Book Review: Duma Key by Stephen King
Genre: Horror
Age: Adult
Format: Paperback
As much King as I have read, there are still gaps for me. Very slowly and gradually I am filling these, but I find I can’t quite devour King’s work like I used to. They can be very hit or miss, and a lot take a fair bit of commitment. At almost 700 pages, Duma Key isn’t the longest King novel, but it’s not a short one, either. Still, I would rank this as among King’s best, and actually I think it’s fairly underrated for Stephen King.
Edgar Freemantle is a father, husband and successful businessman, until an accident leaves him disabled and traumatised. Knowing he needs a change, he heads to Duma Key – a remote island, where the only other permanent inhabitants are his old lady landlord and her carer, Wireman. Like most King characters, they’re memorable, from their introductions until the end of the book. While at Duma Key, Edgar picks up an old childhood hobby, and soon he’s painting into the night, slipping into the zone and only coming up for air when he’s done. He’s a natural artist, creating pieces so brilliant he’s quickly adopted by the local art scene. But his talent comes with a price, and secrets Duma Key has kept hidden for a long, long time.
Like I said – this is King at his best. I’m not a huge fan of the bigger casts (Under the Dome, I’m looking at you), and I love when he keeps things a bit more concentrated. Not that we’re lacking for characters here, whether it’s Edgar’s new neighbours, his (sort of ex) wife, daughters, and the various people who come in and out of his life following his accident.
What I found really powerful here, however, is the depiction of Edgar following his accident. His anger and frustration, the sense of bleakness he feels. There’s no doubt King drew on his own experiences in writing Edgar, while pushing Edgar further out into the darkness. Edgar seeks healing through art, though he remains aware throughout that something isn’t quite right with it, but in a very human way he ignores the red flags and pushes forward, determined to prove himself.
As usual, King writes relationships well, and he writes flawed characters well. Edgar starts off pretty unlikable, for understandable reasons – his anger and bitterness cause him to lash out at everyone around him. But as we come to understand him, we come to like him, too. I found myself put off by his wife, there are moments where she comes across as a little shrill and nasty, yet like Edgar, we get to understand her more, get to see her point of view, especially as Edgar moves away from his own resentment. The creepiness factor is definitely there, with the horror building up throughout, and King’s excellent writing completely carries us along with Edgar as he experiments with his art and discovers what he can really do.
If you’re a King fan and missed this one, it’d be worth rectifying that – it really does contain the best of King’s writing and style. If, like me, you’ve maybe fallen in and out of love with his writing over the years, this might just be the book to reignite that spark. But for those who dislike King, Duma Key is unlikely to change your mind.
I read Duma Key for the ‘With a disabled protagonist’ prompt in our DHR Reading Challenge – check out our Challenge page to find out more and see how you can take part.
Review by Elle Turpitt
Twitter: @elleturpitt
Bluesky: @elleturpitt.bsky.social
I own this book.
