The Dark Tower [No Spoilers]

Ham n Cheese · 10-23-2006, 06:55 AM

I started reading this when I was stuck at my boss' place once and blazed through the gunslinger, it was one of the fastest paced interesting books I had ever picked up and the ending left me craving more.

I'm halfway through book II now, it's taking me a lot more time to get through this one because of all the secondary characters taking over page time. I figure by the premise of "The drawing of the three" and the way its started that it's a complete set up book for further books, but I really hope the series returns to form that I saw in "The Gunslinger".

Anyone else reading or read these books? Is book 7 actually the last book or just the last one written? I'd recommend anyone here at least read book 1 if nothing else.

Eomer · 10-23-2006, 07:18 AM

Book 7 "ends" it, for all intents and purposes. The series never meets the expectations set up for it in the first three books, all three of which I absolutely loved. I think the problem is one that King himself has admitted in other books' forewords and afterwords: he typically writes by instinct, and only rarely does he have a vague idea in which direction a story will head. In the case of the gunslinger, in a lot of ways that approach becomes incredibly apparent because he creates this mythology and world that on the surface are incredibly huge and interesting, but then when you get past that glittering surface you realize there was and will never be any substance to it.

I still readily recommend the series to anyone, if only for the first books. Just temper your expectations somewhat. While books 5-7 are well written and paced, I ripped through all of them, they don't bring to a conclusion numerous plot lines that are hinted at in the first books (or if they do, in a most unsatisfying way), and to this day that pisses me off. And book 4, well, 2/3 of it flat out sucked. Why King chose to dedicate a significant portion of the series to a pointless love story, I'll never know.

Requiem · 10-23-2006, 07:22 AM

Books 1-3 OWNED. Book 4 was a snorefest, and I didn't make it all the way through it. I haven't read the rest.

Grimmlokk · 10-23-2006, 07:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Requiem

Books 1-3 OWNED. Book 4 was a snorefest, and I didn't make it all the way through it. I haven't read the rest.

See, and I really liked book 4(Wizard and Glass). It's really the most westerny of the series. My father had the exact same reaction as Requiem did though. Sure it kinda screwed up the pacing of the series, but it gave tons of insight into why Roland is like he is.

It's a good series, but definately some drop off after the first 3 for most people. But I never got the impression that he was completely milking the series/story like I do with the Wheel of Time and Sword of Truth series. Every book feels like it's really adding a lot to the overall story.

I would love a book dealing with the time between most of WIzard and Glass' story and The Gunslinger's. The John Farsons(think that's right) story basically. Rebellion, Roland's dad and the other gunslingers, just lots of shit I'd love to see.

Tabris · 10-23-2006, 07:53 AM

I do have to say the way the final book ended was 100% fitting and I'm not sure it could have ended any other way. I can't really mention any more without going into spoilers.

redav · 10-23-2006, 08:05 AM

The final books, most recent ones, are so different from the rest. When it all gets to this final battle in the last book you don't really care about those disappointments because it's sure to be epic. But the "fight" scene is a colossal let-down; a cop-out unworthy of even a childrens tv show.

Asmadai · 10-23-2006, 08:06 AM

I only wish I would have stopped reading when Stephen King said to stop reading at the end of 7.

If you've read 7 you should know what i'm talking about.

TheOkapi · 10-23-2006, 09:34 AM

In my opinion, The Dark Tower series is the finest work man has done. It should be fucking launched into space, so when aliens find it, they read it and go "whoa, earth kicks ass".

Buckaroo Banzai · 10-23-2006, 10:07 AM

I agree, this series is totally fantastic, but does kind of go all over the map.
You can tell it has been written over the course of what, 25 years?
I have read all of Kings work, and he alludes to the Dark Tower in many of his other books, none of it really has any relevance to it though.
Book one in my opinion was probably the weakest of them all. It read like a comic book to me, which isn't a bad thing, it just doesn't compare to the rest.
2 and 3 were utterly fantastic. And in my opinion even the less popular one with Rolands history, was still really good.
As someone stated above, it ends the best possible way. Slightly anticlimatic, but in retrospect, it was the best way he could have done it.

