Duma Key by Stephen King

[Lisa]

Hi friends, please feel free to join Kimberly, Gareth, Ginger, and I, for a Buddy Read of Duma Key beginning August 1. Please use spoiler tags while discussing the book.

Summary
A terrible construction site accident takes Edgar Freemantle's right arm and scrambles his memory and his mind, leaving him with little but rage as he begins the ordeal of rehabilitation. A marriage that produced two lovely daughters suddenly ends, and Edgar begins to wish he hadn't survived the injuries that could have killed him. He wants out. His psychologist, Dr. Kamen, suggests a "geographic cure," a new life distant from the Twin Cities and the building business Edgar grew from scratch. And Kamen suggests something else.
"Edgar does anything make you happy?"
"I used to sketch."
"Take it up again. You need hedges . . .hedges against the night."
Edgar leaves Minnesota for a rented house on Duma Key, a stunningly beautiful, eerily undeveloped splinter of the Florida coast. The sun setting into the Gulf of Mexico and the tidal rattling of shells on the beach call out to him, and Edgar draws. A visit from Ilse, the daughter he dotes on, starts his movement out of solitude. He meets a kindred spirit in Wireman, a man reluctant to reveal his own wounds, and then Elizabeth Eastlake, a sick old woman whose roots are tangled deep in Duma Key. Now Edgar paints, sometimes feverishly, his exploding talent both a wonder and a weapon. Many of his paintings have a power that cannot be controlled. When Elizabeth's past unfolds and the ghosts of her childhood begin to appear, the damage of which they are capable is truly devastating.

The tenacity of love, the perils of creativity, the mysteries of memory and the nature of the supernatural--Stephen King gives us a novel as fascinating as it is gripping and terrifying.

[Ginger]

I’m here! 😃

[Kristy]

I'll join in on this!

[Lisa]

Kristy wrote: "I'll join in on this!"

Great, welcome, Kristy!

[Latasha]

I do t want to join in m, just wanted to say I love Duma Key. It’s the book that convinced me to give King a second chance.

[Lisa]

Latasha wrote: "I do t want to join in m, just wanted to say I love Duma Key. It’s the book that convinced me to give King a second chance."

Ooo, great to hear. Just curious, was there a certain book that put you off of him? Or cumulative experience?

[Ginger]

Latasha wrote: "I do t want to join in m, just wanted to say I love Duma Key. It’s the book that convinced me to give King a second chance."

Awesome to hear Tosh!!

[Latasha]

Yes, at the time I was in love with Christine the movie. Then I tried to read the book. I was in the 8th grade… sometime in the 90s. I hated it so much I didn’t read him again until I joined HA and we read Duma Key.

[Gareth]

Latasha, did you ever revisit Christine?

[Latasha]

Yes, I believe I did. I didn’t hate it as much as the 2nd time around but it still wouldn’t be in my favorites.

[Kimberly]

Latasha wrote: "Yes, I believe I did. I didn’t hate it as much as the 2nd time around but it still wouldn’t be in my favorites."

I prefered the movie to the book for that one.

[Ashak]

This was one of Stephen King's better recent books in my opinion. A return to good old horror which he has moved away from somewhat with his diversion to mystery/detective formats. Loved it.

I also loved Christine for what it's worth, I see that's been mentioned here as well.

[Squire]

August it is!

This is one I need to reread. I miss Wireman....

[Lisa]

Hi everyone! Getting started on Duma Key tonight. Anyone else start yet?

[Ginger]

Lisa wrote: "Hi everyone! Getting started on Duma Key tonight. Anyone else start yet?"

Not yet. Likely will start closer to the end of the week. I’ve got to finish up a current read first.

[Lisa]

Great, Ginger, I’m excited to read with you!

[Michael]

I just started reading this. Glad to be part of this group.

[Kristy]

I actually just finished it. The characters are so good! I loved Edgar & Wireman's friendship.

[Ginger]

Kristy wrote: "I actually just finished it. The characters are so good! I loved Edgar & Wireman's friendship."

Great to hear Kristy!! Glad you ended up loving this one.

[Ginger]

Lisa wrote: "Great, Ginger, I’m excited to read with you!"

Feel the same Lisa! It's been awhile. :D

[Ginger]

Michael wrote: "I just started reading this. Glad to be part of this group."

Glad to hear your joining Michael!

[Gary]

Jerome Wireman Is one of my all time favorite supporting characters’ in a SK story

[Ina]

Not rereading it since I read it around the time it was published. I think it is his one of his better modern books. So visual and strange. Enjoy.

