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Duplicate Keys
From the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of A Thousand Acres comes a brilliant literary thriller set in Manhattan that’s “as taut and chilling as anything Hitchcock put on film" ( San Francisco Chronicle). “ A first-rate cliffhanger.” — The New York Times Book Review
Alice Ellis is a Midwestern refugee living in Manhattan. Still recovering from a painful divorce, she depends on the companionship and camaraderie of tightly knit circle of friends. At the center of this circle is a rock band struggling to navigate New York’s erratic music scene, and an apartment/practice space with approximately fifty key-holders. One sunny day, Alice enters the apartment and finds two of the band members shot dead. As the double-murder sends waves of shock through their lives, this group of friends begins to unravel, and dangerous secrets are revealed one by one. When Alice begins to notice things amiss in her own apartment, the tension breaks out as it occurs to her that she is not the only person with a key, and she may not get a chance to change the locks.
Jane Smiley applies her distinctive rendering of time, place, and the enigmatic intricacies of personal relationships to the twists and turns of suspense. The result is a thriller that will keep readers guessing up to its final, shocking conclusion.
Alice Ellis is a Midwestern refugee living in Manhattan. Still recovering from a painful divorce, she depends on the companionship and camaraderie of tightly knit circle of friends. At the center of this circle is a rock band struggling to navigate New York’s erratic music scene, and an apartment/practice space with approximately fifty key-holders. One sunny day, Alice enters the apartment and finds two of the band members shot dead. As the double-murder sends waves of shock through their lives, this group of friends begins to unravel, and dangerous secrets are revealed one by one. When Alice begins to notice things amiss in her own apartment, the tension breaks out as it occurs to her that she is not the only person with a key, and she may not get a chance to change the locks.
Jane Smiley applies her distinctive rendering of time, place, and the enigmatic intricacies of personal relationships to the twists and turns of suspense. The result is a thriller that will keep readers guessing up to its final, shocking conclusion.
320 pages, Paperback
First published February 12, 1984
99 people are currently reading
946 people want to read
About the author
Jane Smiley
131 books2,682 followersJane Smiley is a Pulitzer Prize-winning American novelist.
Born in Los Angeles, California, Smiley grew up in Webster Groves, Missouri, a suburb of St. Louis, and graduated from John Burroughs School. She obtained a A.B. at Vassar College, then earned a M.F.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Iowa. While working towards her doctorate, she also spent a year studying in Iceland as a Fulbright Scholar. From 1981 to 1996, she taught at Iowa State University. Smiley published her first novel, Barn Blind, in 1980, and won a 1985 O. Henry Award for her short story "Lily", which was published in The Atlantic Monthly. Her best-selling A Thousand Acres, a story based on William Shakespeare's King Lear, received the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1992. It was adapted into a film of the same title in 1997. In 1995 she wrote her sole television script produced, for an episode of Homicide: Life on the Street. Her novella The Age of Grief was made into the 2002 film The Secret Lives of Dentists.
Thirteen Ways of Looking at the Novel (2005), is a non-fiction meditation on the history and the nature of the novel, somewhat in the tradition of E. M. Forster's seminal Aspects of the Novel, that roams from eleventh century Japan's Murasaki Shikibu's The Tale of Genji to twenty-first century Americans chick lit.
In 2001, Smiley was elected a member of The American Academy of Arts and Letters.
Born in Los Angeles, California, Smiley grew up in Webster Groves, Missouri, a suburb of St. Louis, and graduated from John Burroughs School. She obtained a A.B. at Vassar College, then earned a M.F.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Iowa. While working towards her doctorate, she also spent a year studying in Iceland as a Fulbright Scholar. From 1981 to 1996, she taught at Iowa State University. Smiley published her first novel, Barn Blind, in 1980, and won a 1985 O. Henry Award for her short story "Lily", which was published in The Atlantic Monthly. Her best-selling A Thousand Acres, a story based on William Shakespeare's King Lear, received the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1992. It was adapted into a film of the same title in 1997. In 1995 she wrote her sole television script produced, for an episode of Homicide: Life on the Street. Her novella The Age of Grief was made into the 2002 film The Secret Lives of Dentists.
Thirteen Ways of Looking at the Novel (2005), is a non-fiction meditation on the history and the nature of the novel, somewhat in the tradition of E. M. Forster's seminal Aspects of the Novel, that roams from eleventh century Japan's Murasaki Shikibu's The Tale of Genji to twenty-first century Americans chick lit.
