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The Waste Lands
(The Dark Tower #3)
by
Several months have passed, and Roland’s two new tet-mates have become proficient gunslingers. Eddie Dean has given up heroin, and Odetta’s two selves have joined, becoming the stronger and more balanced personality of Susannah Dean. But while battling The Pusher in 1977 New York, Roland altered ka by saving the life of Jake Chambers, a boy who—in Roland’s where and when—h
...more
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Hardcover, Reprint Edition, 422 pages
Published
June 23rd 2003
by Viking Adult
(first published August 1991)
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Monica Mishra
Just finished reading reading, started with the 4th one, 2nd one is my favorite so far.
Camila
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Start your review of The Waste Lands (The Dark Tower, #3)

(B) 74% | More than Satisfactory
Notes: Skirting back-story and mythology, it focuses too much on cliché genre retreads to be thought of as a serious fantasy.
Notes: Skirting back-story and mythology, it focuses too much on cliché genre retreads to be thought of as a serious fantasy.

This book contains the biggest lie a writer ever told me. It‘s in the Author‘s Note at the end:
The fourth volume in the tale of the Dark Tower should appear - always assuming the continuation of Constant Writer’s life and Constant Reader’s interest - in the not-too-distant-future.
It took six years for the next book to come out.
Six. Goddamn. Years.
Six years may not seem too bad to fans of authors who only release a book every decade or so, but there’s a couple of factors that made this false sta ...more
The fourth volume in the tale of the Dark Tower should appear - always assuming the continuation of Constant Writer’s life and Constant Reader’s interest - in the not-too-distant-future.
It took six years for the next book to come out.
Six. Goddamn. Years.
Six years may not seem too bad to fans of authors who only release a book every decade or so, but there’s a couple of factors that made this false sta ...more

English (The Waste Lands) / Italiano
Happiness while watching the drawing of the metal plate found on the just killed bear, happiness that I feel for the unpredictable and the inexplicable. My personal journey into the world of "The Dark Tower" goes on, together with the gunslinger, Roland, escorted by Eddie and Susannah, the two tale gunners recruited in the previous chapter, The Drawing of the Three. However, there is still somebody to recruit for the company to be complete...
In the author's no
...more
Rolands´ DIY tutorials, worsening causality problems, time paradoxes, and the first real, longer encounters with paranormal activities and monsters let one dive deeper into the marvelous madness.
Just as in the second part, The drawing of the three, King is using some elements of the real, alternative world, although the main parts play in fantasy terror land, where the lovely hero´s journey of mentally ill, severely injured and mutilated, and fresh cold turkeyed protagonists can continue.
This on ...more
Just as in the second part, The drawing of the three, King is using some elements of the real, alternative world, although the main parts play in fantasy terror land, where the lovely hero´s journey of mentally ill, severely injured and mutilated, and fresh cold turkeyed protagonists can continue.
This on ...more


DISCLAIMER: Many aspects of THE GUNSLINGER ACTION ADVENTURE EXPEDITION are comprised of potentially dangerous activities involving giant cyborgs, possessed buildings, demon rapists and extras from the cast of Deliverance, do you ken it. There is a risk of serious injury, being Roont or even Charyou Tree. Therefore GUNSLINGER KA-TETS WITH DINH ONLY. While training and remembering the face of your father can reduce the inherent risks, Ka is a wheel and they cannot be completely eliminated do ...more

Jan 19, 2018
megs_bookrack
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
stephen-king-read
Let's cut right to the chase, shall we?
The Waste Lands blew my mind.

The riddles, Blaine the Mono, I mean, who comes up with this stuff?

The King, that's who.
Stephen. FRICKING. King.

What more can I say besides the fact that I loved this with my whole heart and soul?!
As you know, if you are reading this, this is the third book in King's epic Dark Tower series. This book knocked The Drawing of Three out of the top spot for me.

It was that good! As the series continues to build, it's hard not to b ...more
The Waste Lands blew my mind.

The riddles, Blaine the Mono, I mean, who comes up with this stuff?

The King, that's who.
Stephen. FRICKING. King.

What more can I say besides the fact that I loved this with my whole heart and soul?!
As you know, if you are reading this, this is the third book in King's epic Dark Tower series. This book knocked The Drawing of Three out of the top spot for me.

