Recordpub.com - One for the Books: The 'Dome' Tome and 'U'

It has 1,074 pages; according to my boss, "That's not a book; it's a doorstop." I didn't know whether I could get through the whole thing. But let me tell you this: Reading "Under the Dome" by Stephen King is an experience. And once I started it, I just kept reading.

The book begins "on a beautiful weekend morning" in Indian summer, when an impossible, invisible wall suddenly slams down, surrounding a small town in Maine. King describes in detail how the wall kills anything in its way or anything that crashes blindly into it, including animals, machines and people -- and there are quite a few people who get killed, inside the wall and outside. It was compelling, and I just kept reading.

As King introduces the many characters, we learn where the wall extends -- up, down and around -- and how it seems to have a strange effect on people. Then we see, in an interesting psycho-sociological study, how people react and interact when they're cut off from supplies of electricity, fuel, food, water, fresh air ... and communication with the outside world. We also wonder with them as they ask the necessary questions: "Who did this to us?" What's causing the wall to be there? Why is it there? Who's behind it? Could it be an inside job? Is it the work of the government? If so, whose? And even, from what world? The nervous say it's some kind of military experiment. The religious think it's punishment from God. The book continued to fascinate me, and I just kept reading.

As time goes on, the air inside the dome gets more polluted, confusion mounts, and people behave more and more bizarrely. There are suicides, murders and paranoia reminiscent of the classic novel "Lord of the Flies." (One of the characters even refers to that book.) King throws in a slew of adult language and situations, including extreme violence. In fact, it's disgusting. Really. Disgusting. Still, I kept reading.

The rule of law inside the dome warps and cracks. "Until the Dome goes away, ... legal is whatever we decide it is," says the police chief. "Get used to it, deal with it, learn to love it. That's my advice," says one character. Another says, "We can do pretty much whatever we want." And another notes that "things were different under the Dome. Outsiders couldn't understand. Even time was different." Protesters carry signs at the wall: "Let us out, damn it!!" I got really claustrophobic imagining myself in there. And still, I kept reading.

It isn't just one plot line. There are so many small events and details, separate and converging, that make it never dull. The political allegory is fairly obvious, and the religious and environmental commentary makes the reader think. But the characters are never developed. I couldn't see them, and I didn't connect with any of them emotionally. But still, I kept reading. And when I finally got to the ending, I didn't love the conclusion, but I didn't hate it, either. And I must say, living with that book, imagining myself under the dome for a few days, was an unforgettable experience.

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At 403 pages, "U Is for Undertow" by Sue Grafton is no slouch, either. (Full disclosure here: Grafton is one of my favorite authors.) She has been experimenting with the mystery genre, and this time she presents separate stories from the 1960s and 1980s that eventually intersect.

It's 1988. Our detective, Kinsey Millhone, is 37 and has been a "private eye" for 10 years in Santa Teresa (a thinly disguised Santa Barbara), Calif. One day, a confused-looking young man from an "upper-class" family seeks her professional assistance. It seems that 21 years earlier, a 4-year-old girl had been kidnapped. A ransom was paid, but the money was never picked up and the child was never seen again. The young man tells Kinsey that something has triggered a memory from when he was 6 years old: He remembers seeing two men bury a small body, and he believes it could be the missing girl. But is his memory reliable? Is he? As Kinsey has to look into not just the realities but also the possibilities, she discovers more questions than facts about memory, identity and time.

Stories and timelines alternate. The characters are drawn so well that we feel as if we can see, hear and touch them. Grafton creates a setting and characters with details that, at the same time, tell us more about Kinsey. For example, at one point Kinsey is questioning a woman: "There were three beer cans on the coffee table, two of them empty and lying on their sides. Languidly she extended her hand, picked up the third can, and took a long swallow before she put it back again. I could see a series of overlapping circles on the tabletop where she'd placed the can. If I counted rings, I could re-create the timeline of her alcohol consumption." We're there; we can see the room and the two women; and we're inside Kinsey's head.

In this, the 21st alphabetical Kinsey Millhone book, we learn a whole lot more about the detective's family and background. We even get writing advice. And household cleaning tips! But, why the title? It doesn't fit. Maybe she just wanted to pick a word no one would guess.

Man, I love the way she writes! I remember thinking, about halfway through: "This is as good a book as I've ever read." The ending was a bit anticlimactic for me, but mostly, it's a real treat. So, now the new guessing begins. What will "V" be for? How about "vampire," to ride the current wave? or just vamp? villain? (too obvious, maybe?) vanity? viper? vortex? virtue, vertigo, volunteer, vagrant, vivisection, vituperation, vilification, vapidity, vacuum, velvet, vorpal sword, vox populi, volleyball? It doesn't matter. I'm on board.

