# Stephen King's new book "Under The Dome"

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stephen-kings-new-book-under-the-dome/517013>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [November 10, 2009, 5:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stephen-kings-new-book-under-the-dome/517013 "2009-11-10T05:29:47Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 8\
**Page:** 6

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**Author:** ![Grither](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grither/32/425_2.png) [@Grither](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grither)\
**Post date:** [December 17, 2009, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stephen-kings-new-book-under-the-dome/517013/101 "2009-12-17T01:17:45Z")

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> [@Hamadryad](#):
>
> My problem with the book is that it was written as an epic and ended like a short story. C’mon, Mr. King - you used to be GREAT with denoument.

He _did_? When?!

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**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\
**Post date:** [December 17, 2009, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stephen-kings-new-book-under-the-dome/517013/102 "2009-12-17T02:02:57Z")

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> [@Grither](#):
>
> He _did_? When?!

That should be “He was? When?”.  
You’re welcome. 😉  
The who _never_ errs.  
mangeorge

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**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\
**Post date:** [December 17, 2009, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stephen-kings-new-book-under-the-dome/517013/103 "2009-12-17T02:06:33Z")

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> [@AuntiePam](#):
>
> Another thing that bugged me was when King has Junior Rennie being good with little kids – not the teenagers, but the younger kids who were stranded because their mom was on the other side of the dome. He made a point of talking about Junior bonding with them, like we were going to see another side of the guy. I was waiting, but it went nowhere.

Oh, I took that to mean he was going to kidnap them and hold them hostage. He wasn’t thinking clearly there, toward the end. I’m glad he never got to them.

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**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\
**Post date:** [December 17, 2009, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stephen-kings-new-book-under-the-dome/517013/104 "2009-12-17T03:24:38Z")

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> [@ivylass](#):
>
> Oh, I took that to mean he was going to kidnap them and hold them hostage. He wasn’t thinking clearly there, toward the end. I’m glad he never got to them.

Maybe King didn’t know himself what the relationship was going to be. I had a different vibe, that the kids were bringing out something good in Junior. But he might have had what my husband calls an “artillery motive” for being protective of them. 🙂

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**Author:** ![Shmendrik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Shmendrik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shmendrik)\
**Post date:** [December 17, 2009, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stephen-kings-new-book-under-the-dome/517013/105 "2009-12-17T03:28:02Z")

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> [@AuntiePam](#):
>
> Probably not a spoiler, but a couple of character descriptions:
> 
> So far, there’s a conservative Republican, Julia Shumway, owner and editor of the local newspaper. She’s thoughtful and intelligent, a sympathetic character. I can’t say as much for the fundamentalist Christian who appears to be set up as the main villain. He’s almost cartoonish, which is a bit of a disappointment.
> 
> ETA: I know I’m into a King book when I turn on the news and wonder why CNN isn’t talking about what’s happening at Chester’s Mill. 🙂

Update: I wasn’t distracted by the politics, but I wasn’t too impressed with the book.

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**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\
**Post date:** [December 17, 2009, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stephen-kings-new-book-under-the-dome/517013/106 "2009-12-17T04:44:51Z")

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> [@Shmendrik](#):
>
> Update: I wasn’t distracted by the politics, but I wasn’t too impressed with the book.

I wasn’t either (distracted or impressed). The characters were so shallow, it was hard to take them (or their politics) seriously.

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**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\
**Post date:** [December 17, 2009, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stephen-kings-new-book-under-the-dome/517013/107 "2009-12-17T05:17:14Z")

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> [@Grither](#):
>
> He _did_? When?!

_Misery_ had a great denoument, so did _Pet Semetary_ and a few others from his 1980’s work.

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**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\
**Post date:** [December 17, 2009, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stephen-kings-new-book-under-the-dome/517013/108 "2009-12-17T13:07:03Z")

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> [@AuntiePam](#):
>
> Maybe King didn’t know himself what the relationship was going to be. I had a different vibe, that the kids were bringing out something good in Junior. But he might have had what my husband calls an “artillery motive” for being protective of them. 🙂

I got the same vibe you did, and wondered if some other side of Junior was going to be revealed that would later become important to the good guys. Since I never reached the end of the book, this thread has at least spared me that mild curiosity since the answer appears to be ‘no’.

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