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Duma Key
It would be impossible to convey the wonder and the horror of Stephen King's latest novel in just a few words. Suffice it to say that Duma Key, the story of Edgar Freemantle and his recovery from the terrible nightmare-inducing accident that stole his arm and ended his marriage, is Stephen King's most brilliant novel to date (outside of the Dark Tower novels, in which case each is arguably his best work). Duma Key is as rich and rewarding as Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption (yes, that Shawshank Redemption), and as truly scary as anything King has written (and that's saying a lot). Readers who have "always wanted to try Stephen King" but never known where to start should try a few pages of Duma Key--the frankness with which Edgar reveals his desperate, sputtering rages and thoughts of suicide is King at the top of his game. And that's just the first thirty pages.... --Daphne Durham
[image]Memories are contrary things; if you quit chasing them and turn your back, they often return on their own. That's what Kamen says. I tell him I never chased the memory of my accident. Some things, I say, are better forgotten.
Duma Key: Where It All Began
A Note from Chuck Verrill, the Longtime Editor of Stephen King
In the spring of 2006 Stephen King told me he was working on a Florida story that was beginning to grow on him. "I'm thinking of calling it Duma Key," he offered. I liked the sound of that--the title was like a drumbeat of dread. "You know how Lisey's Story is a story about marriage?" he said. "Sure," I answered. The novel hadn't yet been published, but I knew its story Lisey and Scott Landon--what a marriage that was. Then he dropped the other "I think Duma Key might be my story of divorce."
Pretty soon I received a slim package from a familiar address in Maine. Inside was a short story titled "Memory"--a story of divorce, all right, but set in Minnesota. By the end of the summer, when Tin House published "Memory," Stephen had completed a draft of Duma Key, and it became clear to me how "Memory" and its narrator, Edgar Freemantle, had moved from Minnesota to Florida, and how a story of divorce had turned into something more complex, more strange, and much more terrifying.
If you read the following two texts side by side--"Memory" as it was published by Tin House and the opening chapter of Duma Key in final form- -you'll see a writer at work, and how stories can both contract and expand. Whether Duma Key is an expansion of "Memory," or "Memory" a contraction of Duma Key. I can't really say. Can you?
--Chuck Verrill
"Memory"
[image]Memories are contrary things; if you quit chasing them and turn your back, they often return on their own. That's what Kamen says. I tell him I never chased the memory of my accident. Some things, I say, are better forgotten.
Maybe, but that doesn't matter, either. That's what Kamen says.
My name is Edgar Freemantle. I used to be a big deal in building and construction. This was in Minnesota, in my other life. I was a genuine American-boy success in that life, worked my way up like a motherf---er, and for me, everything worked out. When Minneapolis-St. Paul boomed, The Freemantle Company boomed. When things tightened up, I never tried to force things. But I played my hunches, and most of them played out well. By the time I was fifty, Pam and I were worth about forty million dollars. And what we had together still worked. I looked at other women from time to time but never strayed. At the end of our particular Golden Age, one of our girls was at Brown and the other was teaching in a foreign exchange program. Just before things went wrong, my wife and I were planning to go and visit her.
I had an accident at a job site. That's what happened. I was in my pickup truck. The right side of my skull was crushed. My ribs were broken. My right hip was shattered. And although I retained sixty percent of the sight in my right eye (more, on a good day), I lost almost all of my right arm.
I was supposed to lose my life, but I didn't. Then I was supposed to become one of the Vegetable Simpsons, a Coma Homer, but that didn't happen, either. I was one confused American when I came around, but the worst of that passed. By the time it did, my wife had passed, too. She's remarried to a fellow who owns bowling alleys. My older daughter likes him. My younger daughter thinks he's a yank-off. My wife says she'll come around.
Maybe sí, maybe no. That's what Kamen says.
When I say I was confused, I mean that at first I didn't know who people were, or what had happened, or w...
800 pages, Paperback
First published January 22, 2008
4787 people are currently reading
77337 people want to read
About the author
Stephen King
2,574 books886k followersStephen Edwin King was born the second son of Donald and Nellie Ruth Pillsbury King. After his father left them when Stephen was two, he and his older brother, David, were raised by his mother. Parts of his childhood were spent in Fort Wayne, Indiana, where his father's family was at the time, and in Stratford, Connecticut. When Stephen was eleven, his mother brought her children back to Durham, Maine, for good. Her parents, Guy and Nellie Pillsbury, had become incapacitated with old age, and Ruth King was persuaded by her sisters to take over the physical care of them. Other family members provided a small house in Durham and financial support. After Stephen's grandparents passed away, Mrs. King found work in the kitchens of Pineland, a nearby residential facility for the mentally challenged.
Stephen attended the grammar school in Durham and Lisbon Falls High School, graduating in 1966. From his sophomore year at the University of Maine at Orono, he wrote a weekly column for the school newspaper, THE MAINE CAMPUS. He was also active in student politics, serving as a member of the Student Senate. He came to support the anti-war movement on the Orono campus, arriving at his stance from a conservative view that the war in Vietnam was unconstitutional. He graduated in 1970, with a B.A. in English and qualified to teach on the high school level. A draft board examination immediately post-graduation found him 4-F on grounds of high blood pressure, limited vision, flat feet, and punctured eardrums.
He met Tabitha Spruce in the stacks of the Fogler Library at the University, where they both worked as students; they married in January of 1971. As Stephen was unable to find placement as a teacher immediately, the Kings lived on his earnings as a laborer at an industrial laundry, and her student loan and savings, with an occasional boost from a short story sale to men's magazines.
Stephen made his first professional short story sale ("The Glass Floor") to Startling Mystery Stories in 1967. Throughout the early years of his marriage, he continued to sell stories to men's magazines. Many were gathered into the Night Shift collection or appeared in other anthologies.
In the fall of 1971, Stephen began teaching English at Hampden Academy, the public high school in Hampden, Maine. Writing in the evenings and on the weekends, he continued to produce short stories and to work on novels.
Stephen attended the grammar school in Durham and Lisbon Falls High School, graduating in 1966. From his sophomore year at the University of Maine at Orono, he wrote a weekly column for the school newspaper, THE MAINE CAMPUS. He was also active in student politics, serving as a member of the Student Senate. He came to support the anti-war movement on the Orono campus, arriving at his stance from a conservative view that the war in Vietnam was unconstitutional. He graduated in 1970, with a B.A. in English and qualified to teach on the high school level. A draft board examination immediately post-graduation found him 4-F on grounds of high blood pressure, limited vision, flat feet, and punctured eardrums.
He met Tabitha Spruce in the stacks of the Fogler Library at the University, where they both worked as students; they married in January of 1971. As Stephen was unable to find placement as a teacher immediately, the Kings lived on his earnings as a laborer at an industrial laundry, and her student loan and savings, with an occasional boost from a short story sale to men's magazines.
Stephen made his first professional short story sale ("The Glass Floor") to Startling Mystery Stories in 1967. Throughout the early years of his marriage, he continued to sell stories to men's magazines. Many were gathered into the Night Shift collection or appeared in other anthologies.
In the fall of 1971, Stephen began teaching English at Hampden Academy, the public high school in Hampden, Maine. Writing in the evenings and on the weekends, he continued to produce short stories and to work on novels.
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September 2, 2025
Duma Key has officially climbed the ranks, dirtily throwing elbows along the way, and entered my Top 5 Kings List!!
This is quite an accomplishment, as other Constant Readers can attest.
Edgar Freemantle is a successful businessman.
Living with his wife of 20+ years in Minnesota, the couple have raised two healthy girls and have a good life; a solid life.
That is until the day Edgar is involved in a horrific accident on one of his construction sites.
Crushed under a piece of heavy equipment, Edgar is lucky to be alive, although losing his right arm, injuring his hip and scrambling his brain doesn't seem so lucky to him at the time.
His recovery is extremely difficult, putting a lot of strain on his marriage, with him and Pam ultimately separating.
His psychologist, Dr. Kamen, suggests perhaps a change of scenery would do him a world of good and aide in his recovery efforts. The doctor also urges him to pick up a hobby; it couldn't hurt.
Edgar figures, why not? He has the money, what is he sticking around Minnesota for anyway?
With this in mind, he rents a beach house on a remote piece of land on the Florida coast, Duma Key. The house, something of an artist's retreat, is perfect for him, as he is feeling like doing some sketching.
Edgar begins to settle in and does indeed begin to create amazing works of art.
He's unsure where some of it is coming from. He just seems to be compelled. The drawings and paintings pour out of him at an incredible rate, becoming more intricate and astounding as he progresses.
During this time, he makes a new friend while out for one of his daily beach walks. Jerome Wireman lives at the big house on Duma Key, caring for its aging lady of the house, Elizabeth Eastlake.
It is mainly through these characters that Edgar begins to learn of the dark history and lore of Duma Key and the Eastlake family.
However, Duma has a lot to say itself and that's when things really start to get dangerous.
There is so much to love about this story. I knew absolutely nothing about it going in. I honestly don't think I ever even read the synopsis.
I was delighted as the story unfolded. The relationships, as is to be expected with King, were so deep and well done. The friendship between Edgar and Wireman is easily one of the best I have ever read.
In my opinion, King is great with this type of human dynamics. Further, I really appreciated how none of the relationships in this story were romantic.
It's friendship, it's family, and none of them are perfect, but they're all so real and compelling.
Duma Key, the location, was incredibly well done. King develops such a sense of place, always incorporating the idea that places remember; pieces of history live on through the lifeblood of the land and structures upon them.
You see this type of idea a lot throughout King's works, from this one, to The Shining, Salem's Lot, Pet Sematary and everything in between.
Overall, I could wax poetic about this novel for hours. There is so much to unpack with this story. It's extremely intricate, I would love to read it again someday and most likely will.
If you are a Constant Reader and haven't picked this up yet, delay no more. It's a stunner!
This is quite an accomplishment, as other Constant Readers can attest.
Edgar Freemantle is a successful businessman.
Living with his wife of 20+ years in Minnesota, the couple have raised two healthy girls and have a good life; a solid life.
That is until the day Edgar is involved in a horrific accident on one of his construction sites.
Crushed under a piece of heavy equipment, Edgar is lucky to be alive, although losing his right arm, injuring his hip and scrambling his brain doesn't seem so lucky to him at the time.
His recovery is extremely difficult, putting a lot of strain on his marriage, with him and Pam ultimately separating.
His psychologist, Dr. Kamen, suggests perhaps a change of scenery would do him a world of good and aide in his recovery efforts. The doctor also urges him to pick up a hobby; it couldn't hurt.
Edgar figures, why not? He has the money, what is he sticking around Minnesota for anyway?
With this in mind, he rents a beach house on a remote piece of land on the Florida coast, Duma Key. The house, something of an artist's retreat, is perfect for him, as he is feeling like doing some sketching.
Edgar begins to settle in and does indeed begin to create amazing works of art.
He's unsure where some of it is coming from. He just seems to be compelled. The drawings and paintings pour out of him at an incredible rate, becoming more intricate and astounding as he progresses.
During this time, he makes a new friend while out for one of his daily beach walks. Jerome Wireman lives at the big house on Duma Key, caring for its aging lady of the house, Elizabeth Eastlake.
It is mainly through these characters that Edgar begins to learn of the dark history and lore of Duma Key and the Eastlake family.
However, Duma has a lot to say itself and that's when things really start to get dangerous.
There is so much to love about this story. I knew absolutely nothing about it going in. I honestly don't think I ever even read the synopsis.
I was delighted as the story unfolded. The relationships, as is to be expected with King, were so deep and well done. The friendship between Edgar and Wireman is easily one of the best I have ever read.
In my opinion, King is great with this type of human dynamics. Further, I really appreciated how none of the relationships in this story were romantic.
It's friendship, it's family, and none of them are perfect, but they're all so real and compelling.
Duma Key, the location, was incredibly well done. King develops such a sense of place, always incorporating the idea that places remember; pieces of history live on through the lifeblood of the land and structures upon them.
You see this type of idea a lot throughout King's works, from this one, to The Shining, Salem's Lot, Pet Sematary and everything in between.
Overall, I could wax poetic about this novel for hours. There is so much to unpack with this story. It's extremely intricate, I would love to read it again someday and most likely will.
If you are a Constant Reader and haven't picked this up yet, delay no more. It's a stunner!
March 15, 2019
It’s funny, I read King’s Florida beach novel during a brutally cold Minnesota winter storm. Thirty below, not windchill, just straight up bone chilling cold. We also got plenty of accompanying snow. In this 600-page beast, King still transported me to burning sandy beaches and dangerous tropical storms. It begins with a construction-site accident, a man horrifically injured and the corresponding confusion, loss, pain, and brutal recovery that accompanies such an accident. King published this book in 2008, just about nine years after his experience with a terrible accident that led to his own vicious injuries and ruthless recovery, after a van struck him on one of his walks. He clearly draws on his personal experience and it makes his writing on pain and suffering honest and raw. The protagonist named Edger leaves his home in the Twin Cities and relocates to the mythical “Duma Key” to recover physically and emotionally. King owns a home in ‘nearby’ Casey Key, where I’m sure he did his own recovery and found more inspirations for this book.
Somehow the story feels familiar yet extremely different. The familiarity comes from a variety of plot lines and themes. A sinister supernatural force, slowly revealing itself over the course of the story. A protagonist who, like King, is an artist, and finds himself thrust into the spotlight. A rich set of characters that come together to support the main character in overcoming the supernatural evil. You can see pieces and parts of this story in many of his other works.
