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A review by cutsajack
Duma Key by Stephen King
5.0
This is a great read!
At the beginning I wasn’t a fan of the main character, Edgar. He came off as brash and amid the throes of Edgar going through a divorce, I wasn’t very interested in the narrative. I was getting big Jack Torrence vibes like in the beginning of “The Shining,” as Edgar’s temperament is/was similar to Jack’s. As the story progresses Edgar loses his brash nature and I came to love his character.
The plot of this one is fairly straight-forward. Edgar gets in an accident and has his right arm amputated. He develops an aggressive temperament which leads him to getting a divorce. His psychiatrist recommends that he should have a change of geography, and so, Edgar decides to rent a house on a fictional island off the coast of Florida: Duma Key. There, he meets a rambunctious man named Wireman. Wireman looks after an elderly woman with Alzheimer’s named Elizabeth Eastlake, who owns the property that Edgar is renting.
Edgar’s psychiatrist also recommended that Edgar take up any hobbies/interests that he has had in his life. Edgar takes up drawing and painting during his time on the island. It seems as if the island is conjuring the paintings that Edgar creates, as he lets the paintbrushes guide him while he’s painting. As the story progresses we learn more and more about this supernatural nature of Duma Key.
The prose in this one, in great King fashion, is both lyrical and straight-forward. The banter between Edgar and Wireman is great; their time together is one of the greatest friendships that I have ever read in a novel.
There is also a good representation of Alzheimer’s as both Wireman, and Edgar—in due time, take care of Elizabeth.
The supernatural element of Duma Key really ramps up in the ending of the novel.
Overall, this is a wonderful tale and has greatly earned the 5/5 rating from me.
Happy reading, everybody!
At the beginning I wasn’t a fan of the main character, Edgar. He came off as brash and amid the throes of Edgar going through a divorce, I wasn’t very interested in the narrative. I was getting big Jack Torrence vibes like in the beginning of “The Shining,” as Edgar’s temperament is/was similar to Jack’s. As the story progresses Edgar loses his brash nature and I came to love his character.
The plot of this one is fairly straight-forward. Edgar gets in an accident and has his right arm amputated. He develops an aggressive temperament which leads him to getting a divorce. His psychiatrist recommends that he should have a change of geography, and so, Edgar decides to rent a house on a fictional island off the coast of Florida: Duma Key. There, he meets a rambunctious man named Wireman. Wireman looks after an elderly woman with Alzheimer’s named Elizabeth Eastlake, who owns the property that Edgar is renting.
Edgar’s psychiatrist also recommended that Edgar take up any hobbies/interests that he has had in his life. Edgar takes up drawing and painting during his time on the island. It seems as if the island is conjuring the paintings that Edgar creates, as he lets the paintbrushes guide him while he’s painting. As the story progresses we learn more and more about this supernatural nature of Duma Key.
The prose in this one, in great King fashion, is both lyrical and straight-forward. The banter between Edgar and Wireman is great; their time together is one of the greatest friendships that I have ever read in a novel.
There is also a good representation of Alzheimer’s as both Wireman, and Edgar—in due time, take care of Elizabeth.
The supernatural element of Duma Key really ramps up in the ending of the novel.
Overall, this is a wonderful tale and has greatly earned the 5/5 rating from me.
Happy reading, everybody!