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16th out of 69 books
—
902 voters
My rating:
add to my books
The Waste Lands (The Dark Tower #3)
Roland, the last gunslinger, moves ever closer to the Dark Tower of his dreams and nightmares as he travels through city and country in Mid-World - a macabre world that is a twisted image of our own. With him are those he has drawn to this world: street-smart Eddie and courageous, wheelchair-bound Susannah.
Ahead of him are mind-bending revelations about who and...more
Ahead of him are mind-bending revelations about who and...more
Hardcover, 422 pages
Published
June 23rd 2003
by Viking Adult
(first published September 1991)
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DISCLAIMER: Many aspects of THE GUNSLINGER ACTION ADVENTURE EXPEDITION are comprised of potentially dangerous activities involving giant cyborgs, possessed buildings, demon rapists and extras from the cast of Deliverance, do you ken it. There is a risk of serious injury, being Roont or even Charyou Tree. Therefore GUNSLINGER KA-TETS WITH DINH ONLY. While training and remembering the face of your father can reduce the inherent risks, Ka is a wheel and they cannot be completely elimin...more
This book contains the biggest lie a writer ever told me. It‘s in the Author‘s Note at the end:
The fourth volume in the tale of the Dark Tower should appear - always assuming the continuation of Constant Writer’s life and Constant Reader’s interest - in the not-too-distant-future.
It took six years for the next book to come out.
Six. Goddamn. Years.
Six years may not seem too bad to fans of authors who only release a book every decade or so, but th...more
The fourth volume in the tale of the Dark Tower should appear - always assuming the continuation of Constant Writer’s life and Constant Reader’s interest - in the not-too-distant-future.
It took six years for the next book to come out.
Six. Goddamn. Years.
Six years may not seem too bad to fans of authors who only release a book every decade or so, but th...more
The beam all things serve it!
A multi-layered story of thrill and adventure.
A band of pilgrims, knights set upon a journey, a journey in ultimately that they will come to realise fear and terror, love and courage. Journey to a ultimate goal a destination the Tower and this strikes a similarity to our own goals and journeys today to happiness and sadness, paradise and hell, success and failure, light or darkness. As we follow this band upon their paths we warm to their fears and ...more
Dan
rated it
After the events of the Drawing of the Three, Roland the Gunslinger has two people from our world along side him in his quest for the Dark Tower. However, he's also going mad because of a strange double set of memories in his head, memories of a boy he crossed the desert with...
The Waste Lands is probably my favorite Dark Tower book and epitomizes what I like about the series. It's got the lost technology, lots of action, more bits about Roland's world, and makes Roland's ka-tet co...more
The Waste Lands is probably my favorite Dark Tower book and epitomizes what I like about the series. It's got the lost technology, lots of action, more bits about Roland's world, and makes Roland's ka-tet co...more
Let me start off by saying that I didn't rate this five stars because of its stand alone content. I rated it five stars because of the level it elevated the series too. I wasn't very interested in the Dark Tower series after Gunslinger, but I kept going. After Drawing of the Three, I was more intrigued, I liked it a lot better than Gunslinger, but I still could have not continued and not really cared. But now, after Waste Lands, I'm hooked. I can't wait to continue, and learn more of the story. ...more
the story is getting better.
first book: vague as crap, a little too pretentious.
second book: barely even a story, most of it worth skipping.
this third book: pretty entertaining, slightly verbose, and a little too long.
when reading this, i definitely saw the influence of LOTR clearer than i did in the previous two. of course, when reading any fantasy, the enemy of all fantasy novels--one could say the Dark Tower--is Tolkien. mostly you find that fantasy novels...more
first book: vague as crap, a little too pretentious.
second book: barely even a story, most of it worth skipping.
this third book: pretty entertaining, slightly verbose, and a little too long.
when reading this, i definitely saw the influence of LOTR clearer than i did in the previous two. of course, when reading any fantasy, the enemy of all fantasy novels--one could say the Dark Tower--is Tolkien. mostly you find that fantasy novels...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
I'm going to have to agree with what many readers have stated on this series; the story is getting better as it progresses.