Find book news and more online at www.recordpub.com; click "News" in the menu bar, then "Lifetimes," and find "One for the Books" or visit my blog at http://blogs.dixcdn.com/shine_a_light; Twitter @One4TheBooks.

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BOOK NOTES, One for the Books Extra Online
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Follow me on Twitter @One4TheBooks.
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Check out my blog on books, inspiration, fun and thought-provoking goodies! It’s called “Shine A Light!”

http://blogs.dixcdn.com/shine_a_light/

If you lose that link, go to www.recordpub.com. Click “Blogs” in the blue bar at the top of the page, and find “Shine A Light.”

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LOCAL BOOK CLUBS:

The Kent Free Library’s book discussion group meets at 6:45 p.m. on the third Tuesday of every month in the second floor meeting room at the library. Previous books discussed include “Moby-Dick” by Herman Melville, “The Great Gatsby,” “A Christmas Carol” and “Anna Karenina.” Members come from Kent, Stow and Rootstown, and everyone is welcome. The discussion is led by librarian Kristin Pool. Any questions should be directed to her at 330-673-4414.

The Book Discussion Group at the Randolph Library meets the first Monday of the month, except August, at 6:30 p.m. in the Randolph Senior Center. The group is open to everyone, and new members are always welcome. The library will stock copies of the books each month. Call the library at 330-325-7003.

Pierce-Streetsboro Library’s Book Discussion Group meets regularly on the second Monday of each month at 6:45 p.m. in the library’s meeting room. New members are always welcome to attend and participate in the discussion. The library is located at 8990 Kirby Lane in Streetsboro, next to the administrative offices of the Streetsboro City Schools. For more information, call the library at 330-626-4458.

The Book Discussion Group at the Mogadore Branch of the Akron-Summit County Library, 144 S. Cleveland Ave., 330-628-9228, meets at 6:30 p.m. Wednesdays to discuss books.
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National Catholic Reporter online looks at books: “Stories and lessons of poverty.”

http://ncronline.org/node/16590

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from Shelf Awareness: New Titles Out January 26:

Incarceron by Catherine Fisher
Linchpin: Are You Indispensable? by Seth Godin
The Many Deaths of the Firefly Brothers: A Novel by Thomas Mullen
The Power of Many: Values for Success in Business and in Life by Meg Whitman and Joan Hamilton
Mark Twain: Man in White: The Grand Adventure of His Final Years by Michael Shelden
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From NCR Online: review of “We side with the morning: Daily prayers to the God of hope” by William Cleary

http://ncronline.org/node/16675

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Kitty Kelley bio on Winfrey coming in April
NEW YORK (AP) — An Oprah tell-all is coming in April, but Winfrey isn’t the teller. Crown Publishers announced Thursday that Kitty Kelley’s 544-page, unauthorized “Oprah: A Biography” will be released April 13. The first printing will be at least 500,000 copies.
Kelley is known for gossipy, unflattering, but best-selling celebrity books. She has also written about Frank Sinatra, Nancy Reagan and the Bush family.
Kelley says she has high regard for Winfrey, but also felt committed to writing the truth. Kelley says she devoted the past three years to examining Winfrey’s life. She says she came away “full of admiration for her accomplishments and fascinated by her complexity.”
Crown says Kelley conducted 850 interviews for the book.
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OK. It took a while to find them, but here's a link to the lists of best-selling books.

http://www.recordpub.com/news/article/4746201

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Here are links to other recent One for the Books columns. More links are available on my blog at http://blogs.dixcdn.com/shine_a_light/one-for-the-books/

Revisiting Jane Austen -- http://www.recordpub.com/news/article/4743712

Fun Christmas Reading -- http://www.recordpub.com/news/article/4727452

Palin-Tology -- http://www.recordpub.com/news/article/4718844

Treats for Dog Lovers -- http://www.recordpub.com/news/article/4709611

Current Best-Sellers -- http://www.recordpub.com/news/article/4694861

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Thanks for reading One for the Books. Please let us know what kind of book news you’d like to see on this page. Send e-mail to Books@recordpub.com. Send other mail to Mary Louise Ruehr, Books Editor, Record-Courier, 126 N. Chestnut St. (P.O. Box 1201), Ravenna, OH 44266.

“One for the Books” appears the second and fourth Fridays of the month in the Record-Courier. Extra columns may appear on occasion, especially preceding Christmas and Hanukkah.