It was that good! As the series continues to build, it's hard not to b ...more

The Waste Lands (The Dark Tower, #3), Stephen King
The Waste Lands (subtitled "Redemption") is a fantasy novel by American writer Stephen King, the third book of The Dark Tower series.
The story begins five weeks after the end of The Drawing of the Three. Roland, Susannah, and Eddie have moved east from the shore of the Western Sea, and into the woods of Out-World.
After an encounter with a gigantic cyborg bear named Shardik, they discover one of the six mystical Beams that hold the world togethe ...more
The Waste Lands (subtitled "Redemption") is a fantasy novel by American writer Stephen King, the third book of The Dark Tower series.
The story begins five weeks after the end of The Drawing of the Three. Roland, Susannah, and Eddie have moved east from the shore of the Western Sea, and into the woods of Out-World.
After an encounter with a gigantic cyborg bear named Shardik, they discover one of the six mystical Beams that hold the world togethe ...more

To the Wastelands OK!... Well with a little bit luck, we'll make it through this book! The third instalment of King's Magnum Opus on first reading was just another expansion of the fabulous The Dark Tower verse and King could do no wrong. On this, my third reading the book almost feels like a filler, dare I say! Do we really need that much more detail on the world moving on, on Mid-World and the dying reality? Admittedly it's a great read, watching the Ka-tet in their first real adventure as a u
...more

After the events of the Drawing of the Three, Roland the Gunslinger has two people from our world along side him in his quest for the Dark Tower. However, he's also going mad because of a strange double set of memories in his head, memories of a boy he crossed the desert with...
The Waste Lands is probably my favorite Dark Tower book and epitomizes what I like about the series. It's got the lost technology, lots of action, more bits about Roland's world, and makes Roland's ka-tet complete. The st ...more
The Waste Lands is probably my favorite Dark Tower book and epitomizes what I like about the series. It's got the lost technology, lots of action, more bits about Roland's world, and makes Roland's ka-tet complete. The st ...more

“Ka was like a wheel, its one purpose to turn, and in the end it always came back to the place where it had started.”
The third book in the Dark Tower series finds Roland and his ka-tet following the Path of the Beam towards the tower. Along the way they’ll pick up two new members...
I was contemplating writing this review as an Ode to Oy, but words can’t even express how much I love that little billy-bumbler; he is the CUTEST. A particular highlight for me is when he calls Gasher “asshole” - SASS ...more
The third book in the Dark Tower series finds Roland and his ka-tet following the Path of the Beam towards the tower. Along the way they’ll pick up two new members...
I was contemplating writing this review as an Ode to Oy, but words can’t even express how much I love that little billy-bumbler; he is the CUTEST. A particular highlight for me is when he calls Gasher “asshole” - SASS ...more

4.5*
I almost, almost, gave 5 stars to this one. I consider this volume to be the best out of the three that I’ve read so far. If the book had stopped midway it would have got the maximum recognition from me, no doubt. I love and hate King’s way of writing too much. He managed to keep me at the edge of my seat for 100 pages, hungry for more, promising my undying love and then, after the climax (the forth drawing), he slightly bores me for the next 100. Maybe the plot got too intense and he though ...more
I almost, almost, gave 5 stars to this one. I consider this volume to be the best out of the three that I’ve read so far. If the book had stopped midway it would have got the maximum recognition from me, no doubt. I love and hate King’s way of writing too much. He managed to keep me at the edge of my seat for 100 pages, hungry for more, promising my undying love and then, after the climax (the forth drawing), he slightly bores me for the next 100. Maybe the plot got too intense and he though ...more

Take the guesswork out of your next vacation!!
FORSPECIAL Travels and Tours presents:
Lud, the Jewel of the Send
Your Guided Mid-World adventure starts here!!
Charming Local Accommodations
- See the amazing, bumbling Shardik, Mid-World’s largest, comedic bear, searching for picnic baskets
- Glimpse (and maybe chat with) an elusive billy-bumbler
- Pick some devil grass. We won’t tell.
- Chat with the oldest people in Mid-World. Find out what their secret is to long life. (Hint: It’s not yogurt.)
Smal ...more
FORSPECIAL Travels and Tours presents:
Lud, the Jewel of the Send
Your Guided Mid-World adventure starts here!!
Charming Local Accommodations
- See the amazing, bumbling Shardik, Mid-World’s largest, comedic bear, searching for picnic baskets
- Glimpse (and maybe chat with) an elusive billy-bumbler
- Pick some devil grass. We won’t tell.
- Chat with the oldest people in Mid-World. Find out what their secret is to long life. (Hint: It’s not yogurt.)
Smal ...more

Fabulous buddy-read with my Dark Tower Posse: Quick Draw Stepheny, Jumpin' Jeff, Calamity (slow poke) Bev, and last but not least- Bronco Bustin Black Jackin' Jason- The name stands PERVERTS!!!!

