Duma Key: A Novel

When I first started this book I knew it was special. I’ve read maybe 25 Stephen King books over the last year or so.

He always has the same character with different names, this time “Wireman.” He must be a really good friend of Mr. King’s.

Anyhow, I loved the beginning and then when he SPOILER

started painting and was selling his art it was the most inspirational thing I’ve read maybe ever!

There were small cues throughout the story that I may not have paid enough attention to, but in all fairness, they ARE rather cryptic. “HOW TO PAINT A PICTURE”

I wish I would’ve spent more time reading those sections. The end would’ve made a lot more sense.

All in all one of Mr. King’s finest. I really like the “ESP” or “Psychic” portions. I think that is what drew me into his material in the beginning. After reading , “The Institute,” I was hooked. I thought to myself, “He gets it!”

It’s unfortunate we live in a society that either doesn’t believe in the supernatural. It’s actually a large portion of the human experience.

A lot of people are willing to believe in miracles and a savior that was resurrected and exorcized demons , but will not even try to understand the “occult.”

Ahh... what can I say about Duma Key, other than it being an extraordinary experience, a literary breath of fresh air, a masterpiece of color and texture without any actual paint being used. I guess there are some people out there who think it's boring or long and not horror (what? you won't mind if this happens to you?) but I instantaneously felt a bond with the book and I can say that I absolutely loved it! The writing itself was so colorful and interesting that I enjoyed each and every page, there was in no rush to get to the ending by any means, but I did like the end, it matched the enigmatic feel of the story and it had a lush, tropical feel to it but it was tainted by something dark and eerie and quite frankly very creepy because it was deadly and corroded with rot. This was an artsy book which took the art rush to a new level, the characters affected by the story could have never imagined their demise and whether they believed in it or not, it was coming. I was attracted to this book right away, partially because of the cover; it always begged to be read and as an artist it touched my sensors in ways that kept me thinking of it often so I finally had to sit down and read it and also because one of my best friends started reading it and I had to follow suit so we could enjoy and discuss it together, it was a real treat to read it at the same time and marvel at the unfolding story.

Edgar Freemantle is a handicapped man who moves to a mythical island of Duma Key, a place that doesn't exist in reality but seems more real than half the vacation spots I've been in. He rents an eccentric salmon colored house in the outskirts close to the water and starts painting with his remaining arm, paintings that change his life - at first for the better but later he realizes that his new found gift is very hungry, and it hungers for things most precious to him. His recovery seems to progress until he starts feeling his missing arm while at the same time strange storms are coming to the island and things that shouldn't be real are happening, Edgar knows that his paintings have more power and meaning than he could have ever imagined and it's up to him to solve the mystery that has enshrouded Duma Key for generations and left many skeletons during it's reign. The story jumps off the cliff with an appearance of a ship on the horizon, Edgar knows that it's not good news, something strange and deadly is on that ship and the closer it gets to him during the stronger the storms around him and his loved ones grow. Even stranger is the sudden deep hold on his sudden artistic talents and the results are quite shocking, but hey they make for great reading. After reading it I can safely say that it's one of my favorite books ever, I even got the hard cover version so I could have the full dust jacket with it's glorious art to see while I read the paperback and carried it with me everywhere. This might not be for everyone, but that's totally fine with me, I loved it and it made an impact on me.

This story is like an exotic fruit bowl, gorgeous from every angle and full of mouth watering rainbow of flavors. The characters in this tale are extremely realistic, from the kooky and zany to the mysterious and deadly, each plays a part that paints such a grand picture that the more I think about it the more I feel the need to read it again, just to dip back into that pool of "AAAhhhhhh.." it creates.. It's really hard to explain but this book was marvelous and it made a bond with my imagination, one that will stay with me for a long time. There is plenty of original mystery and horror and love and growth combined with struggles and some deaths, it all paints a picture worth thousands of words, one that I could stare at forever.

• Kasia S.

A novel of love, loss, grief, and the repercussions of a life changing event wrapped up in a blanket of art, mystery, rediscovery, friendship and family on a mysterious Florida Key. Outstanding! 🙌🏻

Edgar Freemantle is a well to do construction mogul in Minnesota when a tragic accident leaves him disabled with a cracked skull, memory loss, anger, and a missing arm. After his wife leaves him, he uproots his life for a year to move to Duma Key, FL where he discovers he can paint. Voraciously. He soon finds out that Duma Key and his rental home “Big Pink,” is unlike any other place.