However, in many ways, it is one of his more unique books. The location is far from Maine, starting in St. Paul, Minnesota, but quickly moving to Florida’s gulf coast. Just this change in scenery creates an extremely different feel than most of his works. The main character is a painter. And while King clearly draws on the similarities of writing, this also differentiates this story from the many others where the main character is an author. King includes twelve delightful little vignettes titled, “How to Draw a Picture”, throughout the story. These departures really added to my enjoyment.
As always King excels at making character’s reactions to supernatural events feel believable. He also peppers his stories with wonderful observations and little revelations that make his writing so enjoyable.
“Just looking into that mild flat sunlit calm is healing. It’s a big word isn’t it? Gulf, I mean. Big enough to drop a lot of things into and watch them disappear.”
He also follows his own advice and bravely ‘kills his darlings’. No spoilers, but he did make the final third of the story hard to swallow for me. An event I won’t reveal not only made me sad, I felt it made Edger’s actions somewhat off at the end. It’s probably just me, I just hate to even imagine that kind of loss. For me it made the first two thirds more enjoyable then the end of the book. But it’s not a bad ending, I just didn’t enjoy it as much as I loved the first two thirds.
I loved the characters such as Wireman and Jack. Jack is a can-do, good to the last drop, young friend that falls into Edger’s life in Duma Key. And Wireman is this unique, kindred spirit, that immediately connects with Edger and has wonderful little sayings throughout the story. The three of them make the perfect team and are easy to root for, but also provide genuine concern when they are in peril.
In the end, this is another magnificent King ghost story, just one with a ghost ship and buried treasure. One where you feel like your friend Stephen is telling you, fireside during a thunderstorm. It’s making the hair on the back of your neck standup, but you don’t want it to end. This is another example of why I think so many people have such affection for King. By the last page, you’ll feel like you know him as well as any friend you have, and as Wireman says, that muchacho, can only come from some seriously honest and talented writing.
Somehow the story feels familiar yet extremely different. The familiarity comes from a variety of plot lines and themes. A sinister supernatural force, slowly revealing itself over the course of the story. A protagonist who, like King, is an artist, and finds himself thrust into the spotlight. A rich set of characters that come together to support the main character in overcoming the supernatural evil. You can see pieces and parts of this story in many of his other works.
However, in many ways, it is one of his more unique books. The location is far from Maine, starting in St. Paul, Minnesota, but quickly moving to Florida’s gulf coast. Just this change in scenery creates an extremely different feel than most of his works. The main character is a painter. And while King clearly draws on the similarities of writing, this also differentiates this story from the many others where the main character is an author. King includes twelve delightful little vignettes titled, “How to Draw a Picture”, throughout the story. These departures really added to my enjoyment.
As always King excels at making character’s reactions to supernatural events feel believable. He also peppers his stories with wonderful observations and little revelations that make his writing so enjoyable.
“Just looking into that mild flat sunlit calm is healing. It’s a big word isn’t it? Gulf, I mean. Big enough to drop a lot of things into and watch them disappear.”
He also follows his own advice and bravely ‘kills his darlings’. No spoilers, but he did make the final third of the story hard to swallow for me. An event I won’t reveal not only made me sad, I felt it made Edger’s actions somewhat off at the end. It’s probably just me, I just hate to even imagine that kind of loss. For me it made the first two thirds more enjoyable then the end of the book. But it’s not a bad ending, I just didn’t enjoy it as much as I loved the first two thirds.
I loved the characters such as Wireman and Jack. Jack is a can-do, good to the last drop, young friend that falls into Edger’s life in Duma Key. And Wireman is this unique, kindred spirit, that immediately connects with Edger and has wonderful little sayings throughout the story. The three of them make the perfect team and are easy to root for, but also provide genuine concern when they are in peril.
In the end, this is another magnificent King ghost story, just one with a ghost ship and buried treasure. One where you feel like your friend Stephen is telling you, fireside during a thunderstorm. It’s making the hair on the back of your neck standup, but you don’t want it to end. This is another example of why I think so many people have such affection for King. By the last page, you’ll feel like you know him as well as any friend you have, and as Wireman says, that muchacho, can only come from some seriously honest and talented writing.
June 13, 2020
"We can't imagine time running out, and God punishes us for what we can't imagine."
Duma Key focuses on the story of Edgar Fremantle, a self-made millionaire who becomes injured at work after a crane crushes his pickup truck. Following the loss of his arm, amidst other injuries, Edgar becomes a little too much for his wife to handle and she asks for a divorce. He leaves behind his wife and two daughters and heads off to Duma Key, a stunning but eerily quiet stretch of the coast where he has rented a house. Very quickly upon his arrival, he encounters the charismatic Wireman and the old lady he looks after - Elizabeth Eastlake. Although suffering from dementia, Elizabeth's tragic and heartbreaking history begins to unfold, while at the same time, Edgar finds himself able to paint striking, haunting pictures. However, the ability to paint such pictures seems to come from some other outside force...
It's been a while since I posted a book review - three weeks to read Duma Key! But let me emphasise that this was due to being busy and not because I wasn't engrossed in this story. This book is held with high regard amongst the King community on bookstagram and pretty soon after starting this book, I realised why. This book easily has two of King's most likeable characters in Edgar and Wireman. What a duo. Their friendship just lifts up from the page from the get-go. There's just a real respect and love there and the lengths they will go to for each other and for their friendship is pretty astounding. I think these two characters are a huge part of what makes this book so enjoyable. And what makes their inclusion even more fascinating is that they're just pretty normal guys. Normal guys going through a kinda crazy situation. King's ability to build a story based on his characters is simply unparalleled. In addition to the friendship between Edgar and Wireman, the relationship between Edgar and his daughter, Ilse, is just so sweet and believable. King clearly draws on his real-life relationships when putting his character's relationships on page, which explains why they're just so real and touching. Heart eyes.
As for the story itself, it was captivating. From the very beginning, I just had no idea where King was going to go with this one, and I was kept guessing for the majority of the book. The story actually gets pretty scary at times, there's some parts that made my hairs stand on end and were quite unsettling. I quite enjoyed the supernatural force at work within Duma Key, I liked the story behind it and thought King executed it perfectly. I also feel like King was commenting on the mixed blessing that comes with having an artistic talent and how often such talents come with their own drawbacks.
Now I am not one for locations such as the Floria coast, I'm not a beach kinda gal, but King really sells Duma Key to me. The location of this novel is GORGEOUS. His descriptions of sunsets and the beach and the house itself is just beautiful. He builds a real atmosphere, and if it wasn't for the scary forces at play, I'd move to Duma Key, like yesterday.
As for the ending - PERFECT. King's endings are often criticised but this one cannot be faulted, for me, personally. The book continually built up to a crescendo and didn't fall at the final hurdle. This one will stay with me for a long time, and has even forced itself into my top 5 King books. Outstanding.
Edit: reread June 2020. Still holds up! Love this book.
Duma Key focuses on the story of Edgar Fremantle, a self-made millionaire who becomes injured at work after a crane crushes his pickup truck. Following the loss of his arm, amidst other injuries, Edgar becomes a little too much for his wife to handle and she asks for a divorce. He leaves behind his wife and two daughters and heads off to Duma Key, a stunning but eerily quiet stretch of the coast where he has rented a house. Very quickly upon his arrival, he encounters the charismatic Wireman and the old lady he looks after - Elizabeth Eastlake. Although suffering from dementia, Elizabeth's tragic and heartbreaking history begins to unfold, while at the same time, Edgar finds himself able to paint striking, haunting pictures. However, the ability to paint such pictures seems to come from some other outside force...
It's been a while since I posted a book review - three weeks to read Duma Key! But let me emphasise that this was due to being busy and not because I wasn't engrossed in this story. This book is held with high regard amongst the King community on bookstagram and pretty soon after starting this book, I realised why. This book easily has two of King's most likeable characters in Edgar and Wireman. What a duo. Their friendship just lifts up from the page from the get-go. There's just a real respect and love there and the lengths they will go to for each other and for their friendship is pretty astounding. I think these two characters are a huge part of what makes this book so enjoyable. And what makes their inclusion even more fascinating is that they're just pretty normal guys. Normal guys going through a kinda crazy situation. King's ability to build a story based on his characters is simply unparalleled. In addition to the friendship between Edgar and Wireman, the relationship between Edgar and his daughter, Ilse, is just so sweet and believable. King clearly draws on his real-life relationships when putting his character's relationships on page, which explains why they're just so real and touching. Heart eyes.
As for the story itself, it was captivating. From the very beginning, I just had no idea where King was going to go with this one, and I was kept guessing for the majority of the book. The story actually gets pretty scary at times, there's some parts that made my hairs stand on end and were quite unsettling. I quite enjoyed the supernatural force at work within Duma Key, I liked the story behind it and thought King executed it perfectly. I also feel like King was commenting on the mixed blessing that comes with having an artistic talent and how often such talents come with their own drawbacks.
Now I am not one for locations such as the Floria coast, I'm not a beach kinda gal, but King really sells Duma Key to me. The location of this novel is GORGEOUS. His descriptions of sunsets and the beach and the house itself is just beautiful. He builds a real atmosphere, and if it wasn't for the scary forces at play, I'd move to Duma Key, like yesterday.
As for the ending - PERFECT. King's endings are often criticised but this one cannot be faulted, for me, personally. The book continually built up to a crescendo and didn't fall at the final hurdle. This one will stay with me for a long time, and has even forced itself into my top 5 King books. Outstanding.
Edit: reread June 2020. Still holds up! Love this book.
April 19, 2020
...Just finished it. I heard one reviewer state that it was the best book King had ever written. While reviewers have short memories and liberal use of hyperbole, I must admit that this was one of his best he's written. While not epic like The Stand, It, or The Dark Tower, it is powerful, insightful, and terrifying. Also, the fact that the book is not epic is one of its greatest strengths. One of King's self-indulgences in the past couple of decades has been his ability to use 1000 pages to write a 500 page story. Remember that Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption and The Body were both just novellas. In Duma Key, King uses each of the 607 pages with power and efficiency.
Another of King's self-indulgences has been his treatment of Bryan Smith, the man who hit him during his walk and nearly killed him. That same man died a year later from a prescription drug overdose. I remember being especially uncomfortable of King's incorporation and depiction of the accident as a key element in one of his stories. (I HATE spoilers, so either you know what I'm talking about or you don't.) It got to the point where I really started to dislike the man, Stephen King. I mean, c'mon, let the dead rest.
But in this book, King delves into the aftermath of being broken and how being broken made him act and say things that simply were not of his character. Noticeably in this story, King only refers to the crane that causes the accident that crushes Edgar Freemantle and sets everything in motion, and he never once speaks of the driver. Later in the story as Edgar tests his newfound talents, the test results in the death of a child molester. Now, while the bastard certainly had it coming to him, Edgar is overwhelmed with a sense of power, horror, fear, and guilt. In this narrative, I believe that King is trying to work through the aftermath of his own brokenness and how it changed him, most noticeably in his treatment of Bryan Smith. And an interesting thing happened...I found that I had forgiven King's spite and nastiness during this period of pain and healing.
Finally, King puts to words so well what it is like to be broken...what it's like to not be yourself and be the monster and victim at the same time...and what it's like to look back on the wake of relationships that will never be the same again. Having gone through this myself (and I'm not out of the woods yet) I found myself weeping in sections where King's script perfectly put to words the hopelessness, frustration, and loneliness of a broken person. In this book, I found a bit of my own healing realizing that I'm not the only one to have dealt with this and coming to terms with the fact that it's not my fault.
Was this Stephen King's best book? I honestly don't have an answer. All I know is that it has had a bigger impact on me than any other work of fiction I've ever experienced.
Another of King's self-indulgences has been his treatment of Bryan Smith, the man who hit him during his walk and nearly killed him. That same man died a year later from a prescription drug overdose. I remember being especially uncomfortable of King's incorporation and depiction of the accident as a key element in one of his stories. (I HATE spoilers, so either you know what I'm talking about or you don't.) It got to the point where I really started to dislike the man, Stephen King. I mean, c'mon, let the dead rest.
But in this book, King delves into the aftermath of being broken and how being broken made him act and say things that simply were not of his character. Noticeably in this story, King only refers to the crane that causes the accident that crushes Edgar Freemantle and sets everything in motion, and he never once speaks of the driver. Later in the story as Edgar tests his newfound talents, the test results in the death of a child molester. Now, while the bastard certainly had it coming to him, Edgar is overwhelmed with a sense of power, horror, fear, and guilt. In this narrative, I believe that King is trying to work through the aftermath of his own brokenness and how it changed him, most noticeably in his treatment of Bryan Smith. And an interesting thing happened...I found that I had forgiven King's spite and nastiness during this period of pain and healing.
Finally, King puts to words so well what it is like to be broken...what it's like to not be yourself and be the monster and victim at the same time...and what it's like to look back on the wake of relationships that will never be the same again. Having gone through this myself (and I'm not out of the woods yet) I found myself weeping in sections where King's script perfectly put to words the hopelessness, frustration, and loneliness of a broken person. In this book, I found a bit of my own healing realizing that I'm not the only one to have dealt with this and coming to terms with the fact that it's not my fault.
Was this Stephen King's best book? I honestly don't have an answer. All I know is that it has had a bigger impact on me than any other work of fiction I've ever experienced.
