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The Dark Tower (The Dark Tower #7)

4.2 of 5 stars 4.20 · rating details · 49,604 ratings · 1,783 reviews

The seventh and final installment of Stephen King's The Dark Tower saga is perhaps the most anticipated book in the author's long career. King began this epic tale about the last gunslinger in the world more than 20 years ago; now he draws its suspenseful story to a close, snapping together the last pieces of his action puzzle and drawing Roland Deschain ever closer to his...more

Paperback, 1050 pages

Published August 22nd 2006 by Pocket Books (first published September 21st 2004)

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Sep 08, 2011 Kemper rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: alt-universes, fantasy, favorites, dark-tower, 2011-r, western, vampires, time-travel, magic

*sniff* Oh, you surprised me. Is it time for the review? Just a second. What? Crying? Me? Don’t be ridiculous. I was just ….uh…chopping some onions…..and I’ve got a cold….then somebody broke in my kitchen and pepper sprayed me….I certainly wouldn’t be shedding a few manly tears over a Stephen King novel, would I? Oh, fine. You spend almost twenty years reading this series and tell me you got through the conclusion without a lump in your throat. Liar.

Roland and his posse of gunslingers have to w...more *sniff* Oh, you surprised me. Is it time for the review? Just a second. What? Crying? Me? Don’t be ridiculous. I was just ….uh…chopping some onions…..and I’ve got a cold….then somebody broke in my kitchen and pepper sprayed me….I certainly wouldn’t be shedding a few manly tears over a Stephen King novel, would I? Oh, fine. You spend almost twenty years reading this series and tell me you got through the conclusion without a lump in your throat. Liar.

Roland and his posse of gunslingers have to wrap up their business on Earth so they can get back to Mid-World. In our world, they’ll have to safeguard the rose in New York by founding a corporation dedicated to its protection, some of them will have to battle a very nasty nest of vampires and low men, and Susannah has to give birth to something that is supposed to be the end of all of them. The ones who can make it back to Mid-World will have to launch a desperate attack against overwhelming odds to stop the Crimson King’s breakers from destroying one of the last Beams holding the Tower and all of reality in place, and if they survive that, there’s a Very Important Person who still needs saving.

The Dark Tower series was written in fits and starts by King from the time he was in college to wrapping up the whole thing in a three book burst following his close encounter with a minivan. He didn’t always know where it was going, he littered many of his other books with DT tie-in stories, and he famously claimed for years not to know how it would end. So the series as whole isn’t the most tightly plotted thing you’ll ever read, and at the end King focused on delivering on the emotional journey rather than trying to wrap up every loose end he had hanging out there.

He chose wisely.

I consider this King’s flawed masterpiece. Some have focused on the ‘flawed’ part of that. I chose to dwell on the ‘masterpiece’ side of the equation. I’ll go a little more in depth on that in this spoiler section, but for any newbies not reading that, I’ll just say that all the years waiting between books turned out to be worth it.

(view spoiler)
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102 likes · like · see review

Aug 03, 2007 Tommy rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: stephen-king

Learned a valuable lesson with this book....never recommend a series to friends until it is finished.

I am one of Stephen King's 'constant readers.' Usually I am a big fan, and I've bought enough of his expensive hardcovers over the years that I'm perfectly comfortable throwing in my two cents about the dreadful way he ended The Dark Tower.

I'm applying that two stars rating to the last three books of the series, Wolves of the Calla, Song Of Susannah (UGH!) and this, The Dark Tower. They all seem...more

34 likes · like · see review

Jan 31, 2008 Jason added it

WARNING! THIS REVIEW IS FULL OF SPOILERS, ONCE YOU GET PAST THE PART "THE ENDING:". DO NOT READ ON UNLESS YOU WANT IT SPOILED FOR YOU! YOU WERE WARNED!

I finished the Dark Tower last night. I hadn't plannet to, I really needed to get to bed, but once I got so close, I had to continue.

Wow ... hard to find the words, really. (This email will likely be longish)

THE SERIES: I think the Dark Tower series is King's crowning achievement as a writer. He has created a world as rich as any other fantasy/Sc...more

49 likes · like · see review

Aug 31, 2007 Andy rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Anyone who wants to be let down hard.

Shelves: horror-thriller

Okay, I worked thru all seven of these "Dark Tower" Books because the first one was short and sweet and really caught my interest. And because they were "non-King-like" compared to his other books (which I don't particularly like). While a few of the books in this series are pretty good, they are hardly comparable to the Lord of the Rings, which I'm not a big fan of either. But I can tell really good story-telling from wandering around.
Of the previous six books in this series, they had some tru...more

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Mar 24, 2011 Colleen rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: dark-fantasy, weird

So, the first time I read this book I rated it 3 stars, and that was probably a bit high for it, because I hated the ending. I hated it so much, left such a bad taste in my mouth, that it sort of spoiled my thoughts of the whole series. I wanted to reread it, been meaning to for awhile, since there were details that escaped my memory entirely, but I was afraid to - afraid that I would end up still hating it as much, if not more than before.