The first book, needless to say, was so vague I couldn't make any sense of it whatsoever. I enjoyed the western theme, but the few facts i could gather weren't enough for me to actually get into the story. It ended up taking me a month to finish it. In that time, i had to pressure myself to sit down and read a certain amount of pages. I couldn't identify with Ro...more
The first book, needless to say, was so vague I couldn't make any sense of it whatsoever. I enjoyed the western theme, but the few facts i could gather weren't enough for me to actually get into the story. It ended up taking me a month to finish it. In that time, i had to pressure myself to sit down and read a certain amount of pages. I couldn't identify with Ro...more
Overall, I really enjoyed this. On the other hand, King is unable to contain himself from including some remarkably tasteless scenes: one of which involves a black woman and a randy demon, I'll say no more. I particularly object to King's embarassing attempts to imitate 'black vernacular' speech in the character of Odessa. She 'talks lik dis' all the time which is pretty offensive at times: I'm sure Toni Morrison would have a heart-attack if she read this and saw King's depictions of black sp...more
Chris
rated it
Recommends it for:
fantasy geeks and people that can tolerate Stephen King in general
Recommended to Chris by:
nobody specifically
My tolerance for Stephen King seems to ebb and flow constantly. He's probably the author whose books I read the most, but sometimes he just gets on my nerves. To make a cinematic connection, he reminds me of Quentin Tarantino, who always tries to talk hip and act cool, but most of the time I'm not buying it. The good thing about the "Dark Tower" series is that it takes place in a fantasy world so the jive-talk and pop-culture references aren't too prevalent, though the character of ...more
The main storyline of the Dark Tower really reveals itself in this book, the third installment. More ground is covered (literally, travelled by the protaganists) than any of the other books in the series. In fact, this probably the most straight-up fantasy adventure in the series. If quests, rescues, and discovering forgotten civilations are your cup of tea, this could very well be one of your favorite novels ever. It has the charm of being very recognizable as as a fantasy adventure within a wo...more
Maybe the best birthday gift I ever got from my grandmother, and definitely one of the ones she wasn't paying attention to when she bought. Even back in 1999, when I had wicked issues with slow reading, I managed to rip through this. I was riveted with King's storytelling and the way demented and straight characters interacted. Teen readers that can handle mature subject matter and dig this genre should definitely give it a shot. I enjoy it just as much after college and whatnot, though.
...more
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Look, if you haven't read the "Dark Tower" series, get off your ass. Anyone who knows me knows that I can just barely read at all, but I'm tearing through these books like John Candy through a Shoney's breakfast buffet. It's tough to say what's even so GOOD about them. In fact, for their length, you could say that hardly anything even happens in the first two, This guy walks through a desert for 500 pages, then a group of folks walk up a beach for 500 pages. But...I don't know Stephen ...more
I have my brother Joe's old copy at mein house!
OK read it. Took me a month or so, at no fault of the book. It was awesome and much more action packed from start to finish. I blasted through the last 150 pages in the past 2 days, which I do quite often. The mental images in this book really let your imagination go wild. Mid-World has the ugliest and the most beautiful places. A way post apocalyptic world with remnants of their past/our future(?) civilizations really allows anyth...more
OK read it. Took me a month or so, at no fault of the book. It was awesome and much more action packed from start to finish. I blasted through the last 150 pages in the past 2 days, which I do quite often. The mental images in this book really let your imagination go wild. Mid-World has the ugliest and the most beautiful places. A way post apocalyptic world with remnants of their past/our future(?) civilizations really allows anyth...more
How do you review a third novel in a seven-novel series? The Dark Tower epic is not really horror or a Lord of the Rings type of fantasy adventure series, but if you try to imagine a mixture of the two with King at the helm, you should have a pretty good idea of what The Dark Tower is all about.
In The Waste Lands, as in the rest of his work, King manages to make the unbelievable believable. What would, in many writers' hands, appear absurd is compelling. While something of an un...more
In The Waste Lands, as in the rest of his work, King manages to make the unbelievable believable. What would, in many writers' hands, appear absurd is compelling. While something of an un...more
Phew...
This is (only) the second time through The Waste Lands and I enjoyed it as much, if not more then the first read. The world King creates in this series is unforgettable and the characters become very real, to the point that I actually miss them when I finish a book.
This books ends with a huge ass cliff hanger. Fortunately for me and Stephen King I did not read this series as it was released. I tried to imagine how I would have felt if I had to wait "six. god...more
This is (only) the second time through The Waste Lands and I enjoyed it as much, if not more then the first read. The world King creates in this series is unforgettable and the characters become very real, to the point that I actually miss them when I finish a book.
This books ends with a huge ass cliff hanger. Fortunately for me and Stephen King I did not read this series as it was released. I tried to imagine how I would have felt if I had to wait "six. god...more
Now we get to some real nail-biting action. This book is split into two parts, and each part will have you sitting on the edge of your seat wondering what the outcome will be.
