Status
Checked out
Genres
Collection
Publication
Scribner (2008), Edition: Reprint, 801 pages
Description
Fiction. Horror. Suspense. Thriller. HTML:Winner of the 2009 Audie Award for Fiction Don't miss the thrilling novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author Stephen King about what happens when the barrier between our world and that of the supernatural is breached... No more than a dark pencil line on a blank page. A horizon line, maybe. But also a slot for blackness to pour through... A terrible construction site accident takes Edgar Freemantle's right arm and scrambles his memory and his mind, leaving him with little but rage as he begins the ordeal of rehabilitation. A marriage that produced two lovely daughters suddenly ends, and Edgar begins to wish he hadn't survived the injuries that could have killed him. He wants out. His psychologist, Dr. Kamen, suggests a "geographic cure," a new life distant from the Twin Cities and the building business Edgar grew from scratch. And Kamen suggests something else. "Edgar, does anything make you happy?" "I used to sketch." "Take it up again. You need hedges...hedges against the night." Edgar leaves Minnesota for a rented house on Duma Key, a stunningly beautiful, eerily undeveloped splinter of the Florida coast. The sun setting into the Gulf of Mexico and the tidal rattling of shells on the beach call out to him, and Edgar draws. A visit from Ilse, the daughter he dotes on, starts his movement out of solitude. He meets a kindred spirit in Wireman, a man reluctant to reveal his own wounds, and then Elizabeth Eastlake, a sick old woman whose roots are tangled deep in Duma Key. Now Edgar paints, sometimes feverishly, his exploding talent both a wonder and a weapon. Many of his paintings have a power that cannot be controlled. When Elizabeth's past unfolds and the ghosts of her childhood begin to appear, the damage of which they are capable is truly devastating. The tenacity of love, the perils of creativity, the mysteries of memory, and the nature of the supernatural??Stephen King gives us yet another novel as fascinating as it is gripping and terrifyi… (more)
Media reviews
Human Being
Great book! SK always brings it home to me!!
Sometimes, you hardly know where to begin. And so it is with "Duma Key," latest in a gloriously long line of tales from the uber-popular Stephen King.
There are bad accidents, and there are horrible accidents, and horror novelist Stephen King knows about the worst kind.
Stephen King’s “Duma Key” ventures to an all-but-uninhabited Florida island where the shells groan at high tide, tennis balls appear unexpectedly, foliage grows ominously quickly, and at least one heron flies upside-down. Given this combination of author and setting, it’s inevitable that
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something terribly undead will show up before the book is over. Show Less
When Stephen King wrote Misery in 1987, making the hero a writer was an unusual departure for him. Recently, however, centring his novels on creative types has become a habit. In Cell, the protagonist is a comic-book artist. Lisey’s Story involves a dead author whose widow struggles to protect
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his legacy. And Duma Key’s narrator, Edgar Freemantle, is a painter whose work gives him paranormal powers – to know everything about people hundreds of miles away, to predict events, even to heal or kill someone. Show Less
If you've read most of Stephen King's past works, you'll get a kick out of the opening line of "Duma Key," his new effort hitting bookstores this week.
King signals to his Constant Readers, as he calls us, that whatever flaws his protagonist might have — and they are plentiful in this tale —
King signals to his Constant Readers, as he calls us, that whatever flaws his protagonist might have — and they are plentiful in this tale —
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he would wind up trying to do the right thing. Our hero's name is Edgar Freemantle, and it's no small accident he shares his surname with the savior-like figure in King's epic novel, "The Stand." Show Less
Remember those scary little sisters from The Shining?
They're baa-aack.
And this time they're in Florida. They, or something like them, are leaving tiny wet footprints in a prime gulffront beach house on Duma Key, which lies just south of Casey Key, along the Southwest Florida coast.
They're baa-aack.
And this time they're in Florida. They, or something like them, are leaving tiny wet footprints in a prime gulffront beach house on Duma Key, which lies just south of Casey Key, along the Southwest Florida coast.
Stephen King has built a literary genre of putting ordinary people in the most terrifying situations. Aside from some recent tedious diversions into Gothic westerns and B-movie cellphone zombies, he's the author who can always make the improbable so scary you'll feel compelled to check the locks on
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the front door. His latest novel, "Duma Key," is a welcome return to that kind of narrative. Show Less
On June 19, 1999, Stephen King was walking along the shoulder of Route 5 near Center Lovell, Maine, when a careless driver in a van knocked him 14 feet off the highway, fracturing his leg in several places, breaking his hip and collapsing his lung, among other injuries. After five operations in 10
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days and a three-week stay in the hospital, the author advanced to months of excruciating physical therapy. Show Less
Art and the effects of physical trauma take center stage in Stephen King's fiction these days, shadowed perhaps by his own near-fatal accident almost nine years ago. With a hero crippled on the job and then tormented by a demonic spirit in recovery, King's new novel, "Duma Key," is a tale of
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conflict between the forces of horror and the redemptive power of creativity. Show Less
Library Journal
...While not alike in plot, this book has a feel of such books as Bag of Bones and the more recent Lisey's Story and is essential for any popular fiction or King collection.
I was about a quarter of the way into Stephen King’s Duma Key and feeling a sense of growing dread and dark foreboding when I came upon this passage spoken by the elderly property owner Elizabeth Eastlake.
User reviews
LibraryThing member Bookmarque
Ranks up there as one of the best books King has ever written. I will write a more complete review when I have more time, but for those who doubted King still had it in him, look no further. It has none of the fusty closeness of Lisey's story or the detached lameness of Cell. It does have warmth,
Here's more;
Constant Readers know that things have been a bit hit or miss for Mr. King. Spotty. Opinions vary widely over each new book. A love/hate relationship ensues. When King is firing on all cylinders it is an amazing experience. It’s his very excellence that makes his mediocrity so miserable to the Constant Reader. We KNOW what he is capable of and are highly unsatisfied with anything but.
As good as Duma Key is (and for me it ranks up there with The Stand), I am still wary of King these days. After all, I thought he was back when I read Hearts In Atlantis, only to be sucker punched by From a Buick Eight and Cell. Every author is allowed to stumble, but these were sprawled out, flat on your face, ‘did anyone see that’ moments. I mourned. Then read Lisey’s Story which was trying in the extreme, but rewarding in the end. Lights glimmered on the horizon. The advanced press for Duma Key hailed it as a masterpiece. All right and good except that you can find someone to say this about anything these days.
Still I bought it.
And it consumed my life for 3 days.
A lot of other King works will float into your head as you read this; The Crate, Shawshank, The Green Mile, The Body. At the core of those and of Duma Key is friendship, loyalty and all the good things about humanity and the fight against ancient evil to preserve those things.
Duma Key wraps around you and makes you feel welcome. Sure, Edgar’s tale of pain and mental breakdown is sad, but the world in which King drops him is tender, healing and alive with discovery. Weird things happen, but are both benevolent and beneficial so you stay lulled. Eddie and Wireman’s friendship is something to be envied. Their straight off the bat understanding of each other is as uncanny as any within the pages of King’s novels. Without effort or explanation, they fall into each other’s lives and rhythms with barely a ripple on the surface. They bond, sure and fast. I think each of us longs for a person like this in our lives. Wireman is the perfect guide for Eddie in this new stage of his life. Their other lives were similar as were the soul-altering circumstances to their ends. Something deeper brought them both to Duma Key, but neither wants to think of that now.
