Stephen King Fans discussion
Dark Tower Series
>
Question for those who have read the DT series
date
newest »
newest »
Yes I think you should. I liked book one and two, the one that gave me trouble was book 4 wizards and glass, just because of Roland telling the story of his younger days. I went on to book 5 the wolves of the calla excellent book. But i did go back after I read the rest of the series to book 4 and enjoyed it I guess what I didn't like about book4 when I was reading them in order was I wanted them to stay on their quest for the dark tower. But yes finish the series it ties into so much of Sai King's work.
The series has its weird and sometimes even hard to read parts, butI think as a whole it is totally worth it. The opinion about Wizard & Glass is shared by many, but actually, once I acceptet that this was going to be the origin story, I really liked it. It's just placed kinda weird I think.I admit that I had problems getting into the second book at first, too, which might be because it is so radically different and much more layered than the first. The Gunslinger is relatively simple, straight forward and also rather short for a King novel. After that, every book is longer than the previous one (except Song of Susannah I believe) and the world and the story become so much more complex.
I think it is different for everyone. I didn't love the first book when it first came out, so resisted going ahead with the series. When I finally read book two, I LOVED it and couldn't wait for each subsequent volume. You should never have to force yourself, so like Michael said, take a break and maybe revisit.
I guess I'm different from everyone who has posted here. Not only did I like wizard and glass, but found it one one the very best books King has written period... and I have read them all, every single novel and all collections most of them several times. In my opinion, books 3 - 4 - and 5 are the best in the series. I hear what people are saying about W & G, it stops the flow of the story while Roland pauses to tell about the one true love of his life and what happened to her. But that story alone taken by itself is just riveting. So, if you are up for it, I would recommend reading at least #3 which is an excellent novel, in the flow of the story and then deciding if you want to move on or not. You're right on the brink... why not go ahead.
Thanks everyone!! I’m going to read a couple before I start #3 ( The Color of Law, The haunting of Daniel Bayliss and Chase Darkness with me) but I’ll post again 😬. Again thanks
Nick wrote: "I guess I'm different from everyone who has posted here. Not only did I like wizard and glass, but found it one one the very best books King has written period... and I have read them all, every si..."I didn't dislike W&G! I've also read everything he has ever written and made my trip to the Dark Tower about eight times.
Kandice wrote: "Nick wrote: "I guess I'm different from everyone who has posted here. Not only did I like wizard and glass, but found it one one the very best books King has written period... and I have read them ..."Sorry. Bad writing on my part. Didn't mean to imply that I was the only one who liked it... just that I was the only one who thought it was the best thing King ever wrote. Also, EIGHT TIMES!!!!!
I switch off between reading and listening, and I've read Wind Trough the Keyhole once, but the rest? I feel like i'm always on one leg of the journey or another,
Kandice wrote: "I switch off between reading and listening, and I've read Wind Trough the Keyhole once, but the rest? I feel like i'm always on one leg of the journey or another,"Right!
Nick wrote: "I guess I'm different from everyone who has posted here. Not only did I like wizard and glass, but found it one one the very best books King has written period... and I have read them all, every si..."I'm with you Nick! I thought Wizard and Glass was quite possibly one of the best books I've read ever. I'm about 1/3 of the way through book 7. While Wizard and Glass takes a pause from the quest of the Tower, the events that take place turn out to super relevant in book 7. I'm savoring this last book as much as possible. I don't want it to end.
I really didn’t enjoy The Gunslinger and I tried book 2 on audiobook but I just could not get into it and ended up giving up. I really want to like the Dark Tower series but I am also wondering whether it’s right for me. I’m just struggling with it
I found that DT3 was the one that got me invested in the story, characters, and stakes. Then DT4 brought it all grinding to a halt, but after that the books got increasingly better. The third one has since become my favourite in the series.
I won't rate the whole series, but I thought 4 was the high point. I know it was a side trip... but what a trip. After that 5 was still excellent. I totally agree that six was definitely the worst book in the series.
What was it that people love so much about the fourth book? It was a real struggle for me. Maybe it will improve upon rereads....
It was the story of Roland and Susan, the story of what makes Roland who he is. If you didn't like that story, then you're right, the book is just a sidetrack. In the comic series, that story was pulled out and made the start - book one. Chronologically it should come first.. or at least very near the beginning.
Also the events that take place in book IV turn out to be super important by we get to book VII.
Nick wrote: "... and I have read them all, every single novel and all collections most of them several times ..."Kandice wrote: "... I've also read everything he has ever written ..."
