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Song of Susannah (The Dark Tower #6)

by Stephen King, Darrel Anderson (Illustrations)

3.95 of 5 stars 3.95 · rating details · 45,542 ratings · 1,046 reviews

The next-to-last novel in Stephen King's seven-volume magnum opus, Song of Susannah is at once a book of revelation, a fascinating key to the unfolding mystery of the Dark Tower, and a fast-paced story of double-barreled suspense.

To give birth to her "chap," demon-mother Mia has usurped the body of Susannah Dean and used the power of Black Thirteen to transport to New York

...more

Mass Market Paperback, 544 pages

Published June 8th 2004 by Pocket (first published January 1st 2004)

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Aug 24, 2011 Kemper rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: alt-universes, dark-tower, 2011-r, fantasy, time-travel, western, sci-fi, horror

“Would’ee speak a word of prayer first, Roland? To whatever God thee holds?”

“I hold to no God,” Roland said. “I hold to the Tower and won’t pray to that.”

Damn, I love that line. It so perfectly sums up Roland, his quest to find the Tower, what it’s cost him, and how he knows he isn’t done paying yet.

For years, it seemed like Dark Tower had been walking in aimless circles during the long breaks between the third, fourth and fifth books. We knew that King had finished the final three volumes after...more

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Apr 16, 2007 taarak rated it 2 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Sci Fi and Fantasy Buffs

Shelves: robbarrettsaudiobookshelf

Steven King's magnum opus. I've given a short review of all the books below. Based largely on the strengths of books 1, 2 and 4, I rate the whole series of seven books a three.

On "THE GUNSLINGER" His first book in a very long series starts out well enough.

On "THE DRAWING OF THE THREE" Gotta chuk!? Gotta up-chuk!? Okay, not so bad but not as good as the first.

On "THE WASTELANDS" The series improves with fast-paced, difficult to follow forays into alternate realities.

On "WIZARD AND GLASS" The best...more

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Jul 16, 2012 Kathryn rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

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

I just finished Song of Susannah, and it's ending has made me want to immediately dive right into the last book of The Dark Tower series, The Dark Tower. For the past few weeks while I've been reading SoS, I've really been eager to find out if Roland makes it to The Tower. Now, I'm a little sad to be starting the last book, the final journey.

I give SoS four stars. For me, it was a great installment, no doubt, to the series. However, I can't give it the extra star to make it a five star installm...more I just finished Song of Susannah, and it's ending has made me want to immediately dive right into the last book of The Dark Tower series, The Dark Tower. For the past few weeks while I've been reading SoS, I've really been eager to find out if Roland makes it to The Tower. Now, I'm a little sad to be starting the last book, the final journey.

I give SoS four stars. For me, it was a great installment, no doubt, to the series. However, I can't give it the extra star to make it a five star installment for a few reasons. I believe five star books should touch the reader in a special way, or grip you unlike any other novel can. For me, The Waste Lands and Wolves of the Calla, (books 3 and 5 of The Dark Tower series) did those things to me. SoS to me felt like a book just to get you 'there,' to that last book.

Some of the questions I had, ideas in my head, were answered or confirmed in this book. Some of the revelations, you know what I'm talking about if you've read it, made me say, "OMG!!! OH HELL TO THE NO!!" But like I said, for me it was just a 'passage to the end of the journey' type book to me.

For some reason, Roland is a character I....identify? with or maybe I just feel like I know him, or a version of him in real life. Eddie, I feel like I know him, too. He reminds me a lot of myself in a few ways, e.g. has an older brother who used to pick on and make fun of him. The drug addiction part....ha...definitely CANNOT identify with. Jake...There's something about him, too, I identify with. He reminds me of my eight year old nephew, who is most definitely, the coolest kid I know. Maybe that is why Jake has a special place in my literary heart. Oy....well, I love animals. I have two cats of my own, and my cat Gizmo....she would definitely make The Dark Tower journey with me, or something like it if I had to go on a similar quest. Plus, he just sounds so cute and adorable. Pere Callahan, I also find to be interesting, especially his story in 'Salem's Lot and how it relates to the Dark Tower series. (Nicely done, King.)

I tell you of my like or love for those characters for a reason: Susannah/Odetta/Detta/Mia isn't my favorite character. We're both female, but I feel like I can't really relate to her. I am definitely not saying I dislike her character, because I don't. I think she's perfect for the series. But, I feel like, hmm....maybe I just don't connect with her or identify with her like I do the others. (To me, I don't consider being female a connection. I mean, I do in some cases, but for some reason, being female doesn't make me feel connected to her, and I think identification should go deeper than that.) She definitely has an importance in this series, and King has utlized her character for many great things. Her story is interesting, too. Maybe it is my lack of identification with the character which makes this part of the journey a 4-star segment. Edit to add: I think another thing which urks me about this book, is Mia and the whole four personalities in one body. I liked it at first, but it got a little tiring to read for me, especially since the majority of the book was about Susannah. Maybe that's just me.

