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.

Best narrated book I've ever listened too!

Would you listen to Duma Key again? Why?

I already have at least once. It's narrated by John Slattery of Mad Men. He does such an incredible job at enriching the story and bringing the characters to life. I've been looking for similar books by him but have not had the same luck as Duma Key. In addition to the narration, the story is fascinating and original. I love the suspense, build up and eventually how King wrapped it all up. King also did a good job to not make horror the main focus of this. You're just as invested in Edgar Freemantle's progress as you are the demons he faces. Give it a listen.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Wireman.. He was great. I should try to live a little more like Wireman does everyday.

Have you listened to any of John Slattery’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I haven't found another one that interests me. But I would love for him to do more!

What can I say - It's a King book

I've never been a "super-fan" of King's books but have always enjoyed them. He is certainly a master of creating characters you can totally relate to and come to love - in fact they often seem to come alive. For me, a story is nothing if I don't care about the characters. He then takes those characters and puts them into a torrent of bizarre/supernatural activity.

This book is no different. In fact, for me it has a lot of similarities to "Bag of Bones" which I completely loved. While I don't think this one was quite as good overall, it's right up there.

Definitely get it and give it a listen.

Loved Duma Key

This was a great book, one of Kings best. It kept me wanting more! The narrator was amazing and very engaging. It is a thriller full of suspense. Every time I thought I knew what was going to happen, there was a twist. For me this was a unexpected 5 star book.

Very Good

Though I typically shy away from King, I really enjoyed this book. Characters are very compelling and the story has some good twists. Caution to those that are sensitive to explicit language.

A must read!!

Awesome. Stephen King lives!! This novel screams to be made into a movie. We can only hope it lands the right director!

Great book!

It kept me interested the whole way through! I think you'll like it a lot.

Re-reading all Stephen King's Books

I listen to a lot of books and have recently decided to re-read all of King's books. He is one of my favorite authors with a gift for bringing the characters to life. His audio book of "The Green Mile" is still my favorite, and my family's favorite, as we listened to it on a roadtrip once and had to sit in the car and listen to the rest of the story, after we had arrived at our destination. Frank Muller did a fantastic job reading this awesome and unusual story.

I read Duma Key years ago, as a hard cover book, but just finished the audio version of this story and loved it. The story was captivating and the characters very individualized and exciting. It's wonderful that all of Mr. King's books are now available in an audio format and the stories seem so new in this format. Diggin' it. A credit well spent.

Slattery nails it

I got lucky with my very first audiobook (Gerald’s game, borrowed from my local library’s audiobook catalogue) which had a flawless performance. Since then it’s been mostly miss, with this one being a rare hit. Of course, the story is great too! Personally I think it’s one of King’s better books.

It’s my first audible book, I am very happy with my free trial!

Wonderfully read

I could see the people and places just like I was there with them. Wonderful book Mr. King. I would listen again and again.

Overall Worth The Time

A bit long and wordy, but overall a good listen. I never fell asleep. I liked the character development and how everything came together in the end. Worth the time!!!