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Under The Dome: A Novel Audio CD – Unabridged, November 10, 2009

by Stephen King (Author), Raul Esparza (Reader)

4.4 14,208 ratings

Goodreads Choice Award nominee

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Stephen King's tour-de-force with more than 100 characters follows the apocalyptic course of events when one Maine town is physically cut off from the rest of the world.

On an entirely normal, beautiful fall day in Chester's Mill, Maine, the town is inexplicably and suddenly sealed off from the rest of the world by an invisible force field. Planes crash into it and fall from the sky in flaming wreckage, a gardener's hand is severed as "the dome" comes down on it, people running errands in the neighboring town are divided from their families, and cars explode on impact. No one can fathom what this barrier is, where it came from, and when—or if—it will go away.

Dale Barbara, Iraq vet and now a short-order cook, finds himself teamed with a few intrepid citizens—town newspaper owner Julia Shumway, a physician's assistant at the hospital, a select-woman, and three brave kids. Against them stands Big Jim Rennie, a politician who will stop at nothing—even murder—to hold the reins of power, and his son, who is keeping a horrible secret in a dark pantry. But their main adversary is the Dome itself. Because time isn't just short. It's running out.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Propulsively intriguing... Staggeringly addictive." -- USA Today

"Tight and energetic from start to finish... Hard as this thing is to hoist, it's even harder to put down." -- New York Times

"The work of a master storyteller having a whole lot of fun." -- Los Angeles Times

"King returns to his glory days of The Stand." -- New York Daily News

"A wildly entertaining trip." -- People (3.5 stars)

"Under the Dome moves so fast and grips the reader so tightly that it's practically incapacitating." -- Newsday

"Stephen King's Under the Dome was one of my favourite books of the year so far." -- Neil Gaiman

"Dome is classic King, sure to please any fan." -- Baltimore Sun

"Spellbinding." -- ABCnews.com

About the Author

Stephen King is the author of more than fifty books, all of them worldwide bestsellers. His novel 11/22/63 was named a top ten book of 2011 by The New York Times Book Review and won the Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Mystery/Thriller as well as the Best Hardcover Book Award from the International Thriller Writers Association. He is the recipient of the 2003 National Book Foundation Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters. He lives in Bangor, Maine, with his wife, novelist Tabitha King.

Raúl Esparza starred on Broadway in The Homecoming, Company (Tony nom., Drama Desk Award, Outer Critics Award), Taboo (Drama Desk Award), Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, and Cabaret. On television he had a recurring role on the ABC series Pushing Daisies. His film credits include Sydney Lumet's FInd Me Guilty.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Simon & Schuster Audio; Unabridged edition (November 10, 2009)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Audio CD ‏ : ‎ 35 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0743597303
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0743597302
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.1 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5 x 2.7 x 5.75 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #4,334,840 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #32,017 in Books on CD
- #110,030 in Horror Literature & Fiction
- #112,833 in Suspense Thrillers

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4.4 14,208 ratings

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Stephen King

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Stephen King is the author of more than fifty books, all of them worldwide bestsellers. His first crime thriller featuring Bill Hodges, MR MERCEDES, won the Edgar Award for best novel and was shortlisted for the CWA Gold Dagger Award. Both MR MERCEDES and END OF WATCH received the Goodreads Choice Award for the Best Mystery and Thriller of 2014 and 2016 respectively.

King co-wrote the bestselling novel Sleeping Beauties with his son Owen King, and many of King's books have been turned into celebrated films and television series including The Shawshank Redemption, Gerald's Game and It.

King was the recipient of America's prestigious 2014 National Medal of Arts and the 2003 National Book Foundation Medal for distinguished contribution to American Letters. In 2007 he also won the Grand Master Award from the Mystery Writers of America. He lives with his wife Tabitha King in Maine.

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Roberto Scarlato

Every Page Had Me On The Edge

Reviewed in the United States on January 27, 2013

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Of the few reviews that I have read of this book, I have to say, I don't think they are altogether fair.

First, this is a gargantuan book which was previously started several times. The last time Stephen King got 400+ pages in and lost the manuscript.

I have to say that for his third outing, I think he nailed it.

Second, this book was a bit of a risk for me. I like reading Stephen King's stuff as much as the next guy. But, alas, I have been disappointed in the past.

The last long book of his that I gave a try had been Duma Key, a story of a man coming to grips with the loss of his arm by retiring to Florida He learns to paint with his remaining arm but supernatural elements have a tendency to stick to his artwork. If there's one thing I learned from that book its that it had to be 1,000 pages because the details really drive the story. Because that book thrilled me, I'm more open now to read some his longer works. But for now, let's focus on Under The Dome.

It all takes place in a small town called Chester's Mill. A former Iraq vet turned fry cook, Dale "Barbie" Barbara, is making his way out of town because he doesn't want no trouble. All of a sudden, out of nowhere, a dome quietly but forcefully encapsulates the town.

