Duma Key - Stephen King (Book Review)

By Sonia Shrestha
Title: Duma Key
Author: Stephen King

Picture: Sonia Shrestha ©



Stephen King needs no introduction. True to his name, he is a King with a crown and I do not see him giving that up anytime soon. As a child, I was drawn to King only because my favourite Australian cricketer mentioned that Stephen King was his favourite author. I agree I picked up his first book only because I wanted to know about my favourite's taste in books but that one step changed everything forever. Firestarter was the first Stephen King book that I read and I finished the whole book in one sitting. The gripping tale, the fast paced action and the impeccable writing style made it impossible for me to leave the book. It was just the beginning. I have absolutely come to admire King and his writing - the ability to keep one awake all night in fervour is not a small task.

Being a King lover, I have tried to get my hands on as many books as possible. So, on one of my book hauls, I found this beauty Duma Key and I knew I had to get it. It seemed like it wanted to be found by me. Creepy, but that's what you get when you are a Stephen King fan.

I have to admit that when I started reading the book, I missed all the action and the creepy thrill and suspense I had encountered in almost every King novel I had previously read. I found the beginning very slow. As I progressed through the novel, I could feel the action taking firm ground and I knew I could expect sleepless nights. However, the action stayed missing until the very end and I found myself repeatedly questioning if I was missing the creepy details only because I was now used to them. 

In the novel, the protagonist Edgar Freemantle finds himself in Duma Key after he lost his arm in an accident. Although this seems like a normal getaway, the house he has rented that he calls Big Pink is no ordinary getaway destination. He finds his ability to draw being heightened to frightening extents - so much that he manages to kill a person only by painting him. He is also able to fix his friend Wireman's eyesight and bullet-in-the-head problem using his skills. All of this is subtly written by King, hinting that this skill can prove to be life-threatening and that is what happens. The spirit of Perse is the one making Edgar paint like a madman set free. 

King, in this novel, has used his brilliant writing technique and style to bring out the thrill. Personally, there were only a few paragraphs that sent a shiver down my spine but otherwise, on the horror scale, Duma Key gets only 2/5 from my side. But for the gripping tale and fantastic writing, the novel gets a 5/5. 



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