Duma Key

I can’t remember one specific reason that kept me from reading Stephen King’s novels until Duma Key. And the odd thing is what had processed me to want to read Duma Key after Bag of Bones (‘98) is something beyond comprehension. I should have left it at there. Duma Key was a bit of disappointment, in my opinion it shouldn’t be, knowing King is the author—once a big fan of his.

The story begins with a flat note, it starts to kick in (just a tiny weeny little bit) where Edgar strangled a dying dog with his invisible hand. I only began to see where the story was heading when Edgar painted Illy’s boyfriend before he knew his existence. Call me slow, call me illiterate or whatever but I just didn’t get the plot until page 88 or so. In all honesty, if this book was written by an “unknown” author I’d have stuffed this book in the cylinder and dumped it in Lake Phalen. But because it was King, I persevered and eagerly anticipated for more goose skin effects. Sadly, I was let down a few times along the way. It’s definitely not a page turner even though the plot thickens (again, a tiny bit) moments before Elizabeth Eastlake kicked the bucket (p. 499) where Illy and her could see faces in the water in Edgar’s Girl and Ship No. 8 picture. Thereafter, Edgar, Wireman, and Jack began to hunt for that ghost.

It’s a 769-page book and to have readers (maybe it’s only me) read through 60% of the book before getting some goosebumps, it’s just not fair! We are talking about mystery/thriller book, right? If I’d to use metaphor to describe the book, I’d have to say it’s like rollerblading on children playground. Should one fall, he is cushioned not by his gears but the cushy ground. Now you may wonder why I bothered to finish the book despite the unadventurous terrain I described.

Thank goodness for the audio book I borrowed from the library. If it wasn’t for John Slattery excellent voice over, I’d probably have taken a month to finish the book and might have forgotten half of the characters in the book along the way. FYI: For those who think this book is good, you don’t know King’s crafty talent until you read The Shinning, Misery, and Carrie. I beg you every strand of your hair stands throughout.

Duma Key

How Does this Book Fare as a:

• Renter: Yes.
• Borrower: Yes.
• Buyer: No. Well, not for this book in my opinion. You’re better off buying King’s earlier works as mentioned above. And who knows, they might become classic.
• Gift: Yes. Especially to SK fans.
• Audio Book: Definitely worth it. As I said earlier, John Slattery did a great job. I didn’t expect him to manage the various accents effortlessly.

Overall Rating On Duma Key: 3½ stars.