In 2001, Smiley was elected a member of The American Academy of Arts and Letters.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 277 reviews
March 28, 2019
literary author Jane Smiley does a murder mystery, which is cause enough for interest. the central character's lack of understanding is fascinating: surprisingly deluded about the events unfolding around her and completely misunderstanding the inner lives of her lifelong friends. this is much more of a slow-burning character study and a depiction of an emotionally intricate set of relationships than a suspense-filled mystery. however, the sequence in which the heroine finally finds herself to be a target is nerve-wracking, tensely-paced, just expertly accomplished overall - and would not be out of place in a well-done but more traditional thriller. a part of that sequence takes place in a kitchen, which was certainly a sardonic commentary on a traditional gender role - a commentary which is an undercurrent throughout the novel (as it also appears to be throughout the rest of Smiley's work). also of interest: the atypical characterization of the secret villain - one whose nature turns out to be sinister, of course, yet somehow also bovine. in sum, a minor but intriguing novel: a successful whodunit and a barbed meditation on how still domestic waters can run quite deep, and deadly.
December 5, 2022
Meh. I'm not a huge Smiley fan; I liked Thousand Acres back in the day (and also am always a bit annoyed with the whole re-write Shakespeare), but was not at all impressed with Moo. At the moment, I'm still trying to decide what I think about Duplicate Keys.
On the one hand, there were so many things that annoyed me: Why was it set in 1980? The only answer I can come up with is that Smiley was trying to write an old school Woody Allen movie with a murder. How could Alice be so dumb (really, I mean she was blind to Susan's real thoughts the WHOLE time)? Do people really behave this way (both before and after the murder, their little friend-possee was unbelievable to me)? Why was this written as a book (it feels like a play more often, so much exposition and just sitting around eating and talking; if not a play, maybe a movie...oh yeah, that goes back to the idea that it felt like Smiley was imitating Woody Allen circa Mia Farrow years)? Why can't Alice mingle her two worlds? I mean really, she has this phobia about Susan and Henry overlapping when she clearly is head over heels in love with both.
And then, on the other hand, she has some great insight into individual human reactions in the moment and psychological dynamics: "People look so discrete, as if they are a certain way. But obviously, a lot of the time that you're mad at them for being a certain way, it's actually you who's making them be that way." or "I think we set up structures out of ignorance, and then it was almost impossible to break out of them, even when we could see them." And despite the long descriptive passages and certain ruminating quality to some of Alice's thoughts I did find it compelling and was able to keep turning the pages.
I think my favorite passage was Alice's consideration of moving back to MN and comment on the tough living of midwestern life: "Her relatives seemed actgually to have learned something from their long existences, which was perhaps why Alice had always liked them. They had not been battered by random events into numbness, as Alice felt in danger of being. Each of her foreberas had a peculiar and fully branchec inner life. Maybe that was the great compensation for living in the Midwest, in a climate as routinely cruel as Minnesota's."
Overall it is not a typicaly gumshoe murder mystery, nor is it a rambling character piece. It is something in middle with a not very surprising reveal and a lot of inner musing throughout.
On the one hand, there were so many things that annoyed me: Why was it set in 1980? The only answer I can come up with is that Smiley was trying to write an old school Woody Allen movie with a murder. How could Alice be so dumb (really, I mean she was blind to Susan's real thoughts the WHOLE time)? Do people really behave this way (both before and after the murder, their little friend-possee was unbelievable to me)? Why was this written as a book (it feels like a play more often, so much exposition and just sitting around eating and talking; if not a play, maybe a movie...oh yeah, that goes back to the idea that it felt like Smiley was imitating Woody Allen circa Mia Farrow years)? Why can't Alice mingle her two worlds? I mean really, she has this phobia about Susan and Henry overlapping when she clearly is head over heels in love with both.
And then, on the other hand, she has some great insight into individual human reactions in the moment and psychological dynamics: "People look so discrete, as if they are a certain way. But obviously, a lot of the time that you're mad at them for being a certain way, it's actually you who's making them be that way." or "I think we set up structures out of ignorance, and then it was almost impossible to break out of them, even when we could see them." And despite the long descriptive passages and certain ruminating quality to some of Alice's thoughts I did find it compelling and was able to keep turning the pages.
I think my favorite passage was Alice's consideration of moving back to MN and comment on the tough living of midwestern life: "Her relatives seemed actgually to have learned something from their long existences, which was perhaps why Alice had always liked them. They had not been battered by random events into numbness, as Alice felt in danger of being. Each of her foreberas had a peculiar and fully branchec inner life. Maybe that was the great compensation for living in the Midwest, in a climate as routinely cruel as Minnesota's."
