Duma Key: A Novel by Stephen King Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of Duma Key: A Novel
Book Review: A mighty creative force unleashed
Summary: 5 Stars
As many have already noted, Duma Key represents something of a return to form for this prodigiously talented writer. King's evocation of lingering dread that suddenly metastasizes into full-blown fear has rarely been so powerful. A literary force of nature, if you will.
As a meditation on creativity and the unexpected ways an artist's work can take on a life of its own, Duma Key is an unparalleled success. This theme has of course been tackled before, but only a natural-born storyteller like King is able to inspire profound contemplation without ever taking his foot off the gas of a frighteningly addictive tale.
Whether you are a lifelong fan or just considering diving into your first King opus, Duma Key will make you glad you picked it up. And satisfying as it is to see an old master reclaim his touch, there's a special thrill in discovering a new voice, which is why I'd also recommend Crimson Orgy by Austin Williams. This debut novel reminded me of King's early work by vividly exploring the field of "horror" in ways that transcend a standard exercise in the genre. It's a great read.
As for Duma Key, though we're still only in January it's hard to imagine this massive book not landing on a wide range of "Best of '08" lists. Bravo.
Book Review: A must read King book
Summary: 4 Stars
Having read most of King's work, I couldn't wait to read his latest effort. I was not disappointed. This one is a great combination of mystery, horror and an incredible journey into the mind of Edgar, the "hero," as he copes with his disabilities and extraordinary talent. As others have said, a lot of the internal story is King's autobiography. This will be a revelation to those readers not familiar with the aftermath of catastrophic accidents and is actually an interesting subplot. We follow Edgar trying to define his "new normal" in the middle of strange and spooky happenings. Just loved the Wireman character and hope to see some reincarnation in another story. The plot will leave you guessing, and the ending is sudden and not cleanly developed through the story,...but, heah..this is horror and anything can happen. Read it and find out!Book Review: A pleasure, if you can read with patience
Summary: 4 Stars
Yet another review on such a well-known item is probably redundant, but I feel compelled to chip in my two cents, so here it is. This was the first King book in a long time (and I have been reading them for a long, long time) that had a "can't put it down" kind of hook to it and never became a chore or an eye-rolling exercise in frustration. I would not call it a return to the form of early stories; it doesn't have the tightly-wound tension of the early works at all. Things move at a fairly leisurely pace, but there's quite a lot of world- and character-building so there's always something developing to keep your attention. An earlier reviewer says he gave up after 100 pages; the first time I even looked up to see where I was, about 150 pages had gone by, so your mileage may vary.
The story has a large, very classical tragic arc. There aren't a lot of big surprises, so if you like your stories very twisty-turny then this probably isn't for you. But then, King stories are rarely plotted too elaborately - the pleasure is seeing the details as they unfold, and I found the details to be quite interesting in Duma Key. Another King trait - weaving together a present-tense story with events past - is very much in evidence, and works satisfyingly. The use of symbolic magic at the end to defeat the "big bad" will probably seem a little over-familiar and predictable if you've been a long-time King reader. Overall, the tone and style seem closest to Bag of Bones and Rose Madder, but on a larger scale. If you liked those, you'll probably find this one quite enjoyable too.
Book Review: A return to classic King
Summary: 5 Stars
This was the most enjoyable King novel I have read since I reluctantly closed the book on The Dark Tower almost 4 years ago. To me, Duma Key is a return to the classic King of old. Although I will always read virtually anything King writes, I've found most of his more recent novels (with the exception of The Dark Tower series, of course!) to be just okay. Duma Key, however, felt like a return to a consummate King page-turner, as it starts with an exceptional premise (a devastating accident leads main character Edgar Freemantle to seek refuge on a small, undeveloped Florida island, where he re-discovers his love of drawing) and then throws in a healthy dose of the supernatural, with things going from bad to worse pretty quickly.
I thought Duma Key was similar in tone to King's Bag of Bones, one of his best novels from the past 10 years. Both books feature a newly single middle-aged male character, and both hint at haunted houses and age-old secrets. But I found Duma to be reminiscent of other King works as well, including Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption--maybe King was paying homage to this underated novella in Duma's conclusion?--and even a bit of Pet Sematary too. But perhaps the best thing I can say is that even after finishing Duma Key several days ago, I still find myself thinking about the plot and characters--to me, that's one of the signs of a great novel, and so Duma Key definitely deserves 4 1/2 stars in my book.
Book Review: A shipwreck
Summary: 2 Stars
I stopped reading after nearly two thirds in. And I've read almost every Stephen King novel. Yes, I liked that it was set in Florida. It was very evocative. But I was so bored (yes bored) by the writing about the sensations in his missing arm, and the long -- very long -- set up about the old lady who lived down the road. And I just couldn't buy the corny relationship with the lawyer who took care of the old lady. The whole setup felt contrived.
I read this book (rather tried to read this book) during a period when I watched a DVD of The Green Mile. Now that was some natural, organic story telling.