  We study the existence of a maximal solution of $-\Gd u+g(u)=f(x)$ in a
domain $\Gw\subset \BBR^N$ with compact boundary, assuming that $f\in
(L^1_{loc}(\Gw))_+$ and that $g$ is nondecreasing, $g(0)\geq 0$ and $g$
satisfies the Keller-Osserman condition. We show that if the boundary satisfies
the classical $C_{1,2}$ Wiener criterion then the maximal solution is a large
solution, i.e., it blows up everywhere on the boundary. In addition we discuss
the question of uniqueness of large solutions.
