S.J. Romero
asked:
I haven't read this book, but have wanted to for some time. My hesitation is that some of King's works can start great, but end a bit flat. IT and The Stand are two examples. Both started great and powered along for about 95% of the story, only to run out of steam in the end. Not sure I want to spend the time on DT if it ends in such a way. Any encouraging words to ease my concerns? Thanks in advance.
To answer questions about
The Gunslinger,
please sign up.
Pat C.
I say read it. I totally agree with your assessment of "It" and "The Stand". There are so many varying opinions about which books are King's best and a lot of people name "It" and "The Stand". I liked both books ok but they are way down my list of his best books ( in fact, I think "It" gets downright disgusting towards the end). My personal faves are "The Green Mile" and "Black House".
There are also diverse opinions about the way he ends the dark tower series but I thought it was very well done and if you like SK books in general, you will like the dark tower books (with the possible exception of "The Gunslinger" which is surreal, vague and confusing - although it has fans for just those reasons. Fortunately it is relatively short.)
I think you should at least read "The Drawing of the Three". If it doesn't hold your interest, don't waste your time reading the remainder of the series. You could probably find a lot of books more rewarding to your personal taste.
There are also diverse opinions about the way he ends the dark tower series but I thought it was very well done and if you like SK books in general, you will like the dark tower books (with the possible exception of "The Gunslinger" which is surreal, vague and confusing - although it has fans for just those reasons. Fortunately it is relatively short.)
I think you should at least read "The Drawing of the Three". If it doesn't hold your interest, don't waste your time reading the remainder of the series. You could probably find a lot of books more rewarding to your personal taste.
Mike Jung
That's exactly what happens with this series. It starts off great, and gets very lost and ends with a "why did I bother?".
The last 3 or 4 books were almost painful to read, but you felt so invested at that point that you were compelled to continue. In the end, it all leads up to disappointment. The "irony" of the ending felt more like a cop-out to me.
My recommendation would be to read the first book "The Gunslinger", and then watch the upcoming movies for the rest of the story. Afterwords, go back and read the fourth book "The Wizard and Glass". It kind of stands-alone and is well-done.
The last 3 or 4 books were almost painful to read, but you felt so invested at that point that you were compelled to continue. In the end, it all leads up to disappointment. The "irony" of the ending felt more like a cop-out to me.
My recommendation would be to read the first book "The Gunslinger", and then watch the upcoming movies for the rest of the story. Afterwords, go back and read the fourth book "The Wizard and Glass". It kind of stands-alone and is well-done.
David
"some of King's works can start great, but end a bit flat"
Some? All his books are like that. Every single one of them.
Some? All his books are like that. Every single one of them.
Cindi
I put off reading this series until I'd read everything else King had written to that point. I'd tried a few times, but couldn't get into it. My husband kept telling me what a wonderful series it was and encouraging me to read it. So I finally decided to just DO IT and plowed through. Overall, I'm so glad I finally did. I LOVE the series, though there are some books that I just really didn't care for overall. But I think it is a wonderful story and it's fun to see the parallels to King's other books. I think it also helped that I read the series along with my husband while he was away from home for work for an extended period of time. So we "read it together".
I think this series is different from the rest of King's work, and shows us a different part of who he is. I still think of lines from the series and get shivers. :)
As for the ending ... I actually really love the way book 7 ended. I felt it was just perfect. It doesn't necessarily wrap up in a pretty bow, all complete, but it is just right for the story.
I think this series is different from the rest of King's work, and shows us a different part of who he is. I still think of lines from the series and get shivers. :)
As for the ending ... I actually really love the way book 7 ended. I felt it was just perfect. It doesn't necessarily wrap up in a pretty bow, all complete, but it is just right for the story.
Diabl0s
I would say wait for a revised edition of the whole series. SK already revised the first book which is what I started with and I really enjoyed it. Its lean and direct which works really well to define the gunslinger and leaves you feeling dubious about the character by the end of it. After that though, you are stuck reading the original edits of the following books in the series and the tone and pacing changes not necessarily for the better.
I just finished reading the 4th book and it was a slog. I am actually considering stopping my read and waiting for the revised editions myself but I think its going to be tricky for SK to re-edit the later volumes as the elements he wants to remove end up defining a lot of the world around the characters. We may never see a full edit. Fortunately book 4.5 is a lot more interesting eventhough it's more of a side step than a step forward in the actual story (mainly because this book was created long after the series was completed making it the most recent book in the series).
So really, its your call. Its a long slog of a read and SK himself pretty much expects not everyone will be able to complete it but the first three books still keep you entertained although book three reads like a comic book.
I just finished reading the 4th book and it was a slog. I am actually considering stopping my read and waiting for the revised editions myself but I think its going to be tricky for SK to re-edit the later volumes as the elements he wants to remove end up defining a lot of the world around the characters. We may never see a full edit. Fortunately book 4.5 is a lot more interesting eventhough it's more of a side step than a step forward in the actual story (mainly because this book was created long after the series was completed making it the most recent book in the series).
So really, its your call. Its a long slog of a read and SK himself pretty much expects not everyone will be able to complete it but the first three books still keep you entertained although book three reads like a comic book.
William King
I read The Stand and many other King novels. The DT series is great. I would not hesitate to read it again. I actually laughed at the way SK ended it (the irony). Maybe you will read it and find out for yourself.
James Walters
Read on. I agree with you, but read on. Stephen King writes without an ending in mind, mostly. He believes in the story unfolding, rather than having a predetermined structure. This results in some waffling passages, threads that lead nowhere and unsatisfying endings.
BUT...
Enjoy the journey! I love the ride with King, anything is possible and he is brilliant at getting you inside the heads of the characters. Some of his weirdest invention surfaces in these books, like really weird, but fascinating and terrifying, too.
BUT...
Enjoy the journey! I love the ride with King, anything is possible and he is brilliant at getting you inside the heads of the characters. Some of his weirdest invention surfaces in these books, like really weird, but fascinating and terrifying, too.
dan
It has been said by many people, and Stephen King himself, that the first book is very much condescending. Being as he wrote The Gunslinger when he was very young and was, he admitted, trying to sounds high and mighty and make a long lasting series such as Lord of the Rings. I have been told that the first is the hardest to get through, but after that it gets better.
Matthew
The last two books in the series are "forced writings' and ruin the series. The first three are great and the downward slide starts and gains speed with each additional book your read. I would still read the first three again but not any of the others.
T.ScottReviews
It is phenomenal, The Stand was a major letdown.
I haven't read DT but I always hear from people that the series picks up after book 2.
I haven't read DT but I always hear from people that the series picks up after book 2.
About Goodreads Q&A
Ask and answer questions about books!
You can pose questions to the Goodreads community with Reader Q&A, or ask your favorite author a question with Ask the Author.
See Featured Authors Answering Questions
Learn more
Aug 23, 2016 09:59PM · flag
Sep 09, 2021 11:46AM · flag