(Allow me to specify. (view spoiler)...more

27 likes · like · see review

Mar 09, 2011 Becky rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: audiobook, apocalyptic-types, dark-tower, fantasy, highly-recommended, horror, multi-dimensional, stephen-king, vampires, 2011, dystopias, favorites, reviewed, leg-hump_worthy, challenge-1010

I love this book. This is an amazing and heart-wrenching and appropriate end to this epic series. This book is the culmination of a huge investment, both for author and reader, and it's a draining one. So much is found, and lost, and gained and lost and it makes me heartsore.

As much as I love this book, I always hit a point on re-reads where I just stall. Not because the book is bad (it's most absolutely definitely assuredly not), but because after taking this journey with these characters I lo...more

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Mar 21, 2013 lisa rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: magical-fiction

Ok, folks, so this isthe seventh and final book of Stephen King's Dark Tower series

It's a longie but a goodie. As is Stephen King's style, there is alot of seemingly unnecessary back-story at points. But, if you've made it to the seventh book of this fantasy/sci-fi/amazing series, you have no doubt become engrossed in the lives of Gunslinger Roland and his Tet and the book does not disappoint. There is plenty of gunslinging going on here, as well as the promise of twists, turns, and unspeakable...more

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Aug 31, 2011 Dan Schwent rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: western, plan-on-rereading-one-day, reread-in-2011, weird-western, man-tears

The 2011 re-read
The quest for the Dark Tower comes to a brutal conclusion. Can Roland and his friends stop the Breakers of Algul Siento, safeguard the Beam, protect the Rose, stop Stephen King from being run down and killed, and reach the Dark Tower?

This is the end of my favorite epic of all time. I'm just going to mark the rest of the review as spoilers. Read at your own risk.
(view spoiler)...more The 2011 re-read
The quest for the Dark Tower comes to a brutal conclusion. Can Roland and his friends stop the Breakers of Algul Siento, safeguard the Beam, protect the Rose, stop Stephen King from being run down and killed, and reach the Dark Tower?

This is the end of my favorite epic of all time. I'm just going to mark the rest of the review as spoilers. Read at your own risk.
(view spoiler)[

Here we are again. Has it really been seven years since the last time I read this?

When the last Dark Tower book was finally published in 2004, I took a Friday off work to make sure I'd have plenty of time to read that first weekend. I don't remember how many days it took to read through the 800+ pages but I know I tore through it. The re-read has almost been like a completely new book. Except...

...Well, there's no real way to sugar coat this. The first time through, I shed silent man tears at the deaths of Eddie, Jake, and even Oy the billy-bumbler. Since I knew what was coming, you'd think I'd be able to brace myself during the re-read. Nope. There were silent man tears shed once again. I think it was actually worse this time since I knew what was going to happen.

So much has changed since 2004 when I last finished this book. People have passed through my life and some have passed on altogether. To the clearing at the end of the path, as Roland would say. A lot happens in seven years. When Roland calls out the names of his ka-tet and the others outside the tower, I'd be lying if I said I hadn't thought of doing something similar.

There's a feeling of suspense throughout most of the 800 pages, from the battle at Algul Siento to the saving of Stephen King to the final fight at the end. Roland's feeling of loss was a very real thing. I know because I felt it too. I think it was actually Roland's feeling of loss that pushed my buttons rather than the actual deaths and the breaking of the ka-tet. When the toughest son of a bitch in all the worlds cries, it's some serious shit. By the time this book rolls around, Roland is a vastly different person from the ruthless Man with No Name he was in The Gunslinger.

Even before the Dark Tower was completed, it was one of the books against which I measured all others. Since re-reading the entire saga a second time, I'm happy to say that it still is.

That's not to say I don't have any complaints about the saga. For one thing, I felt like Eddie and Walter both went out like chumps. Walter's portrayed as a big bad throughout the series and didn't really do much. It made Mordred seem like a capable threat but I would have preferred Walter dying by Roland's hand. Speaking of Mordred, his storyline almost felt tacked on and I felt the whole Susannah-Mia thing was overly complex. The Crimson King was a little bit of a letdown as well. The final battle felt like something out of a video game and I couldn't help but picture The Crimson King looking like Dr. Robotnik from Sonic the Hedgehog.

The ending seems to be a big problem for a lot of people. I didn't have a problem with the ending during the first read, nor do I have a problem with it now. The underlying theme of the series is that Ka is a wheel. Roland going back to the beginning reinforces that fact. King also let himself an opportunity to redo the series if he is so inclined in Roland having the Horn of Eld in his possession at the resumption of his quest.

(hide spoiler)]

I don't really have much else to say. It was my favorite epic when I was 19 and will probably be my favorite epic when I'm 99. It's not for everyone but few really good books are. I'll be reading it again in the future. Hopefully sooner than another seven years. (less)

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Nov 04, 2012 Mike (the Paladin) rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy

This is it, the last volume...sort of.

The book sweeps on into the climax of Roland's quest and ties in a lot more threads. Characters are interacting in 2 worlds Roland making the Dark Tower at last with Susannah and Eddie in a New York (where a political horror is in effect in my opinion LOL). As I said, last volume. The crudity that I don't care for is still very evident here as is the at "least somewhat negative" or "fatalistic" view of this multiverse. I'll include another "but" here...but i...more This is it, the last volume...sort of.