Before the dome, it was a very corrupt town. After the dome, it escalates. A selectman named Big Jim Rennie, previously a used car salesman ran some shady deals and since the dome cut off the town he feels more empowered than before. A well-crafted villain who believes he's doing right by the town every step of the way. Those are the villains that scare me the most.

By trapping these characters in this dome, not only do you feel their struggle, but you can also see how bureaucracy suddenly transforms into neglect and a hidden dictatorship. The dome also wreaks havoc on the environment on the inside, trapping all manner of gas and heat, making it very difficult on the inhabitants.

This novel perfectly blends Sci-fi with survival and touches of horror. Although the dome itself is otherworldly, there are still some basic rules that come with it.

1. Nothing can break the thick glass-like structure.
2. The dome disrupts some electrical devices.
3. You get a static shock when you touch the dome.
4. Even though the structure is rock solid, air can still permeate through.

There are also political overtones in what happens when the wrong people take over, masking their intentions as being for the good of the people.

But the whole driving force for me reading is the need to find out what would happen next. It kept me guessing until the very end.

One of the many things people say is that this was too long and the characters were thin. I completely disagree. Each character was well-crafted, had a history. This is a common thing with king. It can either help him or harm him. Sometimes the details of just one character can go on ad nauseum. But the back story on each character was well-written to the point as if I had met them before.

Maybe its because I got a bit of a bias when sitting down with this book because I hail from a small town. But the way the town operates is a little too close to home. I wanted to escape just as much as the characters in the book.

The book was also very unpredictable. Every time I thought I got a handle on things, King would surprise me with something else.

Although I'm not ready to tackle big books like It or The Stand, I may in the future now that I know that they are rich in details and very unique.

The book is part Science Fiction/ Dystopian novel.

This book was so intriguing, it made me launch right into his next book...11/22/63.

7 people found this helpful

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zee9

Compelling, addicting, an emotional roller coaster

Reviewed in the United States on January 29, 2014

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There were times I loved this story. There were times I hated it. But I was helplessly addicted to it. I read this book almost every moment of free time I had until I finished it. Sometimes I had to force myself to take a break from it. When I couldn't sit down and read it, I was constantly thinking about the characters and events. I even had a few poor nights of sleep because my mind couldn't stop processing it. Under the Dome is an in-depth, compelling story that latches onto the reader and pulls him/her along for a long ride of mystery, conspiracy, and tragedy.

Chester's Mill, Maine is a typical, small-town community where everyone knows each other. One day in October, an inexplicable barrier comes down and surrounds the entire town, cutting it off from the outside world. As the citizens try to understand the phenomenon and cope with the inconveniences caused by the Dome, a string of tragedies unfold and are exacerbated by the actions of some of the town's less-than-stellar residents. Meanwhile, there is a small minority who try to make right of the situations at hand, but theirs is an uphill battle for not only justice, but also for survival.

At the top of the list of the power hungry citizens is James "Big Jim" Rennie, owner of the local used car lot, the town's elected Second Selectman, and mastermind of a meth lab hidden within the town. He uses people's fears and insecurities against them in order to keep himself in power, to keep his criminal activities secret, and to obtain the glory he is so desperate to achieve when the Dome situation comes to the end - by his hand, he hopes. But his methods are dirty and underhanded. And he has nearly the entire town under his influence.

On the other end of the spectrum is Colonel (formerly Lieutenant) Dale "Barbie" Barbara, retired from the army, currently the cook in the town's local diner, and the liaison between those beneath the Dome and the outside world. Barbie is the biggest threat to Big Jim's power and influence because Barbie was not only tapped by the government to take over leadership in Chester's Mill but also because he is aware of Big Jim's shady activities. Barbie knows early on that he is in Big Jim's cross hairs.

There are dozens more characters in this story, all magnificently fleshed out. Their personalities, backgrounds, histories, worries, hopes, and struggles are described in great detail, crafting and adding a tangible element of realism to them and the story as a whole. The reader is drawn in to their many stories and perspectives, feeling emotionally attached to each and every one. The reader cheers for the protagonists' triumphs. Curses the successes of the antagonists. Feels sympathy for the tragedies that befall the heroes. Feels vindicated when the bad guys stumble with their own failures. Wants to rip his/her hair out because of all the stupid decisions made by the good guys, but takes great delight by the mistakes made by their enemies.

The town of Chester's Mill is described very well. (Having a map is a nice addition.) A lot of thought was put into the community and its environment. From all the small town shops to the small scale public service facilities (and sometimes, lack thereof) available. From the comfortable homes of the upper class to the rough and rugged conditions of the poorer residents. From the well funded and upkept church to the dilapidated and condemned landmark bridge. The diversity of the townsfolk; farmers, businessmen, religious figures, the community's youth population, out-of-towners, lifelong residents, the rich, the poor, addicts, service providers, and so on. All of this serves amazingly well to craft a living breathing town, to make the reader believe that this town exists, to make the reader able to relate to such a community.

