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Author Topic: Under the Dome by Stephen King - did you read it?  (Read 18107 times)

Offline beemaster

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Under the Dome by Stephen King - did you read it?
« on: March 18, 2013, 01:39:46 am »
I've mentioned so many times that I am a big audiobook listener - my job allows me the time to put about 2 hours each night at work to listen to about a dozen podcasts, Coast to Coast AM with George Noory which is a 4 hour show 7 nights a week I have subscribed to for more than a decade, and of course audiobooks.

Just finished Killing Kennedy by Bill O'reilly ( Although I disagree with his conclusions on the killing) the historical details are well accounted and revealing on the bit players involved in this world changing event. I think O'reilly reads his books very well, better than any other author I have listened to. The worse being Stephen King, who does not read the Dome mega novel

Under the dome, a 1071 page epic novel that is as large as any physical books I have ever read, including the stand and It, and Swan Song by Robert McCammon (I highly recommend this one) which all exceed a thousand pages. But size doesn't matter, content does and no book of these sizes can hold your attention without good character development.

I have read many reviews on Under the Dome and it is a mixed bag of reviews, I'm just hoping that one of you have read it, or know someone who has. I belong to Audible, but nearly any audiobook can be downloaded from many sites for you pirates, but I thought maybe I'll go straight on this one and pay for it - lol.

The play time on it is over 34 hours, a whopper that rivals all the other behemoths, of course I want quality, not quantity. I have read many books that would have been great short stories, often FLUFF is just that, and I think "It" was a good example with nearly half the book taking place when the characters were kids, which in reality could have been eliminated or even stood alone as its own book. BTW, It was one of the best made for TV books ever, second to only the mini-series of the Stand.

So, think I'll tackle this, but looking for any comments too.

Lastly a shout-out to my favorite book ever LIGHTNING by Dear Koontz, a true paradox of love and time travel from WWII to current time with a cast including Churchill and Hitler - a very powerful book, a fast read and one that stays with you as vivid as The Stand.
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Offline annette

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Re: Under the Dome by Stephen King - did you read it?
« Reply #1 on: March 19, 2013, 12:15:16 am »
I will look into this book. I read on my nook and love it.

Let you know if I go and purchase it

Annette

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Re: Under the Dome by Stephen King - did you read it?
« Reply #2 on: March 19, 2013, 12:56:47 am »
they have made under the dome into a mini-series haven't they.  i thought i saw a blip ad for it?

have not read king for a long time.  some of the stuff he did after his accident was not so good.
Someone really ought to tell them that the world of Ayn Rand?s novel was not meant to be aspirational.

Offline annette

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Re: Under the Dome by Stephen King - did you read it?
« Reply #3 on: March 19, 2013, 07:34:33 pm »
OK I purchased this book for my Nook, but have a book I am reading right now, so it will have to wait. Will let you know what I think of it.

Annette

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Re: Under the Dome by Stephen King - did you read it?
« Reply #4 on: March 19, 2013, 08:53:50 pm »
It seemed to me to drag on but I enjoyed it. Cell by Stephen King is a good one too.

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Re: Under the Dome by Stephen King - did you read it?
« Reply #5 on: April 11, 2013, 08:13:29 pm »
Just saw a commercial stating Under the Dome will be a mini-series coming up soon - cool. I did get it (not thru Audible  :shock: the web is a wonderful resource) but I bought the second in a series "The Dragon Factory" after listening to the first "Patient Zero: The Joe Ledger Novel" about fictional character Captain Joe Ledger a Baltimore detective who speaks many languages, skilled in many martial arts and is brought into a clandestine agency called the Department of Military Sciences, who deal with man-made threats like viruses that zombify people ( this virus an Al Queda creation that could exponentially turn the world's population in days into man-killing and eating creatures.

It was a very good book, mostly taking place from Baltimore, to DC to Philadelphia in a tourist attraction I have been to many times. It's always neat when you know the scenes very well.

The second book (just about 20 chapters in to it now) about gene manipulation and creating designer creatures for the very wealthy from unicorns for game hunting to enough chemical injections to turn men into biserkers, the perfect emotionless killing machines for infantry battlefields.