The book sweeps on into the climax of Roland's quest and ties in a lot more threads. Characters are interacting in 2 worlds Roland making the Dark Tower at last with Susannah and Eddie in a New York (where a political horror is in effect in my opinion LOL). As I said, last volume. The crudity that I don't care for is still very evident here as is the at "least somewhat negative" or "fatalistic" view of this multiverse. I'll include another "but" here...but it's an intriguing story and if you've read this far I assume you have your own view of things.

I found this an intriguing (as said above) series and interesting idea that seems to touch on so many other literary threads as to be one that will (in spite of the sort of mucus, blood, and slime covered world) remain with us. Mr king is a talented writer and his stuff will stay around. I'm not a fan overall of Mr. King's work in that I find it largely very depressing and nihilistic. Judge for yourself. I know he has a huge fan base and as I said he's very, even extremely talented.

I really do think that this and several of Mr. King's books will be rated as classics of some form in years to come. Not all, but many will I think stay around...and as I said, I'm not really part of his "fan base". I just note his talent and see that some of his books stand out.

****************** Spoiler Below *****************

(view spoiler)

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5 likes · like · see review

Sep 12, 2007 Jake rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy

It's not just the non-ending. Its the way he spends two books essentially stripping the series of everything good about it and replacing it with trite, poorly done, nudge nudge wink wink garbage.

I waited years to find out how this would all end and to get a hastily done, sloppily written, poorly thought out book, capped with a lecture on how endings suck, swiftly followed by a non-ending is in a lot of ways insulting. I understand King didn't have a lot of desire to finish the series and was ti...more

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Aug 01, 2012 Kathryn rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: series, scifi-fantasy, own, favorites, i-recommend, stephen-king-read, 2012-read

The man in black fled across the desert, and the gunslinger followed.

I don't think a sentence has intrigued me more in the literary world. The italicized sentence started the long journey of Roland Deschain of Gilead, line of Eld. And, it finishes King's telling of Roland Deschain's, dan-dinh of the ka-tet, journey.

I'm sitting here, thinking, trying to formulate the right words to say what I need to in this review. It's almost 3 a.m., and I have to be quite honest: this journey has worn me out....more The man in black fled across the desert, and the gunslinger followed.

I don't think a sentence has intrigued me more in the literary world. The italicized sentence started the long journey of Roland Deschain of Gilead, line of Eld. And, it finishes King's telling of Roland Deschain's, dan-dinh of the ka-tet, journey.

I'm sitting here, thinking, trying to formulate the right words to say what I need to in this review. It's almost 3 a.m., and I have to be quite honest: this journey has worn me out. Emotionally, I don't think I could handle another installment. I don't think I could handle another trip in Roland's life. I say this with praise, not disdain. A much lighter read will be taking place after this...

I was a little worried King would leave things unfinished in areas. With a story so involved, so many characters, and odds and ends to tie up, I was worried I would be left wondering, "What happened to...??" I wasn't. I know everything King wanted us to know about Roland, Eddie, Jake, Susannah, Oy, and every character in-between. I think that is a small part of what made this story so great.

Was this the ending I wanted? To be quite honest, I didn't know what I wanted, well, maybe to some degree. Was it what I expected? Absolutely not. Am I left feeling empty? YES. Am I feeling like I need emotional therapy because of how many times I have cried reading this book? Well, we won't go there...;)

Like I said, I didn't really know what kind of ending I wanted for Roland. All I really knew was.....I didn't want him to die. If you've read it, you know what happens. For future readers, I won't spoil it for you, like I had someone keep doing to me. (And it pissed me off beyond belief.) Also, I knew, I wanted him to make it to the Dark Tower, and then....I honestly didn't know what after that.

I have read some different reviews, and people wondering why King ended this book the way he did, and I think I get it. I think I understand...maybe.... I will have to think about it, though. Am I disappointed in the ending?...absolutely not.

Things really began to make sense for me in this book. Loose ends tied with their other half to close out the importance. And everything fit together so perfectly, so magically, and there were no loose ends for me.

I'm going to get into some spoilery junk, so if you haven't read it, do yourself a major solid, and don't cheat...(view spoiler)[ I understand why he did it...I understand why Eddie died. It was ka. When Eddie died, I felt like...the journey really started to be 'over.' When Jake died...I was so damned angry at King. I thought, "Finally, father and son are together...Finally, Roland can stop beating himself up over dropping Jake." But no...King just had to go there. Break my heart. Jake is without a doubt, my favorite character in this series. I don't know if I can fully explain why, but he is. I think its because his parents cast him off to the side, and let someone else raise him without any regard to his feelings....just like my own mother did. There's a wisdom which comes from knowing "the truth", say thank ya, and Jake definitely shows it in this journey. Having Jake die.....hurt. But, I guess in the end, he didn't really die...He just took his life to somewhere where Mid-World can't harm him any longer.

Roland, I've definitely loved since he openend the three doors, and formed his ka-tet. (Well, Jake's journey into Mid-World for the second time was different, as we all know). There was never a time when I felt like I didn't like Roland. I always felt like...and this is weird,...but I could trust what he said, his wisdom, knowledge, and just him. When Roland was around, I felt like the ka-tet was safe. Safe from harm. But, I guess even the most powerful of gunslingers can't save everyone, can they?