Of course it can’t last. If we know anything about King it is his gift of destruction. This beautiful, understanding world of great discovery and talent reclaimed will be pulled down utterly, completely and without remorse. During the build up and the commencement of such, I simultaneously felt the pull of the narrative and also the dread. I admit to deliberately pausing and taking breaks just to savor this. It is that delicious quality to the dread that keeps you going though. Part of you wants to stop, to preserve the idyll for as long as possible. Part of you wants to keep going to see the complete desolation and the evil up close. This is what makes King’s writing so magical.
That and his obvious love for his characters. Wireman and Eddie are the most prominent, but Elizabeth shines through as someone so wonderful, I totally understand Wireman’s devotion to her. She is frail and Alzheimer’s has her fast in its grip. After decades of being a hot shit, this is hard to take for the people who’ve known her a long time. Eddie mourns the time he did not know her. Personally I don’t think it was all Alzheimer’s keeping her mentally distant. I think it was the psychic bandages and wrapping she created for herself in order to survive as an adult after her childhood. So muffled is her memory, that what does come through is thought to be the babblings and ravings of a mad woman.
King’s cryptic hints and foreshadowing tell us differently though. With each chapter he ratchets up the tension and the dread. Something horrible is coming and it cannot be stopped. Eddie has been wielding its terrible power, but he doesn’t know he’s being used; lulled into a trusting state. He knows there is a dangerous edge to what he does through his painting trances, but he thinks he can control it. After all, he’s a grown man and Elizabeth was only a tiny girl child when it took her.
The moment when he realizes he can’t literally made me gasp out loud. The ethereal had been made real with a solidity that couldn’t be denied. The ancient evil that preys on human kind must be stopped again. But this is not Randall Flagg. Nor is it as pervasive as It. But like all of King’s bogeymen, it is just as unexplained and persistent, rising up again and again to satisfy itself at our expense. This one reminded me of the evil presence in Pet Sematary. Centralized, old and extremely pissed off. The ending is a mixed blessing and untethered. I drifted on my emotions for days after finishing, just waiting to wash up on shore again.
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true friendship, dread, and a horrifying moment that made me gasp (he's never done this to me before). Yes, it is horror, but at heart it is a powerful story of the ancient battle of good v. evil.Here's more;
Constant Readers know that things have been a bit hit or miss for Mr. King. Spotty. Opinions vary widely over each new book. A love/hate relationship ensues. When King is firing on all cylinders it is an amazing experience. It’s his very excellence that makes his mediocrity so miserable to the Constant Reader. We KNOW what he is capable of and are highly unsatisfied with anything but.
As good as Duma Key is (and for me it ranks up there with The Stand), I am still wary of King these days. After all, I thought he was back when I read Hearts In Atlantis, only to be sucker punched by From a Buick Eight and Cell. Every author is allowed to stumble, but these were sprawled out, flat on your face, ‘did anyone see that’ moments. I mourned. Then read Lisey’s Story which was trying in the extreme, but rewarding in the end. Lights glimmered on the horizon. The advanced press for Duma Key hailed it as a masterpiece. All right and good except that you can find someone to say this about anything these days.
Still I bought it.
And it consumed my life for 3 days.
A lot of other King works will float into your head as you read this; The Crate, Shawshank, The Green Mile, The Body. At the core of those and of Duma Key is friendship, loyalty and all the good things about humanity and the fight against ancient evil to preserve those things.
Duma Key wraps around you and makes you feel welcome. Sure, Edgar’s tale of pain and mental breakdown is sad, but the world in which King drops him is tender, healing and alive with discovery. Weird things happen, but are both benevolent and beneficial so you stay lulled. Eddie and Wireman’s friendship is something to be envied. Their straight off the bat understanding of each other is as uncanny as any within the pages of King’s novels. Without effort or explanation, they fall into each other’s lives and rhythms with barely a ripple on the surface. They bond, sure and fast. I think each of us longs for a person like this in our lives. Wireman is the perfect guide for Eddie in this new stage of his life. Their other lives were similar as were the soul-altering circumstances to their ends. Something deeper brought them both to Duma Key, but neither wants to think of that now.
Of course it can’t last. If we know anything about King it is his gift of destruction. This beautiful, understanding world of great discovery and talent reclaimed will be pulled down utterly, completely and without remorse. During the build up and the commencement of such, I simultaneously felt the pull of the narrative and also the dread. I admit to deliberately pausing and taking breaks just to savor this. It is that delicious quality to the dread that keeps you going though. Part of you wants to stop, to preserve the idyll for as long as possible. Part of you wants to keep going to see the complete desolation and the evil up close. This is what makes King’s writing so magical.
That and his obvious love for his characters. Wireman and Eddie are the most prominent, but Elizabeth shines through as someone so wonderful, I totally understand Wireman’s devotion to her. She is frail and Alzheimer’s has her fast in its grip. After decades of being a hot shit, this is hard to take for the people who’ve known her a long time. Eddie mourns the time he did not know her. Personally I don’t think it was all Alzheimer’s keeping her mentally distant. I think it was the psychic bandages and wrapping she created for herself in order to survive as an adult after her childhood. So muffled is her memory, that what does come through is thought to be the babblings and ravings of a mad woman.
King’s cryptic hints and foreshadowing tell us differently though. With each chapter he ratchets up the tension and the dread. Something horrible is coming and it cannot be stopped. Eddie has been wielding its terrible power, but he doesn’t know he’s being used; lulled into a trusting state. He knows there is a dangerous edge to what he does through his painting trances, but he thinks he can control it. After all, he’s a grown man and Elizabeth was only a tiny girl child when it took her.
The moment when he realizes he can’t literally made me gasp out loud. The ethereal had been made real with a solidity that couldn’t be denied. The ancient evil that preys on human kind must be stopped again. But this is not Randall Flagg. Nor is it as pervasive as It. But like all of King’s bogeymen, it is just as unexplained and persistent, rising up again and again to satisfy itself at our expense. This one reminded me of the evil presence in Pet Sematary. Centralized, old and extremely pissed off. The ending is a mixed blessing and untethered. I drifted on my emotions for days after finishing, just waiting to wash up on shore again.
Show Less
LibraryThing member msbaba
I used to crave Stephen King’s books! In my 30s and 40s, I read just about every one almost as soon as they came off the press, but all that stopped about 20 years ago. I’m not quite sure why. I suspect I slowly ceased to be interested in the supernatural and turned my attention to other types
What caused me to read Duma Key? Well, somewhere in the many newspapers and magazines I read routinely, I came across an enthusiastic review of Stephen King’s latest supernatural thriller, and that old urge absolutely overpowered me—the urge to read a book once again that would frightened me out of my skin. I asked myself: Was it possible for Stephen King to work his supernatural literary magic on me after all these years and take me to the brink of terror and beyond? I honestly hoped so. But after finishing the book, I am sorry to report that the answer is no—it didn’t work. I could no longer suspend my disbelief and, like a child once again, enjoy the pleasures of a good scary story.
