Stephen King's "Under the Dome"

I am a huge Stephen King fan. Huge. He is on my short list of people I would like to hang out with. Even though some of his stories absolutely terrify me (The Shining, Pet Semetary, Carrie, (and I will never read Cujo again)), he has a way about him that is comforting. It's like he says, "Dear Constant Reader, I will tell you a story now. You might get grossed out. You might cry. But you're gonna enjoy yourself and I'll hold your hand from time to time. Trust me."

My favorite book of his is The Stand, which is about the United States after a superflu bug is set loose from a military base and kills 99.9% of humans (and dogs). It is a monster of a book, weighing in at about 4 lbs. Seriously. I have read it at least 4 times.

Last year, Under the Dome came out. As usual, I waited until I got my hands on it at the library. I am on the waiting list for the audio version, but found it in regular form the other day when I took Jake to replenish his supply of audio books. (He was sick and bed-bound. Nothing like a little Goosebumps to make you feel better, I guess!) King's latest tome caught my eye. Without thought, I picked it up, cradling it like a long-lost babe. (I had been waiting A YEAR!)

Now this book is 1074 pages, including his Author Note (in which he stated that he started the (now lost) manuscript in 1976.) I have a huge pile of books by my bed (and I am currently reading at least half of them, have more books by my comfy chair in the dining room with bookmarks sticking out of them, a book in my car, plus two at work. This "Dome" book pretty much negates anything else for the time being. (Although I have to admit being pretty into John Joseph's autobiography, The Evolution of a Cro-Mangnon and will find a little time to keep chugging through the life-changing Women Who Run with the Wolves (by Charissa Pinkola Estes).

Chapter one of Under the Dome begins with a woodchuck being cut in half when a mysterious dome slams down around a town. Birds in full flight slam into it, breaking their necks. A woman is learning to fly a plane. It rams into the dome, body parts raining down with fiery plane pieces. Another woman is gardening, her arm outstretched. It is lopped off.

It's gonna be a good one. Stay tuned.