Under the Dome by Stephen King (Audiobook Review)

Audiobook reviews from Audiobook-Heaven

Title: Under the Dome
Author: Stephen King
Publisher: Recorded Books
Narrator: Raul Esparza
Duration: 34 hours, 29 minutes
Copyright: 2009
Genres: horror, science fiction
Filed in: Audiobook reviews
Review copy provided by Kearney Public Library.

THE GIST: Chester’s Mill, Maine is a sleepy little town in Castle county, not far from the county seat of Castle Rock. It’s really not much different than any other small town in America. Until the dome came down, that is. Over the next seven days, Chester’s Mill will slowly devolve from peaceful suburbia, into a state of martial law.

The dome is unlike anything that has ever been encountered before. The top scientists in the world cannot comprehend it. The military, in standard military fashion, attempts to blast a hole in the dome with missiles, and melt through it with the strongest acids science can fashion, all to no avail. Trace amounts of air can pass through the dome, as well as sound, but otherwise Chester’s Mill is completely cut off from the outside world. At first, they thought maybe some terrorist faction put up the dome, a test run on a new super weapon, but they soon realize that it is beyond any technology currently available on earth.

Town selectman Jim Rennie sees this as the perfect opportunity to bring the town under his control, something he has dreamed of for years. He begins hiring young thugs and issuing them guns and badges. He calls them policemen, but really they are his private army. There are few who will dare to oppose him. What Big Jim didn’t count on was the fry cook at the local diner. It turns out Dale Barbara is a retired army captain who served in Iraq. It looks like Barbara is the only one who can stand in Rennie's way, but Big Jim knows how to handle that little problem. Frame Him for murder and lock him up, that's how.

And then there are the children of Chester’s Mill. In the first couple of days, several children around the town begin having what appear to be seizures. While in these trance-like states, the children speak aloud, as if talking in their sleep, and what they have to say is unsettling to anyone who hears. They seem to be having terrible visions, visions of fire and destruction and death. No one realizes that the children are actually having visions of the future.

Time is running out. Some air is getting into the dome, but not nearly enough. If somebody doesn’t figure out how to break through pretty soon, the entire town will suffocate. If the children’s visions really do come true, however,, they may not even live that long.

THE CAST:
Dale "Barbie" Barbara - Dale is just a drifter. He's only been in town for a short time working as a fry cook, and was actually on his way out when the dome came down. When things in Chester’s Mill begin to heat up, we discover that Barbara is actually Captain Barbara of the United States Army. Dale retired after his service in Iraq ended, but his superiors, upon learning that they have a man inside the dome, promptly re-activate him and promote him to colonol. His job is to take command of the town and find out who created the dome. The town officials may not give up control quite that easily, however.

Jim “Big Jim” Renney – One of Chester's Mill's three town selectmen, but the only one who really matters. Of the other two selectmen, one is a spineless frontman for Rennie’s schemes, and the other is addicted to pain killers; it is Rennie who keeps her well supplied. Rennie has always been happy to quietly run the town on his own terms, but under the dome, he sees his opportunity to forcibly take control. Big Jim was a dangerous man to cross before, but now he will go to any lengths to gain control. What will happen when the townsfolk find out he is running one of the largest methamphetamine operations in the country?

Howard “Duke” Perkins – Police Chief of Chester’s Mill. Duke is the only real authority figure the small town has, and he runs Chester’s Mill with a firm, but fair, hand. If anyone can keep Jim Rennie under control, it’s Duke Perkins. But, oops, Chief Perkins dies within just a few hours of the dome coming down due to the violent reaction of his pacemaker to the dome’s energy field.

Brenda Perkins – Wife of Howard Perkins, Brenda finds some very interesting files on her late husband's laptop. It seems Duke had been conducting an extensive investigation into Big Jim's crooked dealings and has all kinds of proof. Brenda decides to confront Rennie with the evidence and force him to resign from the city council. She may have underestimated how far Rennie will go to keep his dirty secrets.

Rev. Lester Coggins – Leader of one of the town churches, and also Jim Rennie's partner in crime. Under the dome, Reverend Coggins fears that God‘s judgement is at hand, and he must atome for his evil ways. When Lester tells Big Jim that he is going to come clean, Rennie shows him what a bad idea that is.

Eric “Rusty” Everett – Just a lowly physicians assistant when the dome came down, he is quickly catapulted to the top spot at the medical center when the only doctor on hand dies of a heart attack. Rusty is a good man, though, and recognizes other good men when he sees them. He may regret allying himself with Dale Barbara, however, before Big Jim Rennie is through.

Julia Shumway – Fourth generation owner of the only newspaper in Chester’s Mill, The Republican, Julia likes to keep on top of things. She’s known that Jim Rennie has been up to no good for years, but had no idea how far it had gone. Big Jim thinks that burning down her newspaper office will keep her quiet, but maybe he underestimated her just a little.

Junior Rennie – Big Jim’s only son came home from college just in time to be trapped under the dome. Daddy promptly taps the young thug to join his ever-increasing private army of “policemen.” What nobody knows is that Junior’s migraines are the result of a tumor that is growing in his brain. Junior was just a bully before, but under the dome he’ll become downright deadly.

MY THOUGHTS: Hmm, is Stephen King getting his ideas from the Simpson’s now? Well, he claims to have attempted “Under the Dome” back in the 70's, and again in the 80's so I guess I'll let him slide.

“Under the Dome” is a great audio book and, I think, represents King’s most ambitious project since “The Stand.” He created a tremendous cast of characters for this audio book and, as usual, really makes you care about them. I love how Stephen King equates the people under the dome with ants under a magnifying glass. I think there is a message here about playing God with things we do not truly understand, and without the moral grounding that is necessary. I also love the statement he makes about global warming, and the careless and haphazard way we approach the subject. Chester’s Mill becomes a microcosmic planet Earth as the greenhouse gases build up inside. “Under the Dome" is some of Stephen King’s best work.

NARRATOR: Raul Esparza is a Tony award nominated stage actor who has worked in many broadway musicals, including The Rocky Horror Show. His narration of “Under the Dome” struck me as odd at first, particularly the voices of the characters. After a while I grew accustomed to them, although they were still a bit odd. I think he was trying to use a Maine accent, but some of them came out sounding vaguely British. When not doing voices, his narration is smooth and easy to listen to, however.

FINAL WORD: What else can I say? “Under the Dome works on so many levels. I have always loved Stephen King’s audio books, but it seems like they just keep getting better. Or am I appreciating them more knowing that there may not be too many left? “Under the Dome" was a great read and discusses some big topics that are important for all of us to consider. Don’t miss this audio book.

CHECK OUT THESE OTHER AUDIOBOOK REVIEWS:
Lisey’s Story by Stephen King (Audiobook Review)
Just After Sunset by Stephen King (Audiobook Review)
Full Dark No Stars by Stephen King (Audiobook Review)

If you liked this audiobook review, you can purchase the audiobook here:
Get "Under The Dome" by Stephen King (Unabridged Audiobook) from Amazon.com.

This audiobook review is based on the unabridged audiobook.
Audiobook review by Steven Brandt
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