Duma Key --NOT what I expected!!!

[Rosethorn]

First off, let me be honest.
I'm a hoarder of greenbacks and refused to read Duma Key when it first released because it was only available in hardback edition where I'm from.

FINALLY while browsing "My" section (aka: Stephen King, Koontz, and Rice) of our local Hastings i found in in soft-cover :)

I read it front to back in about 7 hours and just adored it.
I was surprised because I wasn't sure if I'd recieve a work from him done so recently as well as I like his 70's-80's era writings.

I LOVED the storyline, the plot, the characters.
I especially adored that Salvador Dali was mentioned as part of the story because he just so happens to be one of my favorite artists.

Perhaps I liked how relatable the story was to my own life and passions (Minus the missing body parts, of course)

Anyway~ Good read.
If you're scared to pick it up, fear no more!
It's a great book :D

[Duma D]

It took me over a year to finish because I live alone and have huge picture windows in my diningroom/livingroom that undid me when the sea creature (the boyfriend or husband) paid his nocturnal visit to the Pink House, which I had read that day. So I would gingerly read a few pages and see if I suffered night terrors....And eventually, I finished--and loved it. I am originally from the Gulf region and I love to paint, so this was definitely a draw. But I just loved how creative the book was and how it kind of explained that creativitiy in terms of art as well as relationships, and relationships with art. I mean, in a way, a big aspect of relationships is dealing with loss--loss of an arm, a daughter, a family, a career, an entire island ( in the end)--and how processing those losses and forming new, sometimes deeper, relationships involves choice and creativity and vision. And what a vision of the Gulf, of mankind, was Duma Key!

[~Ally~]

Duma Key is a fabulous story and definitely my most favourite of Uncle Steve's recent books. As I have posted many times before....Wireman totally rocks IMO, and although it will never happen I would love to one day pick up a book about his exploits as a young man...he is a story waiting to be wrote in his own right!!

[JohnDalglish]

Duma Key is a fabulous story and definitely my most favourite of Uncle Steve's recent books. As I have posted many times before....Wireman totally rocks IMO, and although it will never happen I would love to one day pick up a book about his exploits as a young man...he is a story waiting to be wrote in his own right!!

Hi,

Could Wireman have a twinner in the Territories in Talisman 3, I wonder?

Long days and pleasant nights

[Rosethorn]

Hi,

Could Wireman have a twinner in the Territories in Talisman 3, I wonder?

Long days and pleasant nights

Oh ho ho!
That would rock XD

I miss wolf ;__;

[tradire]

Does it seem to anyone that Duma Key bears an uncanny resemblance in the boring style, the poor vocabulary, the shallowness of characters and the lameness of the jokes to King's son's book "Heart-shaped box"?

[Perse Jr.]

Does it seem to anyone that Duma Key bears an uncanny resemblance in the boring style, the poor vocabulary, the shallowness of characters and the lameness of the jokes to King's son's book "Heart-shaped box"?

Huh? Come again? Could you provide a little more detail as to what "boring style," "poor vocabulary," etc., etc. that you are referring to?

[JohnDalglish]

Does it seem to anyone that Duma Key bears an uncanny resemblance in the boring style, the poor vocabulary, the shallowness of characters and the lameness of the jokes to King's son's book "Heart-shaped box"?

Hi,

No.

Long days and pleasant nights

[Srbo]

Does it seem to anyone that Duma Key bears an uncanny resemblance in the boring style, the poor vocabulary, the shallowness of characters and the lameness of the jokes to King's son's book "Heart-shaped box"?

"Rain, rain, go away, go away..."

( Terence Trent D`Arby ) :wink2:

[Charms7]

Does it seem to anyone that Duma Key bears an uncanny resemblance in the boring style, the poor vocabulary, the shallowness of characters and the lameness of the jokes to King's son's book "Heart-shaped box"?

Everybody is entitled to their own opinion.What do you find interesting when you read books? Perhaps this just isn't for you.

[tradire]

Well, I've translated many King's novels, and also Joe Hill's book "Heart-Shaped Box". Obviously, I did not like Hill's book (for the reasons already mentioned). To me it seems that "Duma Key" is some sort of a prank, that the son has written "Duma Key", because even when Stephen King is not at his best, he cannot produce such bad, irrelevant writing, without a sensible story-line (potential story lines lead nowhere), characters come and go and there is no sense of social justice that pervades other King's works, the part of the novel built around Ilse's death is downright callous, and so on.

[JohnDalglish]

Well, I've translated many King's novels, and also Joe Hill's book "Heart-Shaped Box". Obviously, I did not like Hill's book (for the reasons already mentioned). To me it seems that "Duma Key" is some sort of a prank, that the son has written "Duma Key", because even when Stephen King is not at his best, he cannot produce such bad, irrelevant writing, without a sensible story-line (potential story lines lead nowhere), characters come and go and there is no sense of social justice that pervades other King's works, the part of the novel built around Ilse's death is downright callous, and so on.

Hi,

Well, ain't you the sympathetic translator from hell, then?

Not a frustrated author, are we (I sense jealousy here)?

What language into, pray tell?

Are you as blind to great writing skill in that language as well?