Eddie....ha...Well, he made me laugh quite a bit. He reminds me a bit of my older brother. Always cracking jokes, even when it's inappropriate. I really enjoyed the way his character grew and changed from junkie to a gunslinger who can stand with the best of the best...Roland of Gilead. Eddie really grew on me, and matured over time. I think it is what partially helped him to grow on me. His undying love for Susannah proved he was more than just a recovering junkie wasting his life on drugs. It proved he was human, had a heart, and a will to live. But, being a gunslinger, he also proved his worth. He helped to save the Dark Tower from falling, even if he didn't get to see the Dark Tower itself and touch it. Ka is a real bitch.

Oy....who doesn't love Oy? I cried...okay...bawled when Mordred murdered Oy. See? Told you I need Dark Tower therapy. Oy provided a lightness, a reprieve from darkness. He added so much character to the story, or at least I thought so. I think I said this in a previous review of one of the DT books, but I love animals. I have two cats of my own, and one of whom is very, very special to me. I thought, for the longest time, Oy would make it to the Dark Tower. I knew better deep down inside. I knew it was Roland's journey to make alone....and for that...Oy had to die. Did I like it?....Oh hell to the no, I did not. But, at least, it's just a story....No real billy-bumbler died. Say thank ya big-big. Again...ka..

Susannah, has been my least favorite character. She has been since the beginning. In a previous review, I said I thought her character was lacking, and I think King really brought her around in the end. She still isn't my favorite, and I don't 'hate' her character in the slightest. In fact, I thought she was perfect for the series. However, she just wasn't my favorite. I, for some reason was surprised she was the one who made it that long on the journey. I really thought after Eddie died, she would be gone...like dead gone. Actually, I thought she was going to die first. Don't know why I thought that, but I did. I knew someone...didn't know so many though, was going to die. For some reason, I suspected it was her. King definitely proved me wrong. And for that, I say thank ya.

(hide spoiler)]

I say thank ya because, this whole time, throughout the entire journey, I never knew what to expect. I had someone spoil several things in the story for me before I started to read this journey, and it made me quite angry. Fortunately, I had a few people tell me the story was so much more than those few inklings of spoilers: Blaine the Train, the wolves of Calla Bryn Sturgis, the literary ties to other famous stories, Gasher, Pere Callahan and his story (I also really admired him), etc.... I am glad I took this journey with Roland, Eddie, Susannah, Jake, and Oy, and everyone else they met along the path of the beam. It was definitely a wild ride. It had it's ups and downs, action-packed and dull or down moments, but all in all, the journey was definitely worth it.(less)

18 likes · like · see review

Oct 07, 2007 Josh rated it 2 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Almost no one. Skip it and imagine your own ending

Shelves: fantasy

Wow, what a major disappointment. The first 4 DT books were great, and some of King’s best works. It's just too bad that King waited so damn long to finish the last 3, and also too bad that he seemed to be in such a rush to do so.

I actually did like #5. It didn't progress Roland's quest to the Tower much, but it was a good story . I quickly went to book 6 and found a fairly boring book, though at least it was shorter. Reluctantly, I picked up book 7. I got halfway through and stopped. Many thin...more Wow, what a major disappointment. The first 4 DT books were great, and some of King’s best works. It's just too bad that King waited so damn long to finish the last 3, and also too bad that he seemed to be in such a rush to do so.

I actually did like #5. It didn't progress Roland's quest to the Tower much, but it was a good story . I quickly went to book 6 and found a fairly boring book, though at least it was shorter. Reluctantly, I picked up book 7. I got halfway through and stopped. Many things were starting to frustrate me with it, and I had other things to read, so I put it on hold. For over two years. After reading the negative reviews I was considering never finishing it, and just leaving the series in my mind with what little sense of wonder and mystery it had left. Of course I picked it up again. I was right the first time.

*Spoiler warning. If you don't want to know what happens, please skip this.*

I really think that King copped out on this one. First off, Stephen King including himself as a series character was one of the worst things I have ever read. What a bunch of self indulgent crap! I really lost faith after reading that in book 6.

The Crimson King was hugely disappointing. Instead of the biggest bad guy in the universe, with the ability to topple the Tower and end all worlds, Roland gets to him and he’s a decrepit old Santa looking man pelting grenades at him and cackling madly. What?

Patrick the Artist: The biggest last minute “save my ass” plot device I’ve ever read. With the ability to draw things into and out of existence, this gives King free reign to get himself out of any plot holes he needs to, such as draw the Crimson King and then erase him, allowing Roland to get to the Tower without harm.

The Dark Tower: Well, it’s real. Does it hold the answer to all the world’s questions? Is there any explanation as to why it’s there or where it came from? Nothing of the sort. It is a monument to Roland and his life, each level containing a different piece of his life. What happens when he gets to the top? (this isn’t a joke, I promise you) He gets sucked back all the way to the beginning of the first book, forgetting what happens with a hint that this time around, things may be different (he was supposed to blow the Horn of the Eld at the base of the Tower, but lost it as a kid. This time he has it.) Did we really read through seven long books to find out that the next time around, in another seven books that don’t exist, Roland may succeed?