Edit to add: As I was thinking about this book a moment ago, I was reminded of the scene in New York with Pere Callahan, Jake, and Oy. The street preacher with his "Gawd bombs" and "say amen" I could definitely picture in my head. He reminded me of a tele-evangelist in the south. I don't know why, but he did. The scene where Jake hits the cab car.....Oh my goodness...I remember thinking to myself: "Damn, Jake." I could picture Callahan and Jake's scenes in my head all too clearly. Eddie and Roland's part in this book was also really interesting to me. I felt like I was with them trying to convince Tower to sell the property. Roland and Eddie's story and Jake, Oy and Callahan's story in this book were my favorite parts in this book.

I also want to bring up something else, which I'm still unsure if it was brilliant, or a little pompous of King: (view spoiler)

I'm off to end this journey with the last book of the series. I'm eager and sad at the same time. Eager because as I have read these books, it has become more than a desire to know what Roland finds in the Dark Tower, or if he even makes it. Not all stories have happy endings. The end has become a NEED to know, though.. I'm sad, too, because I think I like this series more than I thought I would by now. For a while, Wizard and Glass, the fourth book, pissed me off to no end, and almost made me want to quit the series. Thankfully, Wolves of the Calla drew me back in. (Say thankya, sai King.) Also, I'm a little eager because I feel like I'm a little tied down in my reading with how long these books are and the series is. I shouldn't complain though. The idea/s are beyond original, they are genius. The story is eventful, interesting, and sucks you in. But again, I'm sad because I do love the characters. At least I own these books and can re-read them at anytime. Dark Tower....here I come...(less)

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Jul 28, 2011 Dan Schwent rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

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

The 2011 re-read:
Susanna/Mia uses Black Thirteen and flees to New York to have her baby. Roland, Eddie, Jake, and Callahan get the Manni to open the Unfound Door and end up in the wrong places. Can Roland and Eddie convince Calvin Tower to sell them the lot where the Rose grows? Can Jake and Callahan find Susannah before she has her baby?

Song of Susannah was my least favorite book in the Dark Tower series the first time through. Susannah has never been my favorite character in the Dark Tower sag...more

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Jun 19, 2008 Cindy rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

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

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Apr 30, 2008 Kara rated it 2 of 5 stars

The story wasn't bad, some of the new characters were interesting, but I cannot give it a higher rating because of the author himself.

Stephen King has indulged in the ULTIMATE form of ego stroking in this volume and it pissed me off. The plot could've been structured some other way to avoid what he's doing right now - you *can* adjust plot, much as it sometimes hurts to do so - and the fact that he went ahead and wrote what he wrote is annoying and... well, gross. It's gross.

I had hoped, by the...more

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Feb 11, 2011 wally rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: king

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. i enjoyed all seven (8 if you count the original gunslinger) stories comprising the saga about roland and his dark tower. having read the series....ummm. four or five times, i can't say i've mastered them...lord no, that is reserved for the truly addicted that hang out on message boards where the sheep and the goats are separated by the prim.

stephen king meets roland and eddie in this one and i loved that. imagine meeting a character you've written about. other readers have gotten bent the hell...more

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Mar 09, 2009 Maureen rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, series

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

Why oh why did you have to write yourself in the story? I understand that you like to indulge in a Hitchcock-like fashion by casting yourself in cameo, extra-like character roles in the movies based on your books. In my humble opinion, that is acceptable. Even when your name and book showed up on the menu board outside the Manhattan Restaurant of the Mind, I could buy it. But what possessed you to give yourself such a concrete and crucial role in the Dark Tower Saga? Roldan of...more Dear Stephen King,

Why oh why did you have to write yourself in the story? I understand that you like to indulge in a Hitchcock-like fashion by casting yourself in cameo, extra-like character roles in the movies based on your books. In my humble opinion, that is acceptable. Even when your name and book showed up on the menu board outside the Manhattan Restaurant of the Mind, I could buy it. But what possessed you to give yourself such a concrete and crucial role in the Dark Tower Saga? Roldan of Gilead bowing to you? How totally out of place with his prideful, self-assured character.

Beginning in Wolves of the Calla, and continuing in SOS, I started to get worried that all the characters were going to come to realize somehow that they never really existed in a world of their own. I wondered with uninspired dread if the ca-tet would find that they were never physically born, raised, educated, loved, hated, or respected. That there was no childhood in Gilead for Roldan, that Susannah was never the Odetta stalked and created by the serial killer, that Jake's never went crazy in his elite private school, or that Eddie never shot up smack with his selfish, foul, brother. With creeping disdain, I wondered if they would discover that they had no reality within their own fictional consciousness. I was prepared to be disgusted when they realized that all they were good for was entertainment for crotchety old men falling asleep on a lazy Sunday afternoons while watching the Gun Slinger episodes on the rerun Western channel.

In short, I felt wary of being cheated as an avid fantasy reader. Even though I understand, and appreciate, that there are no hard and fast rules to the science of the physical world in fantasy writing, you have to admit that there needs to be a consistent world, even parallel worlds, where the denizens adhere by their own set of magical, mystical truths. Doors to other wheres and whens, OK. Fictional, un-living, oblivious characters who are trapped in a series of stories, jumping from page to page, book to book, shelve to shelve? No Thank You!