August 18, 2015
DUMA KEY BY STEPHEN KING: Most Stephen King fans will admit that the last couple of novels by the international bestselling author, while selling well, have been somewhat lacking coming from the renowned horror writer; one might even go so far as to use the term “mediocre,” and don’t get me started on Cell. Thankfully, with the arrival of Duma Key, the slate has been wiped clean and the master of horror is back! King’s first novel set in his alternate home of Florida weighs in at over six hundred pages, and while it reveals a more laid-back and matured author, with the terrifying days of The Tommyknockers and It perhaps over; Duma Key is nevertheless an incredibly well written novel with some wonderfully deep and complex characters, and a world that is just as complicated but in many more ways real.
Enter Edgar Freemantle. An entrepreneur who started a construction company and developed it into a multi-million dollar business; loving husband of two adult daughters; until he is involved in a freak on-site accident that should’ve killed him, but leaves him missing his right arm, a couple of slowly healing broken ribs, and a damaged mind that results in outbursts of anger and violence. The strain becomes too great and Freemantle’s marriage falls apart, leaving him an angry, empty shell. Seeking escape, he leases a beautiful house on the island of Duma Key. While watching the breathtaking sunsets, Freemantle decides to try his hand at some artwork, having sketched a little throughout his life. He discovers the more he works, the better he gets, soon switching to paints and canvasses; he also discovers that painting satisfies the seemingly insatiable itch in his missing right arm. Freemantle’s work is of the sunsets and the beautiful coastline, along with the occasional abstract object added in to offset it; he is eventually tagged as an American Primitive, but as more and more people discover his work, they are amazed by it and at his first gallery showing all works listed for sale are sold.
But beneath the art, there is a sinister plot at work, because this is after all a Stephen King novel. Freemantle discovers a psychic ability in his work, painting items he should know nothing about, as well as the eventual power to paint events that come to fruition: whether it be the restoring of blindness, or the forced suicide of a serial killer. And then there’s something wrong with the sold paintings: death follows them. The plot thickens, deepens, and becomes darker as the enigmatic history of Duma Key is discovered. It seems Freemantle isn’t the only person in its history to come to the island with a fragile mind and a special ability expressed through art. Then there’s the south side of the island which has become an overgrown and seemingly impenetrable jungle. The last time Freemantle and his daughter, Ilse, took a trip headed in that direction, Ilse immediately felt nauseous and horrible sick, while Freemantle felt the insatiable familiar itch that grew to an unstoppable buzzing; upon driving back north, they mysteriously found their ailments disappearing. Clearly something evil and powerful doesn’t want them getting to the south of the island.
Duma Key is not just a novel for the fans, but a cathartic response from King over his near-death accident in 1999; no doubt he relived his agonizing recovery while writing about Freemantle, and yet it is because of this firsthand experience, that Duma Key feels much more personal and empathetic. Also being King’s first foray into his new sometime Florida home, one might think his fellow Floridians a little unhappy on this introduction, or being Stephen King, they may feel the opposite and expect this. Regardless, Duma Key is a welcome return of the great horror writer, with an extra development of character and setting that King seems to have discovered in his later years, making this book one of his best, and one of my personal favorites.
For more book reviews, and author interviews, go to BookBanter.
Enter Edgar Freemantle. An entrepreneur who started a construction company and developed it into a multi-million dollar business; loving husband of two adult daughters; until he is involved in a freak on-site accident that should’ve killed him, but leaves him missing his right arm, a couple of slowly healing broken ribs, and a damaged mind that results in outbursts of anger and violence. The strain becomes too great and Freemantle’s marriage falls apart, leaving him an angry, empty shell. Seeking escape, he leases a beautiful house on the island of Duma Key. While watching the breathtaking sunsets, Freemantle decides to try his hand at some artwork, having sketched a little throughout his life. He discovers the more he works, the better he gets, soon switching to paints and canvasses; he also discovers that painting satisfies the seemingly insatiable itch in his missing right arm. Freemantle’s work is of the sunsets and the beautiful coastline, along with the occasional abstract object added in to offset it; he is eventually tagged as an American Primitive, but as more and more people discover his work, they are amazed by it and at his first gallery showing all works listed for sale are sold.
But beneath the art, there is a sinister plot at work, because this is after all a Stephen King novel. Freemantle discovers a psychic ability in his work, painting items he should know nothing about, as well as the eventual power to paint events that come to fruition: whether it be the restoring of blindness, or the forced suicide of a serial killer. And then there’s something wrong with the sold paintings: death follows them. The plot thickens, deepens, and becomes darker as the enigmatic history of Duma Key is discovered. It seems Freemantle isn’t the only person in its history to come to the island with a fragile mind and a special ability expressed through art. Then there’s the south side of the island which has become an overgrown and seemingly impenetrable jungle. The last time Freemantle and his daughter, Ilse, took a trip headed in that direction, Ilse immediately felt nauseous and horrible sick, while Freemantle felt the insatiable familiar itch that grew to an unstoppable buzzing; upon driving back north, they mysteriously found their ailments disappearing. Clearly something evil and powerful doesn’t want them getting to the south of the island.
Duma Key is not just a novel for the fans, but a cathartic response from King over his near-death accident in 1999; no doubt he relived his agonizing recovery while writing about Freemantle, and yet it is because of this firsthand experience, that Duma Key feels much more personal and empathetic. Also being King’s first foray into his new sometime Florida home, one might think his fellow Floridians a little unhappy on this introduction, or being Stephen King, they may feel the opposite and expect this. Regardless, Duma Key is a welcome return of the great horror writer, with an extra development of character and setting that King seems to have discovered in his later years, making this book one of his best, and one of my personal favorites.
For more book reviews, and author interviews, go to BookBanter.
April 25, 2021
The shells were rattling again, whispering up through the house goes the refrain of this book. Stephen uses the rattling shells over and over like the waves on the ocean, a constant reminder of something speaking to you. He also uses "I can do this" as a mantra like someone droning on in an 'OM'. We also can't forget the pain Edgar, our resident painter and artist, is in all the time. I love these little devices used to keep us in the setting, to bring the story to life. Like the ocean droning on in the background on the beach. They work so well hand in hand.
It's so fascinating to see how Stephen uses the image of painting and how Edgar can bring a painting to life much as Stephen does with his writing. Somehow, Stephen is able to bring these words, sentences and paragraphs alive and into the readers mind like magic that overpowers and keeps him on the bestseller list. The parallel is wonderful.
This book felt so fresh to me. I just loved it. The setting was new, split between Minnesota and Florida. The subject was also new. I don't recall offhand having a protagonist who is an artist/painter. Usually, they are authors. I was impressed how visual the writing was to bring these paintings to life.
Edgar was in an accident, a bad accident that changed him. He must leave his old life behind and find his future life of some kind. He comes to Duma Key, a Key off the west coast of Florida on the Gulf around Sarasota. Edgar was a developer and always enjoyed painting. In his new life he explores painting and finds that he is very good at it.
I love the pacing of the book. Man, Stephen is amazing at building a character and a feeling. The first 200 pages of this book were good and a little slow. I did enjoy it, but by page 300, I began to rush through this book and I simply couldn't put it down. I was under Stephen's spell he wove so expertly. I just loved the time on Duma with mostly just Edgar and him painting. It was beautiful and hypnotic. It had me.
This so was masterfully told. Man, when he is good, he is superior.
I loved the relationship between Wireman and Edgar that develops, from their laughing riot at the beginning to how close they were at the end. I love that it wasn't what we see on TV or think of as a bromance. It felt real to me and grounded in these two broken recluses, a little odd couple thing going on. I love the character of Wireman. I also loved Elizabeth Eastlake and I would love to see a story of her past as a short story. She seems to have been very cool.
There is no horror story in the first 300 pages. I began to think this was one of his literary works and it is, but by page 400, I could see how the horror was developing. I read the last 200 pages in 2 days. It was fantastic.
I can also say that it has been a very long time since any book at all has creeped me out like this one did. Going to bed after pages 400, I was nervous and just a little bit scared. It's been years. The horror isn't realy a ghosty or something, it's simply the set-up that Stephen uses on the reader and he just puts me in that place of being creeped out.
This is about a man living on the beach laid back and painting when he feels like it. The first part of the book has that sort of pacing and then the last 200 pages when it shifts into high gear, man, it takes off.
This is now one of my Top 10 Stephen King books. It's a great story. I hope to read it again someday. This got my emotions all going and feeling. It reads so smoothly. This is Stephen at the top of his game. I have heard that some call this time of 2005-2010 one of his down times as far as novels go, but this book is a gem. It clearly shows the genus that Stephen shares with us constant readers.
I know it's not a perfect book, but I want to focus on what I loved right now and I can deconstruct it later. I'm so glad I decided to read this. I think I have 8 more books to read of his to be caught up, maybe less now.
It's so fascinating to see how Stephen uses the image of painting and how Edgar can bring a painting to life much as Stephen does with his writing. Somehow, Stephen is able to bring these words, sentences and paragraphs alive and into the readers mind like magic that overpowers and keeps him on the bestseller list. The parallel is wonderful.
This book felt so fresh to me. I just loved it. The setting was new, split between Minnesota and Florida. The subject was also new. I don't recall offhand having a protagonist who is an artist/painter. Usually, they are authors. I was impressed how visual the writing was to bring these paintings to life.
Edgar was in an accident, a bad accident that changed him. He must leave his old life behind and find his future life of some kind. He comes to Duma Key, a Key off the west coast of Florida on the Gulf around Sarasota. Edgar was a developer and always enjoyed painting. In his new life he explores painting and finds that he is very good at it.
I love the pacing of the book. Man, Stephen is amazing at building a character and a feeling. The first 200 pages of this book were good and a little slow. I did enjoy it, but by page 300, I began to rush through this book and I simply couldn't put it down. I was under Stephen's spell he wove so expertly. I just loved the time on Duma with mostly just Edgar and him painting. It was beautiful and hypnotic. It had me.
This so was masterfully told. Man, when he is good, he is superior.
I loved the relationship between Wireman and Edgar that develops, from their laughing riot at the beginning to how close they were at the end. I love that it wasn't what we see on TV or think of as a bromance. It felt real to me and grounded in these two broken recluses, a little odd couple thing going on. I love the character of Wireman. I also loved Elizabeth Eastlake and I would love to see a story of her past as a short story. She seems to have been very cool.
There is no horror story in the first 300 pages. I began to think this was one of his literary works and it is, but by page 400, I could see how the horror was developing. I read the last 200 pages in 2 days. It was fantastic.
I can also say that it has been a very long time since any book at all has creeped me out like this one did. Going to bed after pages 400, I was nervous and just a little bit scared. It's been years. The horror isn't realy a ghosty or something, it's simply the set-up that Stephen uses on the reader and he just puts me in that place of being creeped out.
This is about a man living on the beach laid back and painting when he feels like it. The first part of the book has that sort of pacing and then the last 200 pages when it shifts into high gear, man, it takes off.
This is now one of my Top 10 Stephen King books. It's a great story. I hope to read it again someday. This got my emotions all going and feeling. It reads so smoothly. This is Stephen at the top of his game. I have heard that some call this time of 2005-2010 one of his down times as far as novels go, but this book is a gem. It clearly shows the genus that Stephen shares with us constant readers.
I know it's not a perfect book, but I want to focus on what I loved right now and I can deconstruct it later. I'm so glad I decided to read this. I think I have 8 more books to read of his to be caught up, maybe less now.
November 2, 2016
And this is why adults shouldn’t play with dolls…
Edgar Freemantle used to be the quintessential American success story. He was a self-made millionaire who built a thriving construction business, and he had a long and happy marriage which produced two daughters. However, Edgar’s good luck ran out one day when he had a brutal run in with a crane at a job site that cost him an arm, screwed up a leg, and cracked his skull. The brain trauma left his eggs slightly scrambled and made him prone to fly into furious rages that his wife couldn't endure so the accident also ends his marriage.
While trying to recover from his injuries and the divorce Edgar decides to relocate to Florida and indulge in his long dormant hobby of drawing and painting pictures. Edgar rents a house at isolated Duma Key on the Gulf Coast where the gorgeous views and long walks on the beach inspire him to amazing artistic achievements and a rapid recovery of his health. In fact, Edgar’s progress in both areas could be termed as too good to be true if not downright spooky.
I read this for the first time shortly after it was originally released in 2008, and at that time I was intrigued by the story of a damaged man turning to art to heal his body and mind which is a subject that King has intimate knowledge of after being run down by a car. (King wrote movingly about it in the non-fiction On Writing.) However, I found the supernatural stuff lacking, and I’d kinda wished that King had written just a straight up character piece about a guy discovering a latent talent following a tragedy.
Since then I’ve seen what happens when King tries his hand at a non-horror genre piece (Mr. Mercedes) so I no longer think that would have been a good idea. Overall, I found myself more intrigued this time by the supernatural aspects and less enamored of the story about Edgar’s recovery and development as a painter. This is probably because I’ve find myself more sensitive to the tics of his that I dislike which this has several of.
First is that there’s a general lack of focus. King has always been willing to throw the kitchen sink at a reader, but he really seemed particularly unwilling or unable to pick a path and stick to it here. There’s elements you see from other stories like Dead Zone with a brain injury leading to weird abilities and there’s the ghost story in an isolated locale like The Shining as well as bits and pieces from other King works. All of this leads to the typical case of King bloat where it seems like a couple of hundred pages could have easily been shaved from the finished product.