[Kimberly]

I won't have a chance right now, but I have to say (as Ina said above), I felt this was one of his newer books that I really enjoyed.

[Ina]

I agree, Kimberly. I think Duma Key was very atmospheric and gripping.

[Squire]

It's next on my TBR. A reread, but one of I've wanted to read again for a while.

[Kandice]

Duma Key has Wireman, as someone already mentioned, one of the absolute best supporting characters King has ever written, but it also has so many lines that stuck with me. I think it's one of his very best modern novels for many reasons.

[J]

Almost picked this up this morning !

[Michael]

I'm glad this was chosen for a reading. It's been sitting on my bookshelf since 2008, perhaps because of the intimidating length.

Only 13 pages into the story, barely an introduction, and already I'm empathizing with Edgar Freemantle, the narrator and main character. Wasn't sure after a few pages if I could like him, but I'm warming up rapidly. I even see his wife Pam's point-of-view and can't hate her for the decisions she made. How does King do that in such a short space, especially since he has 600 pages to work with?

I'm tempted to go back and re-read that section again to see where I was sucked in, but that would take some of the magic away.

[Squire]

The terrifying atmosphere King creates with his character-driven stories always seems to be lessened somewhat by his slam-bang finales. But the pacing of his endings is always spot on.

[Squire]

Jerome Wireman is one of my favorite King characters.

[Lisa]

Michael wrote: "I'm glad this was chosen for a reading. It's been sitting on my bookshelf since 2008, perhaps because of the intimidating length.

Only 13 pages into the story, barely an introduction, and already ..."

Loving this so far. I'm struggling with Pam's decision, particularly so quickly in the process. But it seems like there may have been more behind it, on both sides, as I read on.

I love the setting, can picture it so well. I'm kind of nervously reading, fearing what lies ahead... Great characters, King always does that so well.

[Kandice]

"Michael wrote: " I'm struggling with Pam's decision, particularly so quickly in the process. .."

I think Pam's decision was King playing out his deepest fears. The possibility that a wife would abandon you during recovery and recuperation. I imagine he must have really thought about what it might take to spur a decision like that.

[Lisa]

Kandice wrote: ""Michael wrote: " I'm struggling with Pam's decision, particularly so quickly in the process. .."

I think Pam's decision was King playing out his deepest fears. The possibility that a wife would a..."

Wow, good observation. Particularly considering that it seems like King's wife has really powered through a lot with him. There's so much of him in his work, and this is a great example.

[Ginger]

I'm over halfway (60%) with this one and really loving the characters and plot. I'm surprised this King novel doesn't get more love?!!

[Ginger]

Kandice wrote: ""I think Pam's decision was King playing out his deepest fears. The possibility that a wife would abandon you during recovery and recuperation. I imagine he must have really thought about what it might take to spur a decision like that...."

Great insight on that!

[Michael]

Now at Page 51. I really like the narrator, and King details him so well that I feel his pain, anxieties, and get his point of view.
Finally in Florida, and I expect things to pick up after he get settled. Not a single hint of scary or strange so far, until that little foreshadowing on Page 44. (view spoiler)[Big Pink speaks to Edgar for the first time - - I've been waiting for you. (hide spoiler)]

[Alexandra Y]

I'm looking forward to this! Will be picking this up after I finish the Stand

[Monica]

I actually started a re read of this a couple of days ago. I have no idea why it is not in my Goodreads. There's no trace of me ever reading it. I'm confused. I really remember loving this and I think it's perfect for summer. Really enjoy the narration so far.

[Lisa]

It’s hard to understand how Pam is such a jerk. Even if she had to leave him, she’s so unkind.

[Ginger]

Lisa wrote: "It’s hard to understand how Pam is such a jerk. Even if she had to leave him, she’s so unkind."

Totally agree Lisa! Pam is the worse. hahaha

[Dylan]

Wireman, muchacho..possibly my favorite character in the Stephen King universe. Just finished the book- it was great.
Thank you Lisa, not sure if I would have read it if I wasn’t a part of this group.

[Lisa]

Dylan wrote: "Wireman, muchacho..possibly my favorite character in the Stephen King universe. Just finished the book- it was great.
Thank you Lisa, not sure if I would have read it if I wasn’t a part of this gr..."

Hey, thanks, Dylan! I'm so glad you liked it. I'm a little more than halfway through, taking me a while due to lack of time but certainly not lack of interest. I'm loving it, and I also love Wireman. (view spoiler)[ At the moment I realized that Edgar was going to draw Wireman, I gasped out loud. Wondering if he's going to try to do the same for Elizabeth... (hide spoiler)]