Under the Dome

A Novel

De: Stephen King

Narrado por: Raul Esparza

The “propulsively intriguing, staggeringly addictive” (USA TODAY) novel from master storyteller Stephen King—a #1 New York Times bestseller.

It is a typical October morning in Chester’s Mill, Maine: glorious weather, a perfectly blue sky, and quiet. Then, all hell breaks loose. Inexplicably, and simultaneously, a plane falls from the sky in flames; a woman’s hand is severed; and a farmer’s John Deere explores (with him on it). A few moments later, a pulp-truck crashes spectacularly. Somehow, an invisible and impermeable barrier—exactly following the town’s perimeter—has descended upon the town.

Life under the dome quickly becomes a hothouse—with the best in some people and the worst in others flourishing. There are unambiguous heroes and villains, from a supremely corrupt local politician to a very enterprising newspaper reporter. The situation under the dome deteriorates by the minute: supplies of everything are diminishing quickly, the citizens are panicking, and the police force, under the control of the diabolically devious alderman Jim Rennie, implement their own version of martial law. Meanwhile, Barbie, brave Iraq war vet and short order cook, and a band of intrepid pals engage in a race against time to find the source of the dome and raise it before there’s nobody left alive in Chester’s Mill.

Under the Dome is filled with a marvelous and enormous cast of over 100 characters. King’s trademark idiomatic language is pure pleasure to experience. “Nowhere in Mr. King’s immense body of work have his real and fantasy world collided with such head-on force” (The New York Times Book Review).

©2009 Stephen King (P)2009 Simon & Schuster

loved it.....couldnt stop listening.

I really liked this book. long and stays with Mr kings usual guidelines but overall I couldn't stop listening. I loved it. and the narrator did an excellent job with all the different characters.

Great Characters!

Where does Under the Dome rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

This was a story that had my attention right from the beginning! Once I started listening, I just couldn't stop...there are a ton of deep characters in this story and the plot will keep you guessing!

Forget TV series! This is a great book!

Where does Under the Dome rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

This is one of the best audio books I've heard in the last year. The narrator found the voice of each character. After listening for a while, you could recognize the character without the "he said, she said " remarks. I have found this only in a hand full of narrators. This is what audio books are about.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Sam the whino. If you read or listen you will find out why. Anything else would be a spoiler.

What does Raul Esparza bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Brings characters to life and excellent narration.

If you could take any character from Under the Dome out to dinner, who would it be and why?

couldn't say. Rather sit at the B.S. table at Briar Rose Coffee shop.

Any additional comments?

If you like Stephen King; This one's a keeper. Forget the TV series when you read or listen to this story. As with many film translations the book is far better. The adult content of the book makes me wonder why the TV series at all. After reading or listening you will find the TV series just too damned dull and plodding. In my case a little too soapy as well. I lasted three episodes before removing from DVR season list.

It was great until...

What did you love best about Under the Dome?

The characters and entire town were rich with stories, The many stories felt very believabl.e

What did you like best about this story?

Junior's revalations.

Which character – as performed by Raul Esparza – was your favorite?

Junior

If you could rename Under the Dome, what would you call it?

That which remained

Any additional comments?

I felt the ending was almost written as an afterthought. It was a hail-mary pass to get them out of the situation.

Under Suspense

Kept me on the edge of my seat. Goes to show you what would really happen if you were under the dome and what politicians are capable of when there's no one to lead.

Klassic King Tale!

What made the experience of listening to Under the Dome the most enjoyable?

Raul Esparza did a great job of translating the feel of the book.

What other book might you compare Under the Dome to and why?

King is often accused of being "that" horror writer but in my opinion his character development and their interaction with each other transcends any other author I've ever read.

Which character – as performed by Raul Esparza – was your favorite?

Definitely his portrayal of father and son, James and Junior Rennie.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

King always illicits emotions with his characters and stories.

Interesting, but not my favorite.

Where does Under the Dome rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Under the Dome was not my favorite book. The opening was a little too gristly. The first 90 min or so was excessively graphic. I'm not squeamish... this was just too much, with no point. So much so that I almost abandoned the book. But I didn't, and made it to the end. However, the ending left me feeling incomplete. Like I wanted something else... something more to happen.

If you’ve listened to books by Stephen King before, how does this one compare?

Of all the King books, this is possibly my least favorite so far. The opening was too full of blood and excessive urine, and the ending felt cheap, like it made the rest of the story irrelevant. We could have just cut from chapter 2 to the end.

What about Raul Esparza’s performance did you like?

Raul Esparaza's performance was great. He had an excellent grip on all the voices, keeping them distinct, but not campy. I would gladly listen to his work again.

A Must for Constant Readers

I kept this title in my wish list for about six months, debating if the comments about the narration would put me off enough to not enjoy the book. If you're in a similar boat, ignore those reviews and get this book now!! It's worth a credit, it's worth full price and more. I've listened to/read about all that King has to offer and this is my favorite by far. Without giving anything away, King does what he does best by not scaring with monsters or demons but with the sheer terror of what people can do to each other.

Raul Esparza does a great job reading this book and making the multitude of characters come alive. The story is gripping, a must-listen and so thought-provoking that I can't wait to listen to it again in a year or so.

Good catching story. But...

I enjoyed the story, a bit predictable near the end but good. As much as I understand that it has bearing on the story to vilify certain characters, I could deal without reading rape "scenes".

GREAT STEPHEN KING!

This book is as good as all the rest. I really enjoyed it, I've listened to it twice now. If you love Stephen King, you'll love this one. Really makes you wonder, as all his books do! :) Highly recommended.