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Wizard and Glass
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2014 DT Buddy Read: #4 - Wizard & Glass
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Just have to say that I had to start this one early to finish off the storyline from the previous book. 60 pages in and I really enjoyed the tie up. I kind of knew which character would come into play from what had happened but the execution was excellent. I just hope that when I finish writing my novel, I can be even 1\10th as entertaining as King.
Are we starting? I'm in!
Yeah, sorry. Time got away from me. I can make a suggested schedule later today. This one is going to take a little more time.
Drew, are you publishing through Amazon? I just started drafting an outline for a YA novel, and was hope to publish through them.
No clue. Haven't made it that far yet. Right now I'm just writing. 90 pages in.
So what were you thinking Justin? 25th 28th?
Let's go ahead and get started and try to have it done by April 1. If that's too fast, we can change it.
Giving yourself a lot of extra time eh? Ok. Sounds good to me. We doing 4.5 after this?
Out of curiosity, a lot of people following along with this buddy read? Without it, I don't think I would have read the whole series even though it's fantastic. It's quite a commitment when you think of it and look at how many books and how much time you are committing to it.
We had a lot of people reading along, but it's dwindled down lately. I actually read ahead last month and finished through this one. It's my favorite of the series. 4.5 up next and I am good to shorten the timeframe on this one if it's too long since I've cheated and finished it.
Actually I might be wrong about time. I haven't had a chance to attack it as quickly, maybe because the time frame is longer but I did a little math with where I was a few days ago and I need to read 18 pages a day to finish it. Problem, is I haven't really read those last two days.
Is there a spoiler button to push?Anyway, I'm reading it on my kindle and so far I reached 13% of the book, I'm on chapter five through the first part of the book
Our ka-tet has gotten out Blaine the Mono and if I'm not wrong Roland is about to begin his long palaver. So far I'm quite enjoying the book, even the riddling part of which I was never quite the fan. The whole thinny bit, with the whole The Stand reference is a nice statement about how organic is King's universe, where anything happens totally at random, but is all governed by the wheel of ka. And I like very much the developing of the relationships between the characters, for example the overgoing contempt sometimes shown by Roland towards Eddie, or the latent seed of doubt still present in Eddie towards Roland. It's such a complex characterization; you feel like they're basically real people, just like the ones you could meet in a bar, or at the local bookstore..
And right now I'm dreading to begin the palaver section. Heartbreak is coming!
I was not a fan of Blaine or the riddles. I liked the idea at first , but it went on too long and spilled into this book. I was just over it. The flashback that takes up most if the book is awesome. Definitely the best writing of the series so far.
Caught up and finished Vol 3 at the weekend. Shall start Vol 4 this weekend! Before this buddy read, vol 4 was the last one I reread. Looking forward to it again - the flash back is a high point of the series. It's depicted pretty well in the comics too. :)
Stevo the comic run by Furth and David is awesome! More SK faithful who read the novels should pick up the entire run as a companion IMO.
I reached 34% percent of the book. I just met Sheemy and enjoyed the rendez-vous at the Traveller's Rest. Amazing pages, following up a quite dull part. The arrival in Hambry, the dinner at Mayor Thorin's house, I found'em quite boring.
Things will definitely pick up, Andrea. The flashback is an amazing story within a bigger story. King is very descriptive and so parts do seem to drag at times, but overall it's great writing.
I agree with Justin, this is my favourite of the series.
I think around River Crossing in DT 3 is where SK really starts to find his DT voice. Like, the story he is telling finally starts coming naturally to him instead of 'these doors to Rolands world being difficult to find and unlock.' I think when we get to the Mejis flashback in DT 4, he is fully in the zone. Or maybe I'm less fussed on the bits that take place in NYC (like Jakes drawing being the lull, in my opinion, of DT 3). I've never squee'd over the The Stand intro to DT 4 or the Oz outro but the Mejis bit in the middle is pure gold. :D Having only read the 'present day' stuff once, I'm genuinely surprised by a few nods to stuff that develops later - I thought SK just marathoned through the final three with no real regard to what came before, cobbling together a love it or hate it but just deal with it final trilogy.
On a note about the story. I'm up to where Will and Susan meet. How funny/ cute is it that SHE thinks he speaks in an archaic fashion! Has she not heard herself with her thee's and thou's and ye' and aye's. All will does is say 'Yes' and he's billed as the ancient one. Hah!
