The Long and Short of It

After reading Stephen King's long book (Under the Dome, 1074 pages), I must have subliminally wanted to read a short book. I've had Nora Ephron's Heartburn sitting on my nightstand for months, and it was on top of the pile, so I picked it up to read next.

I recently watched the movie Julie and Julia, which Nora Ephron wrote the screenplay for. I knew she wrote Heartburn, but have never read it. It's high time.

It's as tiny as Under the Dome was big, in length anyway. 153 pages. So far, it long on funny though. For example, on page 43, she wrote:

"I looked around the subway car. A Japanese man was taking pictures of the passengers. He was undoubtedly a tourist, but he was making everyone in the car uncomfortable. I tried not to look at him, but it was impossible. Once I saw an exhibitionist on the subway, and I tried not to look at him, too, but the funny thing about exhibitionists--and the reason I'm never really offended by them--is that you can't help sneaking a peek now and then to see if the damned thing is still sticking out."

And I really like the picture of Ephron from this 1983 edition. She more recently wrote the funny book, I Feel Bad About My Neck. I wonder, since she's wearing a turtleneck in the photo, did she then too?

Begging and Pitying Under the Dome

Spoiler Alert! Do not read if you don't want to know
how Under the Dome ends.

Book Read:  Under the Dome
Author:  Stephen King
ISBN:  978-1-439-4850-1

I finished reading Under the Dome and I must say I think it went out with a whimper. With all the drama and chaos throughout the book, I thought the ending would be more of the same. The ending was still powerful though, just not in the dramatic way of most of the rest of the book.

Big Jim did get his, but in such a lackluster way. I really wanted the town to be able to watch his demise.

Barbie and Julia got together, which was inevitable and well done. Their working together to save themselves and the remaining dozen or so citizens of Chester's Mill was courageous and smart and a fitting end. Using something as human as begging (mind to mind, mind you) with the forces that brought the dome to their town worked more magic than all the missiles on the outside of the dome. And the pity of one lone leatherhead saved the day.

Stephen King's lovely language

I don't usually read Stephen King books. I read Carrie however many years ago, and it scared the pee-diddle outta me so have steered cleared of them for the most part. I really, really, really enjoyed On Writing, but that's not his usual type of book, now is it? Oh, I saw the Rock Bottom Remainders perform in Denver. That was excellent in a bookwormy kind of way.

But I am really enjoying Under the Dome. King's a really good writer, tells a great tale, even though it's unlikely that this dome dealy would really happen. I'm a long way from page 1074, but in the meantime, how about some good writing from Under the Dome, page 316:

"There was something wrong in here, too. Linda was sure of it. The place felt more than creepy to her; it felt outright dangerous. When she saw that Jackie has unsnapped the strap on her service automatic, Linda did the same. The feel of the gun-butt under her hand was good. Thy rod and thy gun-butt, they comfort me, she thought."

What, me worry?

Alfred E. Neuman had it right. Why worry?

I reluctantly took my cat bookmark out of the book (page 215, page 215, page 215) and stuck it in my purse. Then I dropped the tome (Under the Dome) (yes, I'm a poet and don't know but my feet show it, they're LONGFELLOWS!) into the outside slot at the library. It fit after all.

Went inside. Walked to the Best Picks display and there it was, another copy of Under the Dome sitting, waiting for me. Checked it out. Stuck the cats back in (page 215). Brought it home. And got my exercise to boot (lugging the thing there and another copy back home).

Off to read more about the "clustermug" that the dome has created in Chester's Mill, Maine.

What are you reading?

Under the Dome... Stephen King does it again

I picked up Under the Dome by Stephen King, and that's a feat in itself (this sucker is nearly 2-1/2 inches thick with more than 1,000 pages), at the library a few weeks ago. I didn't start reading it right away, but I should have. It's a library Best Picks book, so when I went online to renew it, I found out it's not renewable. Dang.

So, now I'm into it, sucked in, on page 111 at the chapter called The Good of the Town, The Good of the People, and it's due tomorrow. I read fast but not that fast. What to do? What to do?

Well, I plan on taking it inside and handing it to a librarian because for one thing, I really don't think it will fit in that skinny slot out front. And maybe I can ask if they can check it in and reshelf it... immediately? Please?! We'll see.