Duma Key

A Novel

By: Stephen King

Narrated by: John Slattery

Length: 21 hrs

Publisher's summary

Winner of the 2009 Audie Award for Fiction

A terrible accident takes Edgar Freemantle's right arm and scrambles his memory and his mind, leaving him with little but rage as he begins the ordeal of rehabilitation. When his marriage suddenly ends, Edgar begins to wish he hadn't survived his injuries. He wants out. His psychologist suggests a new life distant from the Twin Cities, along with something else:

"Edgar, does anything make you happy?"
"I used to sketch."
"Take it up again. You need hedges...hedges against the night."

Edgar leaves for Duma Key, an eerily undeveloped splinter of the Florida coast. The sun setting into the Gulf of Mexico calls out to him, and Edgar draws. Once he meets Elizabeth Eastlake, a sick old woman with roots tangled deep in Duma Key, Edgar begins to paint, sometimes feverishly; many of his paintings have a power that cannot be controlled. When Elizabeth's past unfolds and the ghosts of her childhood begin to appear, the damage of which they are capable is truly devastating.

The tenacity of love, the perils of creativity, the mysteries of memory, and the nature of the supernatural: Stephen King gives us a novel as fascinating as it is gripping and terrifying.

©2008 Stephen King (P)2008 Simon and Schuster, Inc.

Captivating

Vintage Stephen King. Great character development. Also, I love how he manages to show how two male characters can feel love in a close friendship without feeling threatened. It did take a while to develop, as others have noted, but John Slattery's narration made the wait enjoyable. His subtle changes in accent, tone, and pace made the characters come alive.

I listened to this during my horrible daily commute, and at night, I found myself sitting in my car with the engine off, listening to just a bit more before going inside the house.

I'm so sad its over.

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes, this book should not be missed by anybody.

Any additional comments?

This gripping tale has both, incredible triumph and amazing tragedy. Loved it, and i miss it already.

A sense of place...

I discovered Steven King a few years ago when a friend gave me his book "On Writing" I was so impressed I went out and read one of his books. I'm hooked, but Duma , especially the first half, is one of my favorites. I loved the characters and the sense of place he creates. I even see the art. The last third has some scary parts. I could live without them. I even wasted a bit of gas because I did not want to stop driving and listening.

Solid story, exceptional narration

This book is a fantastic listen for two reasons. First, the development of the main character is deftly unfolded by Stephen King. Edgar Freemantle feels real and while I felt sorry for him at the start I quickly found myself cheering him on as puts himself back together on Duma Key.

Second, the narration. John Slattery expertly conveys all the nuances of the text especially Edgar's dialog. The reading borders on dramatization but in a good way.

4 out of 5

Loved it

This was a terrific read. I will admit that on first glance I wasn't that attracted to the concept. A one-armed protagonist who had just been through a horrifying accident? Rehabilitation via painting? Florida?

But my hesitation was completely unwarranted. I thorougly enjoyed this book. King is a master storyteller. While I suppose this would be considered a "horror" novel, the horror angles were pretty tame by Stephen King standards and should not put anyone off. Rather it is mostly just a great story and often very insightful, sweet, and funny too.

Go ahead and try it - you will enjoy it very much.

Amazing Narration, Okay story

This is one of those audiobooks that makes me glad that I listen to audiobooks. If I were to have read this story instead of listening to it, I would have rated it about a 3 or a 3.5. The narration is what makes this audiobook so special.

King does a great job with many elements in the story, and I especially like how he uses the speech impairment, but the ending felt a little cheap.

Not king's best, but the narration more than makes up for it.

Fantastic King

Loved it, loved it, loved it. It's been awhile since I've 'read' a Stephen King audiobook and I wonder now why I waited so long. The hardest part was dealing with the disappointment when I had to stop listening and go to work or go to bed. This is a great story with engaging characters brought to life in King's words and the captivating voice of a very talented narrator. He read King perfectly. I am already looking for my next fix of both.

The Mature King

Stephen King just keeps getting better. Less gore and more characterization in every book. His words and structure are pure poetry here. I loved the nods to John D. McDonald, particularly the shambling side-kick who steals the show from the main character. I will never forget Wireman.

Better Heard Than Read

The narrator of this story was excellent and made a good read into a great listen!

King's career best

This is probably a career best for Stephen King. This one goes back to classic King with undertones from "Shining", "Bag of Bones", and "Green Mile". It also has the best of his horrors of horrors-- scared the bejesus out of me. I can even visualize "Jack" (Nicholson) playing Edgar. The surrealism of King's recent works is toned way down, although it is still there; and his use of painting and art as a backdrop (reminiscent of "Stationary Bike") adds an interesting dimension. Certainly a must read for King fans.