After finishing Song of Susannah, and reading between the lines a bit, I am hopeful that it is not your intention to create an (anti)climatic moment where you will turn out to be "god and creator" of all in the final book of the series. And of course, I will read the Dark Tower. After all, I have already invested some of my life in six volumes of your series, your Magnum Opus...

I might have enjoyed the reader's journal entries at the end of your story if I could distinguish between fictional and nonfictional accounts. Maybe they are blended tales, but I don't really want to take my time to do the research to find out... One thing I will have to admit: It takes guts to kill yourself off in such a realistic way. That was a spooky touch. And, now that you are "dead" in the "real world" it gives me hope for the last installment.

Sincerely,

A Humble Reader

P.S. Another technique that worked; I will probably read Salem's Lot now as Father Callahan has piqued my interest.(less)

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Jan 19, 2008 Robert Beveridge rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: finished

Stephen King, Song of Susannah (Donald M. Grant, 2004)

It's quite ironic that, less than a year after announcing his impending retirement, Mr. King has graced us with one of the best pieces of writing he's put out in years (excepting "Blind Willie," one of the strongest stories of his career). After a string of books ranging from the mediocre (From a Buick 8, Wolves of the Calla) to the out-and-out bad (Dreamcatcher), during which, one can assume, King decided to hang up his hat, we get Song of S...more Stephen King, Song of Susannah (Donald M. Grant, 2004)

It's quite ironic that, less than a year after announcing his impending retirement, Mr. King has graced us with one of the best pieces of writing he's put out in years (excepting "Blind Willie," one of the strongest stories of his career). After a string of books ranging from the mediocre (From a Buick 8, Wolves of the Calla) to the out-and-out bad (Dreamcatcher), during which, one can assume, King decided to hang up his hat, we get Song of Susannah.

The sixth book in the Dark Tower series starts just after the end of Wolves of the Calla (so much so that the last sentence in Wolves of the Calla and the first sentence in Song of Susannah could have been part of the same chapter in the same book), and takes place over the next... couple of days? Time's getting weirder in the spaces between Mid-World and Earth. Roland's decline into age-related illness is speeding up, making the quest for the Tower more urgent. Callahan is now part of the crew. So's Mia, albeit in a different capacity. (One wonders, idly, why Roland didn't take Rosa with him, if he took Callahan.) And, in his own odd way, Stephen King himself, which became obvious about fifty pages from the end of Wolves of the Calla.

That last bit sounds cheesy, doesn't it? And it's hard to tell whether it is or not, really, until the final few pages of Song of Susannah. But to his credit, King paints himself as quite the dysfunctional deity, which was by turns amusing and horrifying (given the autobiographical quality of the scenes, which are mostly in-more-detail pieces of the self-abusive parts of hie life he detailed in On Writing). My final thought on it was that it probably could have been done better, but certainly could have been done worse (it blew Jonathan Safran Foer's overhyped and barely readable Everything Is Illuminated out of the water).

So the question is, why's Song of Susannah so much better than the rest of his recent books? It's not necessarily because he's writing in a different style (he had the outline in place when he wrote Wolves of the Calla, too), or because he's changed anything about the way he portrays characters and events. In fact, the only real change I can discern in Song of Susannah is that it's... shorter. Yep. King, who has been working without an editor who does more than token work since the complete and uncut version of The Stand sold eighty-seven trillion copies (and rightly; the editor who worked on the original version of the novel hopefully is picking cigarette butts out of a gutter now), takes a special moment to go out of his way to thank the person who's edited the last few Dark Tower books. Whoever she is, she's gotten it into gear and really started whipping King's writing into shape. Song of Susannah is better-paced, more tense, a lot more visual without losing that special King ability to draw characters and scenes in the space of a few lines, and, well, just overall better. He also adds in a new (to him, anyway) dimension here, with both Roland and Eddie sticking around Earth long enough for them to really smack into the wall of culture shock (usually, they've been making quick trips up till now for one specific thing, while this time they keep getting derailed in almost Luis Bunuel fashion), and King handles it with a gentle wit that's been missing from his novels for years.

The abbreviated scope of this novel, combined with the brilliance of "Blind Willie" from a couple of years ago, gives me some small hope that instead of retiring, King will focus on what got him noticed in the first place, the punch-to-the-gut short stories that showed King both being effective and working with an economy of words he's completely neglected for twenty years or thereabouts. But one way or the other, this left me salivating for the seventh Dark Tower book, and what might or might not come after. **** (less)

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Apr 17, 2008 Greg rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, fantasy

As of this writing, I've just finished Song of Susannah and am about to start the 7th and final book in The Dark Tower series, and I'm scared. Not scared in a "oh, stephen king is scary" sort of way, but scared in a "maybe I should've listened to what everyone told me and stopped reading the series after book 5".

