More than one review I’ve read has said that the book made up of all King’s usual ingredients, but that he’s done a decent job putting them together.
Spoilered just so I don’t take any chances on how far along vivalostwages has read:
I don’t think this is a Mystical Negro situation. The black guy’s not the only one, or even the main one, with unusual abilities. Also, the main character has had an accident, but the book’s not about that…it moves on to other topics. Y’all are making me want to go back and read it again!
I make it six.
On Writing (per Keweenaw
The Dark Tower
Song of Susanna
From a Buick 8
Lisey’s Story
Duma Key
I think I may be the first who
- Read the book
- Did not care for it
I liked the first half. King does characterize the growth, change, and death of relationships very well, I think. But in the second half…
It could partly be because I don’t care for squishy things that go bump in the night in my Stephen King novels. It would have been a disappointment, I think, if in Shawshank the warden’s face melts off to reveal that he’s truly been a monster all this time. That’s how I felt about the introduction of the undead creatures and such in the second half. I found the last hundred pages to be a very tough slog, as I wasn’t willing to invest the attention required to understand who Perse was, exactly how she got a hold of <who was it, again?>, and how her power is limited by fresh water.
And was it just me, or did you find the How to Paint a Picture interludes very hard to read? I can see what he’s trying to do here, but it’s a good thing each of these are only two or three pages long; otherwise they’d have gotten exhausting.
I was going to give this one a pass since I found Lisey’s Story so incredibly annoying (I did finish it, though!), but maybe I’ll give it a go after all. I don’t mind reusing the accident storyline, but I am a little sick of the “magic negro” element.
I hope it’s available for download on my Reader!
I wouldn’t expect a writer (or a filmmaker or artist or musician) to work through a life-changing event in just one novel/movie/painting/song. There’s more than one aspect to explore.
Should singers be limited to just one break-up song? Should Monet have painted just one ballerina? (He is the guy who does ballet dancers, isn’t he?)
Many of my favorite writers revisit familiar territory, exploring, getting deeper, looking at stuff from different angles. I like it.
Based on this thread, I’ll give it a try. I passed on Lisey’s Story thanks to you guys (no, really, thank you), and actually got so bored with Cell that I never finished it. :eek: Say it ain’t so, Uncle Stevie… after all our time together…
But if he is leaning back towards his old self, I will give him the benefit of the doubt and my $12.
And I would not be surprised to see it available on a Reader-type thingie, as Uncle Stevie is quite enamored with his own.
Should I have to listen to it? I mean, some artists CAN go back to the same territory and produce fresh material. Sometimes they can’t. The Rolling Stones were still good fifteen years after their first album; today they’re a sad parody. Somewhere between “Tattoo You” and today, they ran out of gas. I think King is past that point. I can ring off King books I just adore; I’m no elitist jerk who insists bestsellers can’t be great, and he was written some legitimately great works. There’s a decent chance someday he’ll be regarded the way Twain and Dickens are today. But Dickens and Twain wrote some crap, too.
I do see your point, but I paid actual cash money for “Lisey’s Story” and it wasn’t worthy of burning. I elect not to read “Duma Key.” Your opinion is different, and that’s cool.
RickJay, no problem.
In your earlier post, all you asked about was the smucking. I got the impression that you were thinking about reading Duma Key but wanted some reassurance that it wasn’t another Lisey’s Story in that regard.
If you were done with King after Lisey’s Story, I can dig that.
I believe Edgar Degas was the honker who did the ballerinas.
As far as I can recall, the only Stephen King works I’ve read have been Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption and The Green Mile and about two-thirds of Misery. I enjoyed the first two, but I got tired of Misery. But this seems like an interesting book from the summaries. Would it be good for somebody like me, given the above?
Also, is it called Duma Key because it takes place on an island in Florida? I’m a sucker for Florida books.
I actually didn’t mind Lisey’s Story, so I am hopeful about this one. I bought it, but have it set aside for when I need a treat. Or, maybe this Saturday morning! 
This from Wiki (I didn’t link to the article for fear of spoilers):
“…Duma Key, a (fictional) island off the west coast of Florida.”
Ah, thanks, Starving Artist. Looks like I’ll be giving it a shot then.
Enjoy. I might pick up a copy myself.
Not a book, but add ‘Kingdom Hospital’ to the group. I have not seen the original, but I cannot imagine that it included the opening scene with the artist getting run down by a van.
Kingdom Hospital was adapted by King from a story by someone else.
From A Buick 8 shouldn’t be on the list. It’s about a car, and someone is killed in an accident, but I wouldn’t consider it one of King’s “working through the accident” books.
Smucky!
I just finished it. Definitely liked it better than his most recent work, but it was no Salem’s Lot, Shining or Stand. I thought it was very interesting that although the main character lost his arm, there was almost NO descriptions of what life is like as a one-armed man (besides handshakes). He drives, he showers, paints, he makes bologna sandwiches, makes love - nothing about what that’s like with one hand. It wasn’t until the very last pages that having one hand makes a task (a very important task!) very very difficult to do.
There is even an editing (?) slip at his art show, he embraces his daughter with his arms.
I have to admit I was a little confused. Elizabeth is old and suffering from Alzheimer’s, but why does she keep encouraging artists and artists to stay on her island? Is she hoping Perse will reach them? If so, why? She knows Perse is pure evil and horror. Is she using them as a “barometer” to ensure Perse is still safely hidden away? If they don’t get any flashes, Perse is still safe, maybe?
I am so slow anymore…Just got to the part where the fellow talks about meeting up with Wireman–a very cool guy. I’d like to hang out with him.
I pretty much agree agree with what you said in your spoiler box, and yet I loved this book. I generally like my horror ambiguous, brooding and unseen. The minute monsters show up, especially preposterous little biting, clawing china doll monsters, my fear should have been replaced by :rolleyes:
I know there are probably boatloads of things that don’t bear close examination – I knew it even while I was reading the book – but he had me, anyway. I wolfed that thing down like a pound of barely cooked hamburger after a long night in the studio. It was just so much fun to read that suspending disbelief didn’t seem like wasted effort.
Loved the ‘name that tune’ repartee and the nods to his son’s book, too. I know I’m eventually going to read this one again.