The Dark Tower (The Dark Tower, Book 7)

published	2006 by Pocket
first published	2004
binding	Paperback
isbn	1416524525 (isbn13: 9781416524526)
pages	1072
description	At one point in this final book of the Dark Tower series, the character Stephen King (added to the plot in Song of Susannah) looks back at the ...more [close] At one point in this final book of the Dark Tower series, the character Stephen King (added to the plot in Song of Susannah) looks back at the preceding pages and says "when this last book is published, the readers are going to be just wild." And he's not kidding. After a journey through seven books and over 20 years, King's Constant Readers finally have the conclusion they've been both eagerly awaiting and silently dreading. The tension in the Dark Tower series has built steadily from the beginning and, like in the best of King's novels, explodes into a violent, heart-tugging climax as Roland and his ka-tet finally near their goal. The body count in The Dark Tower is high. The gunslingers come out shooting and face a host of enemies, including low men, mutants, vampires, Roland's hideous quasi-offspring Mordred, and the fearsome Crimson King himself. King pushes the gross-out factor at times--Roland's lesson on tanning (no, not sun tanning) is brutal--but the magic of the series remains strong and readers will feel the pull of the Tower as strongly as ever as the story draws to a close. During this sentimental journey, King ties up loose ends left hanging from the 15 non-series novels and stories that are deeply entwined in the fabric of Mid-World through characters like Randall Flagg (The Stand and others) or Father Callahan (Salem's Lot). When it finally arrives, the long awaited conclusion will leave King's myriad fans satisfied but wishing there were still more to come. In King's memoir On Writing, he tells of an old woman who wrote him after reading the early books in the Dark Tower series. She was dying, she said, and didn't expect to see the end of Roland's quest. Could King tell her? Does he reach the Tower? Does he save it? Sadly, King said he did not know himself, that the story was creating itself as it went along. Wherever that woman is now (the clearing at the end of the path, perhaps?), let's hope she has a copy of The Dark Tower. Surely she would agree it's been worth the wait. --Benjamin Reese [close]
date added	12-07-06 edit book

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Jason added it

01/31/08

Read in January, 2008

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 ...more

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Josh rated it:

10/07/07

bookshelves: fantasy

Read in October, 2007

recommends it for: Almost no one. Skip it and imagine your own ending

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 stop...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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4 comments

Matt rated it:

03/09/08

Read in March, 2008

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

This seventh and final book of the Dark Tower series is utterly heartbreaking. After slogging through however many thousand pages and sharing all these moments with characters, I found myself attached to their fictional existence. I cared about them. So when all hell broke loose in this book, shattering their ka-tet, I was emotionally devastated. I cried, on more than one occasion. It's possible that I cried as much as I did because I was in a fragile state-of-mind at the time. But really,...more

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Janice rated it:

02/07/08

Read in February, 2008

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 wr...more

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