This is my favorite of the first three volumes I think, although I mostly just consider it all one big story more then I consider it to be split up.
This book made me love all the characters more then ever. Roland especially. He cracked jokes AND faced down a demented train. He kicks ass. I also have ...more
This is my favorite of the first three volumes I think, although I mostly just consider it all one big story more then I consider it to be split up.
This book made me love all the characters more then ever. Roland especially. He cracked jokes AND faced down a demented train. He kicks ass. I also have ...more
Allora, iniziamo subito con il dire che non sono ne un detrattore ne un fan sfegatato di Stephen King. Ho avuto il mio periodo "King" in cui mi sono letto diversi suoi libri, alcuni con piacere, altri meno. Quello che penso è che questo autore abbia uno stile di scrittura davvero molto leggero e fluente, in grado di farti mandare giù praticamente qualunque cosa senza neanche accorgertene. A questa sua grandissima dote si aggiunge il numero impressionante di libri che ha scritto durante...more
I admit I was doing school, but it took me three months to get through this book. I lost interest for a long time. It took the knowledge that I've let so many books go half-way read to get me through the rest of it. It will be a long time before I go on to the fourth book.
The end made the book. The end was when that driving force which carries you through a novel (like a ticking bomb) popped back up. The middle of the book had no driving force. The characters just wander around for a while...more
The end made the book. The end was when that driving force which carries you through a novel (like a ticking bomb) popped back up. The middle of the book had no driving force. The characters just wander around for a while...more
King is undoubtedly a talented writer, however, I question his decision to embark on the project of the Dark Tower. The first book was a masterpiece in restricted exposition, as "The Gunslinger" gave promise of enormous potential of a fascinating story. As the story dragged on and more became known, it became more and more clear that King was playing it by ear, and the plot didn't flow quite as organically as such extended series should. The Waste Lands picks up after Roland is joined ...more
Series: 5/1/2005 8/10
The Dark Tower series is Stephen King's magnum opus. It ties together a lot of his books. The gunslinger, Roland, is an interesting character and so is the world the series is set in. I've really enjoyed the early books, re-reading them many times. I thought the series ended kind of weakly though. But then again, it would have been difficult to live up to expectations.
For more info, check out:</b>
Official Stephen King page
Stephen King FAQ
Fan site
Dark Tower site
Dark T...more
The Dark Tower series is Stephen King's magnum opus. It ties together a lot of his books. The gunslinger, Roland, is an interesting character and so is the world the series is set in. I've really enjoyed the early books, re-reading them many times. I thought the series ended kind of weakly though. But then again, it would have been difficult to live up to expectations.
For more info, check out:</b>
Official Stephen King page
Stephen King FAQ
Fan site
Dark Tower site
Dark T...more
Stephen King's novel "The Waste Lands" is the third instalment of the seven part epic "Dark Tower" series. The novel runs for 512 pages out of the series total of 3712 pages.
Here we see Jake finally reunited with Roland Of Gilead once again, as the group continue their quest towards the Dark Tower. The novel develops the characters previously set down in the last two novels, allowing the reader to become further attached to this unique collection of individuals. ...more
Here we see Jake finally reunited with Roland Of Gilead once again, as the group continue their quest towards the Dark Tower. The novel develops the characters previously set down in the last two novels, allowing the reader to become further attached to this unique collection of individuals. ...more
The fantasy begins. Moreso than the other two, this book has a lot of fantasy/science fiction elements: self-aware machinery, prophecy, doors between worlds, and strange mythic creatures. It all blends together to form one of the strangest—and coolest—stories I’ve read in a long time. The appearance of the Ageless Stranger (who is Walter, or who isn’t Walter; I’m not sure which, at this point) was the hook the ending of this book needed to really make it fantastic instead of just great. It a...more
Wastelands is the third volume in SK's Dark Tower series and while there were some cool moments, it feels a bit long and drawn out. The story starts out with a time paradox that involves Jake's existence and Roland's set of dual memories (ones with Jake, and the same ones without). The first half of the book deals with this paradox and transitions back and forth from Roland's Mid World to Jake's New York City (our world). Eventually, this issue is resolved but not without lengthy explanations...more
So far, this is my favorite book in the series. The book picks up with Roland, Eddie, and Susan, as the story continues to get strange with a giant, cyborg bear known as Shardik, from Richard Adams' classic tale. They follow one of the beams that hold the world together, and head towards the bizarre world of Midworld. Jake comes back into the picture, and shares his mind with Roland in a weird twist. A creepy twist of time warp comes into play as the time that Jake is in was when Eddie and h...more
