Stephen King's The Dark Tower: A Concordance, #1

Stephen King's The Dark Tower: A Concordance #1

by Robin Furth, Stephen King (Introduction)

The Dark Tower is the backbone of Stephen King's legendary career. Inspired more than thirty years ago by works as diverse as J.R.R. Tolkien's epics, Robert Browning's poetry, and Sergio Leone's Westerns, this is the tale that Stephen King has never abandoned. When he typed the first sentence in 1970, King feared the telling might take several lifetimes, but two thousand pages and four books later, the end is in sight.

Published in anticipation of The Dark Tower V: Wolves of the Calla, A Concordance, Volume I is the definitive guide to the first four books in Stephen King's bestselling epic fantasy series, The Dark Tower. With the hundreds of characters, Mid-World geography, and the High Speech lexicon, this comprehensive handbook is one no Dark Tower fan will want to be without. It is the perfect way in for readers new to the series, or the perfect way back in for longtime fans who read the first four books years ago.

Genres: Fantasy, Horror, Reference, Fiction, Science Fiction, Speculative Fiction, Horror Thriller

256 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2003

About the author

Robin Furth is the personal research assistant to Stephen King and the author of Stephen King's The Dark Tower: A Complete Concordance, which was published by Scribner on December 5, 2006. It is a compilation of her two previous encyclopedic books dealing with King's magnum opus, The Dark Tower: A Concordance, volume I - which explores the first four books in King's series - and A Concordance II, which gives the reader definitions and explanations of pivotal terms used over the course of the final three books of The Dark Tower. She is now currently working on the graphic novel adaptation of the Dark Tower for Marvel Comics.

Reviews

[Krystal · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Dark Tower series is one of my favourites, so naturally I had to pick this up. I can't say I've read it cover to cover, but it's a great little appendix that references the first four books of the series. It IS a little incomplete in that respect, but it does give full disclosure with the 'Volume 1' of the title.

Not necessary reading but a great way to fill in some extra details about the epic world created by one of the great writers of the modern age.

[Mouthful Of Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ka ist ein Rad. Ich liebe diese Geschichte einfach. 🤠❤️

[Dolly]

This book provides references and cross-references to the various characters, locations, dialects, historical events, maps, special holidays/events, and other miscellany information about the first four books in The Dark Tower series by Stephen King.

Considering the number of years that it took Mr. King to write the epic tale, I can see how this book was useful in keeping everything straight as he plunged forward to complete the final books.

So, for a mere reader like myself who has spread out the reading of the story over more than a decade, the notes and maps are wonderful tools to refer to when I occasionally lose my way.

[M · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great reference book for the Dark Tower series. This series is extremely complex and incorporates many different books, even outside of the main 7 Dark Tower books. I was able to understand concepts that were vague or only quicky explained (Eg where does the portal of the bear lead to?).

This book catalogues characters, places, Mid-World sayings, and more. In the main sections, book and page numbers are referenced, enabling easy look-up.

One of the things I wish this book would have done is include ALL Dark Tower related books (Insomnia, Black House, Hearts in Atlantis, etc). And because those books are so vital to the story, it definitely feels like this concordance is lacking several entire and important Dark Tower books.

[Nuno · Rating 3 out of 5]

A neat summary and overview of characters, locations, languages, and so much more regarding the first four books of the Dark Tower series. It's like taking a breather to catch-up on everything that went on so far, especially if you might have missed something the first time around. Helpful in my opinion, but it does read fast.

[Jeff Hancock · Rating 5 out of 5]

better than the movie.

[Olexii Svitlychnyi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Для фанатів ок, але дуже по-толкієновськи якось, не схожа на оригінальний цикл

[Dale · Rating 3 out of 5]

Here is a stellar example of exactly what kind of obsessive biblio-nerd I really am. I picked up Concordance because I thought it would be a handy reference to have while I endeavor to re-read all seven novels in Stephen King's Dark Tower cycle back-to-back, which I decided was something I needed to do when I heard that an unexpected eighth volume in the series was coming out this month, which of course I will be reading as well. The thing is, as someone who reads everything Stephen King publishes with nigh-slavish devotion, I'm well aware that the Dark Tower casts a long shadow over King's entire body of work. There are heavy references within to The Stand, and hints at a unified cosmology with IT (which in turn would tangentially connect it to 11/22/63), and then in the pages of other works like Insomnia and Low Men in Yellow Coats there are connections as well ... and those are off the top of my head, I'm sure there are many more. So what I was hoping for in the Concordance was something of a detailed roadmap of the saga in its entirety, so that I could pick up new tidbits I might have missed and also refrsh my memory of the whole sprawling epic without having to read another ten or twenty novels looking for stray nods and tie-ins.