The character of Wireman is a prime example of something else I’ve grown irritated with in King’s work where he creates wise and quirky characters and then fills their mouths with overblown dialogue. Here, Wireman frequently refers to himself in the third person, sprinkles his conversations with Spanish jargon, and he’s full of meaningless sayings that are treated as profound by Edgar. Seriously, if someone ever told me, “Do the day, muchacho! And let the day do you!” then I’m going to flip them off and walk away. Which is a shame because there was much about Wireman in this best friend role other than the way he constantly expressed himself that I really liked.
Another King trope that has increasingly irked me in recent years in his habit of creating situations where the characters are fighting the clock but then waste huge amounts of time talking instead of acting. In this one there’s a point near the end where hell is gonna be unleashed at sunset which is coming fast, and yet Edgar feels that’s the ideal time to sit the other characters down and tell them a long rambling story about what he’s discovered. And then of course they find themselves screwed at sunset. How about for once you let them get the job done and save story time for afterwards, Uncle Stevie?
However, despite these gripes I did enjoy this book. King hits the melancholy tone of Edgar, a middle-aged man with a broken home and broken body, perfectly. Doing one of his stories on a bright Florida beach rather than the spooky Maine woods was a nice change of pace, and it fits the way that there’s an underlying tension to all of it. There’s also an extremely wicked irony at play here in that most of the stuff happening seems like a good thing rather than evil. Edgar is healing and he’s creating amazing art, and he even uses his newfound abilities to do some good. You can see how he’s willing to push aside any warning signs because so much of what is happening to him is legitimately changing his life for the better without any of the usual dark down side you’d immediately see in most horror books.
It’s not quite as good as I found it in 2008, but it’s still one of the better later era King novels.
Edgar Freemantle used to be the quintessential American success story. He was a self-made millionaire who built a thriving construction business, and he had a long and happy marriage which produced two daughters. However, Edgar’s good luck ran out one day when he had a brutal run in with a crane at a job site that cost him an arm, screwed up a leg, and cracked his skull. The brain trauma left his eggs slightly scrambled and made him prone to fly into furious rages that his wife couldn't endure so the accident also ends his marriage.
While trying to recover from his injuries and the divorce Edgar decides to relocate to Florida and indulge in his long dormant hobby of drawing and painting pictures. Edgar rents a house at isolated Duma Key on the Gulf Coast where the gorgeous views and long walks on the beach inspire him to amazing artistic achievements and a rapid recovery of his health. In fact, Edgar’s progress in both areas could be termed as too good to be true if not downright spooky.
I read this for the first time shortly after it was originally released in 2008, and at that time I was intrigued by the story of a damaged man turning to art to heal his body and mind which is a subject that King has intimate knowledge of after being run down by a car. (King wrote movingly about it in the non-fiction On Writing.) However, I found the supernatural stuff lacking, and I’d kinda wished that King had written just a straight up character piece about a guy discovering a latent talent following a tragedy.
Since then I’ve seen what happens when King tries his hand at a non-horror genre piece (Mr. Mercedes) so I no longer think that would have been a good idea. Overall, I found myself more intrigued this time by the supernatural aspects and less enamored of the story about Edgar’s recovery and development as a painter. This is probably because I’ve find myself more sensitive to the tics of his that I dislike which this has several of.
First is that there’s a general lack of focus. King has always been willing to throw the kitchen sink at a reader, but he really seemed particularly unwilling or unable to pick a path and stick to it here. There’s elements you see from other stories like Dead Zone with a brain injury leading to weird abilities and there’s the ghost story in an isolated locale like The Shining as well as bits and pieces from other King works. All of this leads to the typical case of King bloat where it seems like a couple of hundred pages could have easily been shaved from the finished product.
The character of Wireman is a prime example of something else I’ve grown irritated with in King’s work where he creates wise and quirky characters and then fills their mouths with overblown dialogue. Here, Wireman frequently refers to himself in the third person, sprinkles his conversations with Spanish jargon, and he’s full of meaningless sayings that are treated as profound by Edgar. Seriously, if someone ever told me, “Do the day, muchacho! And let the day do you!” then I’m going to flip them off and walk away. Which is a shame because there was much about Wireman in this best friend role other than the way he constantly expressed himself that I really liked.
Another King trope that has increasingly irked me in recent years in his habit of creating situations where the characters are fighting the clock but then waste huge amounts of time talking instead of acting. In this one there’s a point near the end where hell is gonna be unleashed at sunset which is coming fast, and yet Edgar feels that’s the ideal time to sit the other characters down and tell them a long rambling story about what he’s discovered. And then of course they find themselves screwed at sunset. How about for once you let them get the job done and save story time for afterwards, Uncle Stevie?
However, despite these gripes I did enjoy this book. King hits the melancholy tone of Edgar, a middle-aged man with a broken home and broken body, perfectly. Doing one of his stories on a bright Florida beach rather than the spooky Maine woods was a nice change of pace, and it fits the way that there’s an underlying tension to all of it. There’s also an extremely wicked irony at play here in that most of the stuff happening seems like a good thing rather than evil. Edgar is healing and he’s creating amazing art, and he even uses his newfound abilities to do some good. You can see how he’s willing to push aside any warning signs because so much of what is happening to him is legitimately changing his life for the better without any of the usual dark down side you’d immediately see in most horror books.
It’s not quite as good as I found it in 2008, but it’s still one of the better later era King novels.
July 15, 2019
Still every bit as good as I remembered.
It was red....
This must be King's most underrated book, and I've no idea why. Maybe because it was released in 2008 and maybe horror wasn't as cool then and it kind of slipped through the cracks. Feels weird calling a book with 70k ratings underrated, but there you go. I've never heard anyone say that Duma Key was up there with the best of King's works. After finishing this I certainly will be!
If this was released earlier in King's career, would it be mentioned as one of his greatest? Maybe...
This book is creeeeeepy and original. The ending is also superb, which isn't always the case in King's books (see Under the Dome!).
More than anything, King's ability to create memorable characters and dialogue shines through.
You need to sit in the chum, sit in the buddy and read this you stupid birch!! All the stars and perhaps one of my top three King books...which is saying something!
Do the day, and let the day do you!
It was red....
This must be King's most underrated book, and I've no idea why. Maybe because it was released in 2008 and maybe horror wasn't as cool then and it kind of slipped through the cracks. Feels weird calling a book with 70k ratings underrated, but there you go. I've never heard anyone say that Duma Key was up there with the best of King's works. After finishing this I certainly will be!
If this was released earlier in King's career, would it be mentioned as one of his greatest? Maybe...
This book is creeeeeepy and original. The ending is also superb, which isn't always the case in King's books (see Under the Dome!).
More than anything, King's ability to create memorable characters and dialogue shines through.
You need to sit in the chum, sit in the buddy and read this you stupid birch!! All the stars and perhaps one of my top three King books...which is saying something!
Do the day, and let the day do you!
October 27, 2025
In Duma Key Stephen King taps into extreme mid-life crisis and although he stirs it in a bubbling vat of macabre, the core, non-magical, element remains. What is one to do with one’s life? Edgar Freemantle struggles with redefining himself after having faced near-death trauma, having lost not only his right arm but some of his mental function, and, oh yes, his marriage. Have a nice day. Luckily for him, and conveniently for the author, he has been a very successful contractor and, having socked away rather large sums, he can afford to take a giant step away from the rubble of his life. Eager to heal both body and mind, Edgar opts in to a large beach house on the lightly populated Duma Key. This being Stephen King, the beach house and the island itself come with more than just sun, sand and surf.
Stehen King - image from Slash Film
In short order Freemantle discovers that his amateur’s ability for drawing has blossomed into a world class talent for painting. Edgar continues to experience sensations in the missing arm, and that feeling seems to connect him with inspiration for his creepy, if inspired canvasses. There are dark forces at work, and the paintings Freemantle is cranking out have a little extra in them.
Down the beach he meets the elderly Elizabeth, owner of most of the Key, and Wireman, her caretaker. The three strike up a fast friendship. Elizabeth’s past is at the center of this tale.
Expect creepie crawlies, a few shivers, a puzzle to be figured out, good friends working together to try to do just that, and a powerful resident evil. This is a fast-paced book. I hated to put it down. It was fun to read, and scary enough.
King has a particular fondness for children in his stories, and does not disappoint here, offering not only chapters in which the narrator is a child, but characters both immediate and historical that fit the bill. Also, Freemantle’s own children, while adult, or near-adult, still qualify because of how he feels about them.
I did not think that Duma Key was one of his best works. But garden-variety Stephen King is better than most in this genre. He is readable, enjoyable, and taps into enough reality to lend emotional substance to his spook stories.
A few other SKs we have reviewed
-----2020 - If It Bleeds
-----2019 - The Institute
-----2014 - Revival
-----2014 - Mr. Mercedes
-----2013 - Doctor Sleep
-----2009 - Under the Dome
-----2006 - Lisey's Story
-----1977 - The Shining
Stehen King - image from Slash Film
In short order Freemantle discovers that his amateur’s ability for drawing has blossomed into a world class talent for painting. Edgar continues to experience sensations in the missing arm, and that feeling seems to connect him with inspiration for his creepy, if inspired canvasses. There are dark forces at work, and the paintings Freemantle is cranking out have a little extra in them.
Down the beach he meets the elderly Elizabeth, owner of most of the Key, and Wireman, her caretaker. The three strike up a fast friendship. Elizabeth’s past is at the center of this tale.
Expect creepie crawlies, a few shivers, a puzzle to be figured out, good friends working together to try to do just that, and a powerful resident evil. This is a fast-paced book. I hated to put it down. It was fun to read, and scary enough.
King has a particular fondness for children in his stories, and does not disappoint here, offering not only chapters in which the narrator is a child, but characters both immediate and historical that fit the bill. Also, Freemantle’s own children, while adult, or near-adult, still qualify because of how he feels about them.
I did not think that Duma Key was one of his best works. But garden-variety Stephen King is better than most in this genre. He is readable, enjoyable, and taps into enough reality to lend emotional substance to his spook stories.
A few other SKs we have reviewed
-----2020 - If It Bleeds
-----2019 - The Institute
-----2014 - Revival
-----2014 - Mr. Mercedes
-----2013 - Doctor Sleep
-----2009 - Under the Dome
-----2006 - Lisey's Story
-----1977 - The Shining
April 23, 2021
I will forever hear the grinding of the shells, shells, shells when I think of Duma Key.
I loved it! From the scenery to the sci-fi/paranormal elements, it was completely unpredictable!
My favorite part was the description and scenes of the art- how art and talent unfold and feel. When in the flow of art you can lose yourself for hours on end, eating up all your energy, leaving you ravenous, even mad. That burning itch you feel deep down when the creativity muse starts to stir. The writing was executed extremely well!
I crave the Duma Key sunsets and will miss the characters deeply.
If you love beachfront settings, murder, quirky characters, mystery, and art; you will surely love this, as I did if you don't mind a lengthier book.
Trigger warnings: domestic violence/abuse, blood, death, suicide, and murder
Finally, a King book with NO sexual abuse! This is what I have been looking for! I would love to read more books of his like THIS.
5 stars marked down to 4 stars, when I re-read, the first-person narration was a tad off-putting.
I purchased this from my local used bookstore. Lucky me, it was in the clearance section unbeknownst to them, a hardcover, first edition! Score! It's not signed or anything but this cover variation is rare, and I love it! In no way was I obligated to write a review, my honest opinion is freely given.
I loved it! From the scenery to the sci-fi/paranormal elements, it was completely unpredictable!
My favorite part was the description and scenes of the art- how art and talent unfold and feel. When in the flow of art you can lose yourself for hours on end, eating up all your energy, leaving you ravenous, even mad. That burning itch you feel deep down when the creativity muse starts to stir. The writing was executed extremely well!
I crave the Duma Key sunsets and will miss the characters deeply.
If you love beachfront settings, murder, quirky characters, mystery, and art; you will surely love this, as I did if you don't mind a lengthier book.
Trigger warnings: domestic violence/abuse, blood, death, suicide, and murder
Finally, a King book with NO sexual abuse! This is what I have been looking for! I would love to read more books of his like THIS.
5 stars marked down to 4 stars, when I re-read, the first-person narration was a tad off-putting.
I purchased this from my local used bookstore. Lucky me, it was in the clearance section unbeknownst to them, a hardcover, first edition! Score! It's not signed or anything but this cover variation is rare, and I love it! In no way was I obligated to write a review, my honest opinion is freely given.
January 24, 2022
After a life crisis Edgar Freemantle moves to Florida to try and get his life back in order but that doesn't go according to plan because it's written by Stephen King.
Anyway.....I read this when it came out, just noticed that I never marked it as read on here so thought I'd leave a little review also.
I loved this book, it was really creepy at times.
I think one of the biggest strengths of this particular one was great friendship between Edgar and Wireman.
It was such an atmospheric book also and I could almost hear the waves on the beach and feel the sun on my neck. ♡
That's why I love King's writing because it's so detailed and his descriptions just put it right into your imagination.
I never expected this to end the way it did, it's a tragic ending but also perfect in a lot of ways.
I can't wait to re-read this.
I'd also really like to see this adapted into a mini-series, I think that would be cool!
Anyway.....I read this when it came out, just noticed that I never marked it as read on here so thought I'd leave a little review also.
I loved this book, it was really creepy at times.
I think one of the biggest strengths of this particular one was great friendship between Edgar and Wireman.