I’m afraid it is my loss—the problem is probably me, not the book or the author. Some people must just outgrow the ability to enjoy the supernatural. Perhaps it’s because in the last twenty years I’ve become all too aware of actual worldwide atrocities—e.g., psychopathic torture killings, sadistic rapes, genocide, ethnic massacres, global warming, ecological destruction, and countless other worldwide barbarisms. As a result, the supernatural seems just plain silly.
Did I enjoy Duma Key? Yes, in a way, I did. The story of a powerful businessman destroyed by a freak construction accident and redeemed through art—now, that was fascinating. There is considerable sophistication and psychological depth to the story. So indeed, I found the first two-thirds of the book—the part where King takes meticulous care to develop his characters and their relationships with one another—totally intriguing. In particular, I loved King’s portrayal of the close father-daughter bond between the main character, Edgar Freemantle, and his youngest daughter, Ilse. But the last part where the supernatural events started to kick in with increasing intensity…well, there is where my pleasure dwindled, and frankly, I eventually couldn’t wait for the book to end.
Will I ever read another Stephen King book? If he sticks to the purely supernatural, the answer is: probably not. But I really like King—the man can write! I admire his careful character development and casual, in-the-moment prose and dialogue. If he ever chooses to write another eerie purely psychological thriller, I’ll probably take the bait and read it. Better still, King might do something entirely new in his mature years and start writing literary fiction. In interviews he makes it clear that he loves to read literary fiction, maybe he’ll pick yet another pseudonym and turn his prodigious skill away from thrillers and the supernatural in a wholly new, and perhaps more purely literary direction. Now, that’s something I’d love to see! And, why not? Personally, I think he might do it very well and surprise us all.
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of fiction. But I remember very fondly the eerie, skin-crawling terror that would come over me as I read his works, my personal favorites being The Shining, and Misery. What caused me to read Duma Key? Well, somewhere in the many newspapers and magazines I read routinely, I came across an enthusiastic review of Stephen King’s latest supernatural thriller, and that old urge absolutely overpowered me—the urge to read a book once again that would frightened me out of my skin. I asked myself: Was it possible for Stephen King to work his supernatural literary magic on me after all these years and take me to the brink of terror and beyond? I honestly hoped so. But after finishing the book, I am sorry to report that the answer is no—it didn’t work. I could no longer suspend my disbelief and, like a child once again, enjoy the pleasures of a good scary story.
I’m afraid it is my loss—the problem is probably me, not the book or the author. Some people must just outgrow the ability to enjoy the supernatural. Perhaps it’s because in the last twenty years I’ve become all too aware of actual worldwide atrocities—e.g., psychopathic torture killings, sadistic rapes, genocide, ethnic massacres, global warming, ecological destruction, and countless other worldwide barbarisms. As a result, the supernatural seems just plain silly.
Did I enjoy Duma Key? Yes, in a way, I did. The story of a powerful businessman destroyed by a freak construction accident and redeemed through art—now, that was fascinating. There is considerable sophistication and psychological depth to the story. So indeed, I found the first two-thirds of the book—the part where King takes meticulous care to develop his characters and their relationships with one another—totally intriguing. In particular, I loved King’s portrayal of the close father-daughter bond between the main character, Edgar Freemantle, and his youngest daughter, Ilse. But the last part where the supernatural events started to kick in with increasing intensity…well, there is where my pleasure dwindled, and frankly, I eventually couldn’t wait for the book to end.
Will I ever read another Stephen King book? If he sticks to the purely supernatural, the answer is: probably not. But I really like King—the man can write! I admire his careful character development and casual, in-the-moment prose and dialogue. If he ever chooses to write another eerie purely psychological thriller, I’ll probably take the bait and read it. Better still, King might do something entirely new in his mature years and start writing literary fiction. In interviews he makes it clear that he loves to read literary fiction, maybe he’ll pick yet another pseudonym and turn his prodigious skill away from thrillers and the supernatural in a wholly new, and perhaps more purely literary direction. Now, that’s something I’d love to see! And, why not? Personally, I think he might do it very well and surprise us all.
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LibraryThing member Sararush
When I wasn’t listening to Duma Key, I wanted to be listening Duma Key. When it was over, despite piles of books that I should be listening to, I wanted to start all over again. I can’t wait to pass this one along to my follow audio addicts. I’m not sure it gets any better then this.
That
That
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said, it does take a few CDs for the book to hook you as our main character, Edgar Freemantle’s life implodes due to an accident, he’s not a likable guy. And there are 18 CDs total, so it was a definite time commitment. There is also a lot of adult language, so I had to painfully forego listening with my children in the car. However, with Duma Key, King surpasses anything he’s ever done. I was never sure what to expect, and I carried an unshakable unease during every moment I was able to listen to it. Easily the best audiobook I’ve listened to this year. John Slattery did an excellent job in creating dozens of characters. Do not hesitate; if you haven’t listened to Duma Key, you’ll want to. Show Less
LibraryThing member puttocklibrary
While I'm not a fan of horror at all, even by Steven King, I really really enjoyed this book. I think at least partially because it wasn't a gory horror, but closer to a psychological horror, with a supernatural twist.
I really liked both the characters and the setting of this novel, and King upped
I highly recommend this story if people keep recommending Steven King to you, and you just don't want to read horror.
I really liked both the characters and the setting of this novel, and King upped
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the suspense and tension wonderfully throughout the book, and had me feeling creeped out by the events of the story in the best way possible. And it never felt too long.I highly recommend this story if people keep recommending Steven King to you, and you just don't want to read horror.
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LibraryThing member SheilaDeeth
Sometimes I read a long book and wish it were shorter. But reading Stephen King’s Duma Key was not one of those times. The story is beautifully plotted and paced, from the slightly off-kilter wonder of the first page—“Pictures are magic, as you know”—to the real-world tragedy of a
The heroes in this novel are very real, very wounded people, old enough to know a bit about life, and sad enough to maybe wish they knew less. There’s a woman suffering with Alzheimers, sometimes there, sometimes far far away, and sometimes somewhere in between. There’s the man who cares for her. And there’s the builder turned artist, whose brain injury leaves him struggling for words, whose honesty compels him to blame himself when his family drives him away, and whose pictures come to glorious life in the author’s vivid descriptions.
There are lessons about forgiveness and hope, about flawed relationships, and love and loss. They’re lessons just as valid to the only slightly wounded as to these characters coming to terms with the hurts of their pasts. And there’s a beautiful sympathy in the telling. Meanwhile there are undercurrents of whispering fear, childlike requests that hide a child’s memories, and grown-up obstinacy that hides an all-too-familiar childlike fear.
I loved the characters and wished I could see them healed. But Stephen King is a master of making the most of only partial healing, reflecting the real world in the imaginary, as his character’s pictures reflect their own strange truths.
Duma Key is a haunting book filled with complex characters, thoughts and images; a long, slow, scary and wonderful read.
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brain-injured one-armed man, to the fearful, awful revelations around page 600.The heroes in this novel are very real, very wounded people, old enough to know a bit about life, and sad enough to maybe wish they knew less. There’s a woman suffering with Alzheimers, sometimes there, sometimes far far away, and sometimes somewhere in between. There’s the man who cares for her. And there’s the builder turned artist, whose brain injury leaves him struggling for words, whose honesty compels him to blame himself when his family drives him away, and whose pictures come to glorious life in the author’s vivid descriptions.