Overall it is not a typicaly gumshoe murder mystery, nor is it a rambling character piece. It is something in middle with a not very surprising reveal and a lot of inner musing throughout.
August 3, 2014
NOPE.
I bought this book not knowing anything about the author. The cover looked pretty so i took it. I've let it sit a year on my shelf before actually deciding to read it.
This book is so annoying i gave myself one day to read it and then give it away (more like forcing it on someone).
I have nothing to say about the writing style. It's good for the most part (not my favourite style but it's really not bad). But everything else... Oh my god. I don't know where to start.
First of all : the characters. It's a bunch of friends that have known each others for over a decade. Well... The whole team is annoying as hell. There is a lot of characters so i won't go into details but they are self centered, selfish, making dumb decisions, being dependent of each other, emotionally messed up, musician wannabes, drug addicts and what not. Seriously, they are messed up on so many levels it's not even funny. I mean it plays its part on the whole character's development, character's study and psychology but it was tedious to read and impossible to enjoy. And they all have such weird ambiguous reactions to the double murder of their friends that you can't even sympathize with them. Do they even have a soul? or a heart?
By the way, the first half of the book (before they start digging the past) is based on how everyone (and not-so-respectable people) in town has a key to their apartment. REALLY? i mean REALLY? I couldn't get concerned about the murder of such unconscious people. Do they even have a brain?
The main character is Alice because she found the corpses and went to the police. I've rarely came across an adult female character so annoying. I'm sorry for my repetitive use of the word annoying but god, she is. She is supposed to be shy and insecure, when she is in fact childish, immature, incompetent, idiot, irresponsible, stubborn, weak. And the book was centered around her so the whole thing was painful.
Overall, it's NOT atrocious (sorry for my one star rating but i didn't like the book) and some people might even like it but i was not captivated, then i was annoyed then i was totally fed up by the time the murderer/cause of the murder is revealed. DO NOT READ THIS SPOILER : I REVEAL THE MURDERER AND THE CAUSE
I wish i could call it a mystery/thriller book, but it didn't felt like it. I could resume my thoughts on this book by "yeah. whatever."
Oh, I almost forgot : there is a love interest for alice. I didn't see the point of the whole thing. So i can't really comment on it.
I bought this book not knowing anything about the author. The cover looked pretty so i took it. I've let it sit a year on my shelf before actually deciding to read it.
This book is so annoying i gave myself one day to read it and then give it away (more like forcing it on someone).
I have nothing to say about the writing style. It's good for the most part (not my favourite style but it's really not bad). But everything else... Oh my god. I don't know where to start.
First of all : the characters. It's a bunch of friends that have known each others for over a decade. Well... The whole team is annoying as hell. There is a lot of characters so i won't go into details but they are self centered, selfish, making dumb decisions, being dependent of each other, emotionally messed up, musician wannabes, drug addicts and what not. Seriously, they are messed up on so many levels it's not even funny. I mean it plays its part on the whole character's development, character's study and psychology but it was tedious to read and impossible to enjoy. And they all have such weird ambiguous reactions to the double murder of their friends that you can't even sympathize with them. Do they even have a soul? or a heart?
By the way, the first half of the book (before they start digging the past) is based on how everyone (and not-so-respectable people) in town has a key to their apartment. REALLY? i mean REALLY? I couldn't get concerned about the murder of such unconscious people. Do they even have a brain?
The main character is Alice because she found the corpses and went to the police. I've rarely came across an adult female character so annoying. I'm sorry for my repetitive use of the word annoying but god, she is. She is supposed to be shy and insecure, when she is in fact childish, immature, incompetent, idiot, irresponsible, stubborn, weak. And the book was centered around her so the whole thing was painful.
Overall, it's NOT atrocious (sorry for my one star rating but i didn't like the book) and some people might even like it but i was not captivated, then i was annoyed then i was totally fed up by the time the murderer/cause of the murder is revealed. DO NOT READ THIS SPOILER : I REVEAL THE MURDERER AND THE CAUSE
I wish i could call it a mystery/thriller book, but it didn't felt like it. I could resume my thoughts on this book by "yeah. whatever."
Oh, I almost forgot : there is a love interest for alice. I didn't see the point of the whole thing. So i can't really comment on it.