It was such an atmospheric book also and I could almost hear the waves on the beach and feel the sun on my neck. ♡
That's why I love King's writing because it's so detailed and his descriptions just put it right into your imagination.
I never expected this to end the way it did, it's a tragic ending but also perfect in a lot of ways.
I can't wait to re-read this.
I'd also really like to see this adapted into a mini-series, I think that would be cool!
August 4, 2025
Страшно много ми хареса „Дума Ки“! Тази история на Стивън Кинг е сюрреалистична и въздействаща, като картините на Салвадор Дали…
Главен герой в нея е Едгар Фриймантъл – строителен предприемач, който е останал само с една ръка и е получил мозъчна травма, вследствие на тежка злополука. Неговата съпруга го напуска заради гневните му изблици, а само една от двете му дъщери продължава да общува с него. Едгар си намира къща под наем на красивия остров Дума Ки в щата Флорида, където да се възстановява. В новото си жилище той започва да рисува, което е негово старо хоби, но изведнъж получава свръхестествен талант… Започвайки в кратки срокове да създава много и невероятни картини, той е напът да се превърне в популярен художник… Междувременно се сприятелява със своите съседи – колоритният образ Уайърман и богатата възрастна дама Елизабет, за която Уайърман работи. Животът на Едгар в този момент става почти идиличен, обаче след време художникът открива, че неговият талант представлява също и огромна опасност. На острова започват да се случват доста мрачни неща, причинени от древно зло… Освен страшно вълнуващ трилър, „Дума Ки“ е и страхотна книга за силата на изкуството!
„Изобщо не бях се замислил какво казвам. Уайърман зяпна, а зелените му очи се ококориха; тъкмо щях да се извиня за неучтивостта си, но той избухна в смях. Така се смее човек, когато някой е успял да преодолее всичките му защитни редути и е докоснал самата сърцевина на чувството му за хумор.“
„Картината вече не бе предназначена за изпълнението на някакъв магически трик. Тя самата се бе превърнала в магически трик. Вече не можех да мисля за себе си без нея, а всички събития, които евентуално щяха да се случат в обозримото бъдеще (интервюто с Мели Айър, лекцията, изложбата) се разполагаха не пред мен, а някъде високо над мен. Възприемах ги по същия начин, както рибата възприема дъжда, падащ над океана.“
„Никой не е казал, че изкуството винаги е нежен бриз; понякога то е ураган. Ала дори и тогава не трябва да се колебаете или да променяте курса си. Защото кажете ли си най-голямата лъжа на лошото изкуство (че всичко е под контрола ви), ще пропуснете шанса да запечатате истината.“
Главен герой в нея е Едгар Фриймантъл – строителен предприемач, който е останал само с една ръка и е получил мозъчна травма, вследствие на тежка злополука. Неговата съпруга го напуска заради гневните му изблици, а само една от двете му дъщери продължава да общува с него. Едгар си намира къща под наем на красивия остров Дума Ки в щата Флорида, където да се възстановява. В новото си жилище той започва да рисува, което е негово старо хоби, но изведнъж получава свръхестествен талант… Започвайки в кратки срокове да създава много и невероятни картини, той е напът да се превърне в популярен художник… Междувременно се сприятелява със своите съседи – колоритният образ Уайърман и богатата възрастна дама Елизабет, за която Уайърман работи. Животът на Едгар в този момент става почти идиличен, обаче след време художникът открива, че неговият талант представлява също и огромна опасност. На острова започват да се случват доста мрачни неща, причинени от древно зло… Освен страшно вълнуващ трилър, „Дума Ки“ е и страхотна книга за силата на изкуството!
„Изобщо не бях се замислил какво казвам. Уайърман зяпна, а зелените му очи се ококориха; тъкмо щях да се извиня за неучтивостта си, но той избухна в смях. Така се смее човек, когато някой е успял да преодолее всичките му защитни редути и е докоснал самата сърцевина на чувството му за хумор.“
„Картината вече не бе предназначена за изпълнението на някакъв магически трик. Тя самата се бе превърнала в магически трик. Вече не можех да мисля за себе си без нея, а всички събития, които евентуално щяха да се случат в обозримото бъдеще (интервюто с Мели Айър, лекцията, изложбата) се разполагаха не пред мен, а някъде високо над мен. Възприемах ги по същия начин, както рибата възприема дъжда, падащ над океана.“
„Никой не е казал, че изкуството винаги е нежен бриз; понякога то е ураган. Ала дори и тогава не трябва да се колебаете или да променяте курса си. Защото кажете ли си най-голямата лъжа на лошото изкуство (че всичко е под контрола ви), ще пропуснете шанса да запечатате истината.“
July 22, 2021
So good and pretty scary too! For me this is one of King's best books and, even though it is an absolute door stop, the pages flew past almost as quickly as Edgar (the main character) paints.
I always find real horror comes from the supernatural and this book is totally out there. There is a death ship, zombie like sailors, haunted houses and an ancient spirit with an amazing way of reaching into our world. Not the sort of thing you want to think about lying in bed in the dark. The characters are well written, especially Edgar and Wireman.
Amazingly for a book of 600 or so pages the writing is tight and every word counts. Much of the time I was totally gripped and did not want to put it down. I left a lot of things I should have been doing undone in the last two days which is definitely the sign of a really good book.
I always find real horror comes from the supernatural and this book is totally out there. There is a death ship, zombie like sailors, haunted houses and an ancient spirit with an amazing way of reaching into our world. Not the sort of thing you want to think about lying in bed in the dark. The characters are well written, especially Edgar and Wireman.
Amazingly for a book of 600 or so pages the writing is tight and every word counts. Much of the time I was totally gripped and did not want to put it down. I left a lot of things I should have been doing undone in the last two days which is definitely the sign of a really good book.
June 10, 2023
Great concept but I feel like this is King at max waffle. Any other author would have been forced to cull at least 100 pages. Probably 200.
April 14, 2008
Awful. Cloyingly sentimental, forcedly folksy, sloppily written. At first I was hoping that he was doing this on purpose, using the unrealistic dialogue and the instant bonding of the characters to turn it around on us, make us look back and see it as creepy eventually, but it's just bad writing. The characters don't act like people, they act like characters in a Stephen King novel. When they develop psychic powers, nobody even blinks, and everybody immediately understands how they work...because these are the things that would happen in a Stephen King novel.
To an extent he's earned a lot of leeway, and he's still a great natural storyteller, so there's nothing preventing you from reading it; it's not the kind of awful where you can't force yourself to read another page. (Thus two stars.) But it's just poor work on all sorts of levels.
Here's something that particularly bothered me. Maybe it's quibbling, but an editor should have caught this, if not the author. The first person narrator uses the word "febrile" on page 248; first time it's appeared in the book. On page 249, another character uses it in dialogue.
It's an uncommon enough word that the reader notices (especially since it's out of character for the regular-guy narrator). If it were ultimately going to be revealed that it's all taking place in the narrator's head, it would be a good, if sort of obvious clue, but because it isn't, it's just a reminder that it's all taking place in the author's head. Which, you know, it's sort of his job to avoid.
To an extent he's earned a lot of leeway, and he's still a great natural storyteller, so there's nothing preventing you from reading it; it's not the kind of awful where you can't force yourself to read another page. (Thus two stars.) But it's just poor work on all sorts of levels.
Here's something that particularly bothered me. Maybe it's quibbling, but an editor should have caught this, if not the author. The first person narrator uses the word "febrile" on page 248; first time it's appeared in the book. On page 249, another character uses it in dialogue.
It's an uncommon enough word that the reader notices (especially since it's out of character for the regular-guy narrator). If it were ultimately going to be revealed that it's all taking place in the narrator's head, it would be a good, if sort of obvious clue, but because it isn't, it's just a reminder that it's all taking place in the author's head. Which, you know, it's sort of his job to avoid.
August 30, 2024
I ended up loving this one!
Character development was fantastic along with the atmosphere and setting of Duma Island.
In fact, the island felt beautiful and menacing. The secrets of the island knocks up the tension and unease, and I loved that.
I also loved the supernatural elements in the plot and felt that Edgar’s art was both expressive and frightening. By having his transformation connected to his art, it's a brilliant way of making the reader feel uneasy and knowing something is "off" with this newly discovered talent.
The characters in Duma Key are the best part of this book.
Stephen King gives the main character, Edgar Freemantle a journey of transformation. He goes from a broken and powerless man to a courageous and strong resilience when facing trauma, inner demons, and an outside supernatural force trying to destroy Duma Key.
While going through his transformation, we see how the power of art can be therapeutic and life changing to Edgar.
I also connected with Jerome Wireman, Elizabeth Eastlake and Jack Cantori. Fantastic characters and I loved all of them!
Edgar’s family felt more like filler to me and his ex-wife was an easy character to hate. 🤷🏼♀️😂
The pacing in this novel is a slow build up and I can see it effecting readers who struggle with this type of plot.
It felt deliberate and necessary to me because it gives the reader time to understand the main character’s journey, emotions and purpose in this plot.
When I got to the ending of Duma Key, I was on the edge of my seat while our courageous trio is battling an evil and supernatural force!
I loved the ending and felt like King lands this one.
I’m super happy to get to this one and hope this book gets more love and attention from King fans!
Character development was fantastic along with the atmosphere and setting of Duma Island.
In fact, the island felt beautiful and menacing. The secrets of the island knocks up the tension and unease, and I loved that.
I also loved the supernatural elements in the plot and felt that Edgar’s art was both expressive and frightening. By having his transformation connected to his art, it's a brilliant way of making the reader feel uneasy and knowing something is "off" with this newly discovered talent.
The characters in Duma Key are the best part of this book.
Stephen King gives the main character, Edgar Freemantle a journey of transformation. He goes from a broken and powerless man to a courageous and strong resilience when facing trauma, inner demons, and an outside supernatural force trying to destroy Duma Key.
While going through his transformation, we see how the power of art can be therapeutic and life changing to Edgar.
I also connected with Jerome Wireman, Elizabeth Eastlake and Jack Cantori. Fantastic characters and I loved all of them!
Edgar’s family felt more like filler to me and his ex-wife was an easy character to hate. 🤷🏼♀️😂
The pacing in this novel is a slow build up and I can see it effecting readers who struggle with this type of plot.
It felt deliberate and necessary to me because it gives the reader time to understand the main character’s journey, emotions and purpose in this plot.
When I got to the ending of Duma Key, I was on the edge of my seat while our courageous trio is battling an evil and supernatural force!
I loved the ending and felt like King lands this one.
I’m super happy to get to this one and hope this book gets more love and attention from King fans!
July 10, 2023
One of my favorite quotes from Stephen King's The Stand:
"That was what distinguished the Earth’s children of darkness; they couldn’t make things but only break them. God the Creator had made man in His own image, and that meant that every man and woman who dwelt under God’s light was a creator of some kind, a person with an urge to stretch out his hand and shape the world into some rational pattern. [The Anti-Christ] wanted—was able—only to unshape. Anti-Christ? You might as well say anti-creation.”
It's an idea that repeats throughout King's work, humankind's unique ability to create, to problem-solve. It's this that gives his characters the power to defeat his famous monsters — the creativity that allows them to outthink such creatures of destruction.
The motif is most interesting when it comes to 2008's Duma Key, a book wholly about the creation of art.
After surviving a terrible car accident, protagonist Edgar Freemantle (presumably no relation to The Stand's Mother Abagail Freemantle) relocates to Duma Key, FL to aid his recovery. There, he begins to draw and paint, a passion relegated to doodling on the corners of work papers his whole adult life. In creating art, he regains confidence in his body after the accident changed his physical abilities. It reunites his family, left fractured from the stress of trauma, and introduces him to new friends in and out of the Florida art world.
This is a complete story onto itself, and many authors would end it there.
But this is Stephen King. And the more Edgar paints and the more he shares his art with the world, his work reveals the insidious past of Duma Key, now bleeding into the present.
For the life the art gave back to him, it also gives life back to something else...something evil.
And the opposite side of the motif is explored, perhaps here the most fully of any of King's books: Mankind's own ability to destroy, equal to that of the monsters.
So many King books reveal the darker side of humanity through villains and side characters; the way life can twist them so that they cause pain, so that they un-create. Duma Key, conversely, offers the POV of a protagonist un-creating not to cause harm to others, but in hopes of saving them.
Fighting the monster with its own tools, not at the loss of his humanity, but to preserve it. It allows for a very unique and somewhat quiet conclusion and a very good book.
This was one written after King's own car accident, when he was struck by a negligent driver while out on a walk in 1999. Like Edgar, he sustained severe injuries, but art - specifically, working on the novel Dreamcatcher - helped in his recovery.
Still, I noticed a difference in tone here; anger at life's unfairness, the loneliness of recuperation, the sting of physical injury. So when allusions to his previous works showed up here, like:
- Ilse hearing voices from her drain
- A blue heron watching like Randall Flagg's crows
- Twin girl victims transmuted villainous by a cruel death
- A friend's invitation to join him in Mexico
it almost felt like King was tossing them from hand to hand, seeing how he would play with them through this new, changed perspective. It was fascinating.
"That was what distinguished the Earth’s children of darkness; they couldn’t make things but only break them. God the Creator had made man in His own image, and that meant that every man and woman who dwelt under God’s light was a creator of some kind, a person with an urge to stretch out his hand and shape the world into some rational pattern. [The Anti-Christ] wanted—was able—only to unshape. Anti-Christ? You might as well say anti-creation.”
