Wolves of Calla or Wind Through the Keyhole?

[Stephanie]

I am reading the Dark Tower series for the first time. I just finished Wizard and Glass. I'd like some opinions on whether I should continue with the series how it was written and start "Wolves" or if I should read "Wind Through the Keyhole."

I am under the assumption that "Wind" isn't really a story of Roland, but of Mid-World, whereas "Wolves" is an continuation of the ka-tet...
OK, Ready for opinions....

[Squire]

Might as well read The Wind Through the Keyhole. It's pretty short and it does have as bookends the trip from the Glass Palace to the edge of Calla Brin Sturges.

But, of course, a lot of us read the series before TWTTK came out and the story didn't suffer at all.

[Becky]

Agree with Squire - it was written to fit between books 4 and 5, so you could read it there. Or if you want to experience the series as it was and then come back to it, you could do that. TWTTK doesn't progress the main quest though, so reading it between wouldn't affect anything in that aspect.

[Chris , The Hardcase]

It might also fit better in your head to read Wind first. As Becky says, it doesn't progress the main story, so it's not critical. But if you liked W&G (and I see that you gave it 5-stars), then this shouldn't annoy you too much.

My problem was reading it years after the main series and wanting something more to satisfy my DT fix. If read in the middle, that shouldn't be an issue.

[Stephanie]

Thanks guys- I'm going with wind. I cannot imagine having to wait years between books. Do you know if King is planning on adding other dark tower books?

[Becky]

Well... I don't think there are plans to add more right now, but who knows if or when more of Roland's story will need to be told? ;)

[Stephanie]

I guess I should see what is revealed about Roland in the other books before I ask that question. :-)

[Chris , The Hardcase]

Be sure to check out "The Little Sisters of Eluria", available in Everything's Eventual: 14 Dark Tales. It's a Roland story from his days before The Gunslinger.

[Greg]

Wolves. That was one of my favorite of them all. It was such a simple story, and you knew where it was going, but he still did such a good job building the suspense. And you've got to love Andy!

I chose to read them in the order they were published, and skipped Wind, even though it was released by the time I got to it. I suppose I'll get to it one day, but it's not burning a hole in my to-do list.

I'd much rather see Blaine the Mono come roarin' back.

[Randy]

Agree with squire. I've recently re-read the entire series, including Wind Through the Keyhole in its rightful place. While it won't effect the continuity of the story to skip it, I strongly recommend reading Wind before Calla.

[Dustin]

I'd read TWTTK in its rightful place, then proceed with the rest of the series.

[Kathryn]

Greg wrote: "Wolves. That was one of my favorite of them all. It was such a simple story, and you knew where it was going, but he still did such a good job building the suspense. And you've got to love Andy!..."

Me too! Blaine was awesome. Evil. But awesome. :)

[Chris , The Hardcase]

I actually find it funny that people aren't as adamant about reading "The Little Sisters of Eluria" within the scope of the series (or at all), like they do Wind. I guess it's because it wasn't an official book all by itself?

The thing is, it's as much a part of the DT series as Wind.

[Becky]

That's a good point... I think that's probably it, Chris. That it's not its own book. Hmm...

[Stephanie]

Is it a shorter story Chris?

[Squire]

It doesn't concern the main storyline of the DT series at all. It's simply an epic tale of the only other time Roland was head over heels for a Mid-world chick. I read it after the series (because it was written after I'd readthe series) and didn't have a problem with it placed that way.

[Chris , The Hardcase]

Stephanie wrote: "Is it a shorter story Chris?"

It's shorter than Wind, yes. It's a decent sized novella though.

Not "at all"? It concerns Roland and his quest.

It was written after Wizard and Glass, and I guess people weren't as starved for DT (DTs for my DT?) as we were when Wind came out.

[Squire]

It'a back story for Roland, which is not part of the main storyline for the DT series. A great novella, but not one neccesary to read for a "complete" DT series. (view spoiler)[In fact, backstories are part of Roland's problem. As long as he focuses on the past, he'll never be able to call back the Prim and solve the riddle of the Dark Tower. Ka won't allow for that. In a most delicious irony, Roalnd must lose his humanity to save mankind. (hide spoiler)]

[Chris , The Hardcase]

That's your opinion, of course. Which is fine, but I'll maintain my own, thanks. I'd say it's as important as Wind, which is also not necessary for a complete series.

Funny that Roland's backstory isn't part of the main storyline. Without Roland's backstory, you have no main storyline.

[Dustin]

Chris wrote: "I actually find it funny that people aren't as adamant about reading "The Little Sisters of Eluria" within the scope of the series (or at all), like they do Wind. I guess it's because it wasn't an ..."

Excellent point, Chris. For some reason, readers don't seem to be as adamant about Eluria as the other DT stories, which surprises me a lot, actually.

[Chris , The Hardcase]

Hey, at least the graphic novel people fit it into the sequence...

[Squire]

Hmm..haven't read any of the DT funny books.

[Becky]

Squire wrote: "Hmm..haven't read any of the DT funny books."

If you're referring to the graphic novels, you should try them before you scoff at them as being "funny books".