Long days and pleasant nights

[Todash]

Well, I've translated many King's novels, and also Joe Hill's book "Heart-Shaped Box". Obviously, I did not like Hill's book (for the reasons already mentioned). To me it seems that "Duma Key" is some sort of a prank, that the son has written "Duma Key", because even when Stephen King is not at his best, he cannot produce such bad, irrelevant writing, without a sensible story-line (potential story lines lead nowhere), characters come and go and there is no sense of social justice that pervades other King's works, the part of the novel built around Ilse's death is downright callous, and so on.
You're certainly welcome to your opinion, but (assuming you're being serious) I just can't see Stephen and Joe sitting around the table drinking Pepsi and cackling with mad glee about how they've got us all fooled.

Re the potential story lines: SK is good at characterizations, so yes, all his characters have stories. I'd love to know the full back story of all of them, but a book written that way would be a hot mess. This book was about Edgar Freemantle, the bad stuff that happened to him that he didn't deserve, and how he dealt with it. In that way, it's a book very reflective of life. I liked it. You didn't. That's okay.

[deltadog32]

I don't know where you get your idea that this is a boring story. I know that it took a while to build up but that's the way all of King's books are written. It is meant to endear us to the characters and it pays off in the end. I absolutely loved this book and would read it again.

[Nabila]

Duma Key brought me back here. That should say a lot. I was on holiday on the island of Phuket, Thailand in June this year when I found Duma Key in a small book shop. I went into the shop to buy the local newspaper and came out with Duma Key. Cheeky book! I didn't expect to see it on an island. I didn't see this book at the airport in Kuala Lumpur probably because not enough copies. I didn't read it until I went back home. That's because we were staying at a resort on Patong Beach and that area was where the death toll from the 2004 tsunami was the highest on the main island of Phuket. I saw the gist of the story at the back and decided to wait until I'm off the island.

I loved the way I could not guess what's going to happen next. Sure there was sadness and frustration. But such is life. For me, Edgar Freemantle was deceived and paid such a high price but I loved it when he said," she doesn't get to win." The fight between good and evil is a part of life like the air we breathe. It's an ongoing thing except we sometimes don't notice the subtle stuff like deception. There's more to people and events than meet the eyes. I can't believe I just quoted Optimus Prime again, not here but everywhere else. It's like a mantra with me now. Well, I have a young son, so the Transformers are a big part of my life and home.:laugh:


Does it seem to anyone that Duma Key bears an uncanny resemblance in the boring style, the poor vocabulary, the shallowness of characters and the lameness of the jokes to King's son's book "Heart-shaped box"?

I didn't notice because I was too busy trying not to get too scared.:biggrin2:

[kutchek]

Hi,

Could Wireman have a twinner in the Territories in Talisman 3, I wonder?

Long days and pleasant nights
Talisman Three? Is there something after Black House?

[The Outsider]

Well, I've translated many King's novels, and also Joe Hill's book "Heart-Shaped Box". Obviously, I did not like Hill's book (for the reasons already mentioned). To me it seems that "Duma Key" is some sort of a prank, that the son has written "Duma Key", because even when Stephen King is not at his best, he cannot produce such bad, irrelevant writing, without a sensible story-line (potential story lines lead nowhere), characters come and go and there is no sense of social justice that pervades other King's works, the part of the novel built around Ilse's death is downright callous, and so on.

I really have no idea what you're getting at. You can have you're own opinion, but you're opinion needs some justification. A prank? Really. I seemed to forget that serious writers such as Stephen King just decided to through "prank" novels out there, just to get some laughs. I seriously doubt he has the time to be writing jokes. Plus, this was a good novel. End of story.

[TimAH]

It wasnt really what i was expecting either, although I am really not sure what I thought it would be. I'd had it for quite awhile as someone gave it to me after they'd read it but I really did not have any interest in picking it up. Finally I got around to it and I couldnt put it down. While I didnt find it scary at all I loved it. I really loved the depth of the characters and it actually hurt when he started hinting that Ilse was dead.

[leighG]

I personally loved this book, I had been going through a tough time when it came to reading and I had lost a lot of my passion for it until I decided to pick this up, I think it shows that Steve's writing is now more of a pleasure to him than a job, or, maybe that's just me

[Bilibramboy]

I am a painter, and l loved this book, l paint portraits and when you are so focus in it is like you can feel some live inside canvas.... this book talk about this magic, l loved it.

[Giuly]

No I absolutely dont think so.

[dumakeykate]

I've never painted or been to America but through the book I heard the sound of the waves on Duma and was introduced to the world of an artist. Does Mr King paint? His mind's eye seems to have no boundry and then his power in transcribing it across to us, the constant reader. Duma was a beautiful story, that evoked all emotions in me, fear, sadness and wonder. It's one of my favs - but that's just my personal opinion.

[Moderator]

He does not paint with a brush, he paints with his words. :smile2:

[Bilibramboy]

He does not paint with a brush, he paints with his words. :smile2:

Surely no, l even don't understand where is his time coming to write the way he does, Has he doors for traveling throught time and space, or another dimension where time is slow? l knew territories were real, that's the proof.. hehehe:wow: