The Duma Key

[power to the J]

I like the writing, but I don't like how smart he made the zombies. That really turns me off in zombie fiction. I like dumb, mindless zombies that just kill-kill-kill. A smart zombie isn't much of a zombie, in my opinion. That's what I didn't like Cell.

As for Lisey's Story, I really think that that is the best characterizing that King has ever done.

Doesn't Duma Key have twins holding hands or something? This release kind of snuck up on me so I'm rather ignorant. Sorry.

[D_Davis]

But they weren't zombies. They're minds were just corrupted by a strange alien frequency. They were just maniacs, if anything. It was never even suggested that they were zombies. Mindless, blood-thirsty killers is what they were.

It seems strange to not like something because it didn't fit into a pre-defined definition you had, especially when the term being defined was never a part of the story.


Sorry - I continued the threadjack, my bad.

I guess we should go to the Cell thread!

[HoopyFrood]

Yes, most definitely not zombies -- but they do remind me of them -- but people with everything wiped but the most basic of functions...and a little extra mental power to add to the fun (which seemed to be the reason behind the pulse. I did like that idea, wiping the human brain like a computer to restore the most basic but extraordinary functions). They had attitude and that's what I liked about them. Although they were evil s.o.bs as well, of course!

Anyway, to return to the topic (derailing my own thread, for shame ) I purchased Duma Key today. It sits next to me right now, crying to be read. I can't ignore the poor thing...

[power to the J]

I bought it but haven't read it yet.

Also, I guess the Cell points are all true, I just like Lisey's Story yet.

[HoopyFrood]

Beware, thar be spoilers here...



I haven't had much time so I haven't been able to read a great deal of the book yet. That little bit that I have, I've enjoyed. I've just paused at the part where, after the dog has been killed by the car and he's found he's absolutely starving. I found the idea that when he went into a kind of dream state while holding the dog, he felt like he had two arms very cool. As if there's a phantom arm there and it's trying to kill! (Like where he throttled his wife without remembering he'd done so, makes me wonder if he did it with two arms rather than just one, seeing it's been said that he wouldn't have enough strength in just his left, and could be the "other thing" that causes his wife to leave him). This is all complete guesswork, of course, I could be wandering away down a completely random path...

I also came across a passage that for the first time since reading The Shining managed to break out the goosebumps (it's very rare that happens...) The dream with the anger doll turning into a real child and staring at him with blank eyes and talking about the frog with teef. Rrr...very strange...Dolls and puppets in horror stories are just damned creepy...

Anyway, just a few things that have popped into my head while reading the very beginning of it. Much looking forward to carrying on with the book when I manage to get the time...

[Lucien21]

I couldn't put the book down and have just finished it.

It's not the scariest novel he's ever written, but there are some seriously creepy moments with the twins, the strange dolls and his phantom limb.

Some good observations about the pros and cons of having artistic talent, how it can be a curse as well as a gift. A lot of the book is taken up with the artistic process and makes for a slow pace to the novel until the final third.

At times I thought the book was reminicent of Bag of Bones and hints of Dead Zone (head injury grants predictive powers), but he does such a fantastic job of making you care for the characters and in particular Elizabeth and her backstory was very well written and drip fed to the reader.

I was slightly disappointed or certainly very sad at the ending because the characters were so real I was sad to see how some of them ended up.

Overall it certainly will go on the upper half of my favourite King novel list as I loved it.

[kcs_hiker]

just finished Duma Key

as a long time King fan

my first impressions are

WOW!

I'll have to let things settle and cogitate

but

it may be one of his best ever.

IMHO of course.