Very believable books and characters, read well by Ray Porter, and enough background info on characters in each new book to develop rich characters. Here is the Audible description of the first two in the series of five books (so far):


From multiple Bram Stoker Award-winning author Jonathan Maberry comes a major new thriller that combines the best of the New York Times best-selling books World War Z by Max Brooks and James Rollins’ Sigma Force Series to kick off the start of a new series featuring Joe Ledger and the Department of Military Sciences.

When you have to kill the same terrorist twice in one week there’s either something wrong with your world or something wrong with your skills - and there’s nothing wrong with Joe Ledger’s skills. And that’s both a good and a bad thing. It’s good because he’s a Baltimore detective who has just been secretly recruited by the government to lead a new task force created to deal with the problems that Homeland Security can’t handle. This rapid-response group is called the Department of Military Sciences, or the DMS for short. It’s bad because his first mission is to help stop a group of terrorists from releasing a dreadful bioweapon that can turn ordinary people into zombies. The fate of the world hangs in the balance.

___________________

Dragon Factory: Ex-Baltimore cop turned special-ops shooter Joe Ledger is back in action.

In The Dragon Factory, Ledger and his team from the Department of Military Sciences square off against two separate groups of corrupt scientists. The beautiful but twisted Jakoby Twins are creating transgenic monsters and genetically enhanced mercenaries for sale to the highest bidder. Their father, who takes evil to an entirely new level, is using cutting-edge science to complete the Nazi master-race program.

Joe must elude the NSA who are gunning for him, fight his way past rogue Spetsnaz teams, and stop these madmen before the Extinction Clock runs out. And when the bloodbath claims one of his own, Joe Ledger declares total war on those people who would burn down the world in order to reshape it in their own dark image.

Take another thrill ride with Joe Ledger.

_____________

Jonathan Maberry is the New York Times best-selling and multiple Bram Stoker Award–winning author of Ghost Road Blues, the first of a trilogy of thrillers with a supernatural bite. A professional writer and writing teacher, he has sold more than 1.000 articles, 17 nonfiction books, six novels, and two plays.
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Offline annette

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Re: Under the Dome by Stephen King - did you read it?
« Reply #6 on: April 12, 2013, 11:45:11 pm »
I am almost finished with this book and I have enjoyed it very much. A bit hard to follow who all the characters are, but I can keep track of the main ones. This is my first Stephen King book and I have to admit, I have been a bit frightened by it, and also find it pleasurable to read in a sort of guilty pleasure way. So many bad, evil and stupid people. Just the worst of the worst and it is a thread he has in so many of his movies.  The good guys seem to be losing the battle while the bad guys seem to be winning. I can't wait for the ending.

I also will look forward to the TV series.

I will print out your suggestions John and read them over when I have more time. Today I worked and am exhausted right now.

Take care
Annette

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Re: Under the Dome by Stephen King - did you read it?
« Reply #7 on: April 13, 2013, 04:13:41 am »
Annette:

As a favor to me (if what you read is of no particular order) than read Dean Koontz's LIGHTNING, still my favorite: Koontz's books are all with a dog, usually a red or golden retriever, and an underlying love story - but lightning the love story is right up front. It's just a beautiful book.

And no King book has ever drawn in a following like THE STAND which you may have seen the mini-series, but if not, break out the caffeine and sit down for a book as large as the dome filled with characters you will not only remember, but be able to name the rest of your life - it is a very moving epic novel.



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Offline annette

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Re: Under the Dome by Stephen King - did you read it?
« Reply #8 on: April 15, 2013, 07:30:09 pm »
Annette:

As a favor to me (if what you read is of no particular order) than read Dean Koontz's LIGHTNING, still my favorite: Koontz's books are all with a dog, usually a red or golden retriever, and an underlying love story - but lightning the love story is right up front. It's just a beautiful book.

And no King book has ever drawn in a following like THE STAND which you may have seen the mini-series, but if not, break out the caffeine and sit down for a book as large as the dome filled with characters you will not only remember, but be able to name the rest of your life - it is a very moving epic novel.