Five weeks after The Drawing of the Three- Roland, Susannah, and Eddie are deep into the woods of The Out-World- where they encounter Shardik- a ginormous cyborg bear on his last legs.

After putting him out of his misery- they realize- they have to follow the path of the beam to The Mid-world...
....but fir ...more

Five weeks after The Drawing of the Three- Roland, Susannah, and Eddie are deep into the woods of The Out-World- where they encounter Shardik- a ginormous cyborg bear on his last legs.

After putting him out of his misery- they realize- they have to follow the path of the beam to The Mid-world...
....but fir ...more

“April is the cruellest month”
Stephen King’s ambitious and challenging Dark Tower series continues with the third novel, The Waste Lands, first published in 1991.
I am reading this series very slowly. I read The Gunslinger in 2012, not really sure what I had read and why and not understanding what all the fuss was about. The second book, The Drawing of the Three, was more impressive and more complicated and though I liked it (after a three year gap after the first book) I was still unsure as to h ...more
Stephen King’s ambitious and challenging Dark Tower series continues with the third novel, The Waste Lands, first published in 1991.
I am reading this series very slowly. I read The Gunslinger in 2012, not really sure what I had read and why and not understanding what all the fuss was about. The second book, The Drawing of the Three, was more impressive and more complicated and though I liked it (after a three year gap after the first book) I was still unsure as to h ...more

Jul 23, 2014
Markus
rated it
liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
hanging-out-with-mrs-kholin,
the-dark-tower
"Behold ye, the return of the White! After evil ways and evil days, the White comes again! Be of good heart and hold up your heads, for ye have lived to see the wheel of ka begin to turn once more!"
What a journey! From incomprehensibly horrible to absodamnlutely fantastic to okay.
This book was all over the place. Both literally and metaphorically.
The first half is more of what we’re given in The Drawing of the Three. That is... a painfully boring story about Roland leaving his wildly interes ...more
What a journey! From incomprehensibly horrible to absodamnlutely fantastic to okay.
This book was all over the place. Both literally and metaphorically.
The first half is more of what we’re given in The Drawing of the Three. That is... a painfully boring story about Roland leaving his wildly interes ...more

4.5 stars
The Waste Lands is the third installment in the Dark Tower series. I’ve been through this series so many times over the years I have lost count. But what has made this trip so important is all of the wonderful people I have gotten to take along the Path of the Beam. I would like to thank my posse for allowing me to hold their hands and guide them on this most epic of quests. Rootin’ Tootin Pistol Packin’ Delee, Jumpin’ Jeff , Calamity Bev and last but certainly not least, Bronco Bust ...more

May 06, 2018
Ms. Smartarse
rated it
really liked it
Shelves:
horror,
action-adventure,
sci-fi,
part_of_a_series,
dystopia,
oldies-but-goldies,
made-me-cry,
friendship
The first two books painted an incredibly bleak picture of Roland's world. Said to have "moved on", just teeming with monsters, demons and the occasional unexpected horrifying incident.
As a passive observer, I could definitely see merit in learning more about it, but the highlight of each episode was by far the possibility of leaving it behind for the relative 'familiarity' of New York. Granted, I've only seen pictures of the city, but compared to the horror of fighting and eating lobstrosities ...more
As a passive observer, I could definitely see merit in learning more about it, but the highlight of each episode was by far the possibility of leaving it behind for the relative 'familiarity' of New York. Granted, I've only seen pictures of the city, but compared to the horror of fighting and eating lobstrosities ...more

Some day if there’s time, I’ll tell you all the old stories ... the ones I know, at least. They form a large tapestry, one which is beautiful but very sad.
Some fine day ... but not today and not in this third installment of the Dark Tower series. For now, Roland and his friends are too busy doing nothing much for about six hundred pages. They travel, they fight the ocassional monster or deranged mob leader, the sit by the campfire and have some obscure nightmares and prophetic visions. All wra ...more