Nick, Kandice, I'm in awe! I consider myself a pretty voracious reader overall, and I do love big Steve, but EVERY SINGLE NOVEL and short-story collection? I've read maybe 90% of his stuff, a good number of them multiple times, but the complete King oeuvre is so massive, I have to think that if I had accomplished what you two have, I'd not be able to read anything else!
Oh, and Jennifer, I'd agree that you should definitely read Book III. The Waste Lands is one of the strongest entries in the DT series, and it seems to be one about which there is reasonably high agreement. If you get through the first three books of DT and you're still feeling indifferent about continuing, I'd give the series a pass ... and I'd say this whether or not you give yourself a "break" before beginning that 3rd book.
Jerry wrote: "Nick, Kandice, I'm in awe! I consider myself a pretty voracious reader overall, and I do love big Steve, but EVERY SINGLE NOVEL and short-story collection? I've read maybe 90% of his stuff, a good number of them multiple times, but the complete King oeuvre is so massive, I have to think that if I had accomplished what you two have, I'd not be able to read anything else!.."That's only because I've been reading him for almost 40 years. It's so much easier to read as an author is published than to try to catch up later. I'm sure you have authors you discovered early in their career that you've devoured it all!
I am also an obsessive rereader, which is the only reason I have read many so many times.
Nick while I reading the DT series I felt sidetracked by Wizards and Glass, I did go back and read after I finished the rest of the series, and I'll admit I enjoyed it. I'm also like you that it does show what makes Roland who he is. When I do go back and re-read the series I'll read them in order. I think it was the sidetrack was frustrating as I was what Roland and his Ka-Tet to get to the Dark Tower.
To answer the question of what was so great about book IV, for me it had the greatest Western feel from any instalment (barring maybe book I, but in a different way) and I'm a big fan of backstories/flashbacks in stories, so I didn't mind the sidetrack. Cuthbert and Alain were great and there's that one bar scene that might be my favourite thing to come out of this series. I even read Keyhole next, which is yet another side story, before I got to books V-VII.The series peaked at IV for me, and then gradually goes down in quality until the last book, which I simply did not enjoy. It makes it hard for me to recommend the series to any non-King readers because of this. I liked Keyhole much more than any of the last 3 (chronologically).
So if my opinion were to be taken into consideration, if you didn't like book II much, I wouldn't even bother with anything else since only 2 or 3 more of them are really enjoyable and they are similar in tone to II. That is, unless, you are willing to give it a go and potentially find yourself disappointed or just leaving the series unfinished, as the first half of this series is really wonderful. At the very least, I would think III could be worth your time. I got through that one the fastest.
The western part of the Dark Tower, is what I enjoyed about I really liked book 1 The Gunsligner because it did have the western feel to it I picture Roland as a Clint Eastwood character from one of his man with no name trilogy.
Maybe it just comes down to different tastes, since I loved books 5 and 7 almost as much as 3.
Jerry wrote: "Nick, Kandice, I'm in awe! I consider myself a pretty voracious reader overall, and I do love big Steve, but EVERY SINGLE NOVEL and short-story collection? I've read maybe 90% of his ..."Kandice wrote: "That's only because I've been reading him for almost 40 years ..."
Actually I've been reading King just about that long myself! I "discovered" him around Dead Zone / Firestarter (Firestarter was the first SK book I read), and I "kept up" through around Misery before I started to fall behind ... so I'm still mightily impressed with your accomplishment.
I also love to reread, and I can't for the life of me understand people who can't or won't reread books. "Too many books to choose from", to me, is not at all a good rationale, because the pleasures of rereading are wholly unique and are in no way duplicated or even approximated by any number/amount of first-time/one-time reading experiences.
Case in point: I've chosen to reread the 1000+page Under the Dome just recently, when clearly my "completist" aims would have been better (and more easily!) served by reading Joyland, or Eyes of the Dragon. But oh well ... some day!
Jerry wrote: "I also love to reread, and I can't for the life of me understand people who can't or won't reread books. "Too many books to choose from", to me, is not at all a good rationale, because the pleasures of rereading are wholly unique and are in no way duplicated or even approximated by any number/amount of first-time/one-time reading experiences...."I could not agree with this more! The books never change, that's true, but I do. Constantly, so upon reread a book can mean something completely different o me than it did the first time. Same thing with an audiobook for me. I have fallen in love with books that I listened to when I was unable to get past the beginnings while reading on the page.