And really, I can't say I wasn't warned, but how the heck are you going to stop reading a fantastic book series after getting 5 books in, and knowing there are two more out there. No on...more

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Aug 30, 2007 Andrew rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction

If you want to read an amazing seven-book series of epic proportions where the main character is a gunslinging loner and he fights amazing crab-creatures and pulls people through magical doorways while on his way to save the entire universe, then stop reading this series at book 3; skip book 4 and read book 5 and imagine the ending for yourself.

Seriously though, Stephen King did a fantastic job of recovering this story after so many years of it sitting on the shelf--though book 4 was abit of a...more

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Jun 19, 2007 Jason rated it 3 of 5 stars

I love the Dark Tower Series. However, this book really did seem incomplete. In the past all the books have had a beginning and end with a continuing story arc. Except for maybe Wizard and Glass. This one just felt like an unfinished story. Plus it took him so long to get this series completed, I'm going to have to go back to remember all the characters he refers to. I know he is trying to create a joining mythology for all of his fiction but I really wished he didn't bring himself into the stor...more

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Dec 21, 2008 Stacey rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: horror, western, fantasy-epic

I've enjoyed this series immensely, all the way up until this book. Now I am reading the last one just to see if he can straighten out the mess he made here. What was he thinking? This is the ultimate in mental masturbation an author can produce. I liked the parts Eddie and Roland right up until they left Tower, and I kind of liked the bits with Jake, but the rest? Crap. It's crap!

I know authors of serials sometimes put themselves in the story (Clive Cussler comes to mind,) but it's usually don...more

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Aug 22, 2008 Josh rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: novels

This is more like it! After the dreadful Wolves of the Calla, my expectations lowered dramatically for the rest of the series. This volume, however, makes up for lost time. We get another old-fashioned shoot out with Roland, and a whole lot of answers to longstanding questions about the world this series is set in. There are a few clunkers - Susannah taking over a listening station in her mind was a little weird, and I'm not terribly gung-ho about the surprise guest star that appears in this boo...more

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Sep 06, 2011 Erin rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy

This may be my favorite of the series so far. I read it quickly and it grabbed my attention, leaving me wanting more. Now I am faced with the next book, the last of the series, which reads at 845 pages. Not sure if I'll finish that one as quickly or not with how slow I've been reading lately, but I do hope it's a great finale. This one did have the King stuff in it, which I know some don't approve of. I found it...interesting. Didn't throw off my opinion of the novel and really, I've come to the...more

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Mar 02, 2012 Deslni01 rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, fantasy, western

The ka-tet is broken, as Eddie and Roland, Jake and Callahan, and Susannah and Mia are all off on their own, disconnected from each other in King's penultimate Dark Tower volume, Song of Susannah. [return][return]In a different when, Eddie and Roland face another gunfight, only a day after their previous fight with the wolves and gather up more information on the tower, the quest, and the Tower/Deepneau pair. Then they meet an interesting character - Stephen King. Yes, that's right; one of the c...more

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Jan 05, 2011 Brian rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

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:
Official Stephen King page
Stephen King FAQ
Fan site
Dark Tower site
Dark Tower on wik ...more

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Feb 28, 2009 Dreadlocksmile rated it 5 of 5 stars

Stephen King's novel "Song Of Susannah" is the sixth instalment of the seven part epic "Dark Tower" series. The novel runs for 427 pages out of the series total of 3712 pages. Unlike within the previous installations, the book does not include an introduction from King himself (Wolves Of The Calla delivered his last `argument'). However, the book does finish with a two page afterward. Again, the hardback version includes some full colour illustrations (ten in total), this time by Darrel Anderson...more Stephen King's novel "Song Of Susannah" is the sixth instalment of the seven part epic "Dark Tower" series. The novel runs for 427 pages out of the series total of 3712 pages. Unlike within the previous installations, the book does not include an introduction from King himself (Wolves Of The Calla delivered his last `argument'). However, the book does finish with a two page afterward. Again, the hardback version includes some full colour illustrations (ten in total), this time by Darrel Anderson.

The story begins directly from where the previous novel left off, throwing the reader once again into the mysterious world King has created. From the very beginning, the tale picks up a fast pace, setting down clever twists and turns for each one of the main characters we have followed closely throughout this adventure. With a similar construction of the storyline to that of "Wolves Of The Calla", the fragmented plot lines that gradually draw together is a lot tighter within this action packed novel.

King develops upon the character of Susannah's multiple personalities, bringing out further layers to their rich personalities. Whilst the three separate tracks of the story weave their way through the book, King takes his almost surreal angle of bringing in the real world by introducing himself as a major character within the book. This brings a whole new and original approach to the saga, which tricky as it sounds, works surprisingly well. In doing this, the Dark Tower series becomes a more involved and personal adventure for King.

The novel draws to a close with a chapter constructed from the pages of the character of Stephen King within his own novel. These fictional accounts detail the real life of the writer in a way that reflects the parallel world from the series. Confusing as it sounds, it does work very well, bringing all the previous books tighter together and linking them to our own reality.