I will purchase these 2 books and read them. Right now I just started a book so I will let you know when I am reading your suggestions.

Annette

PS I just purchased both books for my Nook.  Will let you know how it goes. I am a slow reader, so it will take some time.

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Re: Under the Dome by Stephen King - did you read it?
« Reply #9 on: April 17, 2013, 09:08:56 am »
I'm jealous of fast readers, Tracey is one and I feel like a snail trying to keep up with here when something on the TV screen needs reading. And I know I'm slow because rarely do I finish reading a screen before the next pops up - highly annoying when reading a intro to a movie.

I'd say I read at Audiobook speed - the reader and I both are sounding the content allowed, them in voice and me using the voice in my head. So if I see that an audiobook takes 18 hours to read, I know that AT LEAST I will take as long to read it.

So, I've gotten into audiobooks for many many years taking advantage of the fact I can do other things while taking in the book's content. Audiobooks allow me to multitask, something reading the book surely does not allow.

Annette, I really believe you'll enjoy my few suggestions, books that are memorable are sometimes few and far between - lightning touched me, much as did a few other Koontz' books, like: watchers, Dragon Tears and Strangers - all good ones.
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Offline annette

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Re: Under the Dome by Stephen King - did you read it?
« Reply #10 on: April 18, 2013, 02:22:28 am »
It seemed to me to drag on but I enjoyed it. Cell by Stephen King is a good one too.

I will look into this one as well, Thanks

Annette

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Re: Under the Dome by Stephen King - did you read it?
« Reply #11 on: May 06, 2013, 10:50:15 pm »
OK I am into "The Stand" the Stephen King book. About 1/3 into it. It is a very long book.

I can't imagine how this book will end. I can't read this when I am alone in the house at night, to scary.

Stephen King truly has a big imagination and I guess he must have had an interesting childhood  :-D :-D The way he expresses himself and goes into so much detail in describing these characters, that you can see them in your imagination.

I am enjoying this book just as much as the Dome.

Thanks for recommending it to me.

Annette

 



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Re: Under the Dome by Stephen King - did you read it?
« Reply #12 on: May 06, 2013, 10:55:26 pm »
The Stand is one of my favorite books and movies.  the did a good job with the casting and stayed true to the book.

annette, i can't believe you have gone through life and missed King books!   :-D  stay away from "It". 
Someone really ought to tell them that the world of Ayn Rand?s novel was not meant to be aspirational.

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Re: Under the Dome by Stephen King - did you read it?
« Reply #13 on: May 07, 2013, 04:47:11 pm »
Not a spoiler, but something sad happens in the Stand that I literally cried over - investing so much time in a book and study of characters will do that too you.

I think the one character perfectly casted was Tim Curry as Pennywise the clown in Stephan King's It. I can't think of any other book to movie where anyone better captured the horror of a character.

I agree so much about The Stand Mini Series too - a great cast all around. Harold Lauder was my favorite pick for playing the part best - it's great when you despise someone as I (we?) did him.

King has written some incredible stuff, another great on being Misery. He had a fair share of dreadful (production line) type stories too, but it come with fame. I had started the Gun-Slinger series a long time ago, but faded away from them: I think it time to revisit that audiobook series. I rarely get to actually read and I'm pathethically slow at it, but I can honestly say that I have listened to nearly a thousand audiobooks and never would find time to actually read that many. Being able to do my job and put 3-5 hours in an audiobook is a pleasure for me and it's interesting when you find yourself following a narrator into books you likely would never listen to otherwise.

The best, hands-down narrator for me is Dick Hill, has anyone else listen to his stuff? If not and you like action (good guy takes on bad guys) fiction, I strongly suggest the Jack Reacher series (17 books) by Lee Child. Not all are read by Dick Hill, but even if you only listen to audiobook samples at Audible or somewhere, check out this series and here who I think the king of narrators sounds like.