In a way, Stephen King reminds me a George Lucas. Lucas got so full of himself after the original Star Wars trilogy that he thought he could tackle another trilogy with no help in writing or directing it. He had complete creative control and there was no one to stand over his shoulder and say, "hey, this is kind of stupid. I don't think people are going to like it." And even if he did, would he listen to them? I think King has gotten to be almost the same way. He's one of the most successful writers on the planet, why should he ultimately care if people won't like this book. He even warns the readers before the last chapter to stop reading, because they will be disappointed, and to simply enjoy the book for the journey getting there. As if he were trying to make you feel bad for not liking his non-ending.

As you can see, I didn't like this book, almost solely due to the ending. As usual, King's prose is good, his characters (even Patrick) are well realized and loveable, and Roland's nearly endless journey is page-turning. There was so much potential here. But alas, this is what we have. Would I recommend the Dark Tower books to others? I would say read the first one, which could be a stand alone. If you want to read the whole series, than by all means do so, it's one hell of a journey, but with such an ending, I would almost rather not have made the journey at all.

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Oct 06, 2008 Jennifer rated it 1 of 5 stars Recommends it for: no one; it's not worth it!

Shelves: fiction

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

9 likes · like · see review

Sep 05, 2007 Kellie rated it 5 of 5 stars

I have read many books, and many book series. Some I liked, some I liked a LOT. This one I loved.

The Dark Tower, book VII, over a thousand pages long and still over too soon.

You'll wonder, as the series progesses, how there can *be* an ending. One that doesn't seem abrupt or unsatisfying, or cliche. How could Stephen King possibly end the epic in a non-predictable manner worthy of the series?

I'm always very careful not to give out 'spoilerish' information, and I won't here. I will just say that...more

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Jul 03, 2007 Sarah rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: King fans, fantasy fans

The Dark Tower series is the linchpin to King's writing, just as the Dark Tower itself sits at the nexus of all the worlds. Reading the series adds a new depth to King's independent novels, from Insomnia to Salem's Lot to Hearts in Atlantis. Sometimes he tries a little too hard to make everything fit just right, but the Dark Tower series is unquestionably King's personal magnum opus.

In books 5-7, King is obviously making things up as he goes, introducing new random plot elements, like a pivotal...more

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Apr 26, 2011 Tina rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites

What an amazing story! I won't say anything on the ending other than it was fitting. I think I will read this series many times in the future. Right now (because who knows what I will read in the future) this series is the best damn books I have ever read. I'm not exaggerating. This series is my nr.1 favorite. As I'm thinking back on the first book and that I was highly skeptical of this books (I'm really glad for the entry explaining it's a hard opening to the series), I'm really happy that I c...more

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Dec 12, 2007 Ewa Manek rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy

I'm just going to use this space as a general review of the series. I loved the first three books. I have read them several times and I love their atmosphere and...I suppose you could call it "grittiness." My enthusiasm started to wane around book 4, but I probably would not have been so down on the series if not for one thing - King deciding to insert himself into the story. (hopefully not too much of a spoiler - they introduced it in previous books and I believe it's part of the summary blurb...more

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Aug 07, 2012 Mel rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-as-an-adult

I read The Gunslinger when it was first published and thought it was quite good. The next two books in the series were good enough for me to move on to book four when it arrived. Years passed and then I heard Stephen King was going to (finally) finish the series. I was looking forward to reading through to the conclusion. Unfortunately, he decided to take the Robert Jordan route – dull, poorly edited and worst of all he lost sight of who his characters were. I won’t even waste time on the arroga...more

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Jun 19, 2012 Andrew rated it 3 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Okay, I'm less than a quarter through and I'm already very annoyed. Randall Flagg first appears as an avatar of Nyarlathotep, a force of unspeakable evil who does what he does for sheer spite and hate, a servant of the Outer Dark.

And now it turns out that Flagg is evil because... he was butt-raped as a kid? And he's gone from being an avatar of Nyarlathotep to just some dude. And was taken down almost without a thought?

Aaaarrrrgh

Okay, finished the book and my feelings are, well, mixed. I mean, t...more

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Mar 10, 2009 Arthur rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: loved, fantasy

Brilliant final

Some time ago I have written a review on Gunslinger then I have decided to refrain from reviewing the rest of the series until I have finished The Dark Tower VII.
Now, I have reached the destination. I have finished the last book in the saga. It was indeed a very long journey. It started almost 1 year ago. While reading the series I picked up a few more books to get a bit of a rest from the series (after the first 4 volumes), then I re-read Gunslinger and understood/liked it much m...more Brilliant final

Some time ago I have written a review on Gunslinger then I have decided to refrain from reviewing the rest of the series until I have finished The Dark Tower VII.
Now, I have reached the destination. I have finished the last book in the saga. It was indeed a very long journey. It started almost 1 year ago. While reading the series I picked up a few more books to get a bit of a rest from the series (after the first 4 volumes), then I re-read Gunslinger and understood/liked it much more than when I read it for the first time. I have also read Salem's Lot and Hearts in Atlantis between volume VI and VII. I would suggest reading them after Wizard and Glass, book 4. It would make Father Callahan's story in Wolves of Calla, book 5 more interesting.

