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Main Forums => The Roundtable => Topic started by: TarpleyG on October 20, 2005, 01:27:22 PM

Title: Finally finished Dark Tower books
Post by: TarpleyG on October 20, 2005, 01:27:22 PM

Well, after about a year of reading (I only read a few pages a day okay), I have finally closed the cover on book VII and I have to say that I am quite sad now that I don't have Roland and his ka-tet to keep me company anymore.  For those of you that have not read the series, I encourage you to do so.  Without a doubt King's best work.  You can also see how his writing skill improves from 1970 or so to 2004.  Anyway, just wanted to share.

Greg

Title: Finally finished Dark Tower books
Post by: grampster on October 20, 2005, 02:25:04 PM

Engrosing.

Title: Finally finished Dark Tower books
Post by: mtnbkr on October 20, 2005, 03:18:51 PM

I'm thinking about reading the series again.

The first book as the best opening line of any book I've read: "The man in black fled across the desert, and the gunslinger followed."

Chris

Title: Finally finished Dark Tower books
Post by: Gewehr98 on October 20, 2005, 04:40:04 PM

Don't give it away.

I'm about two books away from the end of the series, my last one was Wizard and Glass.

Think I'll re-read the series before I buy the last books in the set.  

Title: Finally finished Dark Tower books
Post by: Preacherman on October 20, 2005, 04:41:27 PM

I was profoundly disappointed on trying the first book in the "Gunslinger" series, and I've never tried any of the others as a result.  Just what is it that makes them so popular?  Judging from the first, they're fairly shallow, undeveloped, and without great inspirational merit...  so why the fuss?

I'm not trying to diss those who like them - I just want to understand why they're so popular.

Title: Finally finished Dark Tower books
Post by: Guest on October 20, 2005, 04:49:15 PM

Quote from: Preacherman

I was profoundly disappointed on trying the first book in the "Gunslinger" series, and I've never tried any of the others as a result.  Just what is it that makes them so popular?  Judging from the first, they're fairly shallow, undeveloped, and without great inspirational merit...  so why the fuss?

I'm not trying to diss those who like them - I just want to understand why they're so popular.

They get immesurably better, seriously. The first book is almost an initiation that you have to endure to get into an excellent series.

Title: Finally finished Dark Tower books
Post by: brimic on October 20, 2005, 05:04:33 PM

I've been tempted to buy the last book of the series, but don't wan't to pay the $35 for the hard cover edition.

Title: Finally finished Dark Tower books
Post by: TarpleyG on October 20, 2005, 05:22:18 PM

Like I said, when King wrote that first line in 1970, he hadn't even had a book published yet.  He was a crap author for the most part.  You can really see his work improve, especially in the last book.  You should give it a try.

Greg

Title: Finally finished Dark Tower books
Post by: K Frame on October 20, 2005, 05:33:33 PM

I've read each of the books, except the last two, several times.

I really thought Wizard and Glass was perhaps the best of the series.

As for his best work, well, I'm not sure I agree. Two books truly stand out for me... The Stand, and Bag of Bones.

Title: Finally finished Dark Tower books
Post by: Preacherman on October 20, 2005, 07:26:34 PM

Brimic, Books-A-Million (or at least my local branch) has the hardcover of The Dark Tower on clearance at $11.95 - yours may have too.

Title: Finally finished Dark Tower books
Post by: middy on October 21, 2005, 10:46:35 AM

Mike, I agree Wizard and Glass was the best of the series. The last one is pretty good, too, but W&G is just haunting.

Title: Finally finished Dark Tower books
Post by: MaterDei on October 22, 2005, 03:18:04 AM

Quote from: TarpleyG

Without a doubt King's best work.  
Greg

Better than The Stand?  I need to read these if they are.

Title: Finally finished Dark Tower books
Post by: Preacherman on October 22, 2005, 03:19:37 AM

Well, as I said, I wasn't impressed by the first book:  but based on the comments in this thread, and on a sale price of just under $12 for the hardcover edition, I went out and bought the last volume, "The Dark Tower", last night.  I'll try it soon and see if it "grabs" me better than did the first volume.  If I like it, I'll get hold of the rest of the series.

Title: Finally finished Dark Tower books
Post by: mtnbkr on October 22, 2005, 03:46:04 AM

ugh, the last one isn't the a good example of the series either.  One of the middle books would've served you better.  Wizard and Glass wasn't my favorite, but it's generally considered one of the better books from the series.

Chris

Title: Finally finished Dark Tower books
Post by: K Frame on October 22, 2005, 05:55:23 AM

I thought the last one was somewhat better than Song of Susannah. I do hate it, though, when an author writes himself into his own books. Clive Cussler does that (and he's an absolute crap writer to begin with).


Oh, for those who say the first book isn't all that good because it was early in King's career, The Stand is from the exact same time frame, and it is a masterpiece of character development and storytelling.

What REALLY fascinated me, though, was how King evolved this entire series so that it was, essentially, the Grand Unification of virtually his entire body of work, even the most oddly disparate works have shared characters, themes, events, etc. I thought that was not only immaginative, but rather brilliant.

Title: Finally finished Dark Tower books
Post by: kayak bum on October 23, 2005, 04:41:40 PM

Agree on Wizard and Glass; probably King's best.

Title: Finally finished Dark Tower books
Post by: DrAmazon on October 24, 2005, 08:09:41 AM

I got fed up with Song of Suzannah 6-8 months ago, and didn't finish the series.  

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Once King himself became such an important character, it seemed to ruin it for me.