[Chris ( librocubicularist )]

Personally i'd go for Wolves..... The Wind & Little Sisters can be read as asides to the main “quest".Fantastic asides at that !! Little Sisters left me a dribbling wreck for a day or two .......

Let us know what you chose please.

[Chris , The Hardcase]

I've only read the first sequence, The Gunslinger Born.

They're so expensive..But I still want them all.

[Squire]

Becky wrote: "Squire wrote: "Hmm..haven't read any of the DT funny books."

If you're referring to the graphic novels, you should try them before you scoff at them as being "funny books"."

Ran a funny book/gaming store from 89-91. I did like Watchmen and Frank miller's Dark Knight stuff (still have those funny books).

[Chris , The Hardcase]

Squire wrote: "Ran a funny book/gaming store in from 89-91. I did like Watchemen and Frank miller's Dark Knight stuff (still have those funny books)...."

I tried both of those earlier this year, and was very underwhelmed. I liked them alright, but didn't see what the hype was about. Could be that I'm not sophisticated enough.

[Becky]

They are expensive. I own them all up to The Way Station, which is after it catches up with the novel storyline. I've usually gotten them for around 1/2 price during sales, or by using giftcards I've gotten, etc.

They are excellent though. The format is definitely different from the novels, and it has it's own "voice", I guess you'd call it, but I love them. They add a lot to the experience.

[Becky]

Ahh, so you're just stuck in your ways. Carry on then.

[Chris , The Hardcase]

I give Peter David credit on that. He's a great writer. I've read some of his Star Trek stuff, and some of his other comics. I always enjoy it.

Plus the artwork in the DT series is brilliant.

[Squire]

Becky wrote: "Ahh, so you're just stuck in your ways. Carry on then."

I am. When I was growing up, funny books were only in the Special Education classroom; they were forbidden in the regular classrooms, so I just ignored them. Now they're mainstream. I just let the world pass me by; I catch up only as far as I think I need to.

I also listen to music for the lyrics, not the god-awful noise behind them. :)

[Becky]

Squire wrote: "When I was growing up, funny books were only in the Special Education classroom; they were forbidden in the regular classrooms, so I just ignored them."

Thankfully, most of society has moved past that view. Books that primarily use art to tell a story shouldn't be scorned as being inferior. They are just different mediums. Not an adaptation, but like using watercolors instead of oil paint. It's different, but no less worthy.

You can't really know you don't like something you've never tried - you can only think you won't like it. Since you DO like the Dark Tower series, maybe you should give the first graphic novel a go and see if you might enjoy it?

[Squire]

Or most of society has decided not to fight it.

I guess, for me, it's the difference between art in service of the story, or art being the story. I can rate both volumes of The Secretary of Dreams 5 stars because the script is every word of King's short stories; Chadbourne simply illustrated it. A funny book uses art to tell the story; the captions and thought balloons are in service of the art.

It's all a matter of preference. And if I prefer one over the other, one of them has to be inferior by definition.

[Becky]

If you say so. I've read them, and the captions and thought balloons AND the art work in conjunction to tell King's story.

But if you're not interested... *shrug* Whatever floats your boat.

[Squire]

We all float down here, Becky. We aaalllllll flllooooaaattt..........

[Dustin]

Chris wrote: "Hey, at least the graphic novel people fit it into the sequence..."

True.:)

[Bondama]

The one thing that you seem to be ignoring, Squire (whether deliberately or not) Is that fact that graphic novels actually extend a story. The first, and best witness is Neil Gaiman's Sandman series. Without the art, they would still be good stories, but WITH the astonishingly good art, make one whole story complete.

[Squire]

It's not deliberate, it's just an uncomfortableness I've always had with funny books. I find them hollow and missing what I love about books--printed description, metaphor, simile, etc. Maybe it has to do with the fact that as a teen-ager, I worked in a rest home as a housekeeper and was constantly being asked by residents to read a magazine article, a letter from home, or a passage from a book they particularly liked. In college, I read books onto tape for blind students for extra cash. I grew up with a grandmother whose greatest fear was loosing her eyesight because there were so many books she'd never be able to get to read (she couldn't stand audio books--I don't mind them, though they're not as fun). Pictures were superfluous to all these people; in the end, they just didn't matter. Of course, it coud be that I'm just a dull person who doesn't have an apreciation for art (my art history professor in college said as much--motivated me to get an A out of his class). Whatever the reason, the interest in the DT funny books just isn't there for me. An individual illustration has meaning to me, a book of them used to tell a story doesn't.

[Angie, Constant Reader]

Chris wrote: "I've only read the first sequence, The Gunslinger Born.

They're so expensive..But I still want them all."

I got all the graphic novels from the library and just loved them. Though the graphic novel is still continuing with totally brand new stories.

[Stephanie]

So I read wind first and I just finished Wolves today. I had a really hard time getting through Wolves for some reason. Maybe I really didn't care about Callahan and the whole Salem's Lot tie in. Not exactly sure why I didn't like this story as much. To be honest, I liked "Wind" better- even though it had little to do with Roland. :-/

[Squire]

I felt the same way about The Wolves of the Calla the first time I read it. tI wasn't until my fourth time through the book that I started to appreciate it. I still think it's King's least imaginative book in the series, though.