March 21, 2016
The spacious Manhattan apartment was like a central meeting place for the group of friends who had all moved to the city around the same time. Within their group were members of a band called Deep Six. The three actual residents of the apartment were Denny Minehart, Craig Shellady, and Susan Gabriel. Others who came and went freely were Noah and Rya Mash and Ray Reschley.
On a morning in May, another friend, Alice Ellis, had stopped by to water the plants, as Susan had gone out of town to the Adirondacks for a mini-vacation. But when Alice entered the apartment, she was stunned to find Denny and Craig dead…murdered, apparently.
Duplicate Keys was a story set sometime in the 1980s, and the interesting aspect of it was how relaxed and even careless were the friends in this drama, apparently lending out keys to anyone and everyone. There had been discoveries of complete strangers to the core group having a copy of the keys.
Alice was an interesting character, the primary narrator of the story. Divorced, she still wondered constantly what had gone wrong in the marriage. She considered Susan to be her best friend, but throughout the novel, Susan seemed to be cold, aloof, and even condescending with Alice, apparently seeing their friendship in an entirely different way.
Detective Honey was the police detective, and his way of trying to solve the case seemed strange to those whose lives were most affected. Did he know more than he was letting on? Did he have any suspects? And why did he keep suggesting to Alice that she change her locks? She hadn’t lived in the apartment with all the duplicate keys.
It didn’t take long for me to decide on the most likely culprit, and at some point, Alice arrived at the same conclusion. With the detective’s help, she was able to assist in bringing about the conclusion to the case in a fascinating manner.
The characters were like leftovers from the hippie era trying to be laidback and living the artistic dream, but their behavior definitely put them in jeopardy. And Alice’s tendency to overthink things, while still arriving at erroneous conclusions, was a somewhat endearing quality, but also a little bit annoying. A well-written book that had me turning pages until the end. 4.5 stars.
On a morning in May, another friend, Alice Ellis, had stopped by to water the plants, as Susan had gone out of town to the Adirondacks for a mini-vacation. But when Alice entered the apartment, she was stunned to find Denny and Craig dead…murdered, apparently.
Duplicate Keys was a story set sometime in the 1980s, and the interesting aspect of it was how relaxed and even careless were the friends in this drama, apparently lending out keys to anyone and everyone. There had been discoveries of complete strangers to the core group having a copy of the keys.
Alice was an interesting character, the primary narrator of the story. Divorced, she still wondered constantly what had gone wrong in the marriage. She considered Susan to be her best friend, but throughout the novel, Susan seemed to be cold, aloof, and even condescending with Alice, apparently seeing their friendship in an entirely different way.
Detective Honey was the police detective, and his way of trying to solve the case seemed strange to those whose lives were most affected. Did he know more than he was letting on? Did he have any suspects? And why did he keep suggesting to Alice that she change her locks? She hadn’t lived in the apartment with all the duplicate keys.
It didn’t take long for me to decide on the most likely culprit, and at some point, Alice arrived at the same conclusion. With the detective’s help, she was able to assist in bringing about the conclusion to the case in a fascinating manner.
The characters were like leftovers from the hippie era trying to be laidback and living the artistic dream, but their behavior definitely put them in jeopardy. And Alice’s tendency to overthink things, while still arriving at erroneous conclusions, was a somewhat endearing quality, but also a little bit annoying. A well-written book that had me turning pages until the end. 4.5 stars.
July 24, 2008
Smiley's style is so readable that I enjoyed the book in spite of the fact that I spent the first half arguing with it. As I turned the pages (and I did keep turning the pages), I kept saying to myself, this is not how real people act. The book begins with a murder, and all the friends spend the days following talking about how "amazing" it is and arguing about whether one of the victims was destined to die young anyway. They ate a lot, too. I lived through a freind's murder, and we were all in a fog of grief so thick we couldn't even think a coherent thought. We didn't feel amazed, we felt devastated and wondered how we could possibly ever be happy again.
October 15, 2019
This is probably a 3.5 but rounded down to 3. I don't know why I liked this book: there is something intangible that I found interesting about it. Probably more as a study of a certain kind of novel. I read it because I'm reading Smiley's book about ways of looking at the novel and she writes there that she wanted to try her hand at writing in the mystery genre. I think this is her one and only mystery novel. It is a literary mystery, which I liked. I liked that there was a murder to figure out, but this is not your typical murder mystery. The characters were odd – very cerebral types and as some other reviewers have said, they seem less grief-stricken about the murder than they do interested and dumbfounded by it. Set in 1980 New York, I liked reading that part of the novel, life in the city at that time. Other than the book about the novel (non-fiction), I have not read any Jane Smiley. She reminds me of Anne Tyler. If you're looking for a typical thriller/murder mystery, this isn't the book for you. But I was intrigued by it in the way that I've been taught to read novels, and for that reason I found it compelling. I could see this being on some kind of class syllabus. Published in 1984, there are several things about the work that feel dated.
