“Duma Key”

“Duma Key” is a novel that reminded me why I still like Stephen King’s books and why I keep returning to his works. It’s moving, scary, climatic, and thrilling. It’s everything a good horror novel should be. There are supernatural abilities, there is suspense, there are high stakes, and there is a big, complex backstory.

After the entrepreneur Edgar Freemantle loses his hand in an accident, his mental health deteriorates, and his marriage falls apart. Advised by his psychiatrist, he moves out to Florida to rent a house on the island of Duma Key and pursue his old hobby, painting. Soon, he discovers that the island is eerie and menacing and that his paintings can affect reality. Strange as it is, it’s connected to the history of the place and to the old owner of the island, Miss Elizabeth Eastlake.

That’s the story; believe me, its potential wasn’t wasted. When something happens in “Duma Key”, you can literally feel it. When Edgar paints, you feel it. When the island lures the characters into a sickly, lurid haze, you feel it. You feel what they feel. Fear, anger, frustration, hope, curiosity. Honestly, the last time King’s prose was so vivid to me was in “The Shining” and “It”. Yes, his style is the “hey, old sport” sort, but “Duma Key” is a case when it works. It suits Edgar’s age, personality, and experience, even if it didn’t work in some other novels by the author.

I know that I often give spoilers in my reviews, but I’m not going to spoil this book for you. Let’s just say that there are elements in this story that may seem cheesy or tokenistic… Until you read everything. You need to read the whole book to see that what happens there is tragic, and if it’s tragic, it’s really tragic, not in the “let’s fuel our protagonist’s emotions” way. Yes, people important to Edgar will die in this story. Though in some of King’s novels, deaths were random and unnecessary to the plot, this isn’t the case. And when a character’s death isn’t just a plot device, I’d say that it’s one of the elements of a good thriller/horror story.

Another crucial component is the backstory. I’d say that this part of “Duma Key” is one of the best that King has ever created. Its historical backdrop and supernatural elements may not be as good as those in “The Shining”, but they are convincing. You can imagine life in the 1920s when you read about Elizabeth Eastlake’s childhood. And you can imagine dread seeping slowly into the plot as you continue your reading. I can only tell you that the events of the past and present are interconnected, forming a chilling pattern. King uses some pretty common tropes, such as a mysterious accident or an ominous doll, but he knows how to do it.

In the end, “Duma Key” is one of those books that proves that he still has something interesting to say: about life, loss, disability, and, surprisingly, about the very nature of art. Some stories by King are good horrors or thrillers. This one is not only good horror. It’s simply a good novel.