I felt that Under the Dome was a very easy read. Despite all the descriptions, the reader is not hung up on just the environment or details. These specifics are spun and crafted with great care, making these details part of the story rather than an interruption from the events. Although there are a few places in the story where King takes a side step to describe a seemingly unrelated anecdote, those instances eventually come back around and tie into the story with great relevance and make the current situation in the story all the more poignant and tangible. Although the book is over 1000 pages, it is very fast paced from start to finish. It is difficult to put down; the reader compelled to find out what happens next.

Under the Dome is told from the multiple (third person) view points from both sides of the conflict. This gives the reader greater understanding of the events, helps to foretell tragedy as it unfolds, guides through unexpected twists and turns, and elicits greater fear for or anger towards the characters (depending on the character in question). When King switches from one POV to the next, it is not marked nor is there an exact pattern for when he switches (for instance, some authors will indicate a switch by titling their chapters with the name of the character whose POV is being followed). Despite this lack of pattern or demarcation, the reader is easily able to figure out when a POV switch is made and whose POV is being followed. The only downside is that the reader gets comfortable following one character after a while, gets really excited or drawn into that character's experiences, and then is suddenly cut off from that character to catch up with someone else. However, I wouldn't want to have had the story written in a different way, because there is so much going on at any given point that this was the only way this story could have been told.

The biggest, number one complaint I could issue with this story is how stupid and gullible so many of the characters were. This stupidity more often than not ended very poorly. These characters had a 'could never happen to me' attitude that just frustrated me more and more with each avoidable mistake. By the end of the book, I almost had no hope for some of the characters (for both their intelligence and their survival) especially when the outlook appeared bleaker and bleaker. I don't know if this pattern of foolishness was intentional or not in order to draw out the suspense, but that was the result.

I also felt that the ending of the story was rather abrupt. The actual issue of the Dome - how it got there, how to get rid of it - wasn't given much attention or thought. The story was more about the conflict between the town's two factions than it was about survival under the Dome or escape from it. The story spent a lot of time building up to a climax between Big Jim and Barbie, but then it drifted elsewhere. I kept expecting that karma would eventually catch up to Big Jim, and it eventually does, but when it finally does, it's far too little and far too late to be of any consequence. It was quite a let down.

Despite the few issues I had with the story, I still feel that this book is definitely one worth reading. It is well worth the money spent and will keep you occupied for many many hours. I highly recommend it.

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Squeaky Joe

A masterful tale.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 17, 2024

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A small New England town is suddenly wrenched from the rest of the world when an invisible forcefield drops over it. Cars, planes, and people smash into the dome causing horror and panic.

Iraq War veteran Dale Barbara is on his way out of the town when the barrier crashes down, forcing him to return to his job as a short-order cook. But second select-man Jim Rennie is determined to run things his way and begins to recruit anyone who will side with his point of view…

One reason it’s taken me so long to get around to reading this is the sheer size of the thing – the paperback version runs to nearly 900 pages, and the cast of characters is humongous. Switching to the Kindle version (due to the unwieldy size of the paperback) I got to grips with the dramatis personae and found that even though dozens of new characters are introduced almost on every page, following the plot wasn’t anything like as difficult as I’d expected. The machinations of Jim Rennie and his seriously-weird son pulled me in and things quickly began to look very black for protagonist Dale ‘Barbie’ Barbara and his handful of friends.

As a long-time fan of Stevie King, I’m happy to say this is a fantastic read that entertained, thrilled, and shook me at every turn. A masterful tale, woven with King’s usual wit, originality and cunning.

Sere

Non riesco a mettere giù il libro!!!!

Reviewed in Italy on December 8, 2023

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Wau, what a book!!another master piece from a very master: Stephen King! Really highly Addictive, can't put the book down.. incredible!

Ursula Russell

Under the Dome

Reviewed in Spain on October 29, 2023

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I read this book for the first time about the time it first came out and the supposed references to the then Vice President (what was his name again?) were meaningless to me as a German reading Stephen King's beautifully written books in English. Since then the political situation in the US has changed considerably, and reading the book again now the leading bad guy reminds me strongly of D. Trump. I bet Stephen wishes he had waited a few more years to include that evil character in this great book.

Marcelo Assis

Important issues to discuss!

Reviewed in Brazil on November 18, 2019

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I have been watching the first season of the serie inspired on the book’s story. It is amazing! It is good to think about a lot of human beings’ issues, specially in the nowadays’ times. The worst conditions are in front of us! What are we able to do to improve our reality and/or our relationship each other and with the environment in order to do a better world to the next generations? We should be thinking about it! Welcome to the future!

4 people found this helpful

Verónica Alvarez

Muy bien

Reviewed in Mexico on August 3, 2019

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Llegó la día siguiente, excelentes condiciones, todo muy bien

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