Gripping throughout and wildly imaginative, it reads like a cross between Tolkien and Philip K. Dick. In this book, Roland, Eddie and Susannah continue their journey to the Tower, following the path of the Beam. On the way they get Jake back (yay!), acquire a pet bumbler named Oy (I want one!), and meet a series of characters including a giant cybernetic bear, a lunatic and malicious pirate called Gasher, and an even more lunatic and malicious train called Blaine the Mono. I found Blaine and his...more
Book Review: 3 Treasure Boxes
I really enjoyed this book, I loved reading about these people and their adventures as they work their way towards the Dark Tower. More light is put on the world they live in and why the world has moved on, why things are wearing out and changing for the worse. We learn that these problems not only affect Roland’s world, but all worlds because there is something seriously wrong with the Dark Tower and the Dark Tower is at the centre of all existence in a...more
I really enjoyed this book, I loved reading about these people and their adventures as they work their way towards the Dark Tower. More light is put on the world they live in and why the world has moved on, why things are wearing out and changing for the worse. We learn that these problems not only affect Roland’s world, but all worlds because there is something seriously wrong with the Dark Tower and the Dark Tower is at the centre of all existence in a...more
And we continue on the Path of the beam…
The Waste Lands, Stephen King's second installment of the Dark Tower, is sometimes lauded as the best of the series. It's not my favourite but I can see why fans would say so. Once again, there's something for everyone. Oh and despite the fact that the previous installment was entitled Drawing of the Three, there's still plenty of drawing left in Waste Lands, and it's done via the rather odd vehicle of a time-travel/alternative-universe paradox...more
The Waste Lands, Stephen King's second installment of the Dark Tower, is sometimes lauded as the best of the series. It's not my favourite but I can see why fans would say so. Once again, there's something for everyone. Oh and despite the fact that the previous installment was entitled Drawing of the Three, there's still plenty of drawing left in Waste Lands, and it's done via the rather odd vehicle of a time-travel/alternative-universe paradox...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
After finishing the third book in the Dark Tower series, The Wastelands, I was left wanting more. The ending (while good) ends in a cliff hanger.
Here's what I liked about the book
1. The Characters: The characters have really came together. The first book suffers from a lack of characters. The second book introduces two new ones, and the third book brings in two more and makes the reader relate to the characters. This book also has better villains than either of the prev...more
Here's what I liked about the book
1. The Characters: The characters have really came together. The first book suffers from a lack of characters. The second book introduces two new ones, and the third book brings in two more and makes the reader relate to the characters. This book also has better villains than either of the prev...more
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| Akins Hollis Engl...: SSR | 1 | 1 | Dec 09, 2011 11:57am | |
| Akins Hollis Engl...: SSR | 1 | 1 | Dec 02, 2011 08:06am | |
| Akins Hollis Engl...: SSR | 1 | 2 | Nov 18, 2011 11:56am | |
| Akins Hollis Engl...: SSr | 1 | 1 | Nov 04, 2011 07:48am | |
| Akins Hollis Engl...: SSR | 1 | 1 | Oct 28, 2011 12:00pm | |
| Akins Hollis Engl...: SSR | 1 | 1 | Oct 21, 2011 07:51am | |
| Stephen King Fans: The Waste Lands - Dark Tower #3 | 78 | 100 | Aug 29, 2011 08:30am |
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
Stephen Edwin King was born in Portland, Maine in 1947, the second son of Donald and Nellie Ruth Pillsbury King. After his parents separated when Stephen was a toddler, he and his older brother, David, were raised by his mother. Parts of his childhood were spent...more
More about Stephen King...
Stephen Edwin King was born in Portland, Maine in 1947, the second son of Donald and Nellie Ruth Pillsbury King. After his parents separated when Stephen was a toddler, he and his older brother, David, were raised by his mother. Parts of his childhood were spent...more
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4 trivia questions
More quizzes & trivia...
“Don't ask me silly questions
I won't play silly games
I'm just a simple choo choo train
And I'll always be the same.
I only want to race along
Beneath the bright blue sky
And be a happy choo choo train
Until the day I die.”
—
62 people liked it
I won't play silly games
I'm just a simple choo choo train
And I'll always be the same.
I only want to race along
Beneath the bright blue sky
And be a happy choo choo train
Until the day I die.”
“Animals don't know as much about jealousy as people, but they're not ignorant of it, either.”
—
21 people liked it
More quotes…
Aug 11, 2011 08:10am
Thankee, Sai.
Aug 11, 2011 08:27am