Sunday, February 20, 2005
The Dark Tower VII: The Dark Tower-The Saga Ends...sniff
WO!
I sure did not expect that ending! Wow! I'm sure there are probably a lot of pissed off readers out there after reading the last book in the Gunslinger series, but I thought it was perfect! After my mouth just about dropped I had a sad smile on my face and thought, "Brilliant".
When I finished reading The DaVinci code I felt ripped off, I felt like the writer totally copped out on the ending, and although there may be some people that feel like that about the Gunslinger, well - I think they're missing the point.
The Dark Tower takes us through the end of the journey for Roland and his ka-tet. And the part I was worried about in the last book almost made sense. I've made reference to how this saga almost feels like Steven King was actually watching it all play out instead of writing a story. It's hard to explain, but you almost become enthralled with the whole thing, I found myself even feeling like Roland and his ka-tet were working in the background even as I was reading the book.
They travel to other lands, meet other people all on their quest to The Dark Tower. A lot of things are tied up nicely and explained, and I am still amazed at the life King is able to bring to this tale, I mean I would know any of the four of them if I saw them on the street, and at this point probably wouldn't be too surprised if one of them knocked on my door. Bizarre huh?
I think from the first, "Once upon a time..." story we're all read to as children, we sort of expect the, "And they all lived happily ever after." schtik. We want everything wrapped up with a pretty little bow and explained to us. I suppose it's partly due to the fact that we are reading fiction, and rarely does life always end with the 'happily ever after', so we almost subconsciously demand it of our books. For those of you that are looking for that, and I admit I am usually one of them, you are not going to get the typical wrap up with this last book in the series. But to contradict myself, I think it wraps it up perfectly!! For what other ending could there be, really?
King alluded to the fact that he wasn't sure if any of them would reach the Dark Tower in his writer's comments in the earlier books, because he just didn't know yet. I will not say if Roland, Eddie, Jake, Susannah or Oy actually reach the Dark Tower, for that's part of the fun in the reading of this saga. Well, almost the purpose of the tale really.
There was a moment there in the last book, where I was thinking I would be really pissed if I spent the last several months reading these books and the ending was going to be something along the line of where I felt King was leading us. But, I for one, do not regret starting these books, some 10 or so years ago and re-buying them all this past year.
Much like King describes, Roland was always sort of left there in the background of my imagination/subconscious after reading the third book 8 years ago. You just get busy with your life and forget about it. When I heard from my buddy PEE that King finished them this year, it was like being on a mission to find & buy the books. Even reading them became almost a mission. I recommend them to everyone!
As a matter of fact, I almost feel like King has raised the bar and every other book I read, as much as I may enjoy it, will have a sense of non-reality. I honestly have never read a historical account on anything that would come even close to the way King was able to bring Roland, his ka-tet and the Dark Tower to being.
Oh, and should King decide to follow this series any further, I'm in, afterall you did leave us a nugget didn't you Steven? A great tale and as much as I didn't want the books to end, the ending was absolutely brilliant...
In my opinion.... S. Doll
Tuesday, January 25, 2005
The Dark Tower VI: Song of Susannah
But before I get there, I have to say there is a lot of dying in these books, we are introduced to people some of which we don't really care for & other's that we absolutely love and when they die, it sort of sucks, but it's not really THAT big of a deal. Certainly no cause for tears to well up in my eyes.
Well dammit, I actually got teary-eyed in a particular spot in this damn book. Who knows, maybe it's just because I was tired but dang... that was weird, leave it to Stephen King. But enough of the mushy stuff. This book as you can see by the name focuses a lot on my favorite character (Big Lie, for those of you that can't read sarcasm) Susannah. I still can't figure out why I am just so bored by her, but lucky me I atleast get to 'speed read' a bunch of pages because I'm just not interested.
I find myself reading this book as fast as I can so I can get to the good part, or what is going on with the other Gunslingers. When King finally delivers it's good, but that sense of 'Hmmm' is turning into some serious foreboding on the clearing at the end of the path, and if it's anywhere near what I think, I'm going to be awfully pissed. There is nothing worse than a great book with a crap ending!! It ruins all of the good that came before it!
Sure enough, King takes me down the path I do not want to travel and I'm thinking, c'mon man this has been done and redone so many times it's trite. He ends the book with some 'REAL?' journals from King's own life, and that was the only saving grace to this book if you ask me. He ended it with a nice melancholy line and as the olden say, in for a dollar in for a pound. There isn't anyway I'm not (how's that for a double negative) going to finish the series, but I sure hope he does some type of smooth move and manages to take me down an unseen fork in this path!!
Tuesday, January 18, 2005
The Dark Tower V - Wolves of the Calla
Another absolutely great story. Roland & his companions, now gunslingers themselves, find their 'Ka' taking them to yet another city with another dialect with different problems. All of the cities they visit have some remnant of the machines that the 'old great ones' built. Is that us in the future?
Much is still unclear as to where and what the Dark Tower is, and it's function other than holding the Beams together. What happens after all the Beams break? Some type of Armageddon, but what & who has really created the worlds to begin with? Roland is agnostic and only cares about reaching the Dark Tower, what he's going to do when (and if) he gets there is anyone's guess. Is the Dark Tower good or evil?
I've got to think that King actually dreams of Mid-World & Roland. His story seems just that. Like he is actually telling us the history of what actually happened. Weird to think of what goes on his brain, but I'm definitely thankful for it, and I only hope that the 80 year old woman that wrote to King years ago is still alive to enjoy these.
