Under the Dome

Look what Santa brought me for Christmas… weighing in at 1074 pages it looks like one mighty read. If it’s anything like Cell or Salem’s Lot then I am in for a treat. The only King book of this size I’ve read before was Dreamcatcher, which while good, seemed way too long.

I’ll let you know in a few months…

I don’t usually read fantasy books, in fact before I read The Painted Man I’d never read a fantasy book. Not that I am one for boxing things into genres – I am far more likely to pick up a book on the merit of its author’s previous work or by reading reviews. Luckily my brother recommended me this book, and so I took it on holiday with me to Greece. Having just finished Stephen King’s Salam’s Lot, the pace style of this book was difficult to get used to. Once you get going however, this book comes into its own. The author takes his time to build a realistic, plausible world, one that is plagued monsters that arise from the core of the earth whenever the sun sets. The book follows three characters over a number of years, and by the time the story climaxes you really feel you are inside their heads and can fully empathise with them and their actions.

Along the way there is of course plenty of action, heartbreak and surprises – but what really makes this book so good is the fascinating world it exists in and the characters than inhabit it.

I was sad when I finished this book, not because the ending was bad (it’s not) but because I knew I would be leaving that world behind. Luckily there is a second book, and I’ve just started that. So far so good.

I highly recommend this book.

A couple of months back I finished reading Cell by Stephen King.

What can I say? What an amazing book. Despite the inevitable of label “Horror”, I’d classify this as more of a psychological thriller. Yes there are many gory scenes, but the meat of this book is not in the action sequences, but in the constant feeling of fear, fear of the unknown experienced by a group of people who find themselves unaffected by the “Pulse” sent out through the mobile phone network, a pulse that resets the human brain to its most primitive form and eventually takes those affected by it (most people), know as  the “phone crazies” on a different evolutional path. What could have been?

The book could be described as a zombie apocalyptic story, but rather than the usual approach of “virus hits earth, chaos ensues, lead character finds a big gun, shoots zombies, makes their way to safety” the author gives the zombies original abilities and strange behaviours that just  cry out to be explained and will keep you reading.  All of the characters feel well written and believable, meaning you as the reader care about them, making the goodbyes sad and the dangerous moments tense.

Much has been said about the ending of this book, with many readers disappointed that it didn’t answer all their questions. While I won’t give anything away, all I will say is I liked the ending, it suited the tone of the book. If anyone has ever seen the original cut of Blade Runner, and then the Director’s Cut you’ll know what I mean – sometimes what is not said can be so much more powerful, in the same way the ending to the first Matrix film was ruined by the two subsequent sequels.

So I highly recommend this book, don’t be put off if “horror” isn’t usually your thing.