Category: book Nook
This is one of those stand-up-and-be-counted type of topics, but I would like to know who here is a fan of this series of books and this universe in general, especially seeing as he has given us a new book set in that universe. I'll take all who choose to weigh in, of course, because I know some who tried reading the books and just couldn't get through the whole thing or whatever. Would especially love to hear from any who've read the whole series and loved it. I'm a horrible book critic or reviewer, so any of my own thoughts will be saved until I can bring them into the conversation.
I read books 1 through 4 back in the 90's when they first came out. It has been so long that in order to finish the series, I'd have to start all over again. lol
From what I remember, I didn't care much for book 1 but got hooked with 2 through 4. Perhaps I'll start with 2 and go through the entire thing again since from what I remember, 1 wasn't overly necessary.
I love all things Stephen King but the fanticy stuff is a bit harder for me to get into as I prefer more real life horror, if that makes any sense.
I'll be interested to see what others think.
I read them all, they were good but not the best. I am not hugely a fan of his writing style. I did like the books though, I did not like the last one, it was really messed up with the monster that came through the door and the lady was tricked in to doing what she did with him to spon that evil thing.
i think that part was taken from one of those movies, what was it called? scream? where the lady slept wiht the goast???
I read the first book but found it boring, so I stopped there. I'm a huge Stephen King fan too, so I was surprised to find that I had trouble getting through that book. Maybe I'll try the second book sometime, since someone else seems to like the other books more than the first.
I've read the entire series, including the Little Sisters of Aluria short story, as well as the Talisman and Black House. To be honest those latter two books were two of my favorite novels by him. I really enjoyed the series overall; I thought the ideas were unique, and the characters were mostly interesting. Books 1-5 were fantastic. Books 6 and 7 however left a really bad taste in my mouth. I just think the direction he went was a little odd in some places. I absolutely loved 4 with all its back story about Roland's past. The ending to the series however ... that, to me was a huge punch right in the throat. I felt cheated. I'm not going to spoil the ending except to say to me, it makes the "and it was only a dream" idea seem like a masterpiece. I'm still hoping for a sequel to Black House, but I doubt that will happen. I'm really not sure where he could take the next book to be honest. So please tell us more about this new one, Godzilla.
I'm really not the best one to synopsize a book, but this one is called "The Wind Through the Keyhole" and contains kind of a story within a story format. In the chronology of the series, King says you could call it volume 4.5 if that makes any sense. I can go find a description of the book if anyone wants one and paste it here. I apologize, but I'm not the most articulate book fan, as I suppose I'm not one who ordinarily participates in fandom as such. Here are other thoughts on what others have said here.
First, I'm kind of torn on the significance of the first book, "The Gunslinger." I know when I read it a long time ago I didn't get into it either, but it was probably because the writing seemed so different from what I, at that time, thought King wrote. I believe he's updated the book around the same time he wrote the last three volumes, but I think if you want to revisit the series, just go ahead and start with "The Drawing of the Three." I think in most of the books in the set he synopsizes what's gone before. However, for anyone reading the series for the very first time, it may be helpful to read "The Gunslinger" especially if you can get hold of the updated versions, just for the sake of background on Rolland.
Now, the ending. I've got mixed feelings about that. Yeah, the ending could have been a lot better than it was, but on the other hand, King said in his afterword that it's not about the ending but the journey. Since an author can do whatever he wishes, despite my feelings, I'll take his word for it.
I agree with the Journey. But I think a journey has to mean something. In this case, everything Roland and his companions went through ... meant nothing at all, at least not as far as I understood it. I'm not saying it has to all be sunshine and rainbows by any means. A bad, tragic ending would still have been better than .... that.
I liked the series, including the last book, although I wasn't too impressed with him making himself a character in the story itself. As for the ending though, if you pay attention it was sort of foreshadowed throughout the entire series. And it sort of implies that Roland does, in fact, learn from each new journey.
Just a quick heads-up. The version of "The Gunslinger" that's on Bard is King's newly revised version, which he says is much more in line with the way the rest of the books are written. I wonder if those of you who did not like the Gunslinger read the original 1982 version wich ahd some inconsistencies when compared with the other books in the series. He updated it in about 2003 in or around the time he was writing the last three books. If you've read the whole series but avhe not read this edit of "The Gunslinger, give it a read when you want to revisit the series and see what you think.
I agree completely. I read both, the original when I was MUCH younger, and the updated version when I decided to read the whole series. I definately prefer the newer version.
I am up to book three! I love Steven King's writing style! I am going to finish the series as soon as I get some free time! :) The way Steven can portray characters in the way they look and talk so well I can picture them in my head is essential! :) He is a visionary the way he keeps you always wondering what will happen next! :) I was hooked from the Gun Slinger! :) His ideas are very unique! I am a huge fan of his writing! :) I can't wait to read the rest of the series! I know I have not read the whole series but three out of seven I think deserves a chance for me to put down my thoughts! :)
I'm not sure which version of The Gunslinger I read. I can't remember if I got it from Web-Braille or Bookshare; if Web-Braille had it at the time, I got it from there because the braille is always better quality than that of Bookshare books.
Poetry, if you like this series, I highly recommend trying the Talisman, and then Black House. Their loosely set in the same univers (especially Blakc house, and they're both terrific stories in their own rite.
Ah, those are wonderful stories. I think the Talisman was one of the first books that really grabbed me and it's one I'll gladly read more than once.
