Stephen King; "The Stand" vs "Under the Dome"

I'm probably about to make some people angry, but I read "The Stand" and I didn't like it. There were parts of the book that just dragged on and got repetitive. The end section is a bit odd and also drags on, then it wraps up with the typical King ending where you're left with the possibility that the villain will rise again. I mean, it wasn't awful. But I read his new book, "Under the Dome," right before that and it was a lot better. The two books are a lot alike. In fact, I'm pretty sure the book jacket of "Under the Dome" has a quote that compares them. The new book wins for me because the characters are a lot more dynamic and more interesting, the conflicts (both major and minor) are way more engaging, and there's a lot more action going on. Twice while reading this book I accidentally stayed up all night because I was so into it and needed to know what would happen next. It's over 1,000 pages but it didn't take me very long to read it. The ending got a little cheesy and didn't exactly blow me away, and in typical King style it left open the possibility that "it could happen again." But overall it was entertaining and that's what I wanted. (Gotta take a break from those heavy Russian classics!) If you haven't read either and you're interested, go for "Under the Dome."