The Dark Tower

Eternal Padawan · Post by **Eternal Padawan** » Thu Feb 08, 2007 6:12 pm

This has been on my to read list for over a decade, but I just haven't had that moment to jump into the first book. But I heard it's awesome. And from some of you I've heard the ending is awful.

But either way, I would like to hear your thoughts. The idea is cool enough.

anarky · Post by **anarky** » Thu Feb 08, 2007 6:36 pm

I could've sworn there was a topic about it already, but maybe the Romulans ate it.

Books 1-5 are awesome. Flat-out awesome. I'd recommend getting a more recent edition of #1, as he made some changes -- nothing Lucas in scale, but he changed the name of Roland's lost love to be more consistent with #4, and added a lot of details.

#6 is an obvious fill-in. It's shorter than some of King's chapters. But not bad.

#7... well, he takes it from "literal story" to "silly allegory of the creative process." A lot of things he foreshadowed--even specifically said would happen--in earlier books, well, it doesn't happen. King himself becomes a major character, and it gets silly. It's not horrible, but it's like taking a series that's made up of Godfather 1-2 and capping it off with National Lampoon's Loaded Weapon.

There's a short story called The Little Sisters of Eleuria, which is reprinted several places, that's a definite must-read.

Definitely, definitely, definitely, read Salem's Lot before Book 5. And don't trust either of the movies, which weren't especially faithful.

Read the uncut Stand and Eyes of the Dragon early on, too. There are tie-ins in most of King's other books, including three that deal pretty heavily with the history of the Crimson King, but those three aren't his best. (Insomnia is one. I think Hearts in Atlantis is another.)

Since he broke his word about The Dark Tower VII being his last book, period, he'd better revisit this world and tell us what the fuck happened in a bunch of the flashbacks that are alluded to, and which should've been addressed in Book VII.

Overall, definitely worth the time, even with the shitty ending.

Eternal Padawan · Post by **Eternal Padawan** » Thu Feb 08, 2007 8:18 pm

I love the Stand. Amazing, amazing fiction. And they did well by it in the mini-series, considering it was made for TV.

I think the next time I'm in the B&N I'm going to hunt down the paperback of Dark Tower 1. PS The reason I started this was because of the new comic, which is beautifully drawn and painted. You should check it out and see how it compares to the books. I read that it's sort of filling in stuff taken from Wizard & Glass from when Roland was a wee lad. Good stuff so far.

Eternal Padawan · Post by **Eternal Padawan** » Tue Feb 13, 2007 2:10 pm

I bought this Saturday afternoon and I'm about 50 pages from the end after a sporadic weekend of reading. It went by quite fast considering how long some of his books are. I look forward to the next book.

Is the world of the Gunslinger supposed to be post-Stand continuity? I never read the Eyes of the Dragon. Or Salem's Lot. What's the connection there?

anarky · Post by **anarky** » Tue Feb 13, 2007 2:19 pm

Oh, shit, dude, way too tough to explain. Let Mr King do it.

In a nutshell, it's a world parallel to our own, and the Gunslingers were essentially medieval knights (only, well, they had guns and dressed like cowboys). There are links between the worlds, all worlds.

King explains it one way, and then changes it in Book VII, so just be ready for a "wait a second, what the hell?" moment or two later on.

The bad guy in The Stand is Randall Flagg. The bad guy in Eyes of the Dragon is a wizard named Flagg. The "Man in Black" in The Gunslinger is Walter... but he also goes by the name Randall Flagg. Yep, all the same guy.

The Man in Black is an agent of the Crimson King, who is a villain in several other King books.

Father Callaghan from Salem's Lot becomes a major character in Book V. It's important to have his backstory down, especially since the two films took some major liberties with him, before starting Book V.

BTW, there's a site that I'll track down again that shows the links in almost all of King's books. In fact, I think all but Danse Macabre and [/i]On Writing[/i], his two nonfiction books, are tied in somehow. But in most cases, it's some so tangential that only King and a few guys with a scary amount of time on their hands can catch.

Eternal Padawan · Post by **Eternal Padawan** » Tue Feb 13, 2007 3:03 pm

I remember one of the minor characters in Rose Madder showed up in Desperation.

So basically the Crimson King is Lord of the Underworld. And Randall Flagg is his go-to guy? I thought the Man in Black was Marten Something? Or is that an alias? I know he's a dick what likes to push little kids in front of Caddilacs.

jjreason · Post by **jjreason** » Sat Feb 24, 2007 1:05 pm

See below, as I can't seem to delete this now that I replied to myself.

jjreason · Post by **jjreason** » Sat Feb 24, 2007 1:06 pm

I still haven't gotten around to going all the way through this yet. Is the comic an adaption of the first books origin parts, or is it stand alone? I'm going to buy it either way - I just love Isanove's (who also did the Wolverine "Origin" series with Andy Kubert, if I recall correctly) coloring in the giveaway, that sold me on its own.

Eternal Padawan · Post by **Eternal Padawan** » Mon Feb 26, 2007 12:14 pm

I just started The Waste Lands. I am reading these things in about 72 hours. They are quite good.

I think the comic is taking some back story from the fourth book, Wizard and Glass, and embellishing and expanding it some. At NYCC, a panel discussion said the next comic book series would be a recounting of the battle of Jericho Hill, where the last of Roland's friends died.

And I also read that J.J.Abrams is courting King to try and do a movie franchise. So start spouting your casting choices, thankee sai!

I immediately see Ray Winstone from King Aurthur and Departed as Cort for the flashback scenes.

Eternal Padawan · Post by **Eternal Padawan** » Thu Mar 29, 2007 11:22 am

I'm plodding through Wizard and Glass right now. It's good reading but I've had other stuff going on so I'm only getting 15-20 pages in a day.

Eternal Padawan · Post by **Eternal Padawan** » Fri Apr 20, 2007 10:47 am

I finished Wizard and Glass this morning before I came to work. It was an exhausting read. I am going to take some time before diving into the final three books.

Am I to assume correctly that we never get the complete story of what happened to Cuthbert, Alain, and the other members of Roland's original Ka-Tet? Or the fall of Gilead and the death of Roland's father. As well as the final showdown with the witch, Rhea. There are brief, cryptic mentions of it here and there. But it doesn't seem like the other three books are big flashback tales like this one was.

anarky · Post by **anarky** » Fri Apr 20, 2007 7:12 pm

Nope.

The only thing that will get a payoff (SPOILER WARNING, but it's hella minor) is....

...you will learn why he saw a vision of a billybumbler that says "oy" speared on a tree limb.

Eternal Padawan · Post by **Eternal Padawan** » Fri Apr 20, 2007 8:02 pm

Well, gee whiz. Spoiler is right...

anarky · Post by **anarky** » Sat Apr 21, 2007 10:56 am

Hey, I didn't say when it happens, how it happens, why it happens, or what the result is.

BTW, if you want some real spoilerage, though nothing specific:

Most of the stuff King foreshadows, even specifically says will happen in some cases, doesn't.

Rob Liefeld · Post by **Rob Liefeld** » Wed May 02, 2007 4:53 pm

eL SENOR sTEPHEN kING, HE ES UN BUENO LAY! yO TENGO SEXO CON HIM MUY OFTEN! bOT HE ES NO SO GOOD UN GAY FOCK AS SENOR cAPITANsOLO1138!