Asmadai · 10-23-2006, 10:09 AM

Yeah, although I complained heavily about it once I finished it, as I felt the full ending was very 'bleh', I still even now find myself wanting to reread it again. The characters throughout the series just own hands down, and although they have their flaws and other parts about them you'd personally have done differently, it still makes up for one hell of an amazing story, with tie-ins to real life events, and many other kick ass things.

Ham n Cheese · 10-23-2006, 12:37 PM

I remember hearing something about pennywise and charlie from IT somehow being intertwined into King's books too, was that Dark Tower or does that even exist?

Asmadai · 10-23-2006, 12:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ham n Cheese

I remember hearing something about pennywise and charlie from IT somehow being intertwined into King's books too, was that Dark Tower or does that even exist?

I don't know about those two, but there is an IT type guy in The Dark Tower, tho you don't really meet him till the end of 7. He's like, IT's distant cousin if you will.

Tabris · 10-23-2006, 01:00 PM

In the forefront of the latter DT books there's a list of all the DT related books. The most closely related books are Hearts in Atlantis, Black House, and Insomnia. The Crimson King even physically appears in Insomnia for a bit. If you had to bother reading any I'd read Hearts in Atlantis (Low Men in Yellow Coats) or Insomnia, although Black House is pretty important too.

The other books and how they're related are pretty tangential, besides maybe The Stand, which every King fan should read anyways (although the ending of the Stand is the true "WTF retarded" ending that plagues many of King's books, but this is like the mother of all WTF endings).

Murr · 10-23-2006, 01:23 PM

I loved the whole series, but Book 4 was probably my favorite as well.

Buckaroo Banzai · 10-23-2006, 01:36 PM

I don't remember every reference, some mentioned above, however in IT (although its been a good 15 years since i've read it, i remember this part clearly cuz I was so 'wtf') I recall one of the children looking at a can of that turtle wax, then going into some trance and floating in space talking to a 'great turtle' for awhile.

10-23-2006, 06:55 AM	#1 (permalink)
Ham n Cheese Productive, fully-charged, cocked and pointed Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Houston Posts: 8,383 +19 Internets	The Dark Tower [No Spoilers] I started reading this when I was stuck at my boss' place once and blazed through the gunslinger, it was one of the fastest paced interesting books I had ever picked up and the ending left me craving more. I'm halfway through book II now, it's taking me a lot more time to get through this one because of all the secondary characters taking over page time. I figure by the premise of "The drawing of the three" and the way its started that it's a complete set up book for further books, but I really hope the series returns to form that I saw in "The Gunslinger". Anyone else reading or read these books? Is book 7 actually the last book or just the last one written? I'd recommend anyone here at least read book 1 if nothing else. __________________ Xeph Hunky Dory Mavo Mayhem

10-23-2006, 07:22 AM	#3 (permalink)
Requiem Site Administrator Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Cambridge, MA Posts: 769 +38 Internets	Books 1-3 OWNED. Book 4 was a snorefest, and I didn't make it all the way through it. I haven't read the rest. __________________ Requiem Alloria Mistweave Uberguilds.org, fohguild.org Site Administrator requiem@fohguild.org

10-23-2006, 12:37 PM	#11 (permalink)
Ham n Cheese Productive, fully-charged, cocked and pointed Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Houston Posts: 8,383 +19 Internets	I remember hearing something about pennywise and charlie from IT somehow being intertwined into King's books too, was that Dark Tower or does that even exist? __________________ Xeph Hunky Dory Mavo Mayhem

