Duma Key – Stephen King

Fiction
Softcover from Amazon.com - $9.99

Buy it if: You love classic Stephen King, the kind that keeps up for nights at a time.

Don’t buy it if: You wish Mr. King wrote more ‘Shawshank Redemptions’ and less ‘Pet Semetarys…’

It’s not that I thought Stephen King was getting soft – far from it – but lately he’s been writing about the Red Sox and penning columns for Entertainment Weekly. He even bought a beach house in Florida! With the grim Maine winters out of his life maybe he’s finally taking a little time to kick back and explore some new facets of life? OK, the man’s earned it. Despite swirling rumors for years about his imminent retirement he keeps turning out a simply astounding number of novels – the anti-James Joyce. But still, I couldn’t help but wonder where the terror had gone. The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon was great, but I didn't feel my own mortality while reading it. I had a hard time even worrying about the girl. It was as close to a feel-good novel as King gets. (OK, maybe that’s The Green Mile, but come on, that one is astounding.)

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t need to be frightened by him to love what he’s written. I still contend he will be 20th century author most revered in coming decades. But I sure like it when he scares me out of my wits ‘Salem’s Lot-style.

Duma Key did it. And did it with an idyllic setting in – where else? – the Florida keys. I doubt he set out to prove horror grows just as strongly in the warm, summer shadows of sandy Floridian spits…but it happened anyway. The creeping hand of death has returned in a new form and forum. It’s just that now a lot more of the characters are probably wearing sunscreen.

Edgar, construction-magnate-turned-crippled-divorcee, is seeking some breathing room in his new sunny Florida digs, trying to heal himself through the expressive power of art. But this ain’t a ‘Stella getting her groove back’ tropical vacation with Edgar doing some feel good soul searching and finding a gal pal love interest. No. This a haunted, creepy, evil journey that’s going to grip Edgar through – of all things – painting. It’s vintage King, taking the ordinary and turning it into a hell of terror with subtle touches that draw you in. The pace ramps up, catches you off guard and finds you feverishly turning pages, waiting for the ghosts and demons to show themselves… But like most King novels, the baddies rarely appear overtly… It’s the devil in your own mind that puts you on edge and the writer wields this skill as ably as ever.

Of course, recommending a Stephen King book is kind of like telling you to go out and buy a Springsteen album. Chances are, a lot of minds were made up before the thing even left the printer. The die-hards bought the hardcover version on the release date - I know I did- and the haters wouldn’t take a free copy if offered. But I’m talking to the ones on the edge of decision, who pine for the days of Misery and Christine… This one’s for you… Get it. The man’s back in a big way. Like the best bits of Cujo and The Tommyknockers, Duma Key’s got that ‘thing.’ That flesh-crawling, peering-over-your-shoulder, double-checking the locks thing
(fear)
that it seems only Stephen King can deliver. Absolutely get it. Then look under your bed, close the closet and start reading…