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Under the Dome (2009)

Before re-read: So...did The Simpson’s Movie copy Under the Dome or vice versa? Either way, I loved them both. This is my final re-read! Under the Dome was the first large (over 1,000 pages) novel that I read. I haven’t read this one since it came out back in 2009 so I’m excited to circle back around to it. I remember loving all of the different characters and their stories. I also really loved the theme of there being something larger than us. This book also convinced me to stop killing ants.

After re-read: Holy moly, that took me forever to read. Because it was a re-read, there were several times where I considered stopping because it is just so. freaking. long. But I'm glad I stuck with it because it is so. freaking. good.  Also, I just finished reading and realized that I didn't take any notes so we're just gonna wing this. 

This is quintessential Stephen King and has everything you could want from a King novel. I've said it before and I'll say it a million more times, SK is at his best when he has a town full of characters. There are so many characters in this book that there is a list of them at the beginning. Somehow, King makes all of them interesting and memorable. King, himself, has said that his books aren't about the horror but they're about the people experiencing the horror. That is so evident in his stories because they are so wonderfully character driven. Additionally we get this overarching theme of good versus evil which King uses all of the time. A lot of the themes were similar to The Dead Zone I felt as I was reading. It always baffles me that something written in the 70's or in 2009 can be so relevant to what's happening in 2025. This novel is quite profound. 

Like some of King's other stories, there is a bigger metaphor in play here. Personally, I really enjoy this one. The foreshadowing slaps you in the face and does not let up...however I'm not sure if you would know it was foreshadowing if you hadn't read it before? I couldn't remember much of the plot or what happened but I remembered the message so the motifs were glaring. Besides that, this book has everything you'd want. It has scary and gory moments, it has sad times, it gives some good laughs. Could a lot of this book be cut out? I would venture to say yes. I think it is a bit unnecessarily long. However, it is well worth the long read.

Next up, we are moving to a new decade...the 2010's! I'm catching up to real life! We will be reading Full Dark, No Stars. 

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