All in all, I found this instalment into the "Dark Tower" series one of the most rewarding and enjoyable reads of all the books so far. Short as it is compared with the previous books, "Song Of Susannah" is rich in its storyline and cleverly ties in almost all of the previous events laying the ground for the final book to complete this epic journey. An absolute pleasure to read.(less)

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Feb 07, 2013 Al rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

There's something about a crippled, black, schizophrenic, civil rights activist-turned-gunslinger whose body has been hijacked by a white, pregnant demon from a parallel world that keeps a seven-volume story bracingly strong as it veers toward its Armageddon-like conclusion. When Susannah Dean is transported via a magic door on the outskirts of Calla Bryn Sturgis (the scene of much of The Dark Tower V: Wolves of the Calla) to New York City in the summer of 1999, the "demon-mother" who possesses...more There's something about a crippled, black, schizophrenic, civil rights activist-turned-gunslinger whose body has been hijacked by a white, pregnant demon from a parallel world that keeps a seven-volume story bracingly strong as it veers toward its Armageddon-like conclusion. When Susannah Dean is transported via a magic door on the outskirts of Calla Bryn Sturgis (the scene of much of The Dark Tower V: Wolves of the Calla) to New York City in the summer of 1999, the "demon-mother" who possesses her, Mia, has only one thing on her mind. She must give birth to her "chap" at a predetermined location in Manhattan's East 60s, as instructed by the henchmen-or "Low Men"-of the evil Crimson King. Pressed for time, Father Callahan, preteen Jake and talking pet "billy-bumbler" Oy follow Susannah and Mia's trail in an effort to prevent an act that would quicken the destruction of the Dark Tower and, in turn, of all worlds. Meanwhile, gunslingers Roland and Eddie travel to 1977 Maine in search of bookstore owner Calvin Tower, who is being hunted down by mobster Enrico Balazar and his gang, who first appeared in Eddie's version of New York in The Drawing of the Three Avid readers of the series will either be completely enthralled or extremely irritated when, in a gutsy move, the author weaves his own character into this unpredictable saga, but either way there's no denying the ingenuity with which King paints a candid picture of himself. The sixth installment of this magnum opus stops short with the biggest cliffhanger of King's career, but readers at the edge of their seats need only wait a few short months (Dark Tower VII: The Dark Tower) to find out how-and if-King's fictional universe will come to an end. 10 full-color illus. not seen by PW.
SUMMARY:
Stephen KingThe Dark Tower VI: Song of Susannah with 10 full-color illustrations by Darrel AndersonThe next-to-last novel in Stephen King's seven-volume magnum opus, Song of Susannah is at once a book of revelation, a fascinating key to the unfolding mystery of the Dark Tower, and a fast-paced story of double-barreled suspense.To give birth to her "chap," demon-mother Mia has usurped the body of Susannah Dean and used the power of Black Thirteen to transport to New York City in the summer of 1999. The city is strange to Susannah...and terrifying to the "daughter of none," who shares her body and mind.Saving the Tower depends not only on rescuing Susannah but also on securing the vacant lot Calvin Tower owns before he loses it to the Sombra Corporation. Enlisting the aid of Manni senders, the remaining katet climbs to the Doorway Cave...and discovers that magic has its own mind. It falls to the boy, the billy-bumbler, and the fallen priest to find Susannah-Mia, who, in a struggle to cope -- with each other and with an alien environment -- "go todash" to Castle Discordia on the border of End-World. In that forsaken place, Mia reveals her origins, her purpose, and her fierce desire to mother whatever creature the two of them have carried to term.Eddie and Roland, meanwhile, tumble into western Maine in the summer of 1977, a world that should be idyllic but isn't. For one thing, it is real, and the bullets are flying. For another, it is inhabited by the author of a novel called 'Salem's Lot, a writer who turns out to be as shocked by them as they are by him.These are the simple vectors of a story rich in complexity and conflict. Its dual climaxes, one at the entrance to a deadly dining establishment and the other appended to the pages of a writer's journal, will leave readers gasping for the saga's final volume (which, Dear Reader, follows soon, say thank ya).(less)

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Jan 25, 2013 Louis Magallanes rated it 5 of 5 stars

Using the Magical "Door" in the Calla, the Remaining Gunslingers, along with Father Callahan go in search of Susannah who has been kidnapped by Mia.

However they are split up into different "wheres" and "Whens".

Jake, Father Callahan, and Oy (a dog like creature who is the fifth member of their Ka-tet)are transported to 1999 New York City in order to find Susannah and save her both from Mia and her possibly demonic child Mordred.

Eddie and Roland however are sent to Maine 1977 where they must secur...more

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Nov 06, 2012 Jane Stewart rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: apocalyptic-time-travel-fantasy

Nothing new or exciting. It dragged. No fun. If you want to skip one of the books, this is the one to skip.

2 STARS FOR THIS BOOK 6 IN THE SERIES:

A lot of writing about not much. I’d condense the main events into something short and put it at the end of the former book or beginning of the next book. The main stories in this book are:

Mia inhabits Susannah’s body and forces her to sneak away from the rest of the group. She goes to 1999 New York. Jake, Oy, and Callahan go after her.