This was such a fantastic book! I’m blown away with the descriptions of Florida. The way King describes the Gulf Coast, you would know he’s spent a significant amount of time there. It was beautiful, atmospheric, and very Florida! While Duma Key itself is fictional, it’s location is close to Sarasota, just over the bridge, where there are actual Keys and Duma is depicted so perfectly. I love books that rely on location just as much as characters and Duma Key was an enigma all on its own.

King outdoes himself with the relationships in this book! I LOVED Ms. Eastlake. Daughter of the Godfather, Elizabeth Eastlake was such a spunky old woman with her own bit of mystery and I very much enjoyed her parts. It hit home her having Alzheimer’s. The highlight of this book though was Wireman and Edgar’s friendship and connection. There relationship was almost this instinctual friendship that budded out of practically nowhere and it was such a delight to read. “𝘈𝘪𝘯’𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵, 𝘮𝘶𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘰.”

King builds up the suspense slowly but in true King fashion with expansive imagery, extraordinary characters with significant back stories, eerie undertones, and a supernatural twist that was done so impeccably I’m just in awe of this book. I also LOVED the incorporation of art in this novel. Not only is it just mentioned or the act taken on by our MC, but the expression that IS art and how it makes you feel was portrayed throughout this novel so vividly and I think it very much carried the story as well. Memories are powerful things and this book will certainly stay with me long after I finished the last page. This one tugged on my heartstrings several times throughout. The audiobook narration by John Slattery is highly recommended as he did a superb job with all the characters!

Quotes I loved:

“That’s the essence. The essence of Duma. Why those who live there awhile can never really leave. Even if their heads carry their bodies away, their hearts stay. “ Elizabeth Eastlake while looking at Roses Grow from Shells (a painting by Edgar Freemantle)

“‘Pain is the biggest power of love.’ That’s what Wireman said.”

“I was married to a Mexican lassy and I know jealousy, both are hot and indigestible. It’s normal. Like a startle reflex.”

“Do the day and let the day do you!” - Wireman

“Edgar and Duma, Duma and Edgar, it’s like they were waiting for each other.”

As an author of Florida-themed novels myself, I was curious to see how Stephen King would write about the region. As a longtime fan of this fascinating author, I found his take on life in the warm climes of Florida was indeed delightful and insightful.

In my opinion, King is one author who can write in first-person without boring you with "I this and I that" type dialogue, which he did with Duma Key. He is also a master at painting vivid pictures of his characters, so that you literally see them as you are reading, which only draws you deeper into the story, as if you are a part of it.

Edgar Freemantle, the main character of the novel, is one interesting dude, even with only one arm to call his own. Halfway through the book, I found myself reminiscing about Pet Semetary, another of his brilliant novels, because of the way the story twisted into a similar theme of bringing dead things to life...or the opposite, if he so chose.

I have a feeling that King's memories of his own brush with death several years back had a lot to do with this story on Duma Key. What goes on in Edgar's head regarding his missing limb is just too "right on" not to have come from a similar personal experience.

More often than not, when bad things happen to people the experience is like being reborn, if you can keep your head screwed on straight without going insane. Suddenly, you have no choice but to re-evaluate your life, and even though you may have lost something or someone near and dear to your heart, at the same time you gain another perspective, or in Edgar's case, a new career and a new passion; making do with what you have and doing it brilliantly, for a little while, at least. I think that's what King was trying to portray throughout this story, even though Edgar's paintings had ulterior motives.

"Artistic types aren't morning people", Edgar is quoted as saying more than once in this book, which made me wonder about myself. I'm a huge morning person, often getting up at four or five in the morning...but then, I don't consider myself artistic in the sense of a painter. Maybe it's the creative writers who are the ones getting up before the chickens. Hmmm...I may have to disagree with King here.

Elizabeth Eastlake, although portrayed as just a senile old woman who wore big blue sneakers in the beginning of the book, morphed into an icon toward the middle part of the story, and I fell in love with her, much the same as Edgar and her caretaker Wireman did.

One of King's revelations in the book that I thought was excellent: "How to Draw a Picture - Be brave. Don't be afraid to draw the secret things. No one said art was always a zephyr; sometimes it's a hurricane."

