Customer Reviews
Glad I Didn't Pay For It - By: Miss Chinaski, 06 Jan 2009 
I used to be a great fan of Stephen King; now I don't understand what it is about his books that people love. The best thing about his work is his plotting, & the way he makes a reader want to know what is coming next. But I think everything he really had to say wasin his first 10 books & now he keeps repeating himself. I would only recommend DUMA KEY, with its ridiculous main character, a primitive artist who sells half a million dollars' worth of work at his very first ever exhibition, to King fans, or people who need a big fat book to divert themselves on a plane. One other note: Mr King, if you can't write an African-American female who isn't an Aunt Jemima stereotype, perhaps you are best off leaving such characters out of your books.
Vintage King - By: J. S. Meins, 02 Jan 2009 
Old Skool King fans will be delighted to learn that Stevie boy is back on old ground with a slow burning, unsettling character piece. There are echoes of Shawshank, Misery & Shining throughout & even though proceedings are decidly unrushed the results dont feel flabby at all. The book is at its bestin it's opening third when you are never quite sure whether the story will be played straight or take a turn toward the supernatutal but, even though things get a little more obvious once he shows his hand, the rest is still good enough to be defined as a page turner. A vintage slice of King.
Too long, too messy... - By: Mr. Tony Griffiths, 31 Dec 2008 
Another weighty King novel hits the bookshelves. But this offering, although delivering Kings quality of characters, yet again fails to deliver a meaningful & satisfying conclusion.
The first half of the book promises much, but wading through the remaining 350 pages or so is tiresome & tedious. The storyline becomes just messy, with events verging on the ridiculous. Whether King believes superfluous content & often cringeworthy dialogue is sufficient to satisy his many readers, I find increasingly doubtful.
I'm sure it will be another huge money-spinner for him. Unfortunately, I have called a halt to spending anymore time with him.
In which Mr King reminds us why he IS the King - By: J. Bennett, 18 Dec 2008 Undoubtably his best book since Bag of Bones, Duma Key is both evocative & peppered with echoes of earlier works, most notably Bag of Bones (although this work far surpasses that one) & indeed even The Shining, with perhaps a dash of Pet Sematary too.
Like other long-time fans, I must admit that King lost me a little after Wolves of the Calla, whichin my humble opinion, starting going somewhat awry after Harry Potter merchandise entered proceedings...
I digress. Duma Key is so good it made me feel a little guilty for doubting King's continuing skills, but, much like Edgar Freemantle, the main protagonist of this novel, King took a big knock a while back & perhaps that even showed on the page...
Sure, this novel is a tad too long, sagging brieflyin the latter third, but it recovers admirably & every great work must have its flaw.
Duma Key has all the right elements for a classic horror novel. It keeps you guessing right up until the last few pages &in many parts is unputdownable. Other parts are achingly beautiful. But there is a sense pervading its sun-drenched & sandy pages that the real horror here is all about loss & how to cope with it. The slightly rushed finale seems to bolster that fact & we move swiftly on to the TRUE finale, what the story seems really all about - facing the demons that haunt our dreams, healing & letting go. There is also much to be said about art, all compelling & right on the button.
To explain the plot would be to give too much away & hinder another readers' enjoyment. Put simply, if you appreciate Stephen King - even if you think you have read his best & think that he is past it - pick up this book & give it a whirl. You might be surprised. Duma Key paints a dark & magical picture, & sails over the ghostly horizon leaving the reader hungry for more.
Mr. King bounces back - By: P. Hone, 19 Nov 2008 I became a chain reader 27 years ago & Stephen King has been there from the start. I recently reviewed another of his post-accident books (Liseys Story) & I stated how bad I thought it (and 'Cell' for that matter) was & I stand by that. It was as if, after his accident, his writing skills went to pot. I am delighted to say that this is a whole other ball game. We are back to a seriously good read which,in places, is absolutely un-put-downable. The end is a little rushed, once they get to the far end of Duma, but the book was well worth buying. Welcome back, Mr. King. I have missed you.
