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Book Review of Duma Key

Duma Key
Duma Key
Author: Stephen King
Genres: Literature & Fiction, Horror
Book Type: Paperback
sevenspiders avatar reviewed on + 73 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 8


I'm sure that with so many books under his belt King has a few clunkers, but so far I've not come across any. Duma Key is an ominous, atmospheric ghost story, reeking of Southern Gothic. The location, a semi-deserted Florida key, is as strong a character as any of the human players, and that's saying something.

Duma Key is the story of Edgar Freemantle's second life. In his first life he was a happily married Minnesota contractor. A devastating accident leaves his brain damaged, one arm amputated and his previous persona in tatters. He moves to Duma Key, begins painting with an unsuspected talent and fervor, and meets his neighbors, the key's elderly owner Miss Eastlake and her mysterious caretaker Wireman.

Duma Key and its inhabitants have their own secret hidden lives, and the ghosts surrounding them echo the newly awakened demons in Edgar's own mind. As in any good horror story, the demons and ghosts on Duma Key won't be content to stay quiet.

King delivers a creepy, character-driven ghost story that's as much about the ghosts of our former selves as about a real sea-spook. The characters are well drawn, enigmatic without being unlikable, and worth the time it takes to get to know them. Once you know them, its impossible not to follow their macabre and inescapable fate.