Okay...I wrote all of the above at the halfway point of the book...or thereabouts. What happens on the backside of halfway is what gave me nightmares (by the way...that's a compliment to King, bless his pointy little head). They weren't boogeyman nightmares, but nightmares about my own personal demons, if you can understand that, and they came in rapid fire succession, one after the other, keeping me awake for hours one night.

King doesn't disappoint his readers who thrive on the supernatural, the eerie, the unexplained...he trumps it up in grand style towards the end of the book.

And yes, if you're wondering, it's extremely difficult to put this book down once you get into it, because the suspense keeps building...chapter after chapter. After a while, I couldn't turn the pages fast enough. I wanted to get to the ending.

And what an ending it was! Heart-wrenching at a certain point. Dang! What an imagination King has been blessed with!

The moral of the story, or at least one moral that I grasped from reading this book - should you be of the mindset that all books must have an underlying message - is that it's okay to emulate your idols, whether you're a writer, a painter, a musician, or whatever floats your creative boat, but do it with your own voice and draw from your own experiences. That's what will make you stand out and be an original artiste. Whether King did this intentionally or not, only he can answer, but that's how I interpreted it...once I reached the halfway point, that is. The back end of the book is just pure King brilliance, as usual; crazy, unbelievable, suspenseful and just plain enjoyable reading.

An excellent read, even if you're not a King fan.

I have read most of King's books, and have liked more better than others. But, I think that Duma Key maybe my favorite.

I have read both the paperback and listened to the audio version (twice). Both are excellent, but in this case I prefered to read the story in my own voice in my own head. I found the story to be particularly absorbing. I read a lot, and have read a lot of books as a result, and I have found that my ability to get lost in a story has declined as I have gotten older. I have also found that my threshold for what I consider a "good" author and a "good" story has gotten much higher. Duma Key was the first book in a very long time that I got utterly lost in - in the stay up way to late without realizing it and listening to it while in the car, the gym, work, home, cleaning and even grocery shopping when my audio books are usually limited to gym and bathtub time.

I will say again as I have said in other reviews of King's book, but King's ability to create such real and down to earth characters continually amazes me. They leap off the page, they walk and talk and think and feel and I do all those things with them, every step of the way. From the very begining, I get to know these characters and care about them. He writes his characters with realism and sympathy while at the same time drawing no line and never stopping short. Every flaw and shortcoming is expressed as deeply as every virtue.

Some reviewers found that the plot of the story degenerated into the bizzarre and the crazy. Maybe it does, but I stayed on that ride until the end and loved every minute of it, and every minute seemed as realistic and real to me as the moment before. One of the things I like most about King as an author is he is not afraid to delve into the bizzarre and the crazy. He takes me places and into worlds and realms that no other author would or even could even if such things occured to them. One of my favorite books of his in the Langoliers, completely unrealistic and bizzarre, but I've read and listened to the audio version of that story over and over. No other author I've read writes the stories King writes. So, while the book does take a turn into the truly weird, trust me its worth the ride.

I also especially enjoyed Duma Key in that it was set in Florida. I have never been to florida, and have never lived on the beach, but I felt like I was THERE, with the sun and the ocean, sand under my feet and wind in my hair. And, the main characters has lost an arm, and the ways in which he has to compensate and function, what he feels and how he forgets and then remembers, is all made so real I feel like I might actually know now what it is like to lose a limb. This and other things like it from Duma Key have stayed with me long after I've put it down and keep me coming back. I am actually on here today to order the Kindle rendition so I can always have it available when ever I want to return.

I'm a pretty huge Stephen King fan, dating back to about 1979, when I first read THE SHINING. I've stuck with him through some poor times (THE DARK HALF & NEEDFUL THINGS) and certainly enjoyed the high points. DUMA KEY falls somewhere in the middle of the batch. It has some wonderful writing...aside from the story...King's ability to describe a situation (like an artist's first time gallery -opening) or a feeling (the frustration of learning to live with only one arm) is near its height. The settings and tone of the book are well-crafted and you'll have no trouble immersing yourself in the place, time, weather, etc.

Yet it also fails on a surprising level. It simply isn't all that good of a story of the supernatural.

