants? Remember when you and your friend sat there with a magnifying glass and smoked them? When did you start feeling remorse for having done that dirty deed? If ever? Did doing that cruel thing as a child help to develop the upstanding, moral character you are now? Or, do you still kill ants? Personally, I haven’t felt much lately when I squash them as they send their scouts into my kitchen. Now, I’m going to have to do a re-think on the matter. That much really unsettled my breakfast.

I’m not giving anything away here, am I? Okay, the Dome comes down on a small town in Maine one day. Nobody can get in and nobody can get out. Nobody can see it either. People get cut in half as it comes down. People crash into it. Animals do too. So do the birds. Picture this: You’ve got a really bad-ass politician running the town. This is perfect for a grab for power.

There’s a whole lot more to it. I don’t want to tell you the whole thing here. I’m just saying you will enjoy this story. You will probably call upon some unsettling memories you have too. It’s a win-win situation any way you look at it. Enjoyment of a horror story and a little introspective look into your own business.