Book Review: Under the Dome, Stephen King

A mysterious dome descends upon the town of Chester's Mill. A woodchuck is split in two and a light airplane explodes, raining debris (and body parts) on Route 119. And so begins Stephen King's latest novel, Under the Dome...

Forget The Simpsons Movie comparisons. They're unfortunate and distracting. This 1072-page epic deserves to be judged as a new King novel, end of. And he's having a lot of fun here, you can tell, watching his one-hundred-plus cast move around like a kid staring at ants through a magnifying glass. So what if I didn't feel quite the same connection with any of the Chester's Mill inhabitants? I did, however, feel involved enough in their stories to keep turning page after page. Besides, Under the Dome is about people in general more than individuals. It is also about action, pace, tension, and story. In fact, King's prose is leaner here than it has been in years, and if it's not quite ripped, he has certainly worked hard to rid himself of not all but most of the flab that comes with TMI: Too Much Information. Indeed, hand on heart, I can say I wasn't bored for a single moment, quite the opposite, and when you consider the length of the novel, that's a massive achievement.

Anyway, Dome in place, things quickly heat up inside. Divisions form. Dale 'Barbie' Barbara, an Iraq veteran, on one side, 'Big Jim' Rennie, used-car dealer and town second selectman on the other. King tries to blur the lines a little, but what we essentially get is a battle of Good versus Evil. Global Warming, albeit in microcosm, is addressed also, and with admirable restraint. As for the politics in the novel, purported to represent King's own beliefs, they seem to have angered and even turned some readers off. They did not particularly interest me, so I won't go there other than to say I don't believe they encroached upon the story, perhaps because I saw this as something deeper than religion or politics. It's an unflinchingly dark portrayal of human nature and society, but it may also be an honest and true one. Therein lies the horror.

Now for the ending. You will find out what The Dome is and why it is there, but whether you like the explanation or accept the explanation comes down to you, the individual reader. And in traditional Stephen King style, it will disappoint some and satisfy others. Fortunately, after a thousand-page read, I found myself in the latter camp. Again, for me the novel was a study of human behaviour above all else, and for the most part King handles this aspect with great skill and understanding. Okay, one or two characters lost it a little too quickly for me, but what do I know? I've never been under the dome...

Finally, would I recommend picking up a copy? Let me offer some perspective. Here are my top three Stephen King books:

1. The Long Walk (granted, written as Richard Bachman)
2. Hearts in Atlantis
3. Duma Key

Under the Dome supplants Duma Key at No.3 on my list, though it is a close decision. As the smoothest, swiftest, most thrilling read from King so far, I would have to say, yes – get your hands on a copy.

Book Review: The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, John Boyne

I decided to use some money I made from a recent short story sale to buy a handful of books. The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas was one of them. That title, the setting, and the dark subject matter seduced me.

The family of Bruno, the nine-year-old son of a German officer, move out of their Berlin home into "Out-With," a place where the people who live on the other side of the fence are all thin and sad and wear the same striped pyjamas. Bruno befriends one of these people, a boy the same age as him, and begins a doomed friendship.

I'm very confused as to what the target audience is for this book. It has sold around 5 million copies I believe, so it has an audience – but who does this audience consist of? Children? I don't believe so, because so much of the novel's power relies on subtlety and knowledge of What Went On In The Camps, two things I suspect would go over the heads of most children and young adults. On the other hand, if it's supposed to be adult fiction it is deeply flawed and at times unbelievable. Few if any children ever made it into the concentration camps because they were of little use to the Germans (being essentially non-productive). They were sent straight to the gas chambers within minutes of stepping from the train. And the fences surrounding such camps were electrified (they are not here). These two historical facts are conveniently ignored by the author for the sake of his story. But when we're talking about history, about something like the Final Solution and genocide, should writers be taking such liberties? In addition to being written from a child's perspective, the author seems to have adopted a childlike disregard of the facts. Some have found this offensive. I can see both sides of the debate. Back to the story.

I managed to put such gripes aside and approached The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas as a piece of fiction (albeit aimed at a hard-to-pin-down demographic). So, is it any good? Yes. And no. Inaccuracies aside, the plot is interesting if at times predictable. Characters are presented as stereotypes (as a nine-year-old might perceive them) which in turn makes them a little tiresome and lacking in depth. For instance, Bruno's sister, Gretel, collects dolls and is a rotten sibling. That's it. Bruno himself is at times likeable and sympathetic while at other times annoyingly dense and unperceptive. And I was confused about the narrator. Who was he or she? "And that's the end of the story about Bruno and his family" read one line. Who was telling the story? Wouldn't it have worked better in First Person? To have it relayed through the eyes of the boy? Frustrating.