Roland and Eddie...more

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Oct 13, 2012 Jenni rated it 5 of 5 stars

Vitosten sarja jatkuu - kuinka tylsää!

Tavallaan tekisi mieli antaa huonompi arvosana, koska jo pitkään jatkuneet tilanteet ovat edelleen yhtä auki kuin edellisenkin osan lopussa. Jäin kaipaamaan enemmän. Jollain tapaa se tuntuu kuitenkin tarkoituksenmukaiselta (se on ka, ha-ha). Ja jotenkin olisi outoa arvostella vain yhtä osaa kokonaisuudesta. Olen kuitenkin melko vakuuttunut siitä, että Musta torni on parasta, mitä olen ehkä ikinä tullut lukeneeksi, niin monella tapaa.

Ärsyttää kirjan nimen suo...more Vitosten sarja jatkuu - kuinka tylsää!

Tavallaan tekisi mieli antaa huonompi arvosana, koska jo pitkään jatkuneet tilanteet ovat edelleen yhtä auki kuin edellisenkin osan lopussa. Jäin kaipaamaan enemmän. Jollain tapaa se tuntuu kuitenkin tarkoituksenmukaiselta (se on ka, ha-ha). Ja jotenkin olisi outoa arvostella vain yhtä osaa kokonaisuudesta. Olen kuitenkin melko vakuuttunut siitä, että Musta torni on parasta, mitä olen ehkä ikinä tullut lukeneeksi, niin monella tapaa.

Ärsyttää kirjan nimen suomennos. Ärsyttää muutenkin, miksi Susannah taivutetaan teoksen suomennoksessa koko ajan väärin. Onneksi sentään johdonmukaisesti, ja tavallaan ymmärränkin: suomen kielessä ei ole tarpeen viljellä heittomerkkejä, joten kun yhden teoksen keskushenkilön nimen taivuttaminen niitä vaatisi, ne jätetään mieluummin pois. Helpottaa suomalaisen lukemista. Silti! Väärin!

Kingillä on tapana kirjoittaa itsensä kirjojensa hahmoihin. Ei kuitenkaan yleensä ihan näin suoraan. Rohkea veto kuvata itsensä todellisena omana itsenään, vaikken toki voikaan tietää, kuinka paljon totuutta on muunneltu. Romaani on kuitenkin vain sepitettyä tarinaa.

Ylipäänsä Eddien pohdinta itsestään ja omasta olevaisuudestaan on kutkuttavan mielenkiintoista. Mitä, jos hän onkin vain tuon kirjailijan luomus, olemassa vain paperilla? Kuka on Stephen King, ja mitä tekemistä hänellä on sen kanssa, miten Revolverimiehen ka-tetin tarina etenee? Samalla päästään kirjoittamisen samoin kuin tämän tarinan perimmäisten kysymysten äärelle. Hienoa Susannan laulussa on myös se, että viimeistään tässä vaiheessa saagaa osoitetaan, miten kaikki muut Kingin teokset ovat vain yhden oven päässä Tornista. Kaikki palvelee Sädettä. Muissa teoksissa auki jäävät kysymykset saavat vastauksia Mustassa tornissa. Oivallus seuraa toistaan - lukija on tyydytetty.

Ja silti, kutkuttavasti auki jäävä loppu. Viimeinen osa on pakko metsästää hyppysiin viimeistään huomenna. Tavallaan ei tahtoisi lukea sitä, koska se tietää tarinan loppumista. En ole mikään revolverimies, koska mieluummin jäisin nauttimaan matkasta kuin saapuisin Tornille. "Ajetaan hiljempaa: toivon, ettei matka loppuis ollenkaan."
Mutta sitten taas kuitenkin: haluan myös nähdä Tornin.

Ja kaikki tämä saa toivomaan, että Musta torni olisi totta. Susannan lauluun on upotettu niin paljon elementtejä oikeasta todellisuudesta (onko tämä "oikea todellisuus"?) että melkein alkaa Joutomaan Jaken tavoin kurkkia jokaisen oven taakse löytääkseen tien johonkin toiseen todellisuuteen.

Tulipas tunteellinen vuodatus.(less)

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Sep 20, 2012 Abbe added it · review of another edition

