Duma Key
Ratings108
Average rating3.8
This is probably my favorite book.
King made me feel so much with this one. Every emotion that he put to the page felt real and I really felt for the characters at all times. I cried and laughed the whole way through. I've heard that King doesn't do endings well, but that absolutely wasn't the case with Duma Key.
A completely satisfying read that I truly loved.
This had classic horror elements of Stephen King, but they were fewer than in previous books in my memory of Stephen King novels I have read in the past. Or at least that is the way I remember it. The relationships between the characters are very strong and the main characters are well developed. Many of the minor characters are well developed as well. The horror elements were well done without being limited to a defined type, ghost, demonic activity etc. Long and enjoyable read.
This is a book that I approached thinking that I wouldnt enjoy, based on the premise. Still, I heard it was good and so I gave it a go as I wait for Kings new book next month.
The book is in first person which most of the time I don't like, though there are exceptions, luckily this was one of them. King is such a good writer that I actually enjoyed the basic premise of Edgar painting eerie pictures that foretell the future and also have powers of their own.
The thing I did not enjoy was the fact that this is essentially a ghost story, which I wasn't aware of when I started reading. Now I am not keen on ghost stories, not because they are scary, because they rarely are, but because there always seems to be some element which seems too far out. In this book I didn't like how Edgar knew everything he was supposed to do and knew everything that had happened in the past.
My main problem with Duma Key is that it gradually built and built and got more intriguing and exciting as it went on...only to just drag and bore me with the final act. I was expecting an exciting conclusion to the story but in the end it didn't interest me much at all. If it had ended strongly then I would have given this an extra star but it let me down, unfortunately.
Duma Key is still a good book though, King has several good characters, the best being Wireman, and as always his writing is strong. Lovers of ghost stories will absolutely love this book.
Reread has changed my opinion on this, I think the first 70% is extremely slow and I'm honestly kinda surprised 14 year old me liked it so much. But the character stuff was really good and I think the last 30% was very good. Still a good King book, but not in my top ten, muchacho.
Solid reread. Though the mystery from the past isn't all that memorable to me, the modern-day events land powerfully and disturbingly. Also, one of my favorite settings from King. Florida Keys!
Precise rating: 3.5 ⭐
I really didn't remember a lot from my first reading. This book was toooo long. And less special than I remembered. I liked the characters, but King tried a bit too hard making Wireman this cool dude with the awesome lines.
Favorite Excerpt
I hugged her again. “Go on. Check in. Buy magazines. Watch CNN. Fly well.”
“All right, Daddy. It was amazing.”
“You're amazing.”
She gave me a hearty smack on the mouth–to make up for the one her mother had held back on, perhaps–and went in through the sliding doors. She turned back once and waved to me, by then little more than a girl-shape behind the polarized glass. I wish with all my heart that I could have seen her better, because I never saw her again.