I didn't know what to expect from The Dark Tower VII. I have read too many negative reviews about S. King screwing it up completely and its ruined ending (as well as a lot of unsympathetic moaning about Wolves of Calla and Song of Sunnah). I don't know what everybody expected from the series. The ending is completely unpredictable and different from any other book I have ever read. It was certainly highly unusual... I still think it was interesting how he did it, by tying it into his view of the Dark Tower. Sure some people would like a more traditional finish but I think this particular ending is very good. As King said, it could not be different and the journey was fantastic as well.

When I finished the book, I felt a little bit disappointed by the ending, but why? I could not explain it to myself, so I re-read the last chapter (Coda/Found) the next day in the morning. Then I have done some thinking about it and the more I thought, the more I became convinced that the ending is brilliant?!
It is not a Hollywood happy end, but if it were anything like that it would have an artificial/contrived feeling to it. The ending as it is does feel very natural, very fit and thoughtful. I believe I quite like it, I almost love it.

Another thought have crossed my mind. I would like to re-read The Dark Tower in future. I know how it is going to end and still I would like to re-read the series. Moreover, I have this feeling right now, right after I finished the series vs. having the same feeling in 5 years time when I remember next to nothing. I wonder, what does it mean? There were many books I enjoyed and I liked their happy or not very happy endings. However, I didn't feel like I want to re-read them in order to go through all the details of the saga, to start the journey from the beginning.
I guess it is like The Lord of the Rings. We know the ending (actually we might hate it) but we would like to come back for details. I think it is a mark of a greatness of a book. I believe this is what makes a particular book/series outstanding.
Actually, I feel a little bit sad that I have so say Goodbye to Roland and his company with whom I spent almost a year.
I would definitely recommend the series to my friends.

A few more words about this edition. It has quite a few illustrations that help you to immerse deeper into an atmosphere of the book. I like the quality of this edition (good solid paper and even a bookmark :))(less)

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Mar 12, 2013 Janie Johnson rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013-challenge, stephen-king

My journey through the Dark Tower series has ended. It does sadden me quite a bit, but I hold so much of the journey in memory. I truly feel priviledged to have been a part of this and to have endured what the Ka-tet endured and to share in the good and the bad. To me, this series has the best cast of characters ever. All of them so vivid in my mind, so real. And the story itself was told brilliantly. Not one to ever be forgotten.

While this installment of the series was not my favorite, The Dark...more

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Feb 25, 2011 Dawn rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, own-read, read-in-2011, favorites

I finished this last week, but needed time to sort out my feelings. Truth be told, after reading the ending my mind was reeling. It was hard to start another book, because I was so hung up on this one. I know a lot of people took issue with the way it ended... But for me, personally? I loved it.

BIG ENDING SPOILERS! DO NOT READ UNLESS FINISHED! (view spoiler)...more I finished this last week, but needed time to sort out my feelings. Truth be told, after reading the ending my mind was reeling. It was hard to start another book, because I was so hung up on this one. I know a lot of people took issue with the way it ended... But for me, personally? I loved it.

BIG ENDING SPOILERS! DO NOT READ UNLESS FINISHED! (view spoiler)[What I loved most about it is how it was sort of left open for interpretation. I can see why many people would be pissed.. He gets to the top of the tower and it loops him back to the beginning of the story? WTF! But for me it fit, it worked perfectly. I've discussed the ending with several people, and it seems we all have different theories on why he loops back to the beginning, and we are all equally convinced that ours is the most fitting reason. I love that! It leaves so much room for friendly debate!

For the record, I'll post here my take on the ending... Keep in mind, I'm a King noobie. So many of his novels are connected to the Dark Tower somehow, and I've read virtually none of them, so this view is strictly from a noobie perspective. I'm sure as I read more connecting novels my interpretation will change, and I will welcome that! But for now I'm happy basing it only on what I know, and letting it grow and change from there. So here goes, please bear with me...

It seems like a lot of people think that Roland is doomed to repeat the loop, over and over, until he gets everything right. Like he made mistakes he has to rectify, one by one. That's not the impression I got... It's hard to articulate my thoughts on it, but I'm going to do my best. This is purely my speculation and interpretations, but I'm going to state it as fact to make it easier to follow.

Roland's problem is the tower. His obsession is the tower. His willingness to sacrifice anything and everything to get to the tower is the problem. He could have turned back any time after stopping the breakers, certainly after erasing the Crimson King. At that point I feel like his job was done, there was nothing more Roland himself could do for the tower. But he didn't turn back.. He had to see what was at the top of the tower. He was obsessed, couldn't turn away. He chose the tower over everything else, and climbed the steps. As he climbed, he tried to block out the rooms that painted a picture of his life up to that point - he didn't care about anything, didn't want to pause to appreciate those he loved and his life, he just needed to see the top. It's always the tower for him, above anything and everything else.

And it will always be the tower for him, unless something changes. Unless, through the progression of his loops, he realizes that nothing that matters is in there, and puts his companions first. Puts those he loves before the tower, rather than the tower before his loved ones. Taking time to pick up the horn is a sign that he's getting closer... Maybe even almost there. The horn is a purely sentimental object, and he picked it up only because of his love for Cuthburt. He had never bothered before, even though it would only take a moment to do so. Picking up the horn shows he's getting closer to who he needs to be to turn away once his task is complete, and not climb those steps.

Who knows what Roland was like on previous loops. Maybe he never loved Eddie and Susannah and Jake and Oy, maybe he heartlessly sacrificed them, maybe he selfishly made Patrick grab the rose for him. And this time around, this time that we saw him, he loved. He cried. He was one step closer..

Maybe this next time around he'll save the universe and say that's enough, it's time to rest, I don't need to see what's at the top of the tower, I have everything I need right here around me. People I love, who love me.. What else is there?

Maybe... One can hope. (hide spoiler)]

So that's my take on the ending, and for now I'm happy with it. It feels right for me, and that's what I love about this conclusion to a truly epic series - we can all find what feels right for us, and build from that should we continue to explore the SK universe.

I'll end this review now, as it's already just about the longest one I've ever written. Before I do, a quick shout out to Chris and Becky; they held me down and tickled me until I agreed to start reading some King, and in particular to start the journey to the Dark Tower, and I couldn't be more grateful! Ok, maybe they didn't really tickle me... But they're plenty scary when they want something bad enough, you're better off just obeying ;)(less)

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Jun 14, 2012 Kit★ rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: keep-forever, fantasy, series

Last read this from April 6th to the 11th, back in 2010. That was my second time through, this is my third. I couldn't wait to dive into it, and yet at the same time I don't want it to end, I didn't want to get to the 'finish' because it only makes me want more and more and more... I don't want it to end :( This book just blew me away this time through, I laughed, I cried... I cried some more... So much happens, so many things to try and remember what I liked best, and points I wanted to mention...more

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Feb 02, 2010 Monica rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Wow. I didn't expect this ending, but it's pretty stunning. King's epic indeed.

I'm not sure about King putting himself into the story as a character, but hey, he's "the writer." He has lots of fun with his readers, inserting a major tease. More than that I can't say without spoilers. Say sorry. So . . . .

Spoilers ahead:

While I know many folks will detest this ending, I think it was nigh onto perfect. (Notice the influence of James Joyce: riverrun past eve and adam's place . . .) Roland is heroic...more Wow. I didn't expect this ending, but it's pretty stunning. King's epic indeed.

I'm not sure about King putting himself into the story as a character, but hey, he's "the writer." He has lots of fun with his readers, inserting a major tease. More than that I can't say without spoilers. Say sorry. So . . . .

Spoilers ahead:

While I know many folks will detest this ending, I think it was nigh onto perfect. (Notice the influence of James Joyce: riverrun past eve and adam's place . . .) Roland is heroic in many ways, but refuses to face the destruction he causes--witness his refusal to look into any more of the rooms he passes in the tower after finding Susan's room. The Beam is giving him some help--it tells him that he could have picked up Arthur Eld's horn, and when he starts again he has the horn. So there is hope. But Roland is going to have to do this journey over and over until he begins to learn. I thought of it as Purgatory. Roland can earn his way into heaven, but he has a long way to go. And of course, the Dark Tower indeed is the center of the Universe--of Roland's universe.

And yeah, King killed Oy, but he did give him the best death scene in the series. Oy gives us another clue about Roland: he doesn't see the animal's true worth until after Oy's death. That was the only thing that really bothered me about the book. I wanted Oy to go back to America and live with Stephen King, where he could be well cared for and visit Jake's grave every day, like Greyfriar's Scotty. I understand why Oy wouldn't return with Susannah--Jake gave him a job to do and Oy sacrifices his happiness and his life to do it.

So, to me, the real heroes of the book: Jake and Oy. I was also happy that Father Callahan was able to redeem himself.

Another reviewer complained that Roland's fight against the Crimson King (yeah, I expected King to be connected with him somehow) was too easy. But Roland isn't strong enough yet to fight his own personal demon. He won't even look at his faults. He hasn't learned yet. Perhaps after another thousand or so journeys, he'll learn enough to do it himself.(less)

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Dec 04, 2008 Jak rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. *Spoilers ahead so don’t read on if you’ve not finished the series***

I’ve given 5 starts as more for the series as a whole than DT V7 as a stand alone volume which I’d rate at 4.

I can understand why other reviewers have been left unhappy and unsatisfied but personally I disagree. I’ve no issue with sai King putting himself in the books and don’t think it was for his own ego. I think he used it as a practical demonstration that he doesn’t always know where the stories are going hence more being t...more *Spoilers ahead so don’t read on if you’ve not finished the series***

I’ve given 5 starts as more for the series as a whole than DT V7 as a stand alone volume which I’d rate at 4.

I can understand why other reviewers have been left unhappy and unsatisfied but personally I disagree. I’ve no issue with sai King putting himself in the books and don’t think it was for his own ego. I think he used it as a practical demonstration that he doesn’t always know where the stories are going hence more being the vessel of Gan than the all seeing all knowing powerful God.

And the ending, upfront I’ll tell ya I loved it. I was concerned at how could you possibly end such a series that has taken so long to produce and captured so many hearts and minds. I also knew that what ever he did sai King was going to piss some people off. He was in an impossible situation and would not be able to please every one.