That said, there is much to like and admire: the voice and style, the simple direct prose, the dialogue, most of the interactions between Bruno and his family and Bruno and the Jewish boy, the plot's structure though not its liberties with historical fact, and the pace – it's a fast, fluid read – but like the dark side of human nature itself, there is also much to loathe.

Book Review: Cujo, Stephen King

My hopes weren’t high going into Cujo. King claims he can barely remember writing his famous tale of a rabid Saint Bernard (he was an alcoholic and drug addict at the time), but I wondered if perhaps he merely wanted to forget… That's not the case. Cujo may have a slow build-up to its tense climax (one of the author’s better closings, it should be said), but it’s never dull thanks in part to the surprisingly measured structure. For me, though, the novel’s real strength is found in its realistic portrayal of two families, the Cambers (country-dwellers) and the Trentons (former city-dwellers). Both have serious problems and are on the brink of falling apart. Enter Cujo. There may be some significance to the juxtaposition of these families, some metaphors to be found in the rabid dog and the disease-like rot that seems to infect the husbands and wives of the respective families; then, there may not. I suspect, however, that Cujo is meant to be viewed as more than a horror novel. Indeed, the grisly scenes of murder that litter other horror novels are few in number here; instead, the focus is suspense and the ever-present fear of death rather than death itself. I expected this to be one of King’s lesser efforts… I was pleasantly surprised.

All Quiet...

Aside from a couple of book reviews I’ve been pretty quiet on the blogging front. So here’s a brief update:

I’ve been writing (on-and-off, the opening of a short story, notes for a mainstream and possibly highly commercial novel), reading (a lot, by my standards—The Great Escape, Homer Hickam’s latest, and a Raymond Chandler biography), as well as doing some general pondering (something I do in quiet moments, which don’t seem to come around as often as I would like) about possible future directions for both myself and my writing. Rejections have been trickling in, too. No acceptances, but I have stories sitting in the final stages of consideration at several good publications. Meanwhile, my wife’s grandma has been recuperating in hospital from a fractured shoulder and my flat has been flooded by a burst water pipe. The vagaries of life. Fingers crossed, the month of May should hold some good news. Then, I shouldn't tempt fate...

Hope you are well.

Book Review: Red Helmet, Homer Hickam

Romantic fiction and coalmining: two things I'm not naturally drawn to, but when they're delivered by Homer Hickam, one of my favourite storytellers, I'm willing to make the exception. This unabashedly romantic tale of Song Hawkins, successful New York City businesswoman, and Cable Jordan, superintendent of a modern West Virginian mine is told with such heart and passion it's hard not be moved. Sure, with some clunky dialogue and O-T-T religious moralising, it's like a child that continually misbehaves, but darn it if it doesn't have a good heart and the very best of intentions. In this cynical climate we should make room, now and then, for such tales of love and faith...

Book Review (part 2 of 2): Just After Sunset, Stephen King

N.

A strange standing-stones formation brings on OCD in an observer, who visits his psychiatrist for help. Only, his OCD is catching… There is a lot going on in this story (there should be, it’s over 50 pages long), making it easily one of the best in the collection. Story and character blend here in near-perfect harmony, and the writing, particularly toward the end of the tale, convincingly captures the protagonist’s condition. Indeed, the focus here is the mind, fear manifesting itself through OCD, how quickly and easily it spreads and destroys. The more I think about this tale, the more frightening it becomes... 4/5


The Cat from Hell

For Halston this is a new kind of hit: a cat. But this cat has the blood of three people on its paws, and it won’t go out without a fight… This is vintage King, literally. Written and first published some 30 years ago, the style and content are very different from the rest of the stories collected here. The short, sharp prose of pulp crime fiction meets King’s nasty streak of old in this deliciously dark tale. Good enough to make me want to dig out some of the old collections but out of place alongside the more literary, character-driven stories. Nonetheless, an excellent read. 4.5/5


The New York Times at Special Bargain Rates

Many of the stories in Just After Sunset touch upon the subject of death. Here, Annie Driscoll receives one final phone call from her late husband, who died three days earlier in a plane crash. Though the call is short, Annie will never forget it, and never quite let go of the man who made the call, regardless of the path her life takes. An understated and believable tale where story and character are well-balanced. Memorable. 3.5/5


