I was the 80th person under the dome

I wrote once that Stephen King crafted lyrical prose.  The Crusty Curmudgeon let me know in so many words that I had no idea what I was talking about, and he was right.  At the time I think I had read maybe four of King’s novels and a handful of his novellas, and not enough make me any kind of an expert.

Since then, I’ve read more, and found King’s folksy style a nice, comfy read some of the time.  Most of the stories in Four Past Midnight, for instance, flow well enough (though, by the time King published that collection, editors had ceased trimming his work, and Secret Window, Secret Garden in particular could easily lose a thousand words).

Working my way though The Dark Tower, however, has become an exercise in patience.  While The Gunslinger unfolded an enthralling world and an equally interesting protagonist, the writing was atrocious.  If not for my buddy Andrew’s prodding, I might not have continued with The Drawing of the Three.  I want to read The Waste Lands soon, but I have to finish Under the Dome first.

I reserved the book at the library several weeks before the book hit the shelves, and I was 80th in line to get it.  I logged on this morning, and found it should be ready for me real real soon.  King’s newest tome hit the shelves on Nov 10, and three weeks is fast work for 79 readers.