As usual I have nothing but positive things to say about this book. Well, actually there is one negative and that's the ending. It was of course an incomplete work ending at a climax, however, since it's not 1991 anymore and I do not have to wait years for a new book to come out, I will not fault King for this. In fact, I will look at it as a positive, for I cannot wait to begin book 4.
Mid-world is continuing to grow, and the questions to its existence continue to be answered. It's funny, while ...more
Mid-world is continuing to grow, and the questions to its existence continue to be answered. It's funny, while ...more

The thing with this series is that it just gets better along the way.
This review might contain some spoilers? I'm not sure if some people would consider them as spoilers, so read at your own risk! You've been warned.
The most amazing thing about this book would be the fact that Jake fucking Chambers is back! If you've read my review of The Gunslinger (book 1) then you'd know how much I love that kid. We can be friends again King, that much I can say.
(view spoiler) ...more
This review might contain some spoilers? I'm not sure if some people would consider them as spoilers, so read at your own risk! You've been warned.
The most amazing thing about this book would be the fact that Jake fucking Chambers is back! If you've read my review of The Gunslinger (book 1) then you'd know how much I love that kid. We can be friends again King, that much I can say.
(view spoiler) ...more

“Ka—the word you think of as ‘destiny,’ Eddie, although the actual meaning is much more complex and hard to define, as is almost always the case with words of the High Speech. And tet, which means a group of people with the same interests and goals. We three are a tet, for instance. Ka-tet is the place where many lives are joined by fate.”
This is the book where Roland’s ka-tet is fully formed*, with the addition of eleven years old Jake Chambers and Oy the billy-bumbler (a Mid-World species).

Ka ...more
This is the book where Roland’s ka-tet is fully formed*, with the addition of eleven years old Jake Chambers and Oy the billy-bumbler (a Mid-World species).

Ka ...more

Even though I'm not crazy about this narrator, Frank Muller, I ended up giving my audio re-read of this book an extra star.
All my old friends are together again: Roland, Susannah, Eddie, Jack and even Oy. (I forgot how much I loved Oy and his golden eyes!) Even some of my old enemies are here, Gasher and Blane the Mono.
It's nice re-reading these via audio, even if I have to wait a few weeks in between books while waiting for the next audio book to come in to the library. This time I don't have ...more
All my old friends are together again: Roland, Susannah, Eddie, Jack and even Oy. (I forgot how much I loved Oy and his golden eyes!) Even some of my old enemies are here, Gasher and Blane the Mono.
It's nice re-reading these via audio, even if I have to wait a few weeks in between books while waiting for the next audio book to come in to the library. This time I don't have ...more

3.5 stars and I was frustrated enough with this volume in the continuing saga NOT to round up to 4. Steven King has a reputation for waffling, but this is the first time in the Dark Tower series, where I really felt the reader suffered because of it. I loved Oy the Bumbler.
Had I not been listening to this rather than simply reading it, I am not at all sure I would have finished it.
I consider myself very lucky not to have to wait the many years between the writing of this novel and the next in t ...more
Had I not been listening to this rather than simply reading it, I am not at all sure I would have finished it.
I consider myself very lucky not to have to wait the many years between the writing of this novel and the next in t ...more

I loved this book. I love the connections between the characters' past lives and between Mid-World and Our When. I also felt a strong link to other Stephen King books: a mansion in Brooklyn comes to life and it was The Overlook all over again for me. The middle of the book (the mansion part) was the most amazing part of a completely amazing story. It could have just ended there for me emotionally, but it's all about the quest. So, onward to Lud which brings every nuked out NYC full of mutants an
...more

This volume of the Dark Tower has aged like fine wine, fascinating me more than all the previous volumes with the inclusion of more and more ancient tech. The breaking down of knowledge, society, and sanity is the main thrill, seeing the high-tech descendants of a massive, glorious metropolis that has Moved On act like ignorant yokels.
Lud. *sigh*
But my personal huge, roaring favorite has got to be Shardik. What a guardian! Glorious! And with a thinking cap on, too! :)
But when it comes to charact ...more
Lud. *sigh*
But my personal huge, roaring favorite has got to be Shardik. What a guardian! Glorious! And with a thinking cap on, too! :)
But when it comes to charact ...more

