Being new to Stephen King, it really took me a while to get used to his writing style. It's not that I mind gruesome detail, but I found some details to be unnecessary and out of place. I mean, what's the use of describing the mush of your own brains' gray matter while it's still intact? By all means, if someone's brains are splattered across a wall, describe them to me.
Then there's the language. I'm not really sure why so much profanity is warranted. Sure, these people are trapped under an impenetrable dome, but please. Someone tell me, is this normal? Is this how people talk up north? Down here in the South, we mind our tongues. I think King realizes this to an extent and includes characters who don't swear at all, but I couldn't quite figure out if he does to poke fun at those of us who do, or those of us who don't.
Anyhow, while I was entertained by the novel, I found it rather lacking. I guess King doesn't shy away from the whole alien thing, but geez. I kept getting the feeling that he wrote this with a screen adaptation in mind with all of the flashes and visions and hallucinations the town residents kept experiencing. If you're going to have aliens, bring 'em on, don't skirt around them and only kinda-sorta explain them. In the end, I was disappointed with the explanation for the dome. I guess in a sense it's a scary possibility, but just not very evil or sinister or conspiratorial.
I listened to the audiobook performed by Raul Esparza. Wow, he did a bang-up job. I have a sneaking suspicion that I'd be writing a did-not-finish review had I attempted to read the print version of this novel instead of listening to Mr. Esparza's fantastic voice acting. I might have to search for other novels read by him.
I placed a hold on the TV show DVDs at the library, so we'll see if that catches my interest at all. Despite this mediocre review, I'm already on the list for The Stand. We'll see how I like that one.
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