ANNETTE, yes the Stand is epic, I believe the re-released version (1080+ pages) comes in around 34 hours in audiobook, few books come near that length, but also few compare. Here it is many decades later and I still remember nearly ever character name in the most epic book of good against evil novel written.
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Re: Under the Dome by Stephen King - did you read it?
« Reply #14 on: May 07, 2013, 06:25:34 pm »
syfy runs that movie once or twice a year.  it's one of the few that i'll watch at least part of again.  at 6 hours, more or less, i don't usually watch it all.

it's worth getting on CD from netflix or something so that you don't have to put up with network time constraints and edits.
Someone really ought to tell them that the world of Ayn Rand?s novel was not meant to be aspirational.

Offline annette

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Re: Under the Dome by Stephen King - did you read it?
« Reply #15 on: May 12, 2013, 04:54:30 pm »
I'm still reading the book and I will rent the movie (The Stand). Enjoying it. It is getting really good now.

I have watched Stephen King movies, but for some reason, never read any of his books until now. So "It" is next? Still have a few books to read after the Stand, then will go for "It"

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Re: Under the Dome by Stephen King - did you read it?
« Reply #16 on: May 12, 2013, 05:16:55 pm »
read "It" during the day while you laying out in the sun  :evil:
Someone really ought to tell them that the world of Ayn Rand?s novel was not meant to be aspirational.

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Re: Under the Dome by Stephen King - did you read it?
« Reply #17 on: May 13, 2013, 12:06:15 am »
Again, not giving anything away: "It" has MORE LENGTHY character study than the Stand. No joke! You literally are reading two books when you read It, one in the 60's and one current day (I believe the 80s) the good news, all the same characters - all of what I said you can get from the forward.

If you need a break from Kind, don't forget Swan Song :) it is as long as either King book, but Robert McCammon is a very different writer and you can read it (mostly) with the lights off - lol.

But When you watch the Stand or It, you will be amazed at how it is sooo identical to the movie playing in your mind as you read them!!! Have fun.

Oh.... I just download, finally the Dome to my Iphone (just in time for the TV series - ugh) but I still need to finish "King of Plaques" by Jonathan Maberry - a new favorite series I'm reading.
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Re: Under the Dome by Stephen King - did you read it?
« Reply #18 on: May 13, 2013, 01:01:26 am »
just reserved the audio (CD) from the library.  should get it tomorrow or tuesday.
Someone really ought to tell them that the world of Ayn Rand?s novel was not meant to be aspirational.

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Re: Under the Dome by Stephen King - did you read it?
« Reply #19 on: June 09, 2013, 07:36:27 pm »
Kathy... You talking about Swan Song from the library? Did you get it?
Annette... you finish Under the Dome?

I listened to about  hours of Under the Dome, fine enough reader but I couldn't take another minute of it, that far into the story and most people had no clue there was a dome yet - ugh.

Been readying Johnathan MaBerry (correct spelling) his Joe Ledger Series, I'm into book 4 and have book 5 on my iPhone already. I got to say, I've really learned to like this series, characters develop a bit slow (typically out of 10 or so characters) 2 or 3 high-lighted a book, but when you get to finally dig deep into them, they are layered like onions and all intertwine so very well.

Sure, some people would call this Black-ops with Zombies and Vampires, but the interesting this is that the creature are either genetically created through modern DNA splicing or from nearly 2 thousand years of select breeding. The stories are plausible in their own context and take nothing away from the black-ops. In this the fourth book (Assassin's Code) we are in Baghdad, today entrenched to try and find out where 5 missing nukes are located. Interestingly, the vampires are the ones at least with the knowledge of where the nukes are, their purpose for wanting them is unclear.

Calling them vampires is a bit unfair, that being they do have genetically formed razor like teeth and possess incredible strength, not to leave out they have very long life-spans, although they are as mortal as we are. The myths and legends we all know about stakes and garlic are half truths, chemicals found in high amounts in garlic is a toxic substance due to inbreeding and stakes to the heart pretty much kill anything. So, Joe Ledger and his team are fighting not mythological creatures but a sect of clergy deeply hidden in history, first used in the Crusades.

Any way, I hope when you busy busy people find time for something modern and yet satisfying to the horror fans too, you give MaBerry books a try.


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