Duma Key

A Novel

By: Stephen King

Narrated by: John Slattery

Winner of the 2009 Audie Award for Fiction

Master storyteller Stephen King’s classic, terrifying #1 New York Times bestseller of what happens when the barrier between our world and that of the supernatural is breached.

After a terrible construction site accident severs Edgar Freemantle’s right arm, scrambles his mind, and implodes his marriage, the wealthy Minnesota builder faces the ordeal of rehabilitation, all alone and full of rage. Renting a house on Duma Key—a stunningly beautiful and eerily undeveloped splinter off the Florida coast—Edgar slowly emerges from his prison of pain to bond with Elizabeth Eastlake, a sick, elderly woman whose roots are tangled deep in this place. And as he heals, he paints—feverishly, compulsively, his exploding talent both a wonder and a weapon. For Edgar’s creations are not just paintings, but portals for the ghosts of Elizabeth’s past…and their power cannot be controlled…©2008 Stephen King; (P)2008 Simon and Schuster, Inc.

Typical King

Hard to believe that I've been reading Stephen King for twenty-five years, but there it is. I started with "Pet Sematary" and have read 90% of what he's written since. Does that make me a King "expert"? A dubious distinction . . .
Characterization is King's strong suit. Horror or fantasy or straight fiction -- it doesn't matter. His characters stick with you. King's ability to make us identify with his stock every-day-sort-of-guy main character represents his greatest strength as a writer. You'll like Freemantle and Wireman. You could have a beer with them. (You'll recognize Freemantle from Mike Noonan in "Bag of bones." Twins separated at birth, maybe?)

You'll also recognize King's typical build-up. Normal guy in unusual circumstances finds himself confronted with ambiguous monster out to get him (and his family) for unknown reasons. The foreplay is always more exciting that the actual act. Just like in "Dreamcatcher", King has trouble in this book moving from the heavily foreshadowed bogeyman to the real-life campaign to kill it. (Where do his monsters ever come from anyway? Do they ever have a history?) The exposition is quality, like something out of "The Stand" or "Hearts in Atlantis", but the ending melts into cheesiness, like a chapter from "Salem's Lot."

As an English teacher, I have a running row with my colleagues about whether or not King writes literature or trash. My argument has always been that he writes both. Most people don't realize that he's behind "The Shawshank Redemption" or "Stand by Me", or that his story "The Man in Black" won 1st place a few years back in "The Best American Short Story." (Ok, maybe that was a marketing ploy. But any guy who churns out a book a year, at least, is using the "win sometimes lose sometimes" strategy.) In this book he wins and loses. Great characterization and build up, unsatisfying hackneyed ending.

Raves!

I listened twice! Not only is the story perfectly Stephen King at his best, but the narrator nailed the interpretation and kept me interested. Loved it.

A joy!

Oh yea! Listened to it non-stop, ignoring friends, family and commitments. Post-hit-by-a-truck King at his best. I loved it. (One criticism - The main character was one well rounded , well educated building contractor... perhaps unrealistically so? Just something that I noticed..) (One compliment - "I became good friends with Robin Mead" Wow - That sentence conveys in a few words what it would take some people a chapter. I had to stop and write it down. I've been there myself and that was a true ROTFL moment for me if there ever was one. *probably not an exact quote*)

Good Old King

Any additional comments?

Stephen was my favorite author for many years and I read everything he wrote up through the early 90's until I started to get burnt out. In just the last few months I have started listening to some of his newer works like, "The Dome", which was great, and, "11-22-63", which was a little too long but still good. Both were more along the sci-fy genre which was okay for me but not the SK I'm used to. Duma Key reminded me of how good the old SK, scary books were, the writing was smart and believable. The minds unlimited depth is always the most interesting wonder of the universe and King has such an undeniable way of making this evident in his books. The narrative was good and the characters were destinguishable.

I don't write many reviews

Among the nearly 100 audio books I have listened to, this is one of the very best. The ending is certainly not your mundane feel good ending but King seldom ends his books that way. I have read or listened to almost everything King has done and this along with some of the Dark Tower series are his best. Don't pay any attention to reviewers that try to write like literary critics-buy this book and get ready for a great ride.

The narrator adds immensely to the book itself. I found myself feeling like some of the characters are people I wish I had as my personal friends. Jerome Wireman was the best and I will truly miss him.