August 31, 2025
Matar saudades de casa
July 13, 2025
A mature and unconventional take on the murder mystery genre. I wasn’t going to stick with it but am glad i did because it gets better and better.
February 18, 2008
I just finished Jane Smiley's Duplicate Keys, a mysterious story of murder, betrayal, and life in 1980 New York City. The story follows a group of friends, a few of them in a band, from the Midwest who come to NYC seeking their piece of the rock n' roll pie. The group has moderate success and receives lukewarm reviews, but the members trudge on obsessing over their next great song, lyric, review, connection. Two of the band members are found in their apartment dead by Alice, a friend outside the band. The story follows Alice, a 30-year old librarian, as she deals with the fact that she alone stumbled into the crime scene, with the loss of close friends, and tries relentlessly to solve the murders all while clinging to the remaining members of the group of friends. A group of friends populated by at times questionable characters that Alice begins to suspect; she begins to feel unsafe in her own apartment.
This book was captivating and I couldn't put it down. I walked down the street reading it and bumping into people. I recommend it to anyone, especially New Yorkers because it's interesting to imagine the city at that time (especially with no cell phones or internet!).
This book was captivating and I couldn't put it down. I walked down the street reading it and bumping into people. I recommend it to anyone, especially New Yorkers because it's interesting to imagine the city at that time (especially with no cell phones or internet!).
September 23, 2023
HOW can you find two of your best friends murdered at the beginning of the book and spend ZERO time trying to solve it? Seriously, the most written about thing in this book is eating or food, then sex, then probably Alice's drippy wishy washy feelings, then her family, then a bunch of other things and FINALLY the fact that there was a double homicide. I spent the majority of the time I was reading this book wanting to shake the characters and yell "You aren't in high school anymore! You're 30! Stop with the petty drama and try to figure out why two people you claim to love were murdered!"
I know sometimes I judge books more harshly when they're for a book club and I don't feel like they live up to the expectations of that club, but I honestly don't think this is the case here. I think the only thing that would have been different is that without a discussion coming up this book would have ended up on my DNF shelf after about 50 pages.
I know sometimes I judge books more harshly when they're for a book club and I don't feel like they live up to the expectations of that club, but I honestly don't think this is the case here. I think the only thing that would have been different is that without a discussion coming up this book would have ended up on my DNF shelf after about 50 pages.
March 9, 2009
The protagonist reminds me very much of the protagonist of A Thousand Acres; unable to discern the motives of others, unable to see anything but the best in people, and willing to twist herself into origami shapes in order to create a truth that allows everyone else to be a good person. I'm not sure if I dislike her because she's unlikeable or if it's because she reminds me of parts of myself I dislike.
It's interesting to see the template of Smiley's character development overlain on a murder mystery. It's not bad for a mystery, but Smiley's strength clearly lies elsewhere.
It's interesting to see the template of Smiley's character development overlain on a murder mystery. It's not bad for a mystery, but Smiley's strength clearly lies elsewhere.
January 11, 2018
This is a great novel, one that had me at the edge of my seat the whole way through. Every chapter ended in a cliff-hanger, and sometimes for the most benign things. Jane Smiley is so in tune with human thought and behavior that I truly felt I was Alice in the book--this is something I don't think I've ever experienced, at least never to this extent.
As a whole, I felt that the novel could have continued indefinitely and I would have been just as excited to read it and just as excited while reading it.
As a whole, I felt that the novel could have continued indefinitely and I would have been just as excited to read it and just as excited while reading it.
December 21, 2018
Smiley is such a polished writer, yet this book is dated in tone. It involves two murders, but is not at all a whodunit. Detailed and lengthy analyses of various characters, their personalities, their behaviors, their relationships. All well developed. Actually overly well developed. I found myself skimming some of the lengthier segments as the novel progressed.
March 22, 2018
This book made me nostalgic for 80s NY and also for the life of a 30 yr old. Really well crafted.
December 2, 2019
This is the first book I read by Jane Smiley. I was on the edge of my seat near the end of the book. Very good book.