I reached 64% of the book. And, as I recalled, and you guys rightfully reminded me the story literally kicked-off. I loved the rendez-vous at the Traveller's Rest with the Big Coffin Hunters, who doesn't love a some sort of mexican standoff? And aside the little annoying part of Susan and Roland really drunk on love the rest was just amazing. The whole dynamic between Cuthbert and Roland is one of the best things in the book, and it's a thing almost everyone can in some fashion relate to.
Will the next book we do be Wind or Wolves? I'm almost at the end of the Mejis tale. :'( you always wish it could turn out differently don't you.
I've had a skim through the other W&G thread that's on here and have to say that the criticism levelled at this book are the very things I like about it. The Mejis country bumpkin patois (mixed with Spanish), the length of the flashback...tbh I could read about every single day and detail of that summer. :D
I couldn't agree more Stevo, so glad to hear you enjoyed it :)
It's a great tale isn't it Shell? You know how it ends even before you read it the first time and yet...you will it to not be so. : /See at the end, was that Brown or someone who looked like him? If it was really him then I've a question.
Stevo wrote: "Will the next book we do be Wind or Wolves? I'm almost at the end of the Mejis tale. :'( you always wish it could turn out differently don't you.
I've had a skim through the other W&G thread th..."
Got to chime in again. W & G gets my vote as the very best of King.
I just reached the end of the flashback and I'm back in Kansas again...Earlier I expressed my criticism on the first part of the flashback, but it's all crushed by the awe that gives the remaining part. The discovery of the Tower gives you a truly cold feeling...
Nick wrote: "Got to chime in again. W & G gets my vote as the very best of King."Very best is hard to decide between but its definitely up there for me too, pard. :D
Andrea wrote: "I just reached the end of the flashback and I'm back in Kansas again...Earlier I expressed my criticism on the first part of the flashback, but it's all crushed by the awe that gives the remaining ..."
Yes indeed. Every little glimpse we get of the Tower in those first four volumes hooks us in as much as it does the ka-tet. Makes us all Tower junkies!
Stevo wrote: "It's a great tale isn't it Shell? You know how it ends even before you read it the first time and yet...you will it to not be so. : /See at the end, was that Brown or someone who looked like him?..."
Who do you mean by Brown?
anyway, I finished the book last night. I couldn't remember very well the last part, so has been a little bit of a surprise to meet Marten Broadcloak, and it was great. And the last trip into the glass I put it along with the palaver between Roland and Walter in the first book for examples of incredible writing
Brown that had Zoltan in The Gunslinger. How could you forget him. :p There was a guy at the end of the Mejis story that looked like him.
Yes, the farmer guy, I get it now. My mistake, so it is :)
I was thinking. This book hooks you up with this characters, Alain and Cuthbert, but after the flashback we get just hints of what's gonna happen to them. I think it's pitiful leaving this characters behind when you just started to really know them...
Ok Andrea, if it is Brown then my question is this: (view spoiler)Yep I wish we had got more flashbacks about Cuthbert, Alain, Jamie de Curry and all as well.
I tried to answer [SPOILER]Maybe he didn't recognize him. Just as at the end of WIzard and Glass, Roland seems to not recognize Marten Broadcloak as Walter, his old nemesis. And you have to think that the powerful narration of the Hambry story, brought back a lot of things Roland wished it would stay buried, and brought them up to his full consciousness. It might be one of those things. [/SPOILER]
I comically tried to put everything between spoiler tags, failing miserably. Could someone explain to me how to create the spoiler button?
Andrea, if you put it as < spoiler> instead of in square brackets. :) Shall mull your point of view over.
thank you for the tip.Let me know if you come up with something about your question!
Andrea wrote: "thank you for the tip.Let me know if you come up with something about your question!"FInding it difficult to think that Roland would bury all those memories so deeply he wouldn't recognise Brown later in the Mohaine Desert. I kinda hope it wasn't Brown at the end of W&G. I know everyone in town had fallen under the spell of hive mind behaviour but its still unforgivable how they all acted. :(
I'm firing ahead with Wind Through the Keyhole. Still want to discuss and think about W&G though.
You're right about the whole Hambry's townfolk thing. It made me furious, and most of all obviously Aunt Cordelia, which is to me the worst character of the book. Worse than Jonas and the Big Coffin Hunters, even worse than Rhea. Petty little woman
Aunt Cordelia was just out for herself, wasn't she. So materialistic and concerned with her public standing. And did anyone in town even care about her??!Just what was Gabrielle doing behind the curtain? Idiot woman.
Aunt Cordelia. Horrid woman.
Remember to mark all spoilers, ideally with the page number/% or chapter or something to let people know where you are in the book.