Why not Duma Key?

[Linda Cusimano]

I am delighted to have just bought 11-22-63. I'm delighted about the coming Bag of Bones and about what is going to happen to Under the Dome. BUT, I don't hear much about Duma Key and I have to admit here that it is the ONLY King book that I read, finished, loved and immediately read again. I also have to admit that within the last 2 years I have read it twice more. Why don't I hear more people rave about it? It was beyond terrific. I then loaned it to a good friend, who said, oh it was all right. What is that all about I wonder?

Of late I have been re-reading a lot of Stephen's books as many were read when they were published or thereabouts. I re-read The Trap, forgot how great it was. I recently read Horns, loved it. Re-read Bag of Bones, Black House, Rose Madder, and quite a few more. Was delighted to see all of the references to the Dark Tower which of course, you could not pick up on until you finished the series.

I am probably going to re-read the Dark Tower Series. I particularly like Stephen's warning toward the end so that people who wanted a certain type of ending could stop reading, but this old die-hard King fan couldn't and when Roland walked out that door to start over, I thought nothing could have been more perfect.

Would love to get some feedback from Steve. Also, I want to let Steve know that "I'm Cool" too. So long.

[blunthead]

Welcome! Keep posting!

Duma Key is one of my favorites; which states by definition others of his books aren't. I think a great author touches a person and a greater one touches a wide variety. I've noticed if an sK fan doesn't care for one of his books, another does, which indicates to me sK's greater talent.

Anyway, keep posting so you can have full access to the site! Check the FAQs.

[GNTLGNT]

Possibly a spoiler tag over the DT reference? And there is discussion about Duma Key here...just type it into the search bar...

[bobledrew]

I think it's a great book. Pace is great, characters engaging, and it tackles interesting ideas about the act of creation (in some ways, it treads some of the same ground as On Writing, but through allegory) I love it, and I also think it would make a great movie.

[elvarpre]

I read Duma Key a few months ago and I loaned it to a friend of mine. She told me that she is not a big fan of King because she thinks that he is too "wordy". I love Steven, having read many a novel by him and I can kind of understand where she is coming from because she is more a fan of Grisham and Patterson who have a much faster paced style of writing. But I tried to tell her that Stephen King is anything but boring, but you have to get through the first hundred pages or so before the story really picks up. Anyways, she tells me that she's read fifty pages of Duma Key and she wants to put it down. I said "Please read another fifty pages or so and you will finally meet Wireman and you won't want to put the book down."
The best fictional novel that I have ever read was "One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest" by Ken Kesey, and Randall McMurphy was always my favorite fictional character of all time (my congrats go to Jack Nicholson for winning best actor academy award for that role although he was neither a red-head nor Irish) but Jerome Wireman surpassed McMurphy as my favorite fictional character. Apples or Oranges. Bang! There's just something about Wireman that I connected with or I loved or whatever, but from the time that Wireman was introduced in Duma Key, the book just seemed to fly. I couldn't get enough of him. Even the ending had kind of a poetic justice to the life of Jerome Wireman.
Not that he was the only unforgettable character of the novel. When Ilse was killed, I actually put the book down and didn't pick it up for another two days cuz I was so upset and almost didn't want to see where the story was gonna go from there. But that was towards the end of the novel, so I finished it up and was almost happy to hear how Wireman died. Almost.... but I still shed a tear for Wireman.

[elvarpre]

I agree. My friend hated Duma Key, but I love it!!! WIREMAN FOREVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Jojo87]

I loved Duma Key. It's actually few years ago since I read it and I think is time for re-read soon.

[Alaska Munchkin]

I too loved Duma Key. SK was a favorite of mine some time ago and I've just recently started reading his books again. I have to be careful though, I tend to identify with the characters and that can get spooky. Kind of like waking from a nightmare to find it wasn't a dream afterall. Did any one read Big Driver?

[elvarpre]

Yes indeed. WIREMAN FOREVER!!!

[The Nameless]

I am going to buy Duma Key after Christmas, I don't know when I will get round to reading it, but after reading the breif description on the back, I thought "wow, that sounds really good" I look forward to my first read.

Oh and welcome