There are lessons about forgiveness and hope, about flawed relationships, and love and loss. They’re lessons just as valid to the only slightly wounded as to these characters coming to terms with the hurts of their pasts. And there’s a beautiful sympathy in the telling. Meanwhile there are undercurrents of whispering fear, childlike requests that hide a child’s memories, and grown-up obstinacy that hides an all-too-familiar childlike fear.
I loved the characters and wished I could see them healed. But Stephen King is a master of making the most of only partial healing, reflecting the real world in the imaginary, as his character’s pictures reflect their own strange truths.
Duma Key is a haunting book filled with complex characters, thoughts and images; a long, slow, scary and wonderful read.
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LibraryThing member SqueakyChu
I now have a new favorite Stephen King book. This is it! I have often thought that King’s writing is inconsistent – some stories being interesting, while others a bit lackluster. This story, however, had me in rapt attention for 609 pages, although I admit I was alternating between the written
When Stephen King is in top form, as he is in this book, his stories are simply delightful to read. Our main man here is Edgar Freemantle, former owner of a successful contracting company. His happiness crumbles when he is severely injured in an accident, losing his right arm and almost losing his life. Following this misfortune, his wife Pam divorces him. On advice of his psychologist, he moves to Duma Key, chosen to be a place of respite and recovery. On this island in the Florida Keys, Edgar develops his artistic talent unaware of why this suddenly takes hold.
For me, the highlight of this book is the two characters, Edgar Freemantle and Jerome Wireman. These two men are startlingly real. As the story progresses, they develop a deep friendship and deal with each other in a warm, supportive way, understanding that each has his own painful past.
The author never disappoints with his humor. Some of his lines are particularly funny. As a kind of black humor, these often provide comic relief in otherwise serious situations. He delivers these lines very dryly - just the way I like them.
King provides his readers with his trademark weirdness, this time having to do with the reason a one-armed man still feels his phantom limb and develops a sudden artistic talent. The way in which King does this is accentuated with colors (his rental home, Big Pink), sounds (whispering shells), and sensations (itching phantom limb) that pervade Freemantle’s time on Duma Key. One never quite knows who or what will show up on the next page of this book. This is quite a fun adventure and one I highly recommend to people who enjoy letting their imaginations run a bit wild.
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and the CD version as I enjoyed the story both at home and in my car.When Stephen King is in top form, as he is in this book, his stories are simply delightful to read. Our main man here is Edgar Freemantle, former owner of a successful contracting company. His happiness crumbles when he is severely injured in an accident, losing his right arm and almost losing his life. Following this misfortune, his wife Pam divorces him. On advice of his psychologist, he moves to Duma Key, chosen to be a place of respite and recovery. On this island in the Florida Keys, Edgar develops his artistic talent unaware of why this suddenly takes hold.
For me, the highlight of this book is the two characters, Edgar Freemantle and Jerome Wireman. These two men are startlingly real. As the story progresses, they develop a deep friendship and deal with each other in a warm, supportive way, understanding that each has his own painful past.
The author never disappoints with his humor. Some of his lines are particularly funny. As a kind of black humor, these often provide comic relief in otherwise serious situations. He delivers these lines very dryly - just the way I like them.
King provides his readers with his trademark weirdness, this time having to do with the reason a one-armed man still feels his phantom limb and develops a sudden artistic talent. The way in which King does this is accentuated with colors (his rental home, Big Pink), sounds (whispering shells), and sensations (itching phantom limb) that pervade Freemantle’s time on Duma Key. One never quite knows who or what will show up on the next page of this book. This is quite a fun adventure and one I highly recommend to people who enjoy letting their imaginations run a bit wild.
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LibraryThing member BobAvey
King is back
With the exception of the Colorado Kid, I have to confess to having not read Stephen King in awhile. I'd become disappointed in some of his efforts.
By chance, through the winning of a raffle, which awarded a bundle of books, I came into possession of a copy of Duma Key. Even then I did
If you're a fan of Stephen King, especially one who has been away for a while, you should pick up a copy of Duma Key. Stephen is definitely back on track with this one.
-- Bob Avey, author of the Detective Elliot mystery series
With the exception of the Colorado Kid, I have to confess to having not read Stephen King in awhile. I'd become disappointed in some of his efforts.
By chance, through the winning of a raffle, which awarded a bundle of books, I came into possession of a copy of Duma Key. Even then I did
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not read the book right away, choosing a few of the other books in the stack instead. When I did get around to it, I first examined the cover, realizing that I liked that much of it. I cracked the book open and began to read. A few hours later, I knew that I had once again become entranced by the work of Mr. King.If you're a fan of Stephen King, especially one who has been away for a while, you should pick up a copy of Duma Key. Stephen is definitely back on track with this one.
-- Bob Avey, author of the Detective Elliot mystery series
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LibraryThing member clif_hiker
I've read Stephen King's stuff since he started writing. I love some of it, and hate some of it (not surprising for a writer as prolific as he is). Duma Key is one of my new favorites (along with The Stand, 'Salems Lot and The Shining). The setting and the slow buildup of tension were what
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attracted me to the story, and like all of King's books, won't attract everyone. The healing process has been slow for Stephen King and the optimism seen in this story indicates that perhaps the man has beaten some of his personal devils. Show Less
LibraryThing member JBreedlove
King's last three books are so-so. The horror of Salem's Lot, the thriller that was The Shining, and the humanity of the Green Mile Duma Key, Lisey's Story, and The Cell were not. Though The Cell was 3 quarters good and Everything's Eventual was an enjoyable collection "Duma" needed some serious
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editing (lose 300 pages) and it didn't flow. His characters conversations were forced and way too flippant. Show Less
LibraryThing member JeffV
A good summer read, it's typical Steven King with a touch of Jimmy Buffett. It's a story told by a 50-something construction magnate from the Twin Cities who loses an arm when a crane accidentally crushes the pickup he's in on a job site. His marriage fails shortly afterwards, as head injuries were
Most of the book is spent developing the characters, which King does better than anyone these days. The supernatural elements of the story are introduced gradually, first as seemingly mundane events, then as something recognizably connected with a sinister purpose. By the end, Pandora's box is completely open, and the entire back-story of how things came to be is fully revealed.
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longer and more frustrating to recover from. On the advice of his friend, he arranges to get away to a secluded residence in the Florida Keys where he takes up his old hobby of painting. His inspiration becomes more and more macabre, and while the paintings are lauded as works of genius by all who see them, something isn't quite right about them...Most of the book is spent developing the characters, which King does better than anyone these days. The supernatural elements of the story are introduced gradually, first as seemingly mundane events, then as something recognizably connected with a sinister purpose. By the end, Pandora's box is completely open, and the entire back-story of how things came to be is fully revealed.
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LibraryThing member dreamyflo
A typical King classic. A great start with family, scenic description and a star character with a missing limb - fabulous so far. I read this keenly over a week, wanting to dip right back into it once I'd walked away. I'm always captured by King's prose, I enjoy the down to earth surroundings, the
I found comfort in the star character's new found friendship with Wireman and Miss Eastlake. His daily walks down the beach to build up strength in his hips after a horrendous accident left him lucky to be alive, were real to me, I walked with him and felt the exhaustion on his return to Big Pink - his home on Duma Key.
It all sounds good so far eh, sorry to say I was let down by the conclusion. It soon became far too busy in the final chapters. So much had suddenly been introduced, yes I did keep up with the plot, however, it was like an explosion in the final sections. Some parts were quite absurd (yes I HAVE read King before) and others simply stretched the plot way too far for me. As I read all I could picture was the feature film waiting in the wings to be made here. So I'm afraid Mr King has lost a star here for a great build only to be deflated at the final conclusion
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normal lifestyles of the characters, the general build up of the plot is always a pleasure - this one didn't disappoint.I found comfort in the star character's new found friendship with Wireman and Miss Eastlake. His daily walks down the beach to build up strength in his hips after a horrendous accident left him lucky to be alive, were real to me, I walked with him and felt the exhaustion on his return to Big Pink - his home on Duma Key.
It all sounds good so far eh, sorry to say I was let down by the conclusion. It soon became far too busy in the final chapters. So much had suddenly been introduced, yes I did keep up with the plot, however, it was like an explosion in the final sections. Some parts were quite absurd (yes I HAVE read King before) and others simply stretched the plot way too far for me. As I read all I could picture was the feature film waiting in the wings to be made here. So I'm afraid Mr King has lost a star here for a great build only to be deflated at the final conclusion
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LibraryThing member kmaziarz
Edgar Freemantle, a self-made millionaire in the construction trade, suffers a violent accident on a job site that leaves him with an amputated right arm, a broken hip, and brain injuries that cause aphasia, memory loss, and extreme violent rages. His wife Pam asks for a divorce after Edgar
Edgar moves into a beach house on the isolated and under-developed island of Duma Key in Florida and begins to try to put together a new life for himself, post-accident. He makes friends with the island’s only other inhabitants: elderly but still spunky Elizabeth Eastlake, who owns most of the island, and Jerome Wireman, her caretaker. He begins taking long walks on the beach to regain his mobility. And, surprising everyone who knows him but no one more than himself, he begins to paint, prolifically and with extraordinary skill and creativity.
Edgar’s drawing and painting slowly begin to take over his new life. His missing arm will itch unbearably until he’s able to paint the itch away. As his skills increase, he begins to realize that he is doing more than creating art; he can somehow use his painting to read the future, and, later, to actually influence real-life events. As Edgar learns more about his new skills and about the strange and mysterious history surrounding Duma Key and Elizabeth Eastlake, he begins to realize that something outside himself may be the source of his strange new abilities…and that that strange “something” is not at all benign.
Well-written and filled with vibrant characters and settings, if a bit too long, “Duma Key” is compelling and delightfully creepy.
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attacked her twice while lost in the grip of his injury-induced rage. Depressed, angry, suicidal, and completely lost, Edgar decides to take his doctor’s advice and try a change of scenery.Edgar moves into a beach house on the isolated and under-developed island of Duma Key in Florida and begins to try to put together a new life for himself, post-accident. He makes friends with the island’s only other inhabitants: elderly but still spunky Elizabeth Eastlake, who owns most of the island, and Jerome Wireman, her caretaker. He begins taking long walks on the beach to regain his mobility. And, surprising everyone who knows him but no one more than himself, he begins to paint, prolifically and with extraordinary skill and creativity.
Edgar’s drawing and painting slowly begin to take over his new life. His missing arm will itch unbearably until he’s able to paint the itch away. As his skills increase, he begins to realize that he is doing more than creating art; he can somehow use his painting to read the future, and, later, to actually influence real-life events. As Edgar learns more about his new skills and about the strange and mysterious history surrounding Duma Key and Elizabeth Eastlake, he begins to realize that something outside himself may be the source of his strange new abilities…and that that strange “something” is not at all benign.
Well-written and filled with vibrant characters and settings, if a bit too long, “Duma Key” is compelling and delightfully creepy.
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LibraryThing member karieh
Stephen King has always been able to tell a good story, to crook his finger, lure the sucker in and then scare the pants off him/her. (Like this reader who can still remember finishing “‘Salem’s Lot” at midnight, alone in my dorm room…and the sleepless night that followed.)
And he’s
And to say Stephen King is prolific is the understatement of the century. The number of words this man has written? I can’t even imagine. I’m sure he’s probably experienced writer’s block, everyone has, but I can’t imagine where he found the time.
But in the last couple of decades? I’ve realized that he can also WRITE. “Bag of Bones” was my first clue. A ghost story, true, but on a different level than before. The words weren’t there merely to seduce the reader into letting his/her guard down until the monster jumped out of the closet, they were there to evoke feeling and thought, and to develop real flesh and blood characters.
I was a late-comer to “The Dark Tower” books (which really meant I didn’t have to endure the long wait for Book 4 that had my friends gnashing their teeth in frustration). I listened to the first 6 books on tape…and then rushed out to get Book 7 as soon as it was available. This saga, richly detailed, full of characters that we truly get to see inside and out, impressed me to no end. And the way the books intersect the real world in a way SK couldn’t have imagined when he started 30 years ago – I loved it.
Oh – and “The Green Mile”… Every time I look at my 6 little “Green Mile” books – I could myself as incredibly lucky that I was around at the time he was releasing them one per month. True, at the end of each month, I was howling for more, but I wouldn’t have traded that experience for anything.
Now – about his current book. I put a marker in “Duma Key” at page 67. That’s when I was hooked – I was in this book for the long haul – no looking back. (Though a bout with a week long flu kept me from finishing it as fast as I wanted.) Edgar Freemantle undergoes a life shattering accident…one that forever changes him and the lives of those around him.
To build a new life, he heads south, to Duma Key, Florida, and then the blessings and curses begin. Blessings of healing and new friendship, and curses…well, this is a Stephen King book.
Edgar is bewitched by the island, by the sun setting into the Gulf of Mexico, by the pink house he rents, and by the talents he never knew he had. He reaches deep into himself for the strength to heal and to come back from the very dark place he inhabited after his accident.
“I remembered him that day at Lake Phalen – the tatty briefcase, the cold autumn sunshine coming and going in diagonal stripes across the living room floor. I remember thinking about suicide, and the myriad roads leading into the dark: turnpikes and secondary highways and shaggy little forgotten lanes.”
This is a book about grief, love, frustration, anger and joy. Of all the emotions Edgar experiences in his long journey, the one that I could relate too most strongly, was that of a father’s love for his child. He freely admits to himself that he loves one of his daughters more than the other, but as much as that might bother me, it is honest, and his love for Ilse is a wonderful thing to watch. His worry about her is also very powerful.
“I felt uneasy about Ilse – the way parents are always uneasy about the problems of their children, I suppose, once they’re too old to be called home when it starts to get dark and the baths are being drawn…”
In short, a book about people and about the complexity of human life. True, it’s also a book about the undead and talking dolls…but that’s the fun of it.