But there's nothing like that in this book. Maybe there is in volume 2, which deals with books 5 through 7 of the series, all written in a period when King was getting a lot more meta with the whole project and putting a lot more overt references in his non-Dark Tower works (meaning not branded on the spine with the rose-and-keyhole motif, although you could probably argue that every SK story is a Dark Tower story). But v.1 of Concordance is mostly notes on characters, places, and events within the first 4 Dark Tower novels, and since I'm re-reading them anyway it's a bit redundant. Except for two things - an introduction by SK about the genesis of the whole enterprise, and an essay of critical analysis by the research assistant who compiled all these notes in the first place, Robin Furth. Both are interesting enough to enhance the experience of returning to the world of Roland of Gilead, but not exactly recommendation-worthy.

If this wasn't enough blathering about the whole "gonna spend a few months plowing through a series that took like 22 years to get published" move on my part, I'm of course blogging about it too: Parenthetical Asides

[Choupi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Un livre particulier, qui était à la base écrit par Robin pour l’auteur lui-même pour ainsi pouvoir ne pas perdre le fil de son univers et écrire sa conclusion.

Livre essentiel également pour les lecteurs comme moi qui a lu les 4 tomes il y a des années et avaient perdu la plupart des éléments clés de ces derniers.

C’est difficile d’en faire une ‘critique’. Ce n’est juste qu’un guide ou un dictionnaire pour un rappel précis du déroulé des événements passés dans les 4 premiers tomes de la série, des protagonistes et des créatures qui les peuples.

Un livre que j’ai pu ressortir en lisant la suite pour savoir plus sur des personnages ou des passages dont j’avais oublié leur existence à l’intérieur.

[Ross · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brilliant fun! The Concordance is absolutely indispensable for those who want to get the most enjoyment out of the Dark Tower series. It offers a highly accessible, yet highly entertaining, review of important (and not so important) characters, places, themes, etc. It was written with an engaging wit in encyclopedic fashion. I recommend it to all those who have already read the first four volumes of The Dark Tower series and are going back through it again. As it contains spoilers for those who have not read further on in the series, I do not recommend that those who have not already read the books it refers to.

[Sharon · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a huge fan of the Dark Tower saga, I figured that the concordance would help me tie together some of the more nebulous connections; I loved the book, but came away more confused than ever. Mr. King sometimes changes the name of a character, making it difficult to follow in the next novel. In my father's expression, I'm 'picking fly shit out of pepper', nitpicking.....overall, the concordance really was helpful if you're going to commit to the entire series.

[Leonard Pierce · Rating 2 out of 5]

Actually not a bad idea, given the sprawling, hydrocephalic nature of the Dark Tower series, but it's pretty repetitive and not all that interesting on its own merits. The hilarious thing is that King hired the author to write this for him because he couldn't keep track of all this shit either, and then we end up paying fifteen bucks for it, proving who the real sucker is in this scenario.

[Amarand Agasi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Useful information, great for reference, maybe a little cold for reading - like a dictionary or encyclopedia. I did read the entire book from cover-to-cover during a waiting period for one of the newer Dark Tower books to be released. At some point, when the series is not so fresh in my mind, I will read the second concordance in the series, or possibly buy the complete concordance.

[Brady · Rating 3 out of 5]

A useful reference for the Dark Tower series. The real draw, though, is Robin Furth's introductory essay on the character of Roland, his world, and his quet for the Tower - deep, thoughtful, and with incredible incite!

[Kurt Zisa · Rating 2 out of 5]

I believe this was written before the series was concluded so its rather incomplete. Still a nice factoid filled book for the Dark Tower. Even describes the most minute and non essential details to the story.

[Tanja · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not exactly for merely your reading pleasure but a handy reference nonetheless. This is volume I and only encompasses books I-IV in "The Dark Tower" series. There is, however "A Complete Concordance," published in 2003, which I'm hoping to replace this volume with eventually.

[Karl Steffey]

Stephen King's The Dark Tower: A Concordance, Vol. 1 by Robin Furth (2003)

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

My constant companion for anything related to the Dark Tower series and Stephen King's Mid-World. Very handy for DT junkies like me!

[Goblindoper · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not the most captivating read, but i guess it;s not being sold as that. Kinda like drowned god chapters one after the other.

[Elizabeth Young · Rating 2 out of 5]

It would be better if some of the stuff wasn’t redundant... but otherwise it was just okay

[Andrew · Rating 3 out of 5]

Compact summary of a great series.

[Shelley Susman · Rating 5 out of 5]

good

[Pepper]

Absolutely love this series