I find myself slowing down in reading, because I don't want them to end. If Roland dies some in some insignificant way without actually reaching the Dark Tower, that's gonna suck! Of all the characters in this book, I just can't seem to be that interested in Susannah, and I really don't understand why. She probably has the most fantastic history, yet I find her boring. Go figure. Another great read!
Wednesday, January 05, 2005
The Dark Tower IV - Wizard & Glass
It struck me while reading this book that King does a masterful job of writing in the 'high speech', a language much like English. The words that are invented? by King as substitutions for our own words are wonderful. It makes me feel like this language actually exists somewhere, or that perhaps King Arthur and his knights had a palaver with Stephen King himself.
A main focus of this book is the 'crystal ball', the future it shows and the power it has over it's watchers. This was a very good love story inside of a very good adventure story. The love story of Roland and Susan is addicting and hard to put down. It is a love that is 'ka' and that's all I'll say.
King gives us enough of the past that explains much of how Roland has become the 'hard' gunslinger of today, willing to sacrifice anything and anyone in his quest to find the Dark Tower. What exactly that Dark Tower is, and its purpose still remains a mystery, although the Dark Tower seems to be a thing of common knowledge in Roland's world. The most I've been able to ascertain is that it is the center of everything. Explains a lot huh?
Yet, here I am on the same quest as Roland but for different reasons. Much as Roland has drawn his three from our world and as much as they fought him, they are now as obsessed as Roland. So much so, that given the chance they cannot leave Rolands world until they they reach the Dark Tower.
King has drawn at least one and like Roland's companions, I'm in for the long haul!
Sunday, December 26, 2004
The Dark Tower III - The Wastelands
The 3rd book in the Stephen King Dark Tower Series seemed a bit of a let down (to me) after reading The Drawing of Three, although it definitely served its purpose. I think because King has written this 'epoch' without knowing the ending makes a big difference in writing. I do believe that he is actually finding things out as he goes along in this story just as we are, and that he just doesn't have the answers yet.
Whereas in The Drawing of Three, there was an anticipation to events coming up, The Wastelands gives us a better understanding of the background and history of Roland & his world and delves into the complication of time travel and the ramifications thereof. With Roland choosing to not draw the third in the 2nd book, and that he chooses to save Jake causes some complications of course because if Jake is not killed when he was supposed to be, then how could Roland have met him at the weigh station? Interesting....
What & Where is the Dark Tower?? Where is Rolands world?? Is his world the 'watchers' of the Dark Tower since they seem to talk of it so freely while our world is oblivious. Was it invented in our world? So many questions, and I am addicted....Still.
If I were a cat, my curiosity would kill me for sure! Ah, well just remember not to forget the face of your fathers!!
Thursday, December 16, 2004
The Dark Tower II - The Drawing of the Three
Although some mysteries are explained, new mysteries abound. Roland (gunslinger) continues his quest to find the Dark Tower. He has finally caught up with the 'man in black' who goes on to give him clues about the Drawing of The Three.
We learn more about Roland's sketchy background, but only enough to make me want more. The mystery behind these stories almost leaves the reader salivating for more. TELL ME the REST of the story!! These books are almost like a tortuous addiction. They're so good, even though you WANT to know how they all end, you don't want the story to end!
Without giving away too much of the book. The Drawing of The Three has Roland interacting with Our World with three different individuals in three different time periods, that are all interrelated. Not only with each other but with Roland and his "Ka". Ka in Rolands world means 'fate, destiny, karma'.
The three characters introduced in this book are great! The parallels between Rolands world and ours are many. It's fun to see how King explains these idiosyncrasies, and leaves us wondering as always where Roland's world is and what the heck happened to it! Is it a parallel universe? Is it the future or perhaps the past and what does the Dark Tower have to do with all this, other than it is Roland's Ka to search for the Dark Tower or die trying to reach it.
Count me in as being one of those 'Slingers' that would be BEGGING King to PLEASE tell me how the story ends before I die.
Sunday, December 12, 2004
The Dark Tower - Gunslinger
I do not normally read fantasy or science fiction type books and first picked this up simply because it had Stephen Kings name on it. Surprisingly I was hooked. At that time (at least 8 years ago) there were only 3 books in the series and after I finished the 3rd I waited & waited & waited for the next one to come out. As so often happens with 'series' books, by the time the next one comes out I've either lost interest (Left Behind) or I've totally forgotten most of the plot of the book. In this case is was the latter. I heard from a co-worker (who isn't very timely in producing football results for our pool, by the way, heh jk pee) that the 4th book came out!!
Well, talk about excited. I decided that all of us - You know who you are - should be called 'Slingers', ala Trekkies. King even addresses this in his forwards of the republished series, even sharing that he received pretty much a death bed request from a woman to 'please let her know how the story ends!'. Remembering how much I enjoyed the books, I went out and bought all 4, so I could start from the beginning...again.
The books follow a man - Roland through his journey to find the Dark Tower. The first book is vague, yet detailed enough that it almost compels you to keep reading to try and figure out who this person is, where he is, where he came from and what the heck is going on. I laugh in reading that last sentence back because I'm thinking, 'oh yea, nice plug there...NOT'. For instance we know that Roland is a "gunslinger" what exactly that means I don't know, but King tells us the story behind how he became one and it leaves the impression of a 'knight' type.
Almost like a mystery, King leaves enough hints and references that you get the gist, but you want to know the whole story. And that's what these books are, much in the genre of The Stand it's a story. And a good one at that. Another first with me is that I do not re-read books, but I am glad I did re-read this one. I recommend it to anyone that enjoys a good story.