So Roland enters the room at the top of the Tower only to be cast back to the beginning of his quest (or at least when we joined him). Folks, ka is a wheel that just keeps rolling so it makes quite a deal of sense to start him all over again. I know I would have found it hard to swallow a ‘happily ever after’ ending.

There are some things I did not like though. The pacing of everything that comes after the death of Jake seemed very different and when we have followed Roland’s ka-tet fighting every single inch of their progress for Roland and Susannah to cover so much ground so quickly and with so little effort (comparatively speaking) just seems rushed.

Mordered, this is the being whose sole purpose for being brought into being was to kill Roland. He didn’t even get close and he never really posed much of a threat to any one (although he did get Oy). I thought the Greys and the Pubes represented a greater threat.

If Mordred was a let down the Crimson King was worse. This should have been the show down of show downs, a real High Noon experience yet it was limp and missing any great dram or impact. And his greatest threat was sneetches and possibly some other weapons? This is the Devil incarnate he should have better tricks up his sleeve than that.

For me the stand out ‘badies’ of the series were Blaine, Tick-Tock and Walter.

I didn’t mind the introduction of Patrick and his ‘deletion’ of the CK as a plot but felt the whole thing rushed and again limp and lacking drama which the final battle of such a great series deserved.

As I say it was not all perfect but I really enjoyed the series and all the books individually (v3 being my personal fav). I wonder if there was even one reader who took up sai King’s invitation not to read the end after Roland entered the Tower?
(less)

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Feb 07, 2008 Janice rated it 5 of 5 stars

ok, holy fuck

this series, as a whole, has a lot of ups and downs. periods of good, fast-paced plotting and unique and exciting character development, surrounded by dull dull stretches of nothing much at all, and plot points that border on racism and homophobia thrown in every now and then for good measure. (japanese tourists with cameras, talking in broken, l-laden english? REALLY?) there is an unevenness brought on by the fact that some books have huge gaps between the time they were written. i...more

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Jan 05, 2008 Macie rated it 4 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

1 like · like · see review

Jul 16, 2012 Chris Thomas rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

1 like · like · see review

Dec 09, 2007 Joshua rated it 2 of 5 stars

Oh my. So disappointing. Uninspired characters invented just to cover plot holes and to get other characters conveniently out of the way may be fine for some, but not me. The one thing that did save this book for me was the Dark Tower itself.

*****SPOILER ALERT!!!*****

When Roland goes through the door, and the journey begins again, I was oddly satisfied. I had friends who were howling their discontent, but I feel that it makes a lot of sense. Since this is the last book, if we decide to pick up...more

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Jun 10, 2010 Tee Jay rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: stephen-king, epic

I have a really hard time reviewing this one. I really do. I liked it a lot, don't get me wrong (example: see the five star rating). However, this is a very difficult title to review for many reasons, starting from the ending and working back.
So let's not review it. Instead I'll tell you to invest in Microsoft. Then I'll talk about myself for awhile, then I'll wright about that time I fell down and hurt my knee and ditachock there was a bee on which the back of the universe was held precariousl...more

1 like · like · see review

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About Stephen King

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

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 in Fort Wayne, Indiana, where his father's family...more Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

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 in Fort Wayne, Indiana, where his father's family was at the time, and in Stratford, Connecticut. When Stephen was eleven, his mother brought her children back to Durham, Maine, for good. Her parents, Guy and Nellie Pillsbury, had become incapacitated with old age, and Ruth King was persuaded by her sisters to take over the physical care of the elderly couple. Other family members provided a small house in Durham and financial support. After Stephen's grandparents passed away, Mrs. King found work in the kitchens of Pineland, a nearby residential facility for the mentally challenged.

Stephen attended the grammar school in Durham and then Lisbon Falls High School, graduating in 1966. From his sophomore year at the University of Maine at Orono, he wrote a weekly column for the school newspaper, THE MAINE CAMPUS. He was also active in student politics, serving as a member of the Student Senate. He came to support the anti-war movement on the Orono campus, arriving at his stance from a conservative view that the war in Vietnam was unconstitutional. He graduated from the University of Maine at Orono in 1970, with a B.A. in English and qualified to teach on the high school level. A draft board examination immediately post-graduation found him 4-F on grounds of high blood pressure, limited vision, flat feet, and punctured eardrums.

He and Tabitha Spruce married in January of 1971. He met Tabitha in the stacks of the Fogler Library at the University of Maine at Orono, where they both worked as students. As Stephen was unable to find placement as a teacher immediately, the Kings lived on his earnings as a laborer at an industrial laundry, and her student loan and savings, with an occasional boost from a short story sale to men's magazines.

Stephen made his first professional short story sale ("The Glass Floor") to Startling Mystery Stories in 1967. Throughout the early years of his marriage, he continued to sell stories to men's magazines. Many of these were later gathered into the Night Shift collection or appeared in other anthologies.

In the fall of 1971, Stephen began teaching high school English classes at Hampden Academy, the public high school in Hampden, Maine. Writing in the evenings and on the weekends, he continued to produce short stories and to work on novels.(less)

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“And will I tell you that these three lived happily ever after? I will not, for no one ever does. But there was happiness. And they did live.” — 201 people liked it

“A coward judges all he sees by what he is.” — 128 people liked it

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