Shelves: in-library

There's something about a crippled, black, schizophrenic, civil rights activist-turned-gunslinger whose body has been hijacked by a white, pregnant demon from a parallel world that keeps a seven-volume story bracingly strong as it veers toward its Armageddon-like conclusion. When Susannah Dean is transported via a magic door on the outskirts of Calla Bryn Sturgis (the scene of much of The Dark Tower V: Wolves of the Calla) to New York City in the summer of 1999, the "demon-mother" who possesses...more There's something about a crippled, black, schizophrenic, civil rights activist-turned-gunslinger whose body has been hijacked by a white, pregnant demon from a parallel world that keeps a seven-volume story bracingly strong as it veers toward its Armageddon-like conclusion. When Susannah Dean is transported via a magic door on the outskirts of Calla Bryn Sturgis (the scene of much of The Dark Tower V: Wolves of the Calla) to New York City in the summer of 1999, the "demon-mother" who possesses her, Mia, has only one thing on her mind. She must give birth to her "chap" at a predetermined location in Manhattan's East 60s, as instructed by the henchmen-or "Low Men"-of the evil Crimson King. Pressed for time, Father Callahan, preteen Jake and talking pet "billy-bumbler" Oy follow Susannah and Mia's trail in an effort to prevent an act that would quicken the destruction of the Dark Tower and, in turn, of all worlds. Meanwhile, gunslingers Roland and Eddie travel to 1977 Maine in search of bookstore owner Calvin Tower, who is being hunted down by mobster Enrico Balazar and his gang, who first appeared in Eddie's version of New York in The Drawing of the Three Avid readers of the series will either be completely enthralled or extremely irritated when, in a gutsy move, the author weaves his own character into this unpredictable saga, but either way there's no denying the ingenuity with which King paints a candid picture of himself. The sixth installment of this magnum opus stops short with the biggest cliffhanger of King's career, but readers at the edge of their seats need only wait a few short months (Dark Tower VII: The Dark Tower) to find out how-and if-King's fictional universe will come to an end. 10 full-color illus. not seen by PW. SUMMARY: Stephen KingThe Dark Tower VI: Song of Susannah with 10 full-color illustrations by Darrel AndersonThe next-to-last novel in Stephen King's seven-volume magnum opus, Song of Susannah is at once a book of revelation, a fascinating key to the unfolding mystery of the Dark Tower, and a fast-paced story of double-barreled suspense.To give birth to her "chap," demon-mother Mia has usurped the body of Susannah Dean and used the power of Black Thirteen to transport to New York City in the summer of 1999. The city is strange to Susannah...and terrifying to the "daughter of none," who shares her body and mind.Saving the Tower depends not only on rescuing Susannah but also on securing the vacant lot Calvin Tower owns before he loses it to the Sombra Corporation. Enlisting the aid of Manni senders, the remaining katet climbs to the Doorway Cave...and discovers that magic has its own mind. It falls to the boy, the billy-bumbler, and the fallen priest to find Susannah-Mia, who, in a struggle to cope -- with each other and with an alien environment -- "go todash" to Castle Discordia on the border of End-World. In that forsaken place, Mia reveals her origins, her purpose, and her fierce desire to mother whatever creature the two of them have carried to term.Eddie and Roland, meanwhile, tumble into western Maine in the summer of 1977, a world that should be idyllic but isn't. For one thing, it is real, and the bullets are flying. For another, it is inhabited by the author of a novel called 'Salem's Lot, a writer who turns out to be as shocked by them as they are by him.These are the simple vectors of a story rich in complexity and conflict. Its dual climaxes, one at the entrance to a deadly dining establishment and the other appended to the pages of a writer's journal, will leave readers gasping for the saga's final volume (which, Dear Reader, follows soon, say thank ya).(less)

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Sep 12, 2012 Brett Roller rated it 2 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I’m normally not a Stephen King fan, but I got into the Dark Tower series after a friend absolutely insisted I read it.

This same friend warned me that the sixth installation is a very hard pill to swallow and after 12 “stanzas” I’m inclined to agree with him. My absolute number one beef with the Song of Susannah is the fact that King had the gall to add himself into the book. I’m sure he thought it lent to the whole mystic of the story with a life of its own, and maybe he even thought it would h...more

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Jul 11, 2012 Jason rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Those Wanting to be Constant Readers

Recommended to Jason by: Lethaldose

[SPOILERS AHEAD] [ALSO, NOT REALLY A REVIEW OF THE BOOK]

Stephen King shows up as a character within his own book! Although I knew he would show up, his appearance made this series MUCH more interesting. (It's hard to avoid spoilers when you're a faithless King fan--the gall of me to think of myself as a true King fan, not having read all of the Dark Tower series!) And ... Stephen King actually dies in the end! Crazy!

Now, I'm yearning to read the seventh book, but the copy I need is somewhere in...more

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Jul 11, 2012 Sakura87 rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: autori-nordamericani, duemila, fantasy, horror, la-torre-nera, saga-ciclo

C’è una porta introvata (O perduta) e la memoria è la chiave che la apre.

Susannah-Mia, in pieno travaglio, ha attraversato la porta che dal Calla l’ha condotta nel 1999, per raggiungere coloro che la aiuteranno a partorire il figlio di nessuno. Mia, una nuova inquietante personalità, ha infatti preso possesso del suo corpo, ma stavolta non si tratta di schizofrenia, bensì di una nuova e pericolosa manovra di coloro che servono il Re Rosso e che hanno promesso al demone femminile un corpo per gen...more C’è una porta introvata (O perduta) e la memoria è la chiave che la apre.