And when it comes to further Stephen King books? I told you he had me at Page 67. I’m in, I’m all in…
And he’s
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always been able to create memorable and enduring characters, ones we can’t put out of our minds no matter how hard we may try. Examples range from the clown from “It” (SHEESH!) to And to say Stephen King is prolific is the understatement of the century. The number of words this man has written? I can’t even imagine. I’m sure he’s probably experienced writer’s block, everyone has, but I can’t imagine where he found the time.
But in the last couple of decades? I’ve realized that he can also WRITE. “Bag of Bones” was my first clue. A ghost story, true, but on a different level than before. The words weren’t there merely to seduce the reader into letting his/her guard down until the monster jumped out of the closet, they were there to evoke feeling and thought, and to develop real flesh and blood characters.
I was a late-comer to “The Dark Tower” books (which really meant I didn’t have to endure the long wait for Book 4 that had my friends gnashing their teeth in frustration). I listened to the first 6 books on tape…and then rushed out to get Book 7 as soon as it was available. This saga, richly detailed, full of characters that we truly get to see inside and out, impressed me to no end. And the way the books intersect the real world in a way SK couldn’t have imagined when he started 30 years ago – I loved it.
Oh – and “The Green Mile”… Every time I look at my 6 little “Green Mile” books – I could myself as incredibly lucky that I was around at the time he was releasing them one per month. True, at the end of each month, I was howling for more, but I wouldn’t have traded that experience for anything.
Now – about his current book. I put a marker in “Duma Key” at page 67. That’s when I was hooked – I was in this book for the long haul – no looking back. (Though a bout with a week long flu kept me from finishing it as fast as I wanted.) Edgar Freemantle undergoes a life shattering accident…one that forever changes him and the lives of those around him.
To build a new life, he heads south, to Duma Key, Florida, and then the blessings and curses begin. Blessings of healing and new friendship, and curses…well, this is a Stephen King book.
Edgar is bewitched by the island, by the sun setting into the Gulf of Mexico, by the pink house he rents, and by the talents he never knew he had. He reaches deep into himself for the strength to heal and to come back from the very dark place he inhabited after his accident.
“I remembered him that day at Lake Phalen – the tatty briefcase, the cold autumn sunshine coming and going in diagonal stripes across the living room floor. I remember thinking about suicide, and the myriad roads leading into the dark: turnpikes and secondary highways and shaggy little forgotten lanes.”
This is a book about grief, love, frustration, anger and joy. Of all the emotions Edgar experiences in his long journey, the one that I could relate too most strongly, was that of a father’s love for his child. He freely admits to himself that he loves one of his daughters more than the other, but as much as that might bother me, it is honest, and his love for Ilse is a wonderful thing to watch. His worry about her is also very powerful.
“I felt uneasy about Ilse – the way parents are always uneasy about the problems of their children, I suppose, once they’re too old to be called home when it starts to get dark and the baths are being drawn…”
In short, a book about people and about the complexity of human life. True, it’s also a book about the undead and talking dolls…but that’s the fun of it.
And when it comes to further Stephen King books? I told you he had me at Page 67. I’m in, I’m all in…
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LibraryThing member sturlington
I remember when, after the final installment of the Dark Tower series came out, Stephen King announced that he was retiring from writing — or at least he wasn’t going to be publishing as prolifically. Of course, I was sad to hear this; King had been one of my favorite writers since I was a
Of course, King has not retired. He has kept publishing one or two new books a year, just as he’s always done, and by and large, they have not been up to standard. Some he admitted were (or I suspected they were) trunk novels. It’s natural to want to keep laying those golden eggs, and suckers like me will keep buying them, but I’m finding these latest efforts to be rather sad. King can rest on his laurels now. He’s super-famous, he’s got plenty of money, and he’s made a significant contribution. Why keep turning out shlock?
Duma Key is a case in point. There is absolutely nothing going on in this novel that King hasn’t already explored several times before, often more effectively. To be honest, parts of the story didn’t even make good sense — another badly edited trunk novel, perhaps? This was a poorer version of Lisey’s Story, which was in turn a poorer version of Bag of Bones. It wasn’t even scary or really all that suspenseful. I just didn’t care so much — been there, done that, you see.
I’m asking Mr. King to please not let his fans down in this way. We’ve stuck with you through it all, even The Tommyknockers (the flying Coke machine was really cool, though). We gobbled up all seven mammoth tomes in the Dark Tower series and didn’t even complain too much when the plot got somewhat ridiculous toward the end. What I think we’d like to see now is you stretching yourself more, taking risks — you can afford to do that. And if you don’t have it in you, then retire with our blessing. But please, please, don’t keep disappointing us this way. Deal?
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pre-teen, and the only one I have consistently collected. But it’s good to go out on a high note, and the Dark Tower was definitely a high note.Of course, King has not retired. He has kept publishing one or two new books a year, just as he’s always done, and by and large, they have not been up to standard. Some he admitted were (or I suspected they were) trunk novels. It’s natural to want to keep laying those golden eggs, and suckers like me will keep buying them, but I’m finding these latest efforts to be rather sad. King can rest on his laurels now. He’s super-famous, he’s got plenty of money, and he’s made a significant contribution. Why keep turning out shlock?
Duma Key is a case in point. There is absolutely nothing going on in this novel that King hasn’t already explored several times before, often more effectively. To be honest, parts of the story didn’t even make good sense — another badly edited trunk novel, perhaps? This was a poorer version of Lisey’s Story, which was in turn a poorer version of Bag of Bones. It wasn’t even scary or really all that suspenseful. I just didn’t care so much — been there, done that, you see.
I’m asking Mr. King to please not let his fans down in this way. We’ve stuck with you through it all, even The Tommyknockers (the flying Coke machine was really cool, though). We gobbled up all seven mammoth tomes in the Dark Tower series and didn’t even complain too much when the plot got somewhat ridiculous toward the end. What I think we’d like to see now is you stretching yourself more, taking risks — you can afford to do that. And if you don’t have it in you, then retire with our blessing. But please, please, don’t keep disappointing us this way. Deal?
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LibraryThing member TonyaJ
Partially key (no pun intended) to the story is father/daughter relationships which always affect me, depending on how good the writing is. It deals very much with the father/daughter relationship, what a father will do to keep a child safe, our own human frailties and how to deal with them, and
Also, despite the fact it's a novel and has supernatural factors, it has things to say about the source of inspiration and that maybe that the inspiration for artistic endeavors doesn't always come from a good place, or maybe it's mixed into the good sometimes.
A common theme I read on Internet forums was that it was a hard book to get into. This may be deliberate on King's part. He makes you concentrate. He makes you listen to this everyman Edgar, no longer an everyman at all. And sometimes listening and concentrating is a lost art when it comes to reading a story. Too many bubblegum novels or wanting the satisfaction of the denouement sooner than later. This set up (the first 150 pages) was a thing of beauty. It allows the reader time before the roller coaster car you've been sitting in picks up steam as the plot unfurls and the action becomes ever more intense and filled with tension, til your car tips over that first huge plunge down the tracks. And by that time it's too late; you're on the ride and you there's no getting off.
This novel is heartfelt (not that he doesn't write with emotion in previous books). He usually does well when relationships between people are richer and deeper. But this is beyond that and I think it's his best work to date.
