Stephen King Fans discussion

Delphyne wrote: "Thanks, Becky! I was worried I'd read a spoiler and wind up with a series spoiler."

Yep, that's what I want to avoid!

I've got to say, I read DT2 the first time and listened to it the second time and Frank grew on me. I HATED his narration at first and pretty much wanted to bail out of my car every time he opened his mouth. But, after a while a started to associate the characters voices with his voices and things just started to come together.

Just opened the 3rd door. Can't decide if The Prisoner or The Pusher is more exciting. I love how the connections start to emerge in this section of DT2. The pace of this book is incredible. Even though this is my third read, and I know exactly what is going to happen, I can't put the book down.

The Wastelands is by least favorite of the series. Don't know why, so I may try the audio. Anyone know who does the reading on that one?

Jaime wrote: "Just opened the 3rd door. Can't decide if The Prisoner or The Pusher is more exciting. I love how the connections start to emerge in this section of DT2. The pace of this book is incredible. Even t..."

I want to say that Muller did them through Wizard and Glass and then he died in a motorcycle accident.

But don't quote me on it. I'm too lazy to confirm so if someone wants to correct me, that would be awesome.

Frank Muller reads The Waste Lands as well.

After Muller was killed, his funeral was attended by some incredibly good authors, including King. They respected his work and, if I'm not wrong, I believe King gave the eulogy at the funeral (or memorial service, whichever it was.)

George Guidall reads books 5-7 and the revised version of The Gunslinger.

I am almost done with this... I took a little break to read Changeless with a friend, and even started Blameless, but then I had to take a break from that to wait for her, LOL - so back to Drawing, but it's so good I can't seem to pace myself. I just want to listen and listen.

Frank Muller has definitely grown on me as a reader. I'll be sad when it switches to Guidall for Wolves - but I listened to a little sample of his reading and it's not bad. Just different.

It's been a couple years since I read this series, and I've forgotten how funny it is in places. And I think, honestly, that the way that Muller reads some parts adds to that. I've found myself giggling and chuckling and outright laughing at moments... I recall laughing a couple times when Eddie would say something, but the last couple chuckles were due to Roland - who you would think is dry and humorless.

That's one of the things that I love about audio... The reader (even one who takes a while to grow on you!) can add so much to the story. :)

How is everyone else doing with this one?

I'll just say I'm really enjoying Detta Walker...

Chris wrote: "I'll just say I'm really enjoying Detta Walker..."

Honky muhfuh! Detta ain't be enjoyin' you!

:P LOL

Sho nuff, honky muhfuh!

******Book Spoiler******
Becky wrote: "That's one of the things that I love about audio... The reader (even one who takes a while to grow on you!) can add so much to the story. :)
"

Absolutely agree. It's a different sort of experience than reading it yourself. SK's stories seem almost made to be read aloud, only I wouldn't be able to do it myself without breaking up. Not sure how the audio performers do it - it must require a lot of takes.

I'm wildly entertained every time Roland steps through a door. Right now, I'm with The Pusher, and Katz's voice as read by Muller was perfect. I could see that poor man perfectly in my imagination, and couldn't help but laugh at how his situation kept getting worse and his self-pity kept reaching new heights.

Sheri, I completely agree. I listened to that part last night, and Katz came more fully alive with Muller voicing him than I can remember him being before.

King's characters always have lives of their own - I love that about his books. Anyone who comes into the story, even for a little while, has their own complete history attached, and usually we're given a little snippet of that. It makes his stories so much more multifaceted and great. :)

Jaime wrote: Eddie Dean is probably my all time favorite character in all of King's books.

He's definitely one of mine, too. He reminds me of Larry from The Stand, only taken up a few notches. He's what I wanted Larry to be.

********SPOILER********

I also like the way you get to know Eddie on his own before getting the full story of his relationship with his brother. I really like the way that structure helped his characterization.

Esse wrote: "Jaime wrote: Eddie Dean is probably my all time favorite character in all of King's books.

He's definitely one of mine, too. He reminds me of Larry from The Stand, only taken up a few notches. H..."

I agree. I love Larry and Eddie. Eddie seems like a more fleshed out, intense Larry to me.

*********SPOILER ALERT*********

I agree with your spoiler, as well. I feel like if
we didn't get a chance to know Eddie before knowing "Eddie and his brother" then Eddie himself wouldn't seem like, well, Eddie.

