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Duma Key

By: Stephen King
Narrated by: John Slattery
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Publisher's summary

Winner of the 2009 Audie Award for Fiction

A terrible 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. When his marriage suddenly ends, Edgar begins to wish he hadn't survived his injuries. He wants out. His psychologist suggests a new life distant from the Twin Cities, along with 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 for Duma Key, an eerily undeveloped splinter of the Florida coast. The sun setting into the Gulf of Mexico calls out to him, and Edgar draws. Once he meets Elizabeth Eastlake, a sick old woman with roots tangled deep in Duma Key, Edgar begins to paint, sometimes feverishly; 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.

©2008 Stephen King (P)2008 Simon and Schuster, Inc.
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Featured Article: Stephen King’s 20 Best Audiobooks—The Definitive List


Stephen King is one of the most prolific American authors of all time. He has published 61 novels, more than 200 short stories, and six nonfiction books—and he shows no sign of stopping. His most recent novel, The Institute, was published in September of 2019, and we’ve already pre-ordered his novella anthology If It Bleeds, which is set to be released in 2020. With such a large portfolio, choosing one listen to start with can be daunting.

Editor's Pick

A Stephen King gateway listen
"Stephen King's Duma Key was my gateway listen; the first audiobook that had me jonesing to get back and press play. Sure, some themes, at first mention, may sound recognizable to the regular King fan, but there's an energy and connection to the material that feels totally fresh; especially as King—who famously suffered his own near-death accident years prior—explores the relationship between healing and creativity. John Slattery (the magnetic Mad Men actor) absolutely nails the tone here, capturing the desperation and volatility of Freemantle’s fragile mind, while also making him a kind of matter-of-fact everyman who quickly becomes a stand-in for your lifelong friend. And when your friend is up against supernatural terror, how can you not listen?"
Doug P., Audible Editor

What listeners say about Duma Key

Average customer ratings
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Loved it!

I love how descriptive Stephen King is. I totally felt like I could see the actually paintings. It is sufficiently creepy enough to make me not want to listen too deep into the night. Always a pleasure though.

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Nice Listen

Would you consider the audio edition of Duma Key to be better than the print version?

Yes, John Slattery did an excellent job reading this book.

What did you like best about this story?

As with every King novel, the best thing about this book is how it starts off in a believeable situation and gradually turns into something horrible and terrible. The story was well paced and kept you wanting to listen to another chapter.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

It was RED. (of course)

Any additional comments?

This was a great story and one of the better paced King books. John Slattery's performance was excellent.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Great stand-out story that keeps moving

This is a great suspense/ thriller. It kept us engaged and excited for the next development. We 'read' this during a 13 hour drive and it was wonderful! The story kept me awake and on the edge of my seat. This was also good for mature youth/tweeny who do not scare too easily.
I would definitely recommend this book for adults all ages and mature youth.

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By far my favorite Stephen King novel

I’ve listened to this recording at least 5 times and read the physical book twice. The story is amazing, the scares are surprisingly real, and the sadness is intense. I can’t recommend this story enough.

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Very fun and addicting.

Loved this book. Never got bored. Narrated very well. All the characters were thought out and described very well. Good book.

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    5 out of 5 stars

Stephen King's best

I just love this book, the visuals, the interspections, the interactions between characters, it is so wonderful - keep up the good work Mr. King.

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    5 out of 5 stars

Finally! King is back on his game.

I have been a fan of Stephen King since nearly the beginning of his career and admire his work. Not the horror elements, per se, but his ability to create such detailed characters that the reader can relate to and learn to care about. This is what I have always thought was lacking in most of his films---to ability to present characters that have depth; to make them likeable and multi-dimensional. FINALLY, I think he is back on his game with "Duma Key." I enjoyed this book much more than most of the books he has written since his personal accident. I am really thrilled that he has kept writing.

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Wonderful reader

This is the first Stephen King I have read or listened to. The reader of this novel was wonderful and, even though I had to re-visit some of the more difficult to understand parts, I totally got it and marvel at King's story telling ability. I will be reading more of his books.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

Very good Stephen King Book

I really loved this book until it got close to the end when I felt it went from great to good.

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Out of this world

This book was out of this world creepy. I loved it! The narrator was great, especially for the character of Wireman. I couldn't stop listening, which ruined my plan of making the book last a long time.

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