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10-23-2006, 07:18 AM	#2 (permalink)
Eomer Registered User Join Date: Feb 2002 Posts: 8,885 +4 Internets	Book 7 "ends" it, for all intents and purposes. The series never meets the expectations set up for it in the first three books, all three of which I absolutely loved. I think the problem is one that King himself has admitted in other books' forewords and afterwords: he typically writes by instinct, and only rarely does he have a vague idea in which direction a story will head. In the case of the gunslinger, in a lot of ways that approach becomes incredibly apparent because he creates this mythology and world that on the surface are incredibly huge and interesting, but then when you get past that glittering surface you realize there was and will never be any substance to it. I still readily recommend the series to anyone, if only for the first books. Just temper your expectations somewhat. While books 5-7 are well written and paced, I ripped through all of them, they don't bring to a conclusion numerous plot lines that are hinted at in the first books (or if they do, in a most unsatisfying way), and to this day that pisses me off. And book 4, well, 2/3 of it flat out sucked. Why King chose to dedicate a significant portion of the series to a pointless love story, I'll never know.

10-23-2006, 07:53 AM	#5 (permalink)
Tabris Registered User Join Date: Jan 2003 Posts: 1,281 +0 Internets	I do have to say the way the final book ended was 100% fitting and I'm not sure it could have ended any other way. I can't really mention any more without going into spoilers.

10-23-2006, 08:05 AM	#6 (permalink)
redav Registered User Join Date: Apr 2005 Posts: 532 +0 Internets	The final books, most recent ones, are so different from the rest. When it all gets to this final battle in the last book you don't really care about those disappointments because it's sure to be epic. But the "fight" scene is a colossal let-down; a cop-out unworthy of even a childrens tv show.

10-23-2006, 08:06 AM	#7 (permalink)
Asmadai Monolith - Area 52 Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Sealab Posts: 2,239	I only wish I would have stopped reading when Stephen King said to stop reading at the end of 7. If you've read 7 you should know what i'm talking about.

10-23-2006, 10:07 AM	#9 (permalink)
Buckaroo Banzai Registered User Join Date: Dec 2005 Posts: 163 +0 Internets	I agree, this series is totally fantastic, but does kind of go all over the map. You can tell it has been written over the course of what, 25 years? I have read all of Kings work, and he alludes to the Dark Tower in many of his other books, none of it really has any relevance to it though. Book one in my opinion was probably the weakest of them all. It read like a comic book to me, which isn't a bad thing, it just doesn't compare to the rest. 2 and 3 were utterly fantastic. And in my opinion even the less popular one with Rolands history, was still really good. As someone stated above, it ends the best possible way. Slightly anticlimatic, but in retrospect, it was the best way he could have done it.

10-23-2006, 10:09 AM	#10 (permalink)
Asmadai Monolith - Area 52 Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Sealab Posts: 2,239	Yeah, although I complained heavily about it once I finished it, as I felt the full ending was very 'bleh', I still even now find myself wanting to reread it again. The characters throughout the series just own hands down, and although they have their flaws and other parts about them you'd personally have done differently, it still makes up for one hell of an amazing story, with tie-ins to real life events, and many other kick ass things.

10-23-2006, 01:00 PM	#13 (permalink)
Tabris Registered User Join Date: Jan 2003 Posts: 1,281 +0 Internets	In the forefront of the latter DT books there's a list of all the DT related books. The most closely related books are Hearts in Atlantis, Black House, and Insomnia. The Crimson King even physically appears in Insomnia for a bit. If you had to bother reading any I'd read Hearts in Atlantis (Low Men in Yellow Coats) or Insomnia, although Black House is pretty important too. The other books and how they're related are pretty tangential, besides maybe The Stand, which every King fan should read anyways (although the ending of the Stand is the true "WTF retarded" ending that plagues many of King's books, but this is like the mother of all WTF endings).

10-23-2006, 01:23 PM	#14 (permalink)
Murr Token Gnome Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Chapel Hill, NC Posts: 1,671 +3 Internets	I loved the whole series, but Book 4 was probably my favorite as well.

10-23-2006, 01:36 PM	#15 (permalink)
Buckaroo Banzai Registered User Join Date: Dec 2005 Posts: 163 +0 Internets	I don't remember every reference, some mentioned above, however in IT (although its been a good 15 years since i've read it, i remember this part clearly cuz I was so 'wtf') I recall one of the children looking at a can of that turtle wax, then going into some trance and floating in space talking to a 'great turtle' for awhile.