I've seen websites, by he way, that list all of the ways King's other books cross-reference or make connections to the Tower. Let's also not forget Insomnia. And, funnily enough, when I first even heard King mention the Crimson King, I ahd to chuckle because of course taht references a song from the band King Crimson's very first album. Never though of King as much of a fan of progressive rock, though. Figured he mroe preferred the straight-ahead variety.
I read them all and they blew some of the biggest dick in my life. only kept going cause I don't like to leave things unfinished... should've that time. hours and hours of my life I can never get back SMH at myself
Then there's Eyes of the Dragon.
I liked much the dark tower series, and I liked the way fiction and life mixed... that episode where the characters jump into the author's life. strange enough. I didn't like much eyes of the dragon though... seemed somehow out of sorts and as if written by someone else, not king.. a second hand writer in a way, but dark tower was cool. still, I think the stand is better. I must make some time to read it.
and the ending makes me think of a mythological character, sisiphus, who is punished by the gods to carry a stone onto a mountain and than the stone falls and he has to start all over again. it's an infernal torment which means nothing, as in the case of roland. he starts it all over again, as he is a sort of damned soul trapped in the afterlife and repeating the same thing over and over...
That's an interesting analogy. Though I still find the series's ending quite a let-down. It was a long-running series, and that was the destination. I know he (and others) have said it's not the destination, but the journey that's important. But personally, though I really do like his writing, I find that to be a bit of a cop out in this case.
Yeah, but if you really pay attention to the earlier books in the series the ending was foreshadowed pretty much from the beginning. And he does warn you not to read on if you want a happy ending.
These books were my first literary love in high school.
Oops. gotta double post.
I hit the send button too soon.
I absolutely loved this story. Even with all it's cleechets, it was a masterpeace.
The ending, by the way, is just about, imho, the only way King could've ended the story in a respectable fassion.
Ka is a wheel. Ka, btw, and the entire idea of destany, life, and everything in the universe being a circle was borrowed from eastern religion (hinduism and daoism in particular), so the ending was just a manifestation of the spiritual message of the entire book. Besides, would it have really been satisfying for Roland to climb the tower and ascend to godhood or something? Boring. Roland wasn't meant for that kind of role. His character was not one destined for a happy ending.
But maybe, if you think about it in the right light, the ending was happy.
He did get the horn after all, and we're lead to believe that his next go will be his final try (or at least closer to it).
Perhaps he'll save Jake and the rest of the gang on a further trip down the line and they'll all get to live on. Just a thought.
I know. At first I was disappointed with the ending but on reflection it fits. I never pictured Roland Deschain as being te happy ending sort of person. About the only thing that I really didn't care for was King himself appearing as a character in the story.
I'm a huge King fan, though I have to admit that his earlier pre-sober stuff was better. Yes, sad, an we can debate whether writers do their thing when their wasted or not. . . but back to DT, specifically Post 8's comments about the ending of the series and the point or lack thereof:
The ending was very disappointing, because as you say, it was like all of the trials and tribulations were for nothing. But, spoiler Alert . . . if you think about it, many things happened to make it possible for Roland to repeat the journey and come out further ahead. Eddie and Jake and Susannah are together now, so Roland can go through the journey again and concentrate on other aspects of aligning the universe until he gets it right. Much of the book was retrieving those three and sorting out their histories. The whole series is like some kind of reincarnation game where you learn a little each time in each life and hopefully apply it to the future life. Not saying this was King's intent, because if you listen to interviews, he really doesn't give a rat's ass what anyone thinks about his stuff. <grin> but basically, this ending is one that can go either way for us or the characters.
Exactly. I think of the ending as at least cautiously optimistic. I chose to interpret it as meaning that Roland is finally nearing the end of his road. He now has all the objects he was supposed to have lain at the dor of the tower and he seems to learn something new with each repetition. I agree with those who feel that King ended the series the only way he could have. Anyway it was foreshadowed if you know what to look for.
True enough. I guess I've just never been a fan of that kind of ending. it does indeed make you think, and that isn't a bad thing at all. I guess after that long a series I sort of wanted some resolution. But But maybe it's true. Maybe he couldn't really have ended it too many other ways. Stephen King, for all his clever writing (and I AM a big fan of his) has written a lot of endings I wasn't personally satisfied with. I loved this series, but I found after the fifth book ended, it just sort of fell a part. Particularly the sixth book; easily the worst in the series for me.
I read the series a few years back and really liked it. One of the more interesting things about it in my oppinion is that each book is so much different from every other book except maybe for the last two. We get a western style quest through the desert in the first, a fantasy/horror like journey in the third, a romance in the fourth and so on. Like many others I didn't really like the way King wrote him self into the books but I think it was a good idea even if it didn't work very well.
One thing I did like is how he at least tried to sprinkle some humor throughout the series. Most of it was courtesy of Eddie, much to Roland's annoyance. But I liked how commically out of place Roland was when he had to do business in our world, for instance calling sandwitches popkins and calling tuna fish tooter fish. LOL. Then of course mispronouncing Asperin as Astin. Then there was one scene in The Dark Tower whe he had to go into a Subway restaurant to get Eddie a sandwich. Eddie wanted a Poor Boy with lots of mayonaise and Roland had trouble getting the Earth words right, pronouncing Sandwich as Sandich. Then later when he came back with the food he remarked that he himself would have preferred a sauce that didn't look so much like come. LOL.