Duma Key
Published: 22, January 2008
Author: Stephen King
Genre: American, Fiction, Horror, Mystery, Occult, Parenting, Psychological, Relationships, Supernatural, Suspense, Thriller
Check the summary of this book here:
The Review
Stephen King's Duma Key is a supernatural mystery thriller novel. The book reached number one on the New York Times Best Seller List. It is Stephen King's first novel set in Florida and/or Minnesota. The dust cover includes holographic writing, which varies depending on the edition.
This is a slow-burning masterpiece, in my opinion. It's beautifully written, but it takes a while to get to the main excellent part that many of Stephen King's supernatural followers are looking for.
Page after page of description is provided by the author. While the plot is intriguing, about half of the book is devoted to the character's recuperation from his injury.
The ghost narrative doesn't truly begin until around halfway through the book. If I had to compare it to any of the author's previous works, I'd say it has a Bag of Bones vibe to it, which I also liked. It's already on my list of favorite Stephen King novels; it's a little sluggish, but it's still a pretty fantastic read.
Even though the setting and parts of the facts in this story are made up, they fit into the overall image, and I have already read it twice. As usual, author goes beyond the typical horror or mystery thriller.
He provides tremendous insight into psychological origins, as well as a ruthless yet empathetic and oftentimes tongue-in-cheek critique of current American society, which makes his supernatural-oriented horror stories so haunting: they are grounded in everyday life! This novel is no different and is an excellent read.
What follows is intended for readers who, like myself, have been desensitized or used to gore and terror to the point of feeling nothing. If you're looking for a good, scary, gory fright-fest along the lines of Clive Barker's Candyman, Fright Night, or William Peter Blatty's The Exorcist, you won't find it here.
While it is scary and atmospheric, and there are some creepy moments, this novel was an only mildly interesting character study. It was about one man's journey to rediscover himself and reclaim his sense of purpose and value after being brutally injured in a rare accident.
What I wrote in the preceding paragraphs does not apply to readers who are easily frightened. Because many of the chapters in this book will shock you, so avoid reading it near the beach or at night.
That being said, and as dull as that may or may not be depending on your own sensitivities, ideas, and point of view, this narrative is also about spirits and some history of southern America, namely Florida and the Gulf Coast.
The ghost tale, history, and suspenseful parts keep you guessing while going off on tangents and detours, are what caught my attention and kept me reading, and it is what and how a great narrative is written.
The most exciting portion occurred right at the end, following a lengthy build-up. I've read the paperback and listened to the Audiobook. Both are amazing, but the tale, in particular, captivated me.
I read a lot and have read a lot of books as a consequence, and I've discovered that my capacity to become lost in a tale has grown with each word I read or listen to.
I've also discovered that the author in me is growing better at absorbing the ideas and knowledge that these great and even lesser-known writers provide in their work.
I'll say it again, as I have in previous reviews of Stephen King's books: his ability to create such genuine and down-to-earth characters never ceases to surprise me.
They spring off the page, walk, speak, think, and feel, and I do all of these things with them every step of the way.
I get to know and care about these people from the start. He writes his characters with authenticity and tenderness, yet never drawing a line or stopping short. Every imperfection and weakness is as vividly portrayed as every quality.
A number of my reader friends thought the story's narrative went into the strange and insane. Perhaps it does, but I stayed on that journey till the finish and enjoyed every minute of it, and each minute seemed as authentic and real to me as the previous one.
One of the things I like most about Stephen King as an author is that he is not afraid to dig into the abnormal and the insane, and he is never hesitant to write things that no one else would think of writing.
He transports readers to places, universes, and dimensions that no other author would or could even if similar things happened to them.
One of my favorites of his stories is The Langoliers, which is absolutely implausible and insane, but I've read and listened to the audio version of that story several times.
No other author that I've read writes the stories that he does. So, while the novel does take a bizarre turn, trust me when I say it's worth the journey.
Duma Key was also a favorite of mine because it was situated in Florida. I've never been to Florida, but I've lived quite close to the beach for many years (less than ten minutes walk away), but now I'm more than an hour away and can't go as frequently as I used to.
I miss the environment, the ocean, the sand beneath my feet, and the breeze on my face. I'm glad I read this book in its entirety on the beach; otherwise, it would have made me miss the beach even more.
The main character has lost his arm, and the ways in which he has to adapt and function, what he feels and how he forgets and then recalls, are all rendered so genuine that I feel as if I now know what it's like to lose a limb.
Even though I never want to encounter phantom limbs in my life, and I genuinely hope no one else does, I felt that the subject of phantom limbs was almost cleared up for me. This, and other Duma Key-related things, have lingered with me long after I've set it down and listened to the audio.
Final Thoughts
This seemed more like old-school Stephen King to me. What terrifies us the most is what emerges from our own imaginations.
The Shining, for example. I recall reading late one night when camping with the wind blowing and the trees scratching; this story accomplishes the same with the waves and sounds the water and shells produce while sitting on a pier.
I actually read it on the beach, which was a wonderful setting for this book and narrative. My beach days would have been jeopardized and ruined if I had been a weak-hearted or easily scared person.
I used to read a lot of novels on the beach, and not only during the day; on many occasions, but I also remained up all night to complete a book that I had begun, and I enjoyed it even more because of the atmosphere.
This story reminded me of Stephen King's ability to make you doubt the things you hear in the middle of the night and assume you know what they are.
An excellent read, but it is dependent on the reader's preferences, which is why I was unable to give full marks and recommendations.
Synopsis
“When Edgar Freemantle moves to the remote island of Duma Key to escape his past, he doesn't expect to find much there. But Duma has been waiting for him, and something in the view from his window urges him to discover a talent he never knew he had. Edgar Freemantle begins to paint. And as he paints, the island's secrets begin to stir. Secrets of children lost in the undertow, of a ghost ship riding the distant horizon - and a family's buried past reaching long hands into the present.”
Useful Search Related Words & Keywords
Bag Of Bones, Character Development, Dark Tower, Edgar Freemantle, Highly Recommend, King At His Best, King Novel, Liseys Story, Long Time, Page Turner, Salems Lot
Rating: 90/100
Recommended: 90/100 Yes.
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