 2008-11-30 - will the real Stephen King please stand up?
I tried, I really tried. I wanted to like this, but couldn't stand it any longer after 450 pages and no terror. Stephen King has gone from being the master of horror to attempting to be literary. The only problem is he has done so at the expense of the story. He takes 700 pages to tell a 400 page story. I won't go into plot and character, the other reviewers have already done so. I just long for the colorful, atmospheric, thrill days of "Salem's Lot". Don't tell me you are going to nail me to my chair with terror and suspense, then make me wade through 400 plus pages of development before you even attempt it.
I've got nothing against literary if it's done right and the story keeps moving along. Example; "Tethered" by Amy McKinnon (the best novel I've read this year).
I think Mr King wants to be the James Michener of horror writers (50 pages of descriptive narrative, 10 pages of story) That just doesn't work for me.
 2008-11-26 - King at his highest level of literary mastery
This was my first Stephen King novel. Since reading it, I have backtracked to read his earlier works, only to find that "Duma Key" is among his best-written and most mature novel. The novel had me from the first page; I read it in three days (250+ pages a day!)
I rarely include comprehensive plot descriptions. I'll only say that the main character has a horrible accident and that the riveting first-person account of his recovery kept me hypnotized. His recovery in Florida gives King a chance to display his skills with scintillating tropical imagery: after shutting the book on the first day, I was able to feel the Duma wind on my face, taste the salt floating in the air, feel the coarse undergrowth of strangler figs and sea oats beneath my feet. Literally, this novel has the most masterfully crafted and detailed world I've ever read.
Though the plot takes its time with events and secrets, the style and atmosphere kept me hooked, as well as the promise of being taken on a ride by horror's premier talent. King gradually pulls back the curtain to reveal that Duma is not a barren island; actually, it's a setting saturated with Gothic secrets, dark entities, and a sunset with deadly potential hidden behind its blood-colored surface.
King sucker-punches us with some surprise twists in the last part of the book and manages to pull off an artistic ending without a "deus ex machina" thrown into the mix (i.e. a meteor hitting Duma Key, the novel's setting).
The villain doesn't appear in person until later, though the antagonist's influence is evident from the early chapters.
I know everyone has different tastes, but I couldn't recommend this book more highly to anyone who can't afford the airfare to Florida in this economy. Even if you can afford it, the book still has a lot to offer. An excellent read, absolute 5 stars.
 2008-11-25 - King's getting too big for his books
I read all of King's earlier work, but his last few books have been really bad. In Duma Key, the most hilarious part was Reba the Anger Management Doll. But here's the really irritating stuff:
#1. This theme of evil white men being horrible to Black women - Been there, Done That with Bag of Bones already.
#2. King breaks the story no less than 7 times (if I remember correctly) to give his hateful political opinions. How many times can he cram the point "George Bush is an idiot" into a book that has nothing to do with politics? Are you freaking kidding me?
#3. The Spanish slang was irritating coming from Wireman.
#4. The Father-in-Law is described as a white, conservative, ex-military man. Then he is painted as a racist and given bowel cancer. King writes "that's catching around white a**holes" - GIVE ME A BREAK! PLEEEEASE.
#5. The plot is not good. Somehow King used to be able to make readers believe in his wild plots -- but I ended up laughing at the china doll and frogs.
#6. It seems like Elizabeth Eastlake should have been more central to the story...it seems like she WAS the story, but got treated as a backseat passenger.
#7. King's constant, non-stop, never-ending references to music nobody younger than 50 recognizes. It gets old.
#8. The nonstop profanity. This was even worse in Lisey's Story. When I was 18 and reading his older works, it didn't seem to bother me. But now it's so gratuitous it's annoying. Either King is leaning too heavily on the profanity, or I've finally grown up and find it distracting.
2008-11-25 - A Masterpiece
Duma Key isn't a single story. It's a combination of two intermingled (and inseparable) tales, each drastically different from the other.
The first story is a typical King concept; a sinister, far-reaching force and its effects on the protagonists. This tale, while impressive in execution and extremely interesting, isn't so great compared to King's pure-horror works (Pet Sematary, The Shinning, Gerald's Game, Misery, Bag of Bones, etc.).
The other story isn't supernatural at all. Instead, it focuses on the everyday life of Edgar Freemantle, a man who has lost his arm and suffered brain damage in a crippling accident. His family life is in shambles, he's no longer interested in his work, and he contemplates suicide. At the urging of his doctor, Edgar moves to Florida, hoping the change would help him get on with his life.
Day by day, we watch as Edgar extends his long and painful beach walks, meets new people, and communicates with his family and the folks from his "previous life". The recurring theme of King's books (that art and creativity can have a healing effect) mingles with the horror story, creating a disturbing mix in which art can both mend and kill.
The book truly comes alive during dialogue. Edgar's friendship with Wireman, his dealings with his ex-wife, his interaction with his daughters, and the conversations he has with miss Eastlake, all feel like they were taken straight out of real life. As always, there is a small caste of main characters and a large number of supporting characters, and each and every one of them leaves an impression in the reader's mind. For example, even a passing comment that Bozeman would hate knowing Edgar calls him "Bozie" gives us great insight into the personality of an unimportant character - King effectively makes us believe that, even though he's irrelevant to the story, Bozie is still an actual human being with a real life.
I could go on writing praise for Duma Key, but I think you get the picture. Honest advice: buy this book. It doesn't matter if you love King or if you hate him, this book is a masterpiece that will appeal to most book lovers.
 2008-11-24 - From Castle Rock to Florida...
King goes to show that no locale is safe. He doesn't need an icy Maine or snowy Colorado town to bring the dread. Even the sunny climes of Florida aren't safe. This tale, true to the author, are just what you expect from King. A 'don't miss' for the avid King reader. (or listener as I am.)
|