Speaking of UtD, I remember when it came out, I took a personal day so I could read it quickly the first time. I sat in my kitchen, against a cabinet on the floor because if I'm not in sunlight, I need a fluorescent light. My youngest found me there the next morning at 5:45 a.m. still reading! I try to devour his new books as quickly as possible, absorb the story and then revisit a month or two later to savor. There are a few exceptions, but this is my pattern.
I read Neil Gaiman, Joe Hill and Bill Willingham and Mark Buckingham the same way.
Kandice wrote: "I could not agree with this more! The books never change, that's true, but I do...."I apologize for what looks like hijacking this thread, which I know is/was supposed to be about the DT series, but I was just simply floored by the idea that both Nick and Kandice have read everything SK has written, and even reread quite a few titles, quite a few times in addition.
On rereading though (a topic near and dear to my heart): I would say that rereading affords novel insights even if I haven't changed from one reading to another. Relistening to a piece of music reveals new things about that piece because we cannot possibly take in more than a fraction of what it offers us in a single listen, and the same seems to me obviously true about books and rereading.
Participating in this thread has, in fact, made me think seriously about rereading parts if not all of the DT series myself, especially — of all things — the massively underappreciated Book VI, "Song of Susannah".
Honestly...if you didn't care for The Drawing of the Three i wouldn't recommend continuing. The Gunslinger isn't enough of a taste for the series as it could be but the Drawing of the Three certainly is.
For me it was Book 3 that decisively pulled me in; it wasn't Book 2, which I actually found a tad disappointing. So if you're a big SK fan but you're just not "grabbed" yet, and if you're anything like me, I'd say give The Waste Lands a try. If that one also fails to pull you in, move on.
I just finished song of Susana. are there any tie in books I should read before going on to the final book? I have read probably half of them already but some it's been a while. Like Bag of Bones I read on hard cover when it came out so I would have been like 14 or 15, same with others as well. I have all Steven Kings books as e books so I have access just don't know what may be important to read first.
Not sure. I read them back to back and I thought that the connection between the two books was important, so maybe go right into it from Susana. But that's just my opinion...
TurboArmatron wrote: "I just finished song of Susana. are there any tie in books I should read before going on to the final book?"I wish I had read Insomnia and Black House before the final book. There's a character in both that figures into the finale, but it's really not necessary--those are 2 pf King's weaker outings anyway.
thank everyone for the tips. I felt I would have lost out some if I hadn't have read salem's lot before Wolves so I just wanted to be sure. I'm about %25 through #7 and am really enjoying so far
Yea, I think knowing who Father Callahan is beforehand is important.
I think if you're not sucked into the series with The Drawing of the Three then The Dark Tower series just isn't for you because the story STARTS with this particular book when Roland sets out with his new Katet.
Michael wrote: "I think if you're not sucked into the series with The Drawing of the Three then The Dark Tower series just isn't for you because the story STARTS with this particular book when Roland sets out with..."Yeah, I don't agree; you could just as easily say Book 2 is "stage-setting" as that Book 1 is "stage-setting" ... in which case the "story" doesn't "start" until Book 3. But I prefer to think that the story actually starts right with that first classic sentence of Book 1. And for me, it wasn't until Book 3 that I was decisively sucked in.
I had trouble with The Gunslinger, but by the middle of The Drawing of the Three I was a goner. You could say both of the first installments are setting the stage, and I couldn't argue, but like Jerry said, that first line is the real beginning.
Kandice wrote: "I had trouble with The Gunslinger, but by the middle of The Drawing of the Three I was a goner. You could say both of the first installments are setting the stage, and I ..."
And ... well, I was going to add something, but I'd better not. The spoiler to end all spoilers.
Nick wrote: "Kandice wrote: "I had trouble with The Gunslinger, but by the middle of The Drawing of the Three I was a goner. You could say both of the first installments are setting t..."
(view spoiler)
Kandice wrote: "Nick wrote: "Kandice wrote: "I had trouble with The Gunslinger, but by the middle of The Drawing of the Three I was a goner. You could say both of the first installments ..."
I know just what you mean... though it took till the third reading for me to feel that way. The first time I was just angry. But then I realized that (view spoiler)
I also couldn't get into the series with the first book. the whole back story with Roland meeting Susan also slowed the story for me. It will be a different story when I go back for another read. the story in it's whole packs a punch.
Stephen King Fans
Books mentioned in this topic
The Gunslinger (other topics)The Drawing of the Three (other topics)
The Gunslinger (other topics)
The Drawing of the Three (other topics)
The Gunslinger (other topics)
More...
If I’m not enjoying it now, is this series just not for me? Just my opinion but 2 seemed 80% pointless. Not trying to bash the series, just wondering if I should continue. Thanks for your opinions!!