“King’s return to supernatural horror is uncomfortably bulky, formidably complex and irresistibly compelling.
”, says Kari Wolfe, when asked about Steven Kings newest frightening navel, Under the Dome. It is a true piece of art, as it demonstrates the horror of reality, the intellectual processes of the human mind, and wild, eye-popping situations. The book leads the reader through the minds of murders, rapists, drug dealers, and maniacs of all sorts. The dramatic story, Under the Dome, incorporates the ideal portrayal of characters, and horrifyingly believable circumstances into one magnificent, jaw dropping series of events.

Steven King describes his characters perfectly in the hit novel. For example, the villains are the most wretched, horrible people imaginable, making verbal decisions that leave the reader in terrifying awe; the protagonist, Dale Barbara, is presented in a reasonable and honest fashion, helping the reader to be comfortable and feel safe in his presence. He gives each character shape and depth, and leaves the reader in the dark by no means. Even the most seemingly uninteresting characters are given a background story and enough lines to define themselves. They are each showing their true survival techniques, social planning abilities, and personal coping skills, as a result of the dome that mysteriously appeared above their town.

The bloodcurdling circumstances in Under the Dome are, unfortunately, too realistic to ignore. When the antagonist, Jim Rennie’s, murderous and deceitful thoughts are described in the pages, the reader is often reminded of times when they secretly felt the same way. People know that horrible incidents occur in the world, but the book, which vividly describes the incidents, makes them seem so much more personal, making the reader feel as if they could easily and potentially be the ones in fear of rape or murder, as well as of raping and murdering those who they surround themselves with in their town. It is honestly terrifying to think that someone knows the human mind well enough to predict how they might react in certain circumstances, and for Steven King to understand our treacherous world so well deserves exponential praise.

Under the Dome, by all means, “describes with lucid prose and chilling precision the genesis of a fascist regime”, according to Jedediah Berry. It is not only filled with terrifying gore and fearful scenarios, but also with unbelievably realistic characters and plot. Steven King definitely raised the bar for modern novels and delivered an intense, atypical story that every avid reader is dying to get a hold of!