It's an idea that repeats throughout King's work, humankind's unique ability to create, to problem-solve. It's this that gives his characters the power to defeat his famous monsters — the creativity that allows them to outthink such creatures of destruction.
The motif is most interesting when it comes to 2008's Duma Key, a book wholly about the creation of art.
After surviving a terrible car accident, protagonist Edgar Freemantle (presumably no relation to The Stand's Mother Abagail Freemantle) relocates to Duma Key, FL to aid his recovery. There, he begins to draw and paint, a passion relegated to doodling on the corners of work papers his whole adult life. In creating art, he regains confidence in his body after the accident changed his physical abilities. It reunites his family, left fractured from the stress of trauma, and introduces him to new friends in and out of the Florida art world.
This is a complete story onto itself, and many authors would end it there.
But this is Stephen King. And the more Edgar paints and the more he shares his art with the world, his work reveals the insidious past of Duma Key, now bleeding into the present.
For the life the art gave back to him, it also gives life back to something else...something evil.
And the opposite side of the motif is explored, perhaps here the most fully of any of King's books: Mankind's own ability to destroy, equal to that of the monsters.
So many King books reveal the darker side of humanity through villains and side characters; the way life can twist them so that they cause pain, so that they un-create. Duma Key, conversely, offers the POV of a protagonist un-creating not to cause harm to others, but in hopes of saving them.
Fighting the monster with its own tools, not at the loss of his humanity, but to preserve it. It allows for a very unique and somewhat quiet conclusion and a very good book.
This was one written after King's own car accident, when he was struck by a negligent driver while out on a walk in 1999. Like Edgar, he sustained severe injuries, but art - specifically, working on the novel Dreamcatcher - helped in his recovery.
Still, I noticed a difference in tone here; anger at life's unfairness, the loneliness of recuperation, the sting of physical injury. So when allusions to his previous works showed up here, like:
- Ilse hearing voices from her drain
- A blue heron watching like Randall Flagg's crows
- Twin girl victims transmuted villainous by a cruel death
- A friend's invitation to join him in Mexico
it almost felt like King was tossing them from hand to hand, seeing how he would play with them through this new, changed perspective. It was fascinating.
August 10, 2024
Even though I wasn’t quite feeling it this time, in the end it was just how I remember it and the ending was satisfying with really special characters.
Of course Jerome Wireman is the MVP here with his sayings and Edgar Freemantle a very interesting individual with his own struggles.
Even when mostly the supernatural stuff felt really powerful and creepy, the overly long character study was really too much at times.
This story is really worth it but after much consideration this is not amongst my favourite King novels.
2.25/5
Edit 2024: this did not age well. The characters and the atmosphere still remain memorable but the whole thing was a slog to get through.
Of course Jerome Wireman is the MVP here with his sayings and Edgar Freemantle a very interesting individual with his own struggles.
Even when mostly the supernatural stuff felt really powerful and creepy, the overly long character study was really too much at times.
This story is really worth it but after much consideration this is not amongst my favourite King novels.
2.25/5
Edit 2024: this did not age well. The characters and the atmosphere still remain memorable but the whole thing was a slog to get through.
June 17, 2018
It's been years since I first read Duma Key. While I loved it the first time around and gave a five star rating, it's possible I loved it more the second time around.
I think just knowing the story better and where it was going, helped clarify some of the more supernatural aspects of certain events early on.
Lately, (on bookstagram) I've seen people rating a King book lower *because* he had a supernatural element to an otherwise, genre specific story--example: The Outsider. People thought it should have just been a detective novel.
Well, let me step up on this platform as a seasoned Constant Reader for second and announce that Mr. King is well known and admired for his genre-bending stories. The Dark Tower series, for instance, is everything. It's a Western, dark fantasy, horror, supernatural, apocalyptic, science fiction/time travel, you name it, it's probably in there to some degree.
Duma Key is not going to be pigeon-holed into a genre either so be prepared to just enjoy the ride and not try to figure it out--at its core, this story is about a man who has had his life stripped away after a body (and soul crushing) accident on the job.
He goes to Florida to stay in a big house at the edge of the sea for some contemplative walks on the beach. Of course this is a King novel so Edgar Freemantle isn't going to be left alone at "Big Pink" despite however lonely he feels, right?
Right.
My favorite aspect to this novel are the relationships. The unexpected deep friendship between Wireman and Edgar and perhaps even the crazy love between Fathers and Daughters, even the destructive/toxic relationship between former lovers is intense and compelling--told through dialog and inner mind chat that only King can tell it.
The climax and the way the story takes on that snowball-racing-down-an-avalanche feeling towards the end is some of King's best work.
This is definitely a top 20 if not top 10 King ranking for me.
I think just knowing the story better and where it was going, helped clarify some of the more supernatural aspects of certain events early on.
Lately, (on bookstagram) I've seen people rating a King book lower *because* he had a supernatural element to an otherwise, genre specific story--example: The Outsider. People thought it should have just been a detective novel.
Well, let me step up on this platform as a seasoned Constant Reader for second and announce that Mr. King is well known and admired for his genre-bending stories. The Dark Tower series, for instance, is everything. It's a Western, dark fantasy, horror, supernatural, apocalyptic, science fiction/time travel, you name it, it's probably in there to some degree.
Duma Key is not going to be pigeon-holed into a genre either so be prepared to just enjoy the ride and not try to figure it out--at its core, this story is about a man who has had his life stripped away after a body (and soul crushing) accident on the job.
He goes to Florida to stay in a big house at the edge of the sea for some contemplative walks on the beach. Of course this is a King novel so Edgar Freemantle isn't going to be left alone at "Big Pink" despite however lonely he feels, right?
Right.
My favorite aspect to this novel are the relationships. The unexpected deep friendship between Wireman and Edgar and perhaps even the crazy love between Fathers and Daughters, even the destructive/toxic relationship between former lovers is intense and compelling--told through dialog and inner mind chat that only King can tell it.
The climax and the way the story takes on that snowball-racing-down-an-avalanche feeling towards the end is some of King's best work.
This is definitely a top 20 if not top 10 King ranking for me.
April 7, 2023
3.75/5
Ostatnie 100 stron uratowało tę książkę, ale co się wymęczyłam to moje. Na powroty do Kinga muszę zdecydowanie sięgać po krotsze pozycje.
Ostatnie 100 stron uratowało tę książkę, ale co się wymęczyłam to moje. Na powroty do Kinga muszę zdecydowanie sięgać po krotsze pozycje.
March 25, 2010
How jacked up is it that I'm going to say I find Stephen King comforting?
Yep. Pretty jacked up.
Then again, I've been reading him since I was a pre-teen (or tween, I think that's the proper term for it these days). Anyway, when the R.L Stine and Christopher Pike seemed a bit immature, (no offense to those authors, I LOVED them as a kid!) I turned to King.
He's what I know.
(insert joke about my psychological issues here)
After all these years, he still manages to weave a fantastic tale.
So, to not give the whole story away, I'll say this:
A man named -------- suffers a brain injury and loses an arm in an accident - he gets hit by a --------. He gets away from his failing marriage in ---- and heads to Duma Key, where he can recover and ------- in peace. There, on the island, he discovers he has amazing talent for drawing and painting. He creates surreal, haunting art that eventually causes problems.
Really BIG PROBLEMS. Like ----------!!!
Naughty, EVIL, art!
Anyway, he meets ----- and ------. Gets an art exhibition. Makes ------. Then --------- tells him to get ------- off the island to and NEVER ----------------. So then --------- happens and he has to ---------- with a few of his new island friends and -------. So they go to ---------- and he brings --------- and the next thing you know they see ----------, which is totally fucked up! But then he -----------, so that ----------. Awesome.
AWESOME!
Thank you again, Mr. King., for another great read, and for always being that warped, scary, "happy place" for me.
Yep. Pretty jacked up.
Then again, I've been reading him since I was a pre-teen (or tween, I think that's the proper term for it these days). Anyway, when the R.L Stine and Christopher Pike seemed a bit immature, (no offense to those authors, I LOVED them as a kid!) I turned to King.
He's what I know.
(insert joke about my psychological issues here)
After all these years, he still manages to weave a fantastic tale.
So, to not give the whole story away, I'll say this:
A man named -------- suffers a brain injury and loses an arm in an accident - he gets hit by a --------. He gets away from his failing marriage in ---- and heads to Duma Key, where he can recover and ------- in peace. There, on the island, he discovers he has amazing talent for drawing and painting. He creates surreal, haunting art that eventually causes problems.
Really BIG PROBLEMS. Like ----------!!!
Naughty, EVIL, art!
Anyway, he meets ----- and ------. Gets an art exhibition. Makes ------. Then --------- tells him to get ------- off the island to and NEVER ----------------. So then --------- happens and he has to ---------- with a few of his new island friends and -------. So they go to ---------- and he brings --------- and the next thing you know they see ----------, which is totally fucked up! But then he -----------, so that ----------. Awesome.
AWESOME!
Thank you again, Mr. King., for another great read, and for always being that warped, scary, "happy place" for me.
October 10, 2019
For such a great King novel it’s actually quite baffling that this one isn’t mentioned alongside his best works, it certainly has a forgotten modern classic feel to it!
It’s probably here where I should confess that it wasn’t until the first couple of chapters that I’d soon realised that I’d read this before, it would have been around the time that the paperback it was first published 10 years ago.
My theory is with no movie adaptation it’s easily slipped peoples minds, with a King resurgence surly it’s due a big screen outing...
Admittedly there’s a reassuring familiarity that runs throughout the book as the main protagonist Edgar Freemantle uses his creative talents as a focal point for the story.
Where many of Kings books features writer, Duma Keys strength is with Edgar’s artistic prowess.
There’s something really creepy about a painting!
After a traumatic accident that sees Edgar servilely injured on a construction site as he loses his right arm, on the advice of his psychologist after mood swings and an inevitable divorce Edgar moves to the remote island off of Florida.
King has written great flawed characters before but there’s a more personal touch with Freemantle, having survived a car accident himself the painful rehabilitation process feels raw and authentic.
The three main elements of the beach location, the supporting cast and the mysterious supernatural elements that are about to be uncovered makes this a truly underappreciated classic!
It’s probably here where I should confess that it wasn’t until the first couple of chapters that I’d soon realised that I’d read this before, it would have been around the time that the paperback it was first published 10 years ago.
My theory is with no movie adaptation it’s easily slipped peoples minds, with a King resurgence surly it’s due a big screen outing...
Admittedly there’s a reassuring familiarity that runs throughout the book as the main protagonist Edgar Freemantle uses his creative talents as a focal point for the story.
Where many of Kings books features writer, Duma Keys strength is with Edgar’s artistic prowess.
There’s something really creepy about a painting!
After a traumatic accident that sees Edgar servilely injured on a construction site as he loses his right arm, on the advice of his psychologist after mood swings and an inevitable divorce Edgar moves to the remote island off of Florida.
King has written great flawed characters before but there’s a more personal touch with Freemantle, having survived a car accident himself the painful rehabilitation process feels raw and authentic.
The three main elements of the beach location, the supporting cast and the mysterious supernatural elements that are about to be uncovered makes this a truly underappreciated classic!
June 2, 2021
IEsta era mi cara al leer las últimas 200 páginas:
Pequeño resumen de la trama para meterlos en contexto:
Edgar Freemantle era un contratista antes de perder casi todo su brazo derecho en un accidente de tráfico. Al despertar conocemos a un personaje traumado, con una ira incontrolable; debido a esto su esposa termina divorciándose de él. Su psicólogo le aconseja iniciar una nueva vida, en un nuevo lugar, con un nuevo pasatiempo. Desde este punto, la pintura (su pasatiempo) parece desembocar toda la trama, volviéndose exageradamente repetitiva.
Tengo tantos problemas con esta novela, tenía esperanzas de que me gustara, pues, generalmente, los libros de Stephen King me entretienen, lo cual no ha ocurrido con los últimos dos que he leído de él.
Mientras pasaba las páginas hubo una pregunta que no salía de mi cabeza. «¿En serio King escribió esto?», porque la narrativa era súper básica, absurda y, al igual que la trama, repetitiva. Me imagino a SK yendo a un restaurante chino, abriendo una galleta de la fortuna y leyendo cosas como:
«Forja tu día y deja que el día te forje a ti.»
Entonces él dice: «Oh, Dios, esto es increíble, lo agregaré unas veinte veces a mi próximo best seller, Duma Key».
Después de eso compra toda la taza llena de galletas y con ellas escribe este libro. Discúlpenme, pero así lo sentí.
También hay diálogos demasiado ficticios, inverosímiles. ¡¿Quién habla de uno mismo en tercera persona?! Eso hizo que no tomara en serio los personajes.
Demasiado relleno.
El final fue sacado de la manga, o sea, como si las 500 páginas predecesoras fueran un largo inicio. ¿Escribías todo lo que se te venía a la mente? Este libro puede reducirse a unas 300 páginas, o menos.
Sí, ya sabemos que los paisajes que pintó Edgar son súper especiales. Sí, ya sabemos que las conchas hacen mucho ruido bajo la casa. ¿Ya dije que las pinturas son súper especiales? Porque sí, son súper especiales. Tienen una especialidad especialmente especial.