September 23, 2025
I guess I didn't realize that people in the 80's were so annoying, wishy-washy, and flip-floppy as today! The women in this book drove me mad...their relationships were extremely obnoxious. And what kind of people decide to "look the other way" when two friends are brutally murdered?! I soldiered on, thinking something good was going to become of them/the story, but it just ended up ticking me off. And if someone "groaned" again (was that ever a word, even in the 80's?) I thought I would scream! (or groan!)!! I thought it odd that the main character couldn't afford $80 to change her locks, but could eat out 3X/day in NYC! Bah! Awful book!
September 11, 2023
Did not finish- not a mystery - too many characters - main character a bit of a drip
January 31, 2024
Just a dumb book with dumb characters. An early Jane Smiley, fortunately she got better.
February 5, 2024
It's a book about the girlfriend and friend of a band that had a record deal once upon a time, and it is entirely uninterested in the music of the band or anything to do with the recording industry. The kind of detailed writing about the minutia of life that I love. Plus a double homicide.
A great Little Free Library find!
A great Little Free Library find!
March 15, 2017
I feel really fond of this book and the experience of reading it. Probably because I bought it in a bookstore in Taipei over 10 years ago when I had run out of books to read and I felt really fondly toward it then too. It's a little wordy in parts but it's pretty good.
May 14, 2024
Pros: Explores postmodernism & 1980s culture, thought-provoking themes, complex characters, unique POV for murder mystery, non-linear narrative structure.
Cons: heavy postmodernism rambles, dated references, meandering on unnecessary subplots & characters, non-linear narrative structure.
Would rate this novel closer to 3.5 stars. But it ultimately has a depth that I appreciate and a unique POV than a lot of modern murder mysteries.
Readers should know going in that "Duplicate Keys" was published in the 1980s, making it smack dab in the postmodernism era (think Great Gatsby and then some). The story has several hallmarks of postmodern literature, such as an unreliable narrator (person who found the bodies), fragmented storylines (jumping from the present day to reminiscing), and a focus on the subjectivity of truth and knowledge (what does it really mean to be a good friend? Wife? Person?). Additionally, the text delves into existential questions surrounding purpose and identity (who are we if we no longer have those closest to us to define us?), further emphasizing its postmodern roots.
Furthermore, set in New York City, the novel captures the cultural zeitgeist of the 1980s, with references to the city's vibrant music scene and the social dynamics of urban life during that era. There's a lot of ramblings over food or shopping - a distraction from processing tough emotions - and at some points a bit of an indulgence vibe about sex and drugs. True to the 1980s, there are also notes about the LGBTQA+ community (a gay character and lesbian musings), which reflect their new presence and stigma in popular culture at the time.
All that being said, it is valid to say that the narrative structure and intellectual musings can be meandering at times, and not all subplots or characters feel fully necessary to the central story. Truly 1/3 of the novel could be taken out without losing any part of the plot. As a result, it can take a while to get into the story and not be bogged down by the heavy postmodernism discourse. It's a dense read for sure, but I'd argue that it gives the novel an interesting depth.
Despite its flaws, "Duplicate Keys" offers a thought-provoking postmodernism journey through the complexities of the human experience, specifically in the wake of a murder that wracks a tight-knit friend group.
Cons: heavy postmodernism rambles, dated references, meandering on unnecessary subplots & characters, non-linear narrative structure.
Would rate this novel closer to 3.5 stars. But it ultimately has a depth that I appreciate and a unique POV than a lot of modern murder mysteries.
Readers should know going in that "Duplicate Keys" was published in the 1980s, making it smack dab in the postmodernism era (think Great Gatsby and then some). The story has several hallmarks of postmodern literature, such as an unreliable narrator (person who found the bodies), fragmented storylines (jumping from the present day to reminiscing), and a focus on the subjectivity of truth and knowledge (what does it really mean to be a good friend? Wife? Person?). Additionally, the text delves into existential questions surrounding purpose and identity (who are we if we no longer have those closest to us to define us?), further emphasizing its postmodern roots.
Furthermore, set in New York City, the novel captures the cultural zeitgeist of the 1980s, with references to the city's vibrant music scene and the social dynamics of urban life during that era. There's a lot of ramblings over food or shopping - a distraction from processing tough emotions - and at some points a bit of an indulgence vibe about sex and drugs. True to the 1980s, there are also notes about the LGBTQA+ community (a gay character and lesbian musings), which reflect their new presence and stigma in popular culture at the time.
All that being said, it is valid to say that the narrative structure and intellectual musings can be meandering at times, and not all subplots or characters feel fully necessary to the central story. Truly 1/3 of the novel could be taken out without losing any part of the plot. As a result, it can take a while to get into the story and not be bogged down by the heavy postmodernism discourse. It's a dense read for sure, but I'd argue that it gives the novel an interesting depth.