The book starts off well enough...in fact, it's gripping for quite awhile. We meet Edgar Freemantle, a wealthy and highly successful commercial builder in the Detroit area. He's married, has two nearly grown daughters and generally is the American personified. One day, he is horribly injured in an accident with a large crane. Edgar is nearly killed, but survives...minus one arm and with some significant brain damage which leaves him struggling to remember words and seething with anger when he can't express himself. His wife can't take it after awhile, and leaves him. She also leaves him feeling suicidal...but Edgar's physician convinces him to find a nice area to relocate to and to take up something he's always been interested in...but never pursued...painting.

Edgar takes his broken body and spirit to Duma Key, Florida. This little island has a few homes on it, but is remarkably free from development. Near Tampa, it sits right on the gulf, and Edgar is moved by its beauty, and in relative solitude, he begins to work on healing his body. His mind also begins to stitch itself back together and finally does begin to draw and paint. And wouldn't you know it, Edgar is an amazing talent. You'd almost think his work was being guided by another hand...it's so remarkable and strange.

Much of DUMA KEY barely touches on the supernatural. Yet it is always just there. Edgar's stunning artistic skills CAN'T be all innate, can they? The whispering of the waves over the shells under Edgar's house can't just be random sounds, can they? And the strange behavior of his very elderly neighbor Elizabeth Eastlake can't JUST be dementia, can it? Edgar develops a close friendship with Ms. Eastlake's caretaker, a retired lawyer named Wireman, who is also on Duma Key to overcome personal and physical trauma. The two men form a quick bond. Which is good, because things are about to get very strange on Duma Key, and they'll need each other.

I was disappointed when the supernatural elements of the book began to come to the forefront, expecting something more than what to me was a rather lame ghost story. The primary "villain" of the supernatural crew in this book is only sketchily explained, and her powers, while significant...seem to be only partially thought-out by King. He actually doesn't seem to have a full handle on what sort of creature he's concocted. I kept waiting for something to click home, for a puzzle piece to fall into place...but I was left unsatisfied. And much of the spooky stuff is explained through a somewhat awkward device of flashing back through first the memories of Elizabeth as a girl and then through Edgar's artwork. I felt like we were still being given exposition as the book was 30 pages from its conclusion. I don't have problems with flashbacks as a concept at all...but I felt like almost no NEW information was being discovered in the present. All our "heroes" have to do is figure out what happened in the past, and then do a couple of things to fix them.

Also (and I've complained about this before), King has concocted yet another hero who is an artist. I am so tired of this. Here we have painter. LISEY'S STORY gave us a writer. CELL had a graphic novelist. THE SHINING had a writer. THE DARK HALF had a writer. Even THE DARK TOWER series, it could be argued, all stemmed from a writer. I understand that King understands the lot of an artist better than most...but he also has an imagination, and could surely craft more heroes from non-artistic cloth. Heck, Stu Redman from THE STAND worked at a gas station!

Finally, the character of Edgar's friend Wireman is simply not convincing. He peppers his speech with frequent Spanish words...primarily "muchacho." I don't know too many Spanish-speakers who toss that word around in every other sentence. He's a nearly perfectly sensitive friend...never taking a misstep, always ready with sound advice and a glass of iced green tea. It's a nice concept...but I never was able to quite wrap my mind around him as an actual person.

Fortunately, the other character's King creates are vintage. Edgar's daughters are concisely and specifically drawn. His troubled ex-wife is well done. Elizabeth Eastlake's delicate hold on sanity are well-rendered.

In the end, I recommend the book. It is very long, but it is full of great King touches. He is a very good writer, after all. This makes his stumbles seem more like full-blown falls...but it's okay, because he hops back up, brushes off the dust, and moves forward again. My biggest complaint is that in this book, what he moves towards is not that great. A lot of the tone of the book reminded me of King's BAG OF BONES. If you liked that book (I wasn't nuts about it)...you should really like DUMA KEY.

My familiarity with the area of Florida where this book is set made it all the more enjoyable. Nonetheless, as with every King book I have read, the characters are the stars. I became so invested in what was taking place with them — even the more minor ones — that I could not wait to find out how the story would end. This is one of the truly creepy King books, too, with a very strong supernatural element. It was a bit scary at times. It never ceases to amaze me that he can come up with such intricately woven plots that keep you guessing.