Esse wrote: "Jaime wrote: Eddie Dean is probably my all time favorite character in all of King's books.

He's definitely one of mine, too. He reminds me of Larry from The Stand, only taken up a few notches. He's what I wanted Larry to be..."

Never thought of it like that before, but seeing you say it, it clicks, and it fits great, and I think that's might be why I liked Larry so much in my last go 'round with the Stand, which I read between Wizard and Glass and Wolves (about 8 months ago).

And the rest of you guys are really making me want to go to the library and find me a copy of this on audio, y'all make it sound really good, and I've never listened to an audiobook before.

Christian wrote: "Esse wrote: "Jaime wrote: Eddie Dean is probably my all time favorite character in all of King's books.

He's definitely one of mine, too. He reminds me of Larry from The Stand, only taken up a f..."

Neither have I. I want to find one as well. :)

Christian wrote: "Never thought of it like that before, but seeing you say it, it clicks, and it fits great."

It never occurred to me before either. But you're right, there are a lot of similarities between those two characters. Between the two, Eddie's my favorite, but of course we get a lot more face time with him than we did with Larry. And Larry had to compete with Stu Redman for my attention. :)

I'm now listening to DT2 on audio with Frank Muller and I am really enjoying it. The first time I read the book was years ago and I'm gaining a whole new experience with the audiobook. This book is most definitely better than The Gunslinger.

You guys are making me want to read The Stand again! lol

Frank Muller is great. I've been switching between the book and audio. I like to listen while I'm out running. I met The Pusher out at the park last night. (Things you don't say every day.)

I'm glad I'm giving the series another chance. I'm really enjoying this one.

I'm also enjoying reading King again. It's been a while since I've picked up a King book. I feel like I've just found an old friend.

Delphyne, I always feel like that when I pick up a King book... I never go long between though, if I can help it. ;)

I finished reading Drawing and really enjoyed it. I'm going back through this thread and (carefully) reading the spoilers for this book.

************************Spoiler***********************

Did anyone else wonder, though..... just how Roland and Eddie managed to eat one a day? They are 4 feet long!

LOL! I didn't think of that either. They were huge! LOL.

*************************STILL SPOILERS****************************

LOL, who knows... maybe he dropped a lot in the fire while cooking! I find it funny that what jumped out at me was not the magical, time travelling doorways... or the being inside someone else's head... or the giant lobster-monsters... it was how much two imaginary men were eating a day! Sometimes my brain is completely ridiculous ;)

I had the exact same reaction reading The Hunger Games. I'm surprised I didn't question it in this one.

I look forward to reading The Wastelands in December. I prefer not to read series books back to back - I get burnt out - so it will be nice spacing them out a little bit.

Delphyne wrote: "I finished reading Drawing and really enjoyed it. I'm going back through this thread and (carefully) reading the spoilers for this book.

************************Spoiler***********************

Di..."

**********************SPOILER ALERT*******************
It surprised me as well that they ate that much! However, I suppose shellfish would be hard to keep... it goes bad rather quickly. Also, maybe they only ate parts? I know Roland puts super emphasis on not wasting stuff, however, he was also super sick.

Becky wrote: "*******Spoiler*******

And I must say that I truly love the way that Roland interprets the world through Eddie's eyes. It's great. Army women and tooter-fish and the ritual of Clearing The Customs..."

Me too! I was laughing out loud when he talked about the "ritual". I also agree that the best part of the book is Eddie and Balazar. The other two characters were OK, but Eddie's part was the most engrossing, action packed one.

Maybe it was that I listened to it on audiobook but the Eddie and Balazar part seemed to go on and on and on. I grew quite tired of it myself.

Nikki wrote: "You guys are making me want to read The Stand again!"

Same here. I haven't read it in a couple years since I've been busy with school, but I'm tempted to pick it up again.

Nikki wrote: "Maybe it was that I listened to it on audiobook but the Eddie and Balazar part seemed to go on and on and on. I grew quite tired of it myself."
It was a pretty drug out story line. But, I think it gave better depth to Eddie. I get bored sometimes with loooooongg backstories.

"drug out"! Pun intended?

Chris wrote: ""drug out"! Pun intended?"

