A Spooky Read

Just a quick note about a book I recently finished up. Those who know me are familiar with my affinity for Stephen King books (I own a First Edition Trade Hardcover of all his books going back to 'The Dead Zone'). While he is no Mark Twain or John Steinbeck, King appeals to my lower class nature that thirsts for cheap scares and pulp fiction thrills.

King's latest opus, a tale of a construction worker who loses a limb and goes on to become the second coming of Salvador Dali, is called 'Duma Key.' While rather lengthy - remember we are talking King here - I never tired of reading the book, and was really engrossed up until the final act (which is to say the last quarter of the book). Up until that point, Duma Key was unlike any other King book I've read. However, once the monster is revealed, King resorts to his usual tricks. It was never dull, but rather predictable at the end.

With Duma Key now residing on my bookcase shelf beside his other King companions, I have moved on to a fascinating biography of Edgar Allan Poe. Which is kind of like going from Mad Magazine to Faust. While I like to think that I have a decent grasp of the English language, Poe's biography is obviously written by a man of great intellect who possesses a command of letters that I shall never achieve. What I'm saying is; I don't mind reading a book written by someone smarter than me, but it helps to have a dictionary on the nightstand...

Anyway – for those looking for a good literary thrill around Halloween, I heartily recommend either book: Duma Key by Stephen King, or Edgar Allan Poe: His Life and Legacy by Jeffrey Meyers.