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Duma Key
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William
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Apr 27, 2009 07:29PM
Stephen King is back on form.
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Heck yeah! I listened to this one on audio and it was fantastic. I loved it!
I really liked this one, too.
Duma Key didn't work for me. I actually liked the lean and mean Cell, which some people really dislike; and I appreciated what he was trying to do, and how he was trying to stretch himself, in Lisey's Stor. But Duma Key, for me, was the King I don't like: padded, endless, with little horror payoff. I was actually reminded a bit of an old book (which I did like) The Elementals, by a guy named Michael McDowell.
A shout out to Michael McDowell?! Steve, I want to shake your hand.
I didn't much enjoy Cell and I haven't read Duma Key, but I did get a kick out of Just After Sunset. But it looks like there's hope that King is headed back to the kind of storytelling we can appreciate.
Steve wrote: "Duma Key didn't work for me. I actually liked the lean and mean Cell, which some people really dislike; and I appreciated what he was trying to do, and how he was trying to stretch himself, in Lise..."Granted it is long and slightly bloated but I thought the story worked. The last 200 pages really flowed along.
I think Duma Key was a pretty good book. I think it was a bit wordy, but the last half of the book was pretty good. I loved Cell, couldn't get into Lisey's Story, and I always love his short stories, so Just After Sunset was good.
I didn't really care for Cell. It's actually my least favorite King book. I loved it in the beginning, and loved the chaos and violence that erupted right after the Pulse, but at about the mid-way point, I started getting really disappointed. I like my zombies to be ZOMBIES.
Brainless, instinctive, vicious, broken-leg-dragging, brain-eating, relentless zombies. They were like that right after the Pulse, but when they started to evolve, and pick a leader etc, it just lost me.
Becky wrote: "I didn't really care for Cell. It's actually my least favorite King book. I loved it in the beginning, and loved the chaos and violence that erupted right after the Pulse, but at about the mid-way ..."It's true that zombies should stay zombies. But, it IS Stephen King, and it's a typical take on zombies from him. He gets kinda sci-fi at times...
LinBee wrote: "It's true that zombies should stay zombies. But, it IS Stephen King, and it's a typical take on zombies from him. He gets kinda sci-fi at times..."Yes. And special mental ability seems to worm it's way into a great number of his books. I don't have to like it though! ;)
I enjoyed Duma Key, but let's face it, folks...King has license to "pad" his novels if he wants...and hundreds of thousands of his books will still sell. Having said that, I enjoyed the King of Horror writing about a state I've lived in most of my life and where he lives for part of the year. Also, I really enjoyed Lisey's Story, a sweetly poignant, nightmarishly horrific novel. Didn't think I'd like it but I did...
Chris wrote: "I enjoyed Duma Key, but let's face it, folks...King has license to "pad" his novels if he wants...and hundreds of thousands of his books will still sell. Having said that, I enjoyed the King of Ho..."I really liked Lisey's Story too. I listened to both on audio, and they were VERY good that way.
I think I might try Lisey on cd. I just couldn't concentrate enough on the book to really get going on it.
LinBee wrote: "I think I might try Lisey on cd. I just couldn't concentrate enough on the book to really get going on it."Lin, I liked the audio. It's read by Mare Winningham, and while I think she added a bit to the story, it was very good like that. :)
I generally don't listen to audio book CD's but the few I have heard were very good...and I got an advanced copy of The Gingerbread Girl which was excellent. Read by Mare, too, I think...
Chris wrote: "I generally don't listen to audio book CD's but the few I have heard were very good...and I got an advanced copy of The Gingerbread Girl which was excellent. Read by Mare, too, I think..."Yes it was. I really enjoyed that reading too.
I actually loved Duma Key! It is one of my fave Stephen King books now. Plus I thought Cell was really good! Sure, the "zombies" weren't your traditional zombies, but for me, it really made you wonder.....could this happen? With the fear of terrorism in the air, could someone actually do this? I really enjoyed this as well! Lisey's Story, I thought was excellent! Wouldn't we all want our own little private Boo'ya Moon to go to when things got tough? I know I would!
Kathy wrote: "I actually loved Duma Key! It is one of my fave Stephen King books now. Plus I thought Cell was really good! Sure, the "zombies" weren't your traditional zombies, but for me, it really made you w..."Whenever I see someone on a cell phone (especially driving, which is pretty much ALL the time, I think of Cell. It could be a possibility I suppose.
I luckily found a copy of Lisey on cd on the shelf today, so as soon as I finish the book I'm listening to, I will start on that! So excited!
The last 3 novels I've read by Stephen King were Cell, Lisey's Story and Duma Key. I loved all of them for very different reasons. Cell was action from the start and zombies freakin'rule. Lisey's Story was a bit harder to get into but had some really great twists and turns. Duma Key had great scarey moments and terrific characters. Yes, he is my favorite author and no I have not liked nor have I read all his books. However, the last 3 I did read by him were well worth his signature (Cell being the exception) wordiness.
Kathy wrote: "I actually loved Duma Key! It is one of my fave Stephen King books now. Plus I thought Cell was really good!"I'm with you on this. I loved both Duma Key and Cell.
I just finished Duma Key, and have to say that I am impressed. It reminded me a lot of Bag of Bones, another book of King's I really enjoyed.
Not only is Duma Key a really good story, but the writing is really good. It could defibately be considered Literature or Literary Fiction. As could Lisey's Story, Hearts in Atlantis and Bag of Bones.
And I've got a feeling King is gonna blow the roof off with "Under the Dome"....if Dan Simmons is to be believed.Here's what he said about "Under the Dome" on his blog:
"King’s UNDER THE DOME, it’s probably unprofessional of me even to mention that I’m reading it (it was just a pure gift from Steve) and it would be totally unprofessional of me to mention any details, but I can say today as I near the end some 1400 pages of manuscript, with almost no fear of being disagreed with in November (except perhaps by a few NYTimes sparrowfart reviewers with a big chip on their shoulders), that King readers and fans—and readers new to Stephen King—WILL LOVE THIS BOOK.
What’s amazing to me is that UNDER THE DOME is the kind of huge, generous, sprawling, infinitely energetic novel that we (or at least I) associate with gifted young novelists in their 20’s—all energy and enthusiasm, the young author having not yet learned a long-distance novelist’s greedy trick of holding back characters or plot or techniques for future novels—and yet here with a master’s total control of the telling, myriad of characters, tone, and effects.
You have reason to be jealous, Sarah. It was a delight getting a gift sneak peek at this absolutely enjoyable and impressive novel. "
"Yay for UNDER THE DOME indeed.
I finished the 1400-page (in manuscript) behemoth late last night and most definitely was not disappointed. Few writers pull out all stops near the end of a novel the way King does. I suspect that everyone who’s ever enjoyed THE STAND will love UNDER THE DOME. "
Pages 2 and 3 if u wanna check it out. http://forum.readerville.com/viewthre...
:)
Looking good. And I can't wait, if Dan Simmons can be believed indeed...But who am I kidding? I love King's work. I'll probably love UNDER THE DOME, too. :)