Mute

In a church confessional, a travelling salesman recalls an encounter with a deaf-mute hitchhiker to whom he ranted about his cheating wife... Mute draws the reader in but the so-called twist can be seen coming for miles, making this one end on a slightly disappointing note. Indeed, the moral questions King asks here (which I won’t mention to avoid spoiling the story for those who haven’t read it), aren’t particularly new or interesting either, and certainly don’t justify the story’s 24-page length. An enjoyable but forgettable read. And Playboy published this... 3/5


Ayana

Here we have miracles and questions…why do some people live and some people die? King himself says in the afterword that this tale is about the questions rather than the answers. He says that often, and here he gets away with it. There’s no bells and whistles here, no horror per se but an understated and tender story. 3.5/5


A Very Tight Place

Curtis Johnson finds himself trapped in a Port-O-San (portable toilet) in this almost novella-length tale of revenge and rebirth. It’s probably the best example from Just After Sunset of vintage King meets new King, a delicious marriage of nastiness and richly detailed prose in the darkest, grossest tale of the bunch. The perfect choice for the final story, too. 4/5


In Just After Sunset, Stephen King often writes about questions without providing any answers. The less successful stories of this ilk feel disappointingly unfinished, but some do linger beyond a first reading. It isn’t the author’s strongest collection to date, but it is a thoughtful journey that is never less than interesting; a journey in which time and time again he forces the reader to confront the subjects of death and dying. At times unflinching and horrific, at others subtle and poignant, this uneven collection is nevertheless worth your attention, as even its lesser tales offer the discerning reader something beyond character and plot. And King’s prose has never been so rich, so layered, so compelling.

Book Review (part 1 of 2): Just After Sunset, Stephen King

As promised, here is the first part of my story-by-story review of Stephen King's latest collection, Just After Sunset:


Willa

While the victims of a derailment in Wyoming gather at a station to await a recovery train to take them on to their destination, David goes off in search of his fiance, the eponymous Willa, who has wandered into a nearby town. The ‘twist’ in the tale is soon revealed; King isn’t stupid, he’s seen The Sixth Sense like the rest of us. Besides, the story is really about love, how it sets us apart, how it survives everything, even death. There’s plenty of his trademark attention to detail to be found here, which can at times make his work seem bloated and gassy, but mercifully the pacing here, although a little out-of-balance, is just about right. A tale that lingered with me… 3.5/5


The Gingerbread Girl

Since losing her baby, Emily likes to run. She runs from her husband and her life all the way to a beach retreat in Vermillion Key, Florida, where she runs straight into the arms of a psychopath. Part character study, part action-suspense tale, The Gingerbread Girl is an easy if overlong read. Though the protagonist is an interesting and sympathetic character, King has given her a fairly insipid plot through which to navigate. More disappointing than that, however, is her main antagonist, a psychopathic serial killer who is pure stereotype. No surprises. 2.5/5


Harvey’s Dream

What this story lacks in action and plot, it more than makes up for in character and to a lesser degree suspense. A richly detailed portrait of a man and woman nearing their retirement years. Add to the mix a vivid and disturbing dream, and their ‘thin’ world is suddenly, irrevocably changed forever. Not for everyone, but I enjoyed the detailed writing and slow, simmering build-up, even if it was all fairly predictable in the end. 3/5


Rest Stop

A popular writer stops for a bathroom break and overhears a man beating on a woman. He has to decide if and how he will intervene. I won’t reveal what happens next, just that Rest Stop is another classic example of King’s highly readable style carrying a straightforward story. He’s truly a magician with detail. Indeed, as he did with the previous tale, he takes the simplest of situations and works his magic to somehow make it feel immediate and exciting. 3/5


Stationary Bike

The point King makes in this cautionary tale about the dangers of over-exercise could easily be made in fewer pages than the 30-plus he uses here. But when it’s delivered in such a readable style, it really is hard to complain. Freelance artist Richard Sifkitz is overweight, has high cholesterol and, after the bluntest of warnings from his doctor, buys a stationary bike. He puts the bike in his basement, paints a road on the wall, and marks off his route on various maps. Great, so far. You might think you can guess where King takes it from here, for he’s revisiting familiar ground, mixing elements from some of his other work—The Road Virus Heads North and his last novel, Duma Key, spring to mind—but he literally informs the reader that this story won’t end as they might expect. And to an extent he’s right and it doesn’t. There’s much to enjoy here, but like a lot of King’s work the payoff doesn’t quite live up to the build-up, unfortunately. Still, this is a strong if slightly overlong story. 3.5/5