Despite its flaws, "Duplicate Keys" offers a thought-provoking postmodernism journey through the complexities of the human experience, specifically in the wake of a murder that wracks a tight-knit friend group.
May 30, 2016
After remembering reading and enjoying Smiley's "A Thousand Acres" but then being disappointed by her more recent, "Some Luck", I thought I would give one of her earlier novels (and one of a different genre) a try. I was ready for a good suspense novel over the holiday weekend and although this one was billed as such, it wasn't until the last 40 pages of the book that there was a brief scene of suspense before it reverted to more of a psychological drama delving into the lives of a group of single friends who all knew each other in the Midwest and moved to NYC following the limited (and short lived) success of a band that three of the friends had formed. The characters were not especially likeable; they were all quite self-absorbed. Yes, the book begins with the apparent murder of two of these friends and there was always the undercurrent of a sense of danger surrounding some of the other friends but for me a suspense novel is one I just can't put down. This one I could put down but kept doggedly reading it to finish it. This is the latest in a string of mediocre books for me - hopefully the next one will be better!
February 15, 2021
I devoured this book in two days which is quick for me. After having been mired in a number of books that I’ve found difficult to finish, it has been a real relief. Of course, the speed of consumption is benefited by the crystal clarity of Jane smiley’s writing, and also wanting to get to the end of the whodunit. Along the way, as always with Smiley’s writing, this book sheds light on the nature of intimacy, obsession, friendship and love—finally what it means to be alone.
“People with good intentions never give up! Denny had good intentions. Denny was a kind man. He was super humanly kind. He never gave up on anything, not Craig, not me, not the music business. Good intentions are wicked! As far as I can see, all they lead to are lies and delusions.” These are the types of insights that are woven into Jane smiley’s writing. I paused for minutes after reading this, trying to sort out in my mind the truth of it. As it is impossible as any one person to live the full breadth of human experience, literature helps to provide a shadow reality that one can also learn from. Smileys writing has never disappointed.
“People with good intentions never give up! Denny had good intentions. Denny was a kind man. He was super humanly kind. He never gave up on anything, not Craig, not me, not the music business. Good intentions are wicked! As far as I can see, all they lead to are lies and delusions.” These are the types of insights that are woven into Jane smiley’s writing. I paused for minutes after reading this, trying to sort out in my mind the truth of it. As it is impossible as any one person to live the full breadth of human experience, literature helps to provide a shadow reality that one can also learn from. Smileys writing has never disappointed.
August 20, 2022
Finding a few dead leaves is a risk you take when you volunteer to water a friend's plants while they're away. In Alice's case, she finds two dead bodies: one is her friend Susan's lover, Denny; the other is Craig, both members of a rock band, ex-Minnesotans who came to New York to cut a hit record. The apartment is a gathering place for musicians and other hangers-on, some 50 of whom have keys. Alice is a librarian with her own apartment, but is highly dependent on her superficial friendship with Susan which is based mostly on sharing meals and shopping.
Alice, who is the only one of the group who was married and is now divorced, spends way so much time hankering after that lost relationship so it blinds her to making new ones. She is badly used by some of the characters, but is too insecure to cut ties with them and her repeated capitulation gets boring. The two spacious apartments that well beyond the salaries of struggling rock musicians or a librarian were highly distracting and unrealistic. The carelessness here was not in giving too many people access to the apartment, but in failing to recognize and cut off toxic relationships within the group.
Alice, who is the only one of the group who was married and is now divorced, spends way so much time hankering after that lost relationship so it blinds her to making new ones. She is badly used by some of the characters, but is too insecure to cut ties with them and her repeated capitulation gets boring. The two spacious apartments that well beyond the salaries of struggling rock musicians or a librarian were highly distracting and unrealistic. The carelessness here was not in giving too many people access to the apartment, but in failing to recognize and cut off toxic relationships within the group.
August 5, 2023
In over forty years of marriage and five different flats / houses, we have only ever given a set of keys to a neighbour once; which either paints us as untrusting or cautious; it reminds me of that old phrase 'an Englishman's home is his castle' and most of us like to keep the drawbridge in the 'up' position.
I can't remember where I picked up this book, it was certainly a book swap / free little library / charity shop acquisition, something to tide me over because I was running out of reading material, but it has proved a gripping read.
Based on my admission, above, the fact that keys to the apartment where a double murder takes place (no spoilers, this is in the blurb on the back) are duplicated and handed out multiple times, aroused my curiosity.