Ahora, con esto de la pintura, ¿fue mi imaginación turbada por el tedio de la novela o en realidad el libro estaba insinuando que la ocupación de un pintor es fácil? ¿Las grandes obras fueron pintadas sin un arduo y previo trabajo? No creo que la Creación de Adán o Noche Estrellada hayan sido pinturas hechas sin un mensaje o un estilo propio, enviado y creado por su respectivo autor.
Los capítulos llamados Cómo dibujar un cuadro fueron escritos con la misma función que el prefacio de el Retrato de Dorian Gray: pedir disculpas si el lector piensa que el autor repudia o minimiza el trabajo de un artista. De un pintor, siendo exacto. O así es como yo veo dichos capítulos.
Personajes:
Wireman es uno de los personajes más ridículos que King ha creado; trató de encariñarnos con él forzosamente, en mi caso, sin lograrlo. No, los chistes de putas y perras no dan risa. Nada de lo que dice Wireman es divertido, solo das tristeza, y no de la buena.
Edgar. Tuvo un buen desarrollo, la verdad, si comparamos al Edgar que nos describen antes del accidente con el Edgar después de éste. Pero algo faltó en él, siento como si una pieza de su personalidad se hubiese perdido; también le faltó abandonar algunas actitudes despectivas.
Elizabeth. A mí parecer, un poco exagerada su personalidad pomposa, pero eso no quita que su papel como personaje secundario fuera bueno, habría sido genial si hubiera habido más profundidad en ella. Mas para mí fue el mejor personaje.
Jack. Ni siquiera sé en qué momento apareció este muchacho, ¿no había nada interesante en tu vida o por qué siempre aparecías cuando era conveniente?
El resto de personajes no son tan importantes como para hablar de ellos.
Duma Key parece un corte de comerciales, porque a cada rato te están nombrando la marca de todo. Bebió una Pepsi, comió tales galletas, un pollo congelado que nada que ver. No necesitamos tu propaganda. ¿Ganaste más con las ventas de esta novela o con las promociones que hiciste en ella? Nombran tantas cosas desconocidas que se llega a pensar que este libro fue escrito únicamente para norteamericanos.
Un pequeño problema que tuve a parte.
¿Es Stephen King racista? No lo sé.
Al único personaje que se nos describe de piel negra, es una sirvienta de una época pasada, lo cual justifica un poco el trato hacía ella si nos metemos en el contexto de entonces. Pero ¿era necesario que ella hablara como retrasada, usando una dicción con contracciones que nadie usa? «¡Ante’ de que la ’hogue!», por ejemplo. La traducción tuvo algo que ver, pero sé que si miro en el idioma original del libro también encontraré algo parecido, pues de algún lado tuvo que basarse el traductor para hacer esto. También sé que en la vida real algunos usamos contracciones, pero me molesto porque a este personaje me lo imaginé como esas personas blancas que se pintaban de negro y hablaban golpeado. El típico blackface.
Y este libro fue escrito en el 2008, King fácilmente pudo crear a este personaje con un vocablo inteligible, salirse de ese estereotipo racista. Y si quiso hacer una crítica al racismo norteamericano, pues le faltó la crítica.
Ya por terminar, curiosamente, este es uno de los pocos libros de SK que no tiene una adaptación cinematográfica. «Curiosamente», no hay nada curioso. Si este libro no fue/es llevado a la pantalla grande, tal vez se deba a la exagerada ridiculez de su trama. Cualquiera que lo lea sabría que sería un fiasco como película.
PD.: Las pinturas de Edgar son súper especiales, no lo olviden.
PD2.: Me disculpo si mi opinión fue muy negativa. No sé si es necesario mencionarlo pero respeto tu opinión si este libro es de tus favoritos.
¿Este libro es de los favoritos de alguien? Es broma, sí lo es. Creo.
PD3.: Forja tu día y blablablá...
Gracias por leer.
Pequeño resumen de la trama para meterlos en contexto:
Edgar Freemantle era un contratista antes de perder casi todo su brazo derecho en un accidente de tráfico. Al despertar conocemos a un personaje traumado, con una ira incontrolable; debido a esto su esposa termina divorciándose de él. Su psicólogo le aconseja iniciar una nueva vida, en un nuevo lugar, con un nuevo pasatiempo. Desde este punto, la pintura (su pasatiempo) parece desembocar toda la trama, volviéndose exageradamente repetitiva.
Tengo tantos problemas con esta novela, tenía esperanzas de que me gustara, pues, generalmente, los libros de Stephen King me entretienen, lo cual no ha ocurrido con los últimos dos que he leído de él.
Mientras pasaba las páginas hubo una pregunta que no salía de mi cabeza. «¿En serio King escribió esto?», porque la narrativa era súper básica, absurda y, al igual que la trama, repetitiva. Me imagino a SK yendo a un restaurante chino, abriendo una galleta de la fortuna y leyendo cosas como:
«Forja tu día y deja que el día te forje a ti.»
Entonces él dice: «Oh, Dios, esto es increíble, lo agregaré unas veinte veces a mi próximo best seller, Duma Key».
Después de eso compra toda la taza llena de galletas y con ellas escribe este libro. Discúlpenme, pero así lo sentí.
También hay diálogos demasiado ficticios, inverosímiles. ¡¿Quién habla de uno mismo en tercera persona?! Eso hizo que no tomara en serio los personajes.
Demasiado relleno.
El final fue sacado de la manga, o sea, como si las 500 páginas predecesoras fueran un largo inicio. ¿Escribías todo lo que se te venía a la mente? Este libro puede reducirse a unas 300 páginas, o menos.
Sí, ya sabemos que los paisajes que pintó Edgar son súper especiales. Sí, ya sabemos que las conchas hacen mucho ruido bajo la casa. ¿Ya dije que las pinturas son súper especiales? Porque sí, son súper especiales. Tienen una especialidad especialmente especial.
Ahora, con esto de la pintura, ¿fue mi imaginación turbada por el tedio de la novela o en realidad el libro estaba insinuando que la ocupación de un pintor es fácil? ¿Las grandes obras fueron pintadas sin un arduo y previo trabajo? No creo que la Creación de Adán o Noche Estrellada hayan sido pinturas hechas sin un mensaje o un estilo propio, enviado y creado por su respectivo autor.
Los capítulos llamados Cómo dibujar un cuadro fueron escritos con la misma función que el prefacio de el Retrato de Dorian Gray: pedir disculpas si el lector piensa que el autor repudia o minimiza el trabajo de un artista. De un pintor, siendo exacto. O así es como yo veo dichos capítulos.
Personajes:
Wireman es uno de los personajes más ridículos que King ha creado; trató de encariñarnos con él forzosamente, en mi caso, sin lograrlo. No, los chistes de putas y perras no dan risa. Nada de lo que dice Wireman es divertido, solo das tristeza, y no de la buena.
Edgar. Tuvo un buen desarrollo, la verdad, si comparamos al Edgar que nos describen antes del accidente con el Edgar después de éste. Pero algo faltó en él, siento como si una pieza de su personalidad se hubiese perdido; también le faltó abandonar algunas actitudes despectivas.
Elizabeth. A mí parecer, un poco exagerada su personalidad pomposa, pero eso no quita que su papel como personaje secundario fuera bueno, habría sido genial si hubiera habido más profundidad en ella. Mas para mí fue el mejor personaje.
Jack. Ni siquiera sé en qué momento apareció este muchacho, ¿no había nada interesante en tu vida o por qué siempre aparecías cuando era conveniente?
El resto de personajes no son tan importantes como para hablar de ellos.
Duma Key parece un corte de comerciales, porque a cada rato te están nombrando la marca de todo. Bebió una Pepsi, comió tales galletas, un pollo congelado que nada que ver. No necesitamos tu propaganda. ¿Ganaste más con las ventas de esta novela o con las promociones que hiciste en ella? Nombran tantas cosas desconocidas que se llega a pensar que este libro fue escrito únicamente para norteamericanos.
Un pequeño problema que tuve a parte.
¿Es Stephen King racista? No lo sé.
Al único personaje que se nos describe de piel negra, es una sirvienta de una época pasada, lo cual justifica un poco el trato hacía ella si nos metemos en el contexto de entonces. Pero ¿era necesario que ella hablara como retrasada, usando una dicción con contracciones que nadie usa? «¡Ante’ de que la ’hogue!», por ejemplo. La traducción tuvo algo que ver, pero sé que si miro en el idioma original del libro también encontraré algo parecido, pues de algún lado tuvo que basarse el traductor para hacer esto. También sé que en la vida real algunos usamos contracciones, pero me molesto porque a este personaje me lo imaginé como esas personas blancas que se pintaban de negro y hablaban golpeado. El típico blackface.
Y este libro fue escrito en el 2008, King fácilmente pudo crear a este personaje con un vocablo inteligible, salirse de ese estereotipo racista. Y si quiso hacer una crítica al racismo norteamericano, pues le faltó la crítica.
Ya por terminar, curiosamente, este es uno de los pocos libros de SK que no tiene una adaptación cinematográfica. «Curiosamente», no hay nada curioso. Si este libro no fue/es llevado a la pantalla grande, tal vez se deba a la exagerada ridiculez de su trama. Cualquiera que lo lea sabría que sería un fiasco como película.
PD.: Las pinturas de Edgar son súper especiales, no lo olviden.
PD2.: Me disculpo si mi opinión fue muy negativa. No sé si es necesario mencionarlo pero respeto tu opinión si este libro es de tus favoritos.
¿Este libro es de los favoritos de alguien? Es broma, sí lo es. Creo.
PD3.: Forja tu día y blablablá...
Gracias por leer.
December 27, 2019
I’m mixed on this book. I’m a big King fan, and love it when he does spooky; and for the most part, that’s where this book takes it. It has some of his best character work, and his descriptions of this haunted little island off the Florida Keys really make it come to life. What annoyed me was the page after page after page of info dumps as the characters try to unravel the dark mysteries behind this island. And I’m still baffled at how they reached some of their conclusions. But the real show stopper for me was something we hear about at the very end. It was depressing, and really spoiled it. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.
June 5, 2018
“Our memories have voices, too. Often sad ones that clamor like raised arms in the dark.”
The first time I read Duma Key in 2014 I spent a lot of time kicking myself for not picking it up sooner. I had actually received it as a gift for my birthday the year it was published, and it just ended up sitting on my shelf for a long time. I didn't even buy Under the Dome and 11/22/63 when they were originally released, and that's saying something because for years I had never missed a Stephen King release day. Something happened to me in 2008, the year Duma Key was released. I had friends on the internet who I spoke to daily and were heavily influencing my reading choices. I had yet to discover Goodreads or Bookstagram, and the people that I talked to the most had very selective reading choices. I had taken a lot of literature courses in college, so it wasn't hard for me to understand that my new friends were into what a lot of people might call pretentious writing. All of a sudden I thought my love for King should be a secret. That liking King was a guilty pleasure that I was over, and now I could read some serious fiction. That isn't their fault, the fault is all mine.
We fool ourselves so much we could do it for a living.
Flash forward to 2014, and a Goodreads challenge FINALLY got me to read Duma Key. By then my reading had started to shift back to contemporary and genre novels, and I realized that I was a complete idiot for worrying about what other people thought about my reading tastes. Thank goodness I came to my senses, because Duma Key absolutely blew me away. I immediately bought the King books that I had missed while I was busy being a book snob, and devoured all of them. I got over myself, and then I found an entire group of Constant Readers on Instagram. My love for King had returned, and I was no longer ashamed of it.
This year my friend Sadie announced that she wanted to host a Duma Key group read, and I immediately knew I wanted to take part. I remembered the book so fondly, but details were starting to fade, and even though my reading schedule this year has been tight and doesn't have a lot of room for rereads, I didn't care. I knew that reading this book for the second time needed to happen.
Revisiting Duma Key and Big Pink was exactly what I needed in my life right now. I remember that I loved this book the first time, but I loved it even more the second. I know for sure now that this book is definitely in my list of top 5 Stephen King novels. I usually just tell people to read it. The cover develops a lot more meaning after you read the story, but it doesn't look like a typical Stephen King novel, at least not typical horror, and I think there's something about either the cover or the synopsis that doesn't really draw people in. Which is really a shame because this book is absolutely fantastic. I think you should approach it knowing as little as possible though. Some of it may be a bit confusing during a first read, but by the end everything makes crystal clear sense, and every single word is worth it.
This is another one of King's big books. It's certainly not as long as It or The Stand, but King definitely takes his time telling this story, and he tells it in exactly the right way. Each character gets just enough time for their stories to unfold, and those stories are important, because Duma Key has some of the best characters King has ever written. Jerome Wireman will always be one of my all-time favorite King characters, but the other's are just as beloved. Even the Key and Big Pink itself are almost characters, and as the reader you find yourself wanting to be there. Wanting to hear the shells under Big Pink...wanting to feel the sand between your toes as you watch the sun set into the Gulf. Wanting to drink green tea at El Palacio while Elizabeth plays with her Chinas and Oprah plays in the background. But now I feel as if I've said too much. What I really want to say is read this book. Fall in love with the characters. Fall in love with Duma Key.
“In the end we always wear out our worries. That’s what Wireman says.”