The Things They Left Behind

Almost a year on from 9/11, Scott Staley, a man who should have been working in one of the Towers that day, discovers objects belonging to his deceased co-workers in his apartment. Objects with stories to tell... What follows is a journey of understanding and for me, boredom. This one didn’t connect at all. Despite my initial interest and high-hopes, it had me zoning out for pages at a time. Overwritten—even more so than the previous story—and thin on plot, this could easily stand to lose 40-50% of its length. I may revisit this to see if it engages me second time around, I’m stubborn—or stupid—that way, but after a first reading this is the most disappointing story of the collection so far. 2/5


Graduation Afternoon

Like Harvey’s Dream, Graduation Afternoon showcases King the writer more than King the storyteller. It is a simple and fairly effective literary tale, full of detail like the other stories in this collection, but ultimately lacking story. Structurally and thematically it bears some similarities to Harvey’s Dream, in that he details the lives of the players before hitting them hard at the close. Enjoyable, but I think writing this good deserves more plot. 2.5/5

Part two of my review will follow soon...

Book Review: Castaways, Brian Keene

I am quite familiar with Brian Keene’s work, having read The Rising, City of the Dead, Ghoul, and Dead Sea. He is a prolific writer with an aptitude for fast-paced horror thrillers that grab and don’t let go. So when I read the blurb of his latest offering—monstrous half-human creatures start killing a bunch of reality show contestants on a supposedly deserted island—I immediately ordered it, and got to reading. It’s been a while since I’ve read anything so bad I wanted not only to close the book but to inflict actual physical damage to it. Castaways took me there. I suspect Mr Keene, an author I have come to admire, had a particularly tight deadline or an unexpected bill to pay or please some other good reason for allowing this substandard effort to be published.

So what’s wrong with it?

It’s lazy. Despite what many reviews would have you believe, it’s not scary, nor is it well written. That’s not strictly true. There are some scenes in the second half of the book that are mildly disturbing. The characters are, without exception, stereotypes that constantly spout laughable dialogue and react in ridiculous ways. Description is sparse (Richard Laymon style, yes, I get it) but completely flat and uninspired, meaning trees are trees and the wind is always “howling.” As for the supposedly terrifying creatures? Read this:

“One of them looked horribly deformed. Its bulbous head seemed overly large, like a melon. A few others had obvious deformities as well.”

Is it me or is the image of a melon not frightening? And how about providing the reader with some specific deformities? It’s this kind of clumsy, lazy, insipid writing that destroys the impact of every scene early on, so that by the time things improve (marginally) in the second half, this reader couldn’t care less.

I wholeheartedly recommend you give Castaways a wide berth, at least until you have sampled Keene’s other, stronger work (such as those mentioned in the first paragraph, particularly The Rising). At least then you might have it in your heart to forgive him this half-assed effort. 3/10.

Hard Case Crime

If you’re looking for something to read on the bus or train to work, let me point you in the direction of the Hard Case Crime series. Starting in September 2004, founders Charles Ardai and Max Phillips have published one hardboiled crime novel every month since, recently passing the fifty mark with no signs of slowing down.

This is an easy genre to dismiss (I’m relatively new to it myself), but take some time out to read one or two of the HCC novels and you’ll find enthralling stories written in the kind of sharp prose that most authors can only dream of writing. I’m currently reading Little Girl Lost, the fourth in the series and my fifth HCC title so far (having bucked numerical order to read #13, Stephen King’s, The Colorado Kid), and the selling point is simply this: consistent quality.

So drop by their website, browse through the titles and authors on offer, or maybe even let the gorgeous cover art influence your choice...but make a purchase. Not convinced? Well, check out the price tag. Over at Amazon UK, HCC titles start out at as little as £3.53, at Amazon US, $7. Worth every penny or cent if you ask me.

The Far Reaches, Homer Hickam

The first half of this novel, the third in Hickam’s Josh Thurlow series, failed to ignite my interest in the way his previous books have. I didn’t particularly like Josh in this tale. Indeed, his presence seems less important than some of the supposed secondary characters. This novel belongs more to them, Ready O’Neal (familiar to anyone who has read the previous novels) and Sister Mary Kathleen, a nun with a secret and possibly Hickam’s least interesting character to date, than it does Josh, virtually unrecognisable here from his previous outings. I hope Hickam revisits the series again, but this diminished return perhaps suggests he set it aside for fresher projects or at least until inspiration strikes. Still, it would be a pity if the series ended on a ‘medium’ rather than a high. Worth reading if you’re a fan, but by the incredibly high standards set by the author’s previous work, this was a little disappointing.