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yes, a supernatural thriller that deals with certain abilities seeming to be on the face of it a blessing, and then becomes a curse. This is something King excels in, writing about family relationships. He found a new way into the supernatural and it chilled my blood. Also, despite the fact it's a novel and has supernatural factors, it has things to say about the source of inspiration and that maybe that the inspiration for artistic endeavors doesn't always come from a good place, or maybe it's mixed into the good sometimes.
A common theme I read on Internet forums was that it was a hard book to get into. This may be deliberate on King's part. He makes you concentrate. He makes you listen to this everyman Edgar, no longer an everyman at all. And sometimes listening and concentrating is a lost art when it comes to reading a story. Too many bubblegum novels or wanting the satisfaction of the denouement sooner than later. This set up (the first 150 pages) was a thing of beauty. It allows the reader time before the roller coaster car you've been sitting in picks up steam as the plot unfurls and the action becomes ever more intense and filled with tension, til your car tips over that first huge plunge down the tracks. And by that time it's too late; you're on the ride and you there's no getting off.
This novel is heartfelt (not that he doesn't write with emotion in previous books). He usually does well when relationships between people are richer and deeper. But this is beyond that and I think it's his best work to date.
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LibraryThing member drebbles
After a horrible construction site accident, Edgar Freemantle loses not only his right arm, but his wife. He is prone to fits of rage and his wife, Pam, claims he tried to kill her. Frustrated by his slow recovery, memory lapses, and the loss of his marriage, Edgar leaves his house in Minnesota and
For the most part "Duma Key" is very good - one of the better recent Stephen King books. As always, one of King's strengths is his characters and he does a good job with Edgar's character. The book is written in the first person, narrated by Edgar, and readers will truly know him as a character by the end of the book. His struggle to recover after the accident is very well written - not surprising since King knows first hand what it is like. The other characters, especially Wireman, are also well written. Even characters that aren't in the book a lot, especially his daughter Ilse and his ex-wife Pam, are well done. Unfortunately King telegraphs the death of one character to the extent that when the death does happen, it doesn't have the shock value it should have. King also does a good job of making Duma Key and the houses there come alive (almost literally).
King's other big strength is his storytelling ability and that works for about 80% of the book. King takes his time setting up the story, but by the time he's done, you really will believe that Edgar can use his paintings to change things for the good or that they can even be deadly and that they have caused an evil spirit called Perse to rise from the dead. King walks a fine line with this plot and almost fails in a couple of spots (notably with the doll Noveen) but manages to pull it off. However, one of King's weakest points at times is his endings and that's true at the end of "Duma Key". The final confrontation involving an old house, a ghost ship, and Perse falls flat once Perse is revealed. It's so anticlimactic that you can't help but think - "that thing is what's killing people?" In the hands of another author it would almost be laughable, but King pulls it off - just barely.
Despite its flaws, "Duma Key" is one of the best of King's most recent works and Duma Key, Big Pink, and Edgar stayed with me long after I finished reading it.
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rents a house in Duma Key, Florida. Right from the beginning he knows there is something unique about the house (which he nicknames Big Pink) - the shells under the house seem to talk to him. Soon Edgar discovers that he has a previously undiscovered talent as an artist. He makes friends in Duma Key - Wireman, Elizabeth Eastlake (the woman Wireman works for), and Jack Cantori, but it is his painting he always goes back to. Soon Edgar discovers that his paintings have power, power that threatens to hurt the very people he cares the most about. For the most part "Duma Key" is very good - one of the better recent Stephen King books. As always, one of King's strengths is his characters and he does a good job with Edgar's character. The book is written in the first person, narrated by Edgar, and readers will truly know him as a character by the end of the book. His struggle to recover after the accident is very well written - not surprising since King knows first hand what it is like. The other characters, especially Wireman, are also well written. Even characters that aren't in the book a lot, especially his daughter Ilse and his ex-wife Pam, are well done. Unfortunately King telegraphs the death of one character to the extent that when the death does happen, it doesn't have the shock value it should have. King also does a good job of making Duma Key and the houses there come alive (almost literally).
King's other big strength is his storytelling ability and that works for about 80% of the book. King takes his time setting up the story, but by the time he's done, you really will believe that Edgar can use his paintings to change things for the good or that they can even be deadly and that they have caused an evil spirit called Perse to rise from the dead. King walks a fine line with this plot and almost fails in a couple of spots (notably with the doll Noveen) but manages to pull it off. However, one of King's weakest points at times is his endings and that's true at the end of "Duma Key". The final confrontation involving an old house, a ghost ship, and Perse falls flat once Perse is revealed. It's so anticlimactic that you can't help but think - "that thing is what's killing people?" In the hands of another author it would almost be laughable, but King pulls it off - just barely.
Despite its flaws, "Duma Key" is one of the best of King's most recent works and Duma Key, Big Pink, and Edgar stayed with me long after I finished reading it.
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LibraryThing member klarsenmd
This is definitely one of King's better books in a long while. I went into thinking it was going to scare the bejesus out of me, and while it wasn't quite that frightful, it was so much better for it.
It follows the story of Edgar Freemantle, a contractor who suffers a terrible accident on the job
This is a story of life and death, and while it's about things that scare us, and the evil that lurks in the water, for me, it was more about overcoming all the horrible things that can happen in our lives. Add a Stephen King twist to that and you've got yourself one hell of a great read!
It follows the story of Edgar Freemantle, a contractor who suffers a terrible accident on the job
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site and very nearly looses his life. When we meet him he is a broken man, newly divorced and headed to a tropical local to see if he can find a new life. He finds a whole lot more when he begins to paint. The story take some unexpected turns, but throughout, we come to love Edgar, cracks and all, as well as the friends he makes on Duma Key. This is a story of life and death, and while it's about things that scare us, and the evil that lurks in the water, for me, it was more about overcoming all the horrible things that can happen in our lives. Add a Stephen King twist to that and you've got yourself one hell of a great read!
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LibraryThing member annenoise
Excellent book on the exploration on lonliness, true contentment, and the (literal) confrontation of ones past and fears. Stephen King at his best, a change from his more recent works. Many of the scenes presented in the main character's paintings create an unsettling mood, which is reflected
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perfectly in the horror of the last act, the exploration on the lost end of the Key. Truly macabre! Show Less
LibraryThing member chumofchance
I seem to be put-off by novelists who appear to write two books a year, filling entire sections of book-shop shelves with two dozen or more of their previous works displayed in a variety of editions. Ludlum and his channeller come to mind. Joyce Carol Oates is prolific, but at least literary. King
Duma Key was recommended by a literary aquaintence of mine who is dismayed by the lack of maturity shown by the masses when it comes to choosing its reading material. Duma Key is written by a more mature Stephen King, who can finally step out of his native Maine and write of a locale that is not his own. The character development was especially strong in Duma Key, and he actually wrote some great prose. It's not literature, but it's a good, fun summer read, especially for those who are new to King. This is a good novel of his to start with as we may anticipate more to come that are like this one. It's a cliche, but I couldn't put it down.