The first time I read Duma Key in 2014 I spent a lot of time kicking myself for not picking it up sooner. I had actually received it as a gift for my birthday the year it was published, and it just ended up sitting on my shelf for a long time. I didn't even buy Under the Dome and 11/22/63 when they were originally released, and that's saying something because for years I had never missed a Stephen King release day. Something happened to me in 2008, the year Duma Key was released. I had friends on the internet who I spoke to daily and were heavily influencing my reading choices. I had yet to discover Goodreads or Bookstagram, and the people that I talked to the most had very selective reading choices. I had taken a lot of literature courses in college, so it wasn't hard for me to understand that my new friends were into what a lot of people might call pretentious writing. All of a sudden I thought my love for King should be a secret. That liking King was a guilty pleasure that I was over, and now I could read some serious fiction. That isn't their fault, the fault is all mine.
We fool ourselves so much we could do it for a living.
Flash forward to 2014, and a Goodreads challenge FINALLY got me to read Duma Key. By then my reading had started to shift back to contemporary and genre novels, and I realized that I was a complete idiot for worrying about what other people thought about my reading tastes. Thank goodness I came to my senses, because Duma Key absolutely blew me away. I immediately bought the King books that I had missed while I was busy being a book snob, and devoured all of them. I got over myself, and then I found an entire group of Constant Readers on Instagram. My love for King had returned, and I was no longer ashamed of it.
This year my friend Sadie announced that she wanted to host a Duma Key group read, and I immediately knew I wanted to take part. I remembered the book so fondly, but details were starting to fade, and even though my reading schedule this year has been tight and doesn't have a lot of room for rereads, I didn't care. I knew that reading this book for the second time needed to happen.
Revisiting Duma Key and Big Pink was exactly what I needed in my life right now. I remember that I loved this book the first time, but I loved it even more the second. I know for sure now that this book is definitely in my list of top 5 Stephen King novels. I usually just tell people to read it. The cover develops a lot more meaning after you read the story, but it doesn't look like a typical Stephen King novel, at least not typical horror, and I think there's something about either the cover or the synopsis that doesn't really draw people in. Which is really a shame because this book is absolutely fantastic. I think you should approach it knowing as little as possible though. Some of it may be a bit confusing during a first read, but by the end everything makes crystal clear sense, and every single word is worth it.
This is another one of King's big books. It's certainly not as long as It or The Stand, but King definitely takes his time telling this story, and he tells it in exactly the right way. Each character gets just enough time for their stories to unfold, and those stories are important, because Duma Key has some of the best characters King has ever written. Jerome Wireman will always be one of my all-time favorite King characters, but the other's are just as beloved. Even the Key and Big Pink itself are almost characters, and as the reader you find yourself wanting to be there. Wanting to hear the shells under Big Pink...wanting to feel the sand between your toes as you watch the sun set into the Gulf. Wanting to drink green tea at El Palacio while Elizabeth plays with her Chinas and Oprah plays in the background. But now I feel as if I've said too much. What I really want to say is read this book. Fall in love with the characters. Fall in love with Duma Key.
“In the end we always wear out our worries. That’s what Wireman says.”
April 13, 2009
I've read a lot of King. I read a lot of King, and this is among his best. I know some people feel that after his accident he lost his touch for the creeping horror that made him famous, but I assure you that is not the case. This book proves that King not only still has it, he's still improving.
I listened to this on audio, and I'm sure that lent something to the suspense, but I'm very glad that I did. (I downloaded from Audible, and each part was preceded by music that is creepy on its own. I'm not sure if the audio CD's are the same way.) Listening to this made me pace myself, and made sure that the build-up was properly built up. I have a tendency to speed-read when I get excited, when I know I hold something great in my hands and want to experience it as quickly as possible. I couldn't do this with the audio, and so the anticipation piled up until I had to finish, regardless of the fact that it's now 4:19a and I have to work tomorrow.
John Slattery's reading was just about perfect. He had this great tone, a feeling for the story, and a subtle way of lending personality to the characters that makes them come alive. King obviously gives him a lot to work with and build on, but I don't know if another reader would have done the book justice the way Slattery did. I could tell exactly who was speaking at all times, even before he got around to telling me who it was, yet he didn't make the characters HIS characters, if that makes sense. He just gave them life. His reading of Perse (this is how I'm assuming it's spelled, as I haven't seen it in print) gave me goosebumps, and I think will haunt me for a long time.
This book contained more than a few of the things that creep me out the most. But I couldn't stop listening. I loved the aspects of Elizabeth's childhood history. That part of the story fascinated me. I also felt that the book brought back pieces of other books that King has written, making it a part of the larger universe that links his stories together.
-Perse's red robe, and the mentions of red throughout the story brought the Crimson King to mind. Could she be the Crimson King's consort, maybe?
-Perse speaking to Ilsa from the drains and toilet obviously brings IT to mind.
-Edgar's ability to create (and uncreate) through his art. King does this with every story he writes, but I kept thinking specifically of Peter Rickman from Kingdom Hospital and Patrick Danville from The Dark Tower series and Insomnia.
-Edgar's accident and injuries acting almost as a muse/catalyst for his artistic ability, as Peter Rickman's did, as King's own did, if you consider the shift his stories took after his accident. How the ability seemed to flow through him, but was not invented BY him. (Maybe I'm reading too much into this, but these are the things I was thinking of...)
-Wireman not only mentioning that he's a gunslinger, but actually being a gunslinger, if only temporarily. I have no doubt that had he made his way into that section of the SK Universe, he'd have found 5 missing members of his Ka-tet.
Anyway, I found much to love in this book, and I have a feeling it will become a favorite. I would highly recommend it.
I listened to this on audio, and I'm sure that lent something to the suspense, but I'm very glad that I did. (I downloaded from Audible, and each part was preceded by music that is creepy on its own. I'm not sure if the audio CD's are the same way.) Listening to this made me pace myself, and made sure that the build-up was properly built up. I have a tendency to speed-read when I get excited, when I know I hold something great in my hands and want to experience it as quickly as possible. I couldn't do this with the audio, and so the anticipation piled up until I had to finish, regardless of the fact that it's now 4:19a and I have to work tomorrow.
John Slattery's reading was just about perfect. He had this great tone, a feeling for the story, and a subtle way of lending personality to the characters that makes them come alive. King obviously gives him a lot to work with and build on, but I don't know if another reader would have done the book justice the way Slattery did. I could tell exactly who was speaking at all times, even before he got around to telling me who it was, yet he didn't make the characters HIS characters, if that makes sense. He just gave them life. His reading of Perse (this is how I'm assuming it's spelled, as I haven't seen it in print) gave me goosebumps, and I think will haunt me for a long time.
This book contained more than a few of the things that creep me out the most. But I couldn't stop listening. I loved the aspects of Elizabeth's childhood history. That part of the story fascinated me. I also felt that the book brought back pieces of other books that King has written, making it a part of the larger universe that links his stories together.
-Perse's red robe, and the mentions of red throughout the story brought the Crimson King to mind. Could she be the Crimson King's consort, maybe?
-Perse speaking to Ilsa from the drains and toilet obviously brings IT to mind.
-Edgar's ability to create (and uncreate) through his art. King does this with every story he writes, but I kept thinking specifically of Peter Rickman from Kingdom Hospital and Patrick Danville from The Dark Tower series and Insomnia.
-Edgar's accident and injuries acting almost as a muse/catalyst for his artistic ability, as Peter Rickman's did, as King's own did, if you consider the shift his stories took after his accident. How the ability seemed to flow through him, but was not invented BY him. (Maybe I'm reading too much into this, but these are the things I was thinking of...)
-Wireman not only mentioning that he's a gunslinger, but actually being a gunslinger, if only temporarily. I have no doubt that had he made his way into that section of the SK Universe, he'd have found 5 missing members of his Ka-tet.
Anyway, I found much to love in this book, and I have a feeling it will become a favorite. I would highly recommend it.
July 19, 2019
This one gave off a kind of Bag of Bones vibe – swell characterizations; engaging enough storyline; clunky foreshadowing; decent, but not thrilling, horror aspects; some puzzling plot turns and yet still another disappointing dispatching of a villain and what’s with the Slipknot hate, King?
I’m probably in the minority, but I like a lot of King’s more “sober” works and this one oddly makes a decent tandem read with Bag of Bones and, of all things, Maugham’s The Moon and the Sixpence.
Cuz it’s about painting and creativity and stuff, Jeff?
Well, yeah, Random Goodreader, but also because they all examine the process of the artist and where, in the sometimes dark recesses of the mind, the creative impetus for that particular muse gets pulled from. Plus, Bag of Bones mentions The Moon and the Sixpence a decent amount.
Also, Wireman is now a top ten King character and it's what drove the reading experience here: characters I gave a damn about.
This one isn’t on my Cuz Mah Fah says so shelf because she didn’t say so, but it very well could have ended up there if in fact, she “suggested” it.
I’m probably in the minority, but I like a lot of King’s more “sober” works and this one oddly makes a decent tandem read with Bag of Bones and, of all things, Maugham’s The Moon and the Sixpence.
Cuz it’s about painting and creativity and stuff, Jeff?
Well, yeah, Random Goodreader, but also because they all examine the process of the artist and where, in the sometimes dark recesses of the mind, the creative impetus for that particular muse gets pulled from. Plus, Bag of Bones mentions The Moon and the Sixpence a decent amount.
Also, Wireman is now a top ten King character and it's what drove the reading experience here: characters I gave a damn about.
This one isn’t on my Cuz Mah Fah says so shelf because she didn’t say so, but it very well could have ended up there if in fact, she “suggested” it.
October 23, 2024
Such a great storyteller. In a highly readable tale, the protagonist here is getting over trauma, adjusting to radically different conditions of existence, figuring out Act II, being open to friendship, exploring latent talent, and then, bravely facing evil and the supernatural when necessary.
3 1/2 stars.
3 1/2 stars.
August 27, 2025
I liked the Lovecraftian plot. A contractor, Edgar Freemantle loses his right hand in an accident. After his wife divorces him (he attacks her during a violent mood swing which is a result of the injuries suffered in the accident), he moves to a remote island in Florida called Duma Key to recuperate and paint (an old hobby). Some unknown force on the island drives Freemantle's creative side as a painter. In a few months time, Freemantle produces paintings of astonishing quality and the local art gallery becomes interested in his work. But there is a price to be paid to the dangerous and evil forces that bestowed Freemantle with this creative talent. I said the plot was Lovecraftian because I was reminded of the sculptor in Lovecraft's The Call of Cthulhu who is driven by weird dreams inspired by supernatural forces to create a truly grotesque looking sculpture.
It is meant to be a novel of place. But it never really works as one. King is too busy writing a mammoth novel with many fantasy and horror elements, many characters and flashbacks to really give us a look around Duma Key. He repeats things like "murmur of the seashells" and the awful stench (how trite!) in parts of the island and that's it.
Interesting characters include the talkative, boisterous (but sometimes irritatingly over the top) but ultimately tragic Wireman (who ought to be played by Jeff Bridges or Billy Connolly if Hollywood ever makes a movie based on this book). Edgar Freemantle must be among the best of King’s tortured leading men - his struggles to maintain his sanity right after the accident, described in the first few chapters of the book were touching and entertaining. But there are also many uninteresting characters like Freemantle’s family – the relationship between Freemantle and one of his daughters was schmaltzy and it takes up quite a bit of the novel.
Even though it is ultimately a horror novel, Duma Key is also about the nature of creativity and artistic endeavor. The two characters in the novel that are bestowed with the unique creative ability by the forces on the island have to go through traumatic incidents before they are able to create. I think King is trying to make the point that truly great artists are driven by terrible experiences which opens them up to dangerous and magical forces that while enhancing the quality of their output might also threaten to consume them. I am pretty sure that was the point he was trying to make.
It was an enjoyable read. But the last 150 pages or so has the formulaic epic Stephen King ending with the hero and his sidekicks containing the supernatural forces that somehow cannot seem to destroy normal humans. King has still got it. His books may be compared to films starring Clint Eastwood. You just know they would maintain a certain standard even when they are mini turkeys.
It is meant to be a novel of place. But it never really works as one. King is too busy writing a mammoth novel with many fantasy and horror elements, many characters and flashbacks to really give us a look around Duma Key. He repeats things like "murmur of the seashells" and the awful stench (how trite!) in parts of the island and that's it.
Interesting characters include the talkative, boisterous (but sometimes irritatingly over the top) but ultimately tragic Wireman (who ought to be played by Jeff Bridges or Billy Connolly if Hollywood ever makes a movie based on this book). Edgar Freemantle must be among the best of King’s tortured leading men - his struggles to maintain his sanity right after the accident, described in the first few chapters of the book were touching and entertaining. But there are also many uninteresting characters like Freemantle’s family – the relationship between Freemantle and one of his daughters was schmaltzy and it takes up quite a bit of the novel.
Even though it is ultimately a horror novel, Duma Key is also about the nature of creativity and artistic endeavor. The two characters in the novel that are bestowed with the unique creative ability by the forces on the island have to go through traumatic incidents before they are able to create. I think King is trying to make the point that truly great artists are driven by terrible experiences which opens them up to dangerous and magical forces that while enhancing the quality of their output might also threaten to consume them. I am pretty sure that was the point he was trying to make.
It was an enjoyable read. But the last 150 pages or so has the formulaic epic Stephen King ending with the hero and his sidekicks containing the supernatural forces that somehow cannot seem to destroy normal humans. King has still got it. His books may be compared to films starring Clint Eastwood. You just know they would maintain a certain standard even when they are mini turkeys.
October 22, 2025
I enjoyed this, you really felt the main character's emotions in the aftermath of a life altering event, the setting was very Gothic written 'Rebecca' vibes, overall just not a fave of his for a 5 x
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