The Pianist, Wladyslaw Szpilman

After watching the Roman Polanski film last year I felt compelled to read the book on which it was based. I did so in one sitting, and it’s one of those rarest of things: a book and film that compliment each other well. You might expect anger; you might expect bitterness, but Szpilman delivers a controlled yet unflinching vision of daily life in the Warsaw ghetto during the Nazi occupation as well as his own incredible story of survival-against-the-odds. Like many tales of the Second World War, this is compelling, humbling, haunting stuff...read it.

My Top 3 Reads of 2008

1. Perfume: The Story of a Murderer, Patrick Suskind

Magnificent. This novel offered me everything I want from a story – it was dark, literary, original, compelling, psychologically acute, tragic, beautifully written, and with an outcast as its unforgettable central character. A tale I will doubtless revisit again and again in years to come. My only disappointment was watching the film version before reading the book, always a mistake.


2. Duma Key, Stephen King

In recent years, I find myself biting voraciously into each new effort from King only for my appetite to wane around its flabby middle section and then return again with the serving of dessert, i.e., the final 150 to 200 pages. Duma Key was no different. The beginning was exceptional, hooking me completely, the middle seemed a little long and unfocused, and the ending, though satisfying, resorted at times to one or two laughable plot/exposition devices to move the whole thing along and resolve the story issues. That said, Duma is more accessible and enjoyable than most of King's recent output, Lisey's Story and Cell to name just two, and is, therefore, his best work for a long, long time.


3. Another Bullshit Night in Suck City, Nick Flynn

I bought this book from Amazon a while back because (1) it was on sale, and (2) that title grabbed me. I had no expectations and only a vague idea of what it was about, but sometimes that makes for the best reads. Suck City has much to offer, too much to include in this short review. Among other things, it is an insightful and honest portrayal of a difficult father and son relationship, a fresh, unflinching look at life on the streets and in homeless shelters, and a sad, cautionary tale about clinging to empty dreams. Highly recommended.

My Top 3 Reads of 2007

I read seventeen books in 2007, which is a pitiful tally any way you care to slice it. Yup, seventeen. One title every three. I wish it could have been more but working forty-two-and-a-half hours a week (and that’s before I even think about applying ass to chair) doesn’t leave me with much energy or opportunity to read. I miss those days, so infrequent now, when I could abandon everything and lose myself in a book for seven, eight, sometimes nine hours straight… (sigh)

Anyway, for what it’s worth, here are my top three favourite reads of 2007, none of which were published this year. Don’t read anything into that though since I only read three ‘current’ titles in '07.

In First Place:
Collected Stories Vol.1, Richard Matheson
-Fifty years on and most of these stories are still as fresh and powerful and relevant as the day they were written. Reading this was a humbling experience.

Second Place:
The Ambassador’s Son, Homer Hickam
-A superb storyteller. Nothing this guy has written has disappointed me. Nothing.

Third Place:
Fight Club, Chuck Palahniuk
-Staggeringly sharp prose. One incredible line, paragraph, and chapter after another.


If you haven't read any of these books or authors then I encourage you to head on over to your local library/bookstore/Amazon web site and look them up...

Books, Books, and More Books

Here's what I bought recently from Amazon UK's Huge Stock Clearance:

(for £1 each)
G - John Berger
The Seal Wife - Kathryn Harrison
The Cadence of Grass - Thomas McGuane
Shopgirl - Steve Martin (yes, the film actor/comedian)
Banks of Green Willow - Kevin Myers

(for £3 each)
The Great Escape - Paul Brickhill
Lunar Park - Bret Easton Ellis
Another Bullshit Night in Suck City - Nick Flynn (loving that title...)
Ash Wednesday - Ethan Hawke
Dark Horse - Tami Hoag
Creepers - David Morrell

Okay, so I don't really need any more reading material - I've got enough books to keep me going until my heart stops (really, I do) despite my best efforts during the last 8-10months to sell off the bulk of my collection. Anyway, I thought I would post the list above and see if visitors to this blog have any thoughts or recommendations they would care to share, assuming, of course, you have read (or heard of) any of the above.

Thanks, as always, for dropping by...