What a tease! This is one hell of a cliffhanger ending. *lol*
Susannah, Eddie and Roland continue their journey, but along the way it becomes clear that there is another member of their Ka-tet that still needs to join them and that it will be slightly more difficult to unite them with him. I'm talking about (view spoiler) .
Actually, who that member was, was not really a surprise and therefore it's not really a spoiler. I really liked that King continued to spin the thr ...more
Susannah, Eddie and Roland continue their journey, but along the way it becomes clear that there is another member of their Ka-tet that still needs to join them and that it will be slightly more difficult to unite them with him. I'm talking about (view spoiler) .
Actually, who that member was, was not really a surprise and therefore it's not really a spoiler. I really liked that King continued to spin the thr ...more

* spoilers spoilers spoilers *
It is both difficult and easy to say just why this book, The Waste Lands, is even better than The Drawing of the Three. That’s no small feat to accomplish because The Drawing of the Three is a terrific book. But when I first questioned why I liked this one a little more, I couldn't explain the why of it even to myself. With thought though it became clearer. First off, it's a roller coaster ride of a story (much like the second book actually - picking up only a f ...more
It is both difficult and easy to say just why this book, The Waste Lands, is even better than The Drawing of the Three. That’s no small feat to accomplish because The Drawing of the Three is a terrific book. But when I first questioned why I liked this one a little more, I couldn't explain the why of it even to myself. With thought though it became clearer. First off, it's a roller coaster ride of a story (much like the second book actually - picking up only a f ...more

5 Stars
Wow….. Well what a book!
This book definitely read as a fantasy more than a horror but it’s so magnificent!
The third series in the - The Dark Tower series and it’s a cracking book. I was a little gutted that I hadn’t read this series earlier as I am a HUGE Stephen king fan. Having said that I think that 24 is the perfect age to read this! I remember trying to read the Gunslinger as a pre-teen and it was just too confusing and too hard to read! Now at 24 I GET IT!
This series seems to be ...more
Wow….. Well what a book!
This book definitely read as a fantasy more than a horror but it’s so magnificent!
The third series in the - The Dark Tower series and it’s a cracking book. I was a little gutted that I hadn’t read this series earlier as I am a HUGE Stephen king fan. Having said that I think that 24 is the perfect age to read this! I remember trying to read the Gunslinger as a pre-teen and it was just too confusing and too hard to read! Now at 24 I GET IT!
This series seems to be ...more

And the award for creepiest train in all of literature goes to…
Stephen King has had a place among my favorite authors for 3 or 4 years now. But over the span of this book and its predecessor, The Drawing of the Three, he’s edging remarkably close to becoming not just one of my favo ...more
“Don't ask me silly questions
I won't play silly games
I'm just a simple choo choo train
And I'll always be the same.
I only want to race along
Beneath the bright blue sky
And be a happy choo choo train
Until the day I die.”
Stephen King has had a place among my favorite authors for 3 or 4 years now. But over the span of this book and its predecessor, The Drawing of the Three, he’s edging remarkably close to becoming not just one of my favo ...more

I honestly think this might just be my favourite book out of this series. I say might because I must admit, my memory of the books that follow IS quite vague. So I might end up loving them even more than this one.
But I somehow doubt it because this magnificent book reintroduces one of my favourite characters from the series, introduces another favourite character AND introduces my favourite "villain" from this series. I won't name any names because I don't want to spoil it for anyone!
I also th ...more
But I somehow doubt it because this magnificent book reintroduces one of my favourite characters from the series, introduces another favourite character AND introduces my favourite "villain" from this series. I won't name any names because I don't want to spoil it for anyone!
I also th ...more
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2021 Reading Chal...: The Waste Lands (The Dark Tower #3) | 32 | 45 | Mar 23, 2021 03:06PM | |
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Goodreads Librari...: Correction | 3 | 16 | Nov 28, 2017 10:39AM | |
snowremovaltoronto: Landscaping: Choosing Your Plants | 1 | 1 | Oct 31, 2017 11:24PM |
Stephen Edwin King was born the second son of Donald and Nellie Ruth Pillsbury King. After his father left them when Stephen was two, 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, M
...more
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“Don't ask me silly questions
I won't play silly games
I'm just a simple choo choo train
And I'll always be the same.
I only want to race along
Beneath the bright blue sky
And be a happy choo choo train
Until the day I die.”
—
207 likes
I won't play silly games
I'm just a simple choo choo train
And I'll always be the same.
I only want to race along
Beneath the bright blue sky
And be a happy choo choo train
Until the day I die.”
“Animals don't know as much about jealousy as people, but they're not ignorant of it, either.”
—
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More quotes…