I'm not sure how to feel about Under the Dome. In one sense, the concept of an entire town being suddenly sealed off from the rest of the world and the social, political, and even meteorological struggles that ensue is highly fascinating. But at the same time, King has really let me down with this cast of dull, one-dimensional, and highly stereotypical characters. It seems in this novel you are either a hateful, fear-mongering, murderous megalomaniac or you are a gentle, respectful, selfless individual with a limitless background of useful talents. There is little in between. In one case, a character is a blatant clone of the Trash Can Man from The Stand, complete with being the cause of a widespread disaster. Not very original. The interactions of these characters often seems forced and unnatural, and the dialogue, at times, horrendous. But still, the premise of the novel kept me going and the idea that one can be so completely isolated from functional society and the disasters which could result from this isolation became a truly terrifying prospect, especially as the story progressed. 
 In the end, I would have to say that what I like about this novel outweighs the negative, especially with some touching scenes at the novel's conclusion where it becomes crushingly apparent how different a situation could be from one location to another, even if those locations are just inches apart.