Susannah-Mia, in pieno travaglio, ha attraversato la porta che dal Calla l’ha condotta nel 1999, per raggiungere coloro che la aiuteranno a partorire il figlio di nessuno. Mia, una nuova inquietante personalità, ha infatti preso possesso del suo corpo, ma stavolta non si tratta di schizofrenia, bensì di una nuova e pericolosa manovra di coloro che servono il Re Rosso e che hanno promesso al demone femminile un corpo per generare un neonato. Eddie Dean vorrebbe precipitarsi alla ricerca della moglie, ma quando si è in viaggio tra le epoche per salvare il cardine dei mondi, La Torre Nera, non c’è tempo per i sentimentalismi. Convocata l’assemblea dei Manni e aperta la porta verso gli altri mondi, Père Callahan e Jake vengono risucchiati nella stessa dimensione in cui è fuggita Susannah, mentre Roland ed Eddie, nel Maine anno del Signore 1977, devono vedersela con i redivivi Jack Andolini e George Biondi per poter recuperare da Calvin Torre l’atto di proprietà del terreno su cui sorge la Rosa. E visto che sono lì, perché non andare a parlare con colui che sembra avere le mani in pasta nella loro missione, il giovane scrittore Stephen King in persona?

...sì. Lui può.
Sono pronta a giurare sull'Uomo-Gesù che sarebbe caduto dalle mie grazie quasi qualsiasi altro scrittore che avesse commesso la narcisissima mossa di introdursi tra i suoi personaggi e in un così importante ruolo (un creatore di mondi...ma forse che scrivere non è proprio questo?). Sì, perché King, distruggendo ogni barriera tra finzione e realtà, si catapulta nella Torre Nera e stringe letteralmente la mano ai suoi stessi personaggi, sia pure sottolineando i propri difetti e i suoi trascorsi da beone e drogato. A conclusione del romanzo, una raccolta di pagine dal suo diario, lettere e articoli che, invece di essere postfazione, rimangono in un mondo fittizio stravolgendo la realtà con un inquietante 'e se?'.
L'incidente avvenuto a King nel 1999 buca letteralmente le pagine del romanzo.
Detto questo, non si possono chiudere gli occhi sul fatto che La canzone di Susannah è il romanzo peggiore della saga. Sicuramente è penalizzato dal fatto di essere il penultimo, e di dover quindi preparare i fuochi artificiali del gran finale, ma gli avvenimenti sono veramente pochi e il tempo narrativo è dilatato al massimo. Non mancano sicuramente i momenti notevoli, come il succitato incontro con Stephen King e, indimenticabile, una piccola perla descrittiva in cui una delle personalità di Susannah, complice un giovane chitarrista vagabondo, ricorda squisiti attimi delle sue manifestazioni per ottenere la parità di diritti dei neri.
I tasselli sono tutti al loro posto, e ogni membro del ka-tet è pronto a morire combattendo.
Adesso è tempo del gran finale, se vi è gradito. Sia lode a sai-King.(less)

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Jun 11, 2012 Anthony rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: senior-year-q-4

Song of Susannah is the sixth book in Stephen King's Dark Tower series, and even though it is not the last book, it climaxes as if it was the last book, and has you reading on your toes if your standing, or reading with your back straight as an arrow if you're sitting. This book is a must read. As soon as you catch up in the series, of course.
The story in this book begins to focus upon Susannah Dean, one of the gunslingers who is also a paraplegic, and how she is pregnant. She doesn't know whose...more

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Jun 01, 2012 Lucy Furr rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: constant-reader, dark-tower-universe

Song of Susannah has always been a hard book for me to give an opinion on, so this is going to be really short.

On the one hand, I really enjoy the parts of the book that focus on Roland & Eddie and Jake & Pere Callahan, but on the other hand, the parts that focus on Susannah and Mia, I could do without. In fact, pretty much every time I've read this after the first reading, I've mostly skimmed those parts. I've never found Susannah a particularly interesting character. Her schizophrenia...more

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May 27, 2012 Becky rated it 3 of 5 stars

Sooooo....things start getting weird again in this book - I'm really hoping the seventh book of the series is able to make all of this connect and help me understand the necessity of the weirdness, but I'm doubtful.

First - Susannah's multiple personalities are getting really old. I'm tired of all of them, and sometimes of Susannah herself. She is my least favorite character in the series, and so understandably, I'm less than thrilled that this book has a lot of focus on her.

Also, I find it coo...more

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Jan 01, 2012 Ricky Ganci rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The story starts to come together, and there couldn’t have been a more perfect time for it. The baby, the Crimson King, End-World, the wolves, everything starts to stitch itself together in a very satisfying and intriguing way. It was quite a cliffhanger, and I’m very thankful that I have the final novel right before me on the table. I don’t know if this one was my favorite or not, because they all make up one story—it may as well be one huge novel, for real. But as I start to become comfortable...more

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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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Quotes from Song of Susannah

“In the Land of Memory the time is always Now.
In the Kingdom of Ago, the clocks tick... but their hands never move.
There is an Unfound Door
(O lost)
and memory is the key which opens it.” — 21 people liked it

“Anger is the most useless emotion," Henchick intoned, "destructive to the mind and hurtful to the heart.” — 19 people liked it

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Song of Susannah (The Dark Tower #6)

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