Duma Key Journal 3: The Writing

Duma Key is awesome! 

It is a heavily character driven novel; one of those books that becomes very real as you read it.  It's hard to believe all of this comes form a guy thumping away at his word processor.  It seems like somewhere out there, these people must actually exist!

A lot of Duma Key is about art.  I suspect it's as much about the art of writing as it is the art of painting.  King takes us inside the artist heard, and when he does we get the feeling that we are getting some personal notes from him.  For instance, when Edgar is asked what process he uses to paint -- how does he bring these paintings to such life? -- we quickly identify that age old question King has been asked, "Where do you get your ideas?" 

It is interesting when people in the book are amazed at Egar's output.  How can he produce so much art so quickly?  And we again think of King, writing book after book, sometimes so fast the publishers couldn't keep up! 

And King deals with the artist simple satisfaction in his own work.  Edgar, a wealthy man, doesn't need any money from painting.  He has a wonderful realization; it doesn't matter what anyone, especially snobs, think of his work.  He likes his art!  It brought him joy.  While there was a time that King's art paid the bills, you can since him grinning in the shadows at this scene.  It doesn't matter what all the book reviewers in the world think of his work, it brought him joy.  As he has often insisted, he never wrote a single word for the money.

Duma Key is a scary book.  Maybe not yet, not where I'm at (somewhere just beyond the halfway point), but you can sense it coming.  The book has certainly given its share of chills.  But what really strikes a chord is King's ability to bring home fears almost everyone has.  Few people are scared of ghost -- but how about public speaking?  YEP!  Most people are terrified of speaking in public.  When Edgar has to give a speech, everything goes wrong at first, and the reader can immediately identify.  The scene is, in its own way, every bit as much horror as the vamps in Salem's Lot.

The story moves slowly, but it has held my interest throughout.  The characters are worth the time.  You since King building something big.  There are dangers all around, but they remain in the shadows.  Why is it bad for daughters to be on Duma Key?  exactly what is under the house making that sound -- shells, or bones?  What gave Edgar his power, a ghost in the house or the accident?  All these issues have been gently put on the table, like a man setting up dominos for a spectacular display.