... no... I mean yes. Of course I intended it.

So I finally started reading yesterday, I'm up to about page 120. I'm already enjoying it so much more than Gunsliger, I'm really glad I decided to keep reading!

********Spoilers**********

I too really love Roland's interpretation of the world through Eddie's eyes. Like tooter-fish of course, and the Clear the Customs ritual. Also, when he first drinks the soda and gets brain freeze from it, and keeps thinking Sweet! Sweet! Sweet! He's like a little kid, it's so freaking cute.

********Spoiler********
when I first read this I was like 16 or something and I naively thought some magic will happen and bring back Roland's fingers. Silly me.
The thing I really enjoyed in this book were the interactions between the two worlds. I felt as if the book is kind of reaching in our world.

Kristina wrote: "********Spoiler********
when I first read this I was like 16 or something and I naively thought some magic will happen and bring back Roland's fingers. Silly me.
The thing I really enjoyed in thi..."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~SPOILER ALERT~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I am 20 and the first time I read this (I was still 20) I also thought some wonderful magic would bring his fingers back. I was thinking, he is a gunslinger and he needs those fingers, so obviously something will happen and he will get them back. Although he does get along pretty well without them, doesn't he?

Kristina wrote: "********Spoiler********
when I first read this I was like 16 or something and I naively thought some magic will happen and bring back Roland's fingers. Silly me.

I was in my mid-twenties when I first read it, and I thought the same thing. Don't beat yourself up. I mean, it's fantasy!

LOL me too... I couldn't believe what I was reading, like "What? He's the main character! What's goin' on here?"

I thought the same thing.

I must be a pessimist! It never dawned on me he could get them back. I just thought "Man, that really sucks. He needs those..." LOL. (That or I'm just old... Haha.)

Delphyne wrote: "I must be a pessimist! It never dawned on me he could get them back. I just thought "Man, that really sucks. He needs those..." LOL. (That or I'm just old... Haha.)"

LOL

so... uh... are the monthly reads just going to be the DT series until its done? I can't seem to find a spot where it says this.

Yes, that's what we're doing.

Any idea of what would follow? lol just curious b/c I don't want to read it then a couple months later it's the group read, b/c that's what happened with the DT I just read it all in Dec.-March this past year. Not complaining though, 'cause now I'm looking for the audios to try it a new way :)

These are the group reads now. ;) The Gunslinger won the group poll last month, so Angie and I decided it would be good to just continue the series as the group reads, one per month.

After the series is done, we'll go back to nominating as normal, alternating between King's own books, books he's recommended, and books we'd recommend to him.

Thought it was the perfect time to have the group read the Dark Tower books!

guess I'll go play catch-up on ones the group has already read. Enjoy! LOVE DT, just don't want to reread it right now.

I agree with you Angie -- As I mentioned somewhere in a previous post, I resisted at first because I simply was not sure I could take that deep an emotional journey now. But after I started re-reading, I was lost into Roland's world.

Kristina wrote: "********Spoiler********
when I first read this I was like 16 or something and I naively thought some magic will happen and bring back Roland's fingers. Silly me.
The thing I really enjoyed in thi..."

I think even though I KNEW those fingers were gone and several references were made to them being missing and the hardship it caused occasionally, in my mind I pretended like they were still there.

***spoiler***
hahaha, good to know I wasn't the only one hoping for a magic surgery for finger-reattachment :D
But throughout the series there weren't even many references to the fingers and when they were mentioned I always thought 'oh...right....they were gone'. So I guess in my head too he still had all of them.
That has to qualify as a wtf-moment - the main-character's fingers get eaten at the beginning of book 2/7.

I love Frank Muller's voice, BTW.

I'm 'rereading' this book as an audiobook. To be honest, this is the one book in the series that I loathe because it seems so drawn out and repetitive. I thought a second trip through the novel, ten years later, might change my mind on that front, but unfortunately no. How many pages can a man spend describing Eddie Dean ripping the cocaine packages off of his body?

Ready for December...it has been so hard waiting to start The Wastelands!!!

Jaime wrote: "Ready for December...it has been so hard waiting to start The Wastelands!!!"

I know! It's almost here!

I'm halfway through, just started "The Lady of Shadows" section. I'm a little confused at the moment about who Detta and Odetta are, but I think I've sorta figured it out.