“I can do this” is Edgar Freemantle’s mantra - one that he often repeats to himself in order to overcome many of the tribulations that Stephen King presents throughout the novel, Duma Key. And believe me, there were many.

The story begins with Freemantle’s arduous, and painful ordeal in recovery, after being nearly crushed to death by a construction crane. The fateful event leaves Edgar without an arm (at least initially…), a terrible limp, rage, and unfortunately, the loss of his marriage - just to name a few.

Close to suicide, his therapist suggests a change of scenery and to pickup a hobby, as a “hedge against the night”. Little did Edgar know that his particular “hedge”, on Duma Key, would lead to something so much more than simple recovery - it would lead inevitably to death.

Narration

What makes this Stephen King audio book a good listen? Well, for one, John Slattery is the narrator. This would mark the first time I’ve listened to his narration, and was impressed. He’s no Frank Muller, but he did get the job done. His ability to differentiate the characters, particularly between Edgar Freemantle and Jerome Wireman, made it engrossing.

Characters

King took his time in slowly developing the main characters of this novel, giving them a richer personality. This is more than true for Wireman, whom I think Stephen King (and a certain Peter Straub) had practice, with the earlier character of Henry Leyden - from Black House. The two characters, Jerome and Henry seem awfully alike.

Other Notes

The length of the audio book is 21 hours. If you’re a die-hard Stephen King fan, you likely wish that some books would never end. It gives you ample time to immerse yourself into his world(s). This is likely why I fell in love with the Dark Tower series, and am not too fond of his short stories.

Oh, and don’t be concerned when the paranormal doesn’t happen right away. Duma Key is one of those novels that builds the suspense, and presents more, and more, to the reader as time goes on.

Overall, Stephen King’s Duma Key audio book was enjoyable, and gave me my usual King fix. If you’re interested, you can download Duma Key here.

Have you already listened to it? Feel free to drop us a comment to let us know what you thought of it.