The author goes into minute detail as to the thoughts and feelings of the characters and examines the friendships between the core group of six, looking into the origins and also into what still holds them together and what might threaten to break them apart, as suspicions arise and fissures appear.
I shall certainly be looking into reading more from Jane Smiley.
I can't remember where I picked up this book, it was certainly a book swap / free little library / charity shop acquisition, something to tide me over because I was running out of reading material, but it has proved a gripping read.
Based on my admission, above, the fact that keys to the apartment where a double murder takes place (no spoilers, this is in the blurb on the back) are duplicated and handed out multiple times, aroused my curiosity.
The author goes into minute detail as to the thoughts and feelings of the characters and examines the friendships between the core group of six, looking into the origins and also into what still holds them together and what might threaten to break them apart, as suspicions arise and fissures appear.
I shall certainly be looking into reading more from Jane Smiley.
July 10, 2008
Alice is from Rochester, MN and is a librarian at the New York Public Library in 1980, which allows Smiley to comment about libraries, librarians, and people from Minnesota. This mildly interested me. However, the mystery itself was of poor quality, and the characterization left me wishing that all of the hapless Minnesotan transplants were bumped off instead of just two. Excepting the studly and enthusiastic botanist (the love interest) and the stereotyped but clever detective, the cast ranges from thoroughly despicable to merely pathetic.
One can only hope that the protagonist's weak personality throughout the novel results from the psychic shock of finding the murdered bodies of two old (but lousy) friends. That would almost excuse her behavior. Perhaps then the studly botanist is not actually making the biggest mistake of his life by pairing with a secretive liar who possesses an astonishing capacity for self-deception. Their reunion in the final pages of the book does at least give a satisfactory awww, cheap though it is.
One can only hope that the protagonist's weak personality throughout the novel results from the psychic shock of finding the murdered bodies of two old (but lousy) friends. That would almost excuse her behavior. Perhaps then the studly botanist is not actually making the biggest mistake of his life by pairing with a secretive liar who possesses an astonishing capacity for self-deception. Their reunion in the final pages of the book does at least give a satisfactory awww, cheap though it is.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 14, 2023
I had never heard of "Duplicate Keys" despite Jane Smiley being one of the many authors on my must read list. It was published in 1984 before I read the Pulitzer Prize winner "A Thousand Acres" (1991) and "Moo" (1995.) So a grateful shout out to my local little free library for providing this little gem.
It is a murder mystery, but more importantly a glimpse of Smiley's wonderful talent of diving deep into the personalities and emotions and actions of her characters. I was skeptical initially, but was hooked after just a few pages. The story is about a group of friends and opens with the discovery that two have been murdered. Like an onion, layers are pulled away to reveal the remaining members of the group and their natures. I will confess that during the last fifth of the book, I was getting impatient to find out "who done it" but the moment of exposure was satisfying.
So, well written and a quick read, I would recommend this to Jane Smiley fans!
It is a murder mystery, but more importantly a glimpse of Smiley's wonderful talent of diving deep into the personalities and emotions and actions of her characters. I was skeptical initially, but was hooked after just a few pages. The story is about a group of friends and opens with the discovery that two have been murdered. Like an onion, layers are pulled away to reveal the remaining members of the group and their natures. I will confess that during the last fifth of the book, I was getting impatient to find out "who done it" but the moment of exposure was satisfying.
So, well written and a quick read, I would recommend this to Jane Smiley fans!
April 22, 2014
This was one of my take-along books for the trip to Destin. I couldn't exactly spend all my time reading Stratford Caldecott and T4G books, could I?!? So I picked up a few small paperbacks from the library. I have read other books by this author, and I thought this might provide a pleasant diversion. Instead, it was a tedious muddle of psychological drama and thriller. Two men are killed and a longtime friend is trying to make sense of it all. The main character was insipid and self-questioning, allowing her to be loaded with others' perceptions and opinions. I rushed through this in an effort to get to the bitter end. Too bad I wasted time on this.
November 13, 2014
An annoying and useless book. The characters are uninteresting, and the story doesn't add up. The sex scenes are laughable soft porn chick lit, and there are enough superfluous mentions of Zabar's to raise the suspicion that she struck a deal with them for a lifetime of free meals. Not at all what I expected from somebody with Jane Smiley's reputation.
August 30, 2007
This was my introduction to Jane Smiley, and I was immeidately hooked. An offbeat, almost low-key murder mystery.
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