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is also prolific, but unlike Oates has a massive, enthusiastic readership. My only previous experience with King was It; I read it when it first came out. And I remember liking it.Duma Key was recommended by a literary aquaintence of mine who is dismayed by the lack of maturity shown by the masses when it comes to choosing its reading material. Duma Key is written by a more mature Stephen King, who can finally step out of his native Maine and write of a locale that is not his own. The character development was especially strong in Duma Key, and he actually wrote some great prose. It's not literature, but it's a good, fun summer read, especially for those who are new to King. This is a good novel of his to start with as we may anticipate more to come that are like this one. It's a cliche, but I couldn't put it down.
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LibraryThing member 5hrdrive
King's best since at least "Wolves of the Calla". Still, it seems that too often King takes elements of earlier novels and short stories and combines them into something that works, but doesn't feel all that fresh. In this case, he borrows from "Rose Madder", "The Sun Dog", "Word Processor of the
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Gods", and "Bag of Bones", plus some others that I'm probably forgetting. It all comes together very nicely, but it feels as if I've read most of this before... Show Less
LibraryThing member ulfhjorr
Welcome back, Mr. King!
Duma Key seems a return to classic form for King, good suspense with supernatural horror elements that had that distinctive "real" feel of good King tales. The writing pulled me through the 700+ pages as if they were nothing at all.
Duma Key seems a return to classic form for King, good suspense with supernatural horror elements that had that distinctive "real" feel of good King tales. The writing pulled me through the 700+ pages as if they were nothing at all.
LibraryThing member Jaguar897
I’ve always been a coward when it comes to reading Stephen King. Seeing his name on a book cover automatically makes me turn around and run away. It’s nothing personal against King. It’s just that I tend to shun anything with horror…from movies to haunted houses to books. King being “The
Anyway, a year or so later I started getting better about the whole horror thing and decided to branch out a bit. That’s when I came across this book waiting for me at a library sale. I shelved it in my bookcase till I had the time and fortitude to tackle the behemoth. That time finally came and although I was excited I was a bit apprehensive. What if it was too scary? What if I started getting nightmares? Who was going to protect me? *gnaws fingernails* My GR friends assured me that it was all psychological; King is not scary, yada, yada. Putting my Big Girl Panties once again I ended up plowing through this sucker. I loved absolutely every minute of it! I even listened to the audio, which I highly recommend. It’s rare for me to listen to an audio and then go back and read what I just listened too, but that is exactly what I did. I didn’t want to miss a single word King wrote. I wanted to live in the experience again and again. I felt like I was in an Herbal Essence commercial every time I opened this book “Yes! Yes! YEEEEESSSSSSS!” *smokes cigarette*
So yeah, I highly recommend either reading this one or listening to the audio or better yet doing both. While there were some moments that stopped my heart for a second it was not scary. Parts of it were creepy. I knew I was being lured in by King, but I totally didn’t mind because the journey there was so damn good.
I’ll leave you with a quote that touched me to the very core because I swear I had a moment in my life where I felt this way, but didn’t have the words for it:
"I told myself there was time. Of course, that's what we always tell ourselves, isn't it? We can't imagine time running out, and God punishes us for what we can't imagine."
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King of Horror” automatically puts him on that list. The thing is I have a few GR friends that are King aficionados who kept insisting that King wasn’t scary at all and that he’s great and blah, blah, blah. So finally when a group of them decided to read the Dark Towers series I decided to put my Big Girl Panties on and try it out. Turns out King wasn’t so bad and I liked his writing. I made it part way into The Waste Lands before putting it to the side though. Unfortunately, life got in the way and I wasn’t in the right mind set to continue. Anyway, a year or so later I started getting better about the whole horror thing and decided to branch out a bit. That’s when I came across this book waiting for me at a library sale. I shelved it in my bookcase till I had the time and fortitude to tackle the behemoth. That time finally came and although I was excited I was a bit apprehensive. What if it was too scary? What if I started getting nightmares? Who was going to protect me? *gnaws fingernails* My GR friends assured me that it was all psychological; King is not scary, yada, yada. Putting my Big Girl Panties once again I ended up plowing through this sucker. I loved absolutely every minute of it! I even listened to the audio, which I highly recommend. It’s rare for me to listen to an audio and then go back and read what I just listened too, but that is exactly what I did. I didn’t want to miss a single word King wrote. I wanted to live in the experience again and again. I felt like I was in an Herbal Essence commercial every time I opened this book “Yes! Yes! YEEEEESSSSSSS!” *smokes cigarette*
So yeah, I highly recommend either reading this one or listening to the audio or better yet doing both. While there were some moments that stopped my heart for a second it was not scary. Parts of it were creepy. I knew I was being lured in by King, but I totally didn’t mind because the journey there was so damn good.
I’ll leave you with a quote that touched me to the very core because I swear I had a moment in my life where I felt this way, but didn’t have the words for it:
"I told myself there was time. Of course, that's what we always tell ourselves, isn't it? We can't imagine time running out, and God punishes us for what we can't imagine."
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LibraryThing member delphica
(#15 in the 2008 book challenge)
I liked this a lot, and I'm one of those hopeless people who has to read everything Stephen King publishes regardless of how good other people seem to think it is. This one was good. And creepy -- there was one part where something happened that was so creepy I
Grade: B+
Recommended: I think old time SK fans who were maybe not thrilled with his most recent novels might enjoy this one a bit more. It doesn't really break the mold, so if you do not like Stephen King's books in general you won't magically like this. It's the kind of book where you will recognize the Stephen King-isms, and they're put to good use.
I liked this a lot, and I'm one of those hopeless people who has to read everything Stephen King publishes regardless of how good other people seem to think it is. This one was good. And creepy -- there was one part where something happened that was so creepy I
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jumped up in my seat and made a freaked out noise, and it struck me as the first time in a long time that I have been startled by something creepy in a Stephen King book. Basic plot is that a guy loses an arm in an accident. Naturally enough, he is having some trouble adjusting to his new life circumstances, so he decides to move to Florida and take up painting as a hobby. Then supernatural things start to happen. The word smucking is never used, something for which I know we are all grateful, but there is an otherwise likable character who has the annoying habit of referring to himself in the third person. Delphica had enough of this long before the book was over. Also, SK refers two times to Jackson Pollock as an American Primitive artist. Is this some sort of commentary? Hello, he studied with Thomas Hart Benton at the Art Students League so he probably had more formal art education than he knew what to do with.Grade: B+
Recommended: I think old time SK fans who were maybe not thrilled with his most recent novels might enjoy this one a bit more. It doesn't really break the mold, so if you do not like Stephen King's books in general you won't magically like this. It's the kind of book where you will recognize the Stephen King-isms, and they're put to good use.
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LibraryThing member JustAGirl
Brilliant. As with much of his better work, the supernatural is incidental to the stories and lives of his characters. This is infested with the reality of life after a debilitating accident. I hope he doesn't carry out his threat to stop writing as he's never been stronger.
LibraryThing member osodani
Enjoyable and SCARY story from the master. King has a knack for making you really like the characters, no matter what their flaws, and it hurts when he rips the rug out from them. The premise was merely OK - what makes the book great are the characters and the spooky as hell setting.
Awards
Audie Award (Finalist — Fiction — 2009)
Bram Stoker Award (Nominee — Novel — 2008)
Black Quill Award (Nominee — 2008)
Language
Original publication date
2008-01-22
ISBN
9781416587910