Stephen King Fans discussion
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Wizard and Glass
Dark Tower Series
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Wizard and Glass-Dark Tower book 4
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Angie, Constant Reader
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Jan 02, 2011 12:37PM
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This is my least favorite volume in the series so far, and one of my least favorite novels from King in general.Of course I mean the five hundred page flashbacks which basically confirms every suspicion about Roland...on five hundred pages. DOH!
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I'm about 1/4 of the way in. It has been really good so far.
So.... that's a no to the re-read then, Maciek? ;)
Nooope. King himself said that the work was difficult to write, and I think that he did it because of the correspondence he received from fans of the series.
LOL... W&G is actually my least favorite of the series too. I think it drags on a bit long, but I do like it. I like seeing young Roland, and I like Alain. Cuthbert, not so much - his sense of humor is a bit tiresome... but I do like when they show their skills as gunslingers.
Actually just finish the book again last week, again not really cool on the flashback, the way it is told, and the way it is written. The least favorite of all the Dark Towers, the favorite the Waste Land, the fastest and the most action of them all.
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I guess if we start to disagree too much we can always pick up a Koontz novel and laugh at it together.
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Of course I mean the five hundred page flashbacks which basically confirms every sus..."
I am surprised to hear it is your least favorite! I loved this book!
Becky wrote: "LOL... W&G is actually my least favorite of the series too. I think it drags on a bit long, but I do like it. I like seeing young Roland, and I like Alain. Cuthbert, not so much - his sense of humo..."I think that pretty much no one can top King when it comes to writing from an adolescent point of view...but I don't like this book. It's meandering, unfocused and bloated beyond reason.
But then for some is a favorite, so there.
Chris wrote: "It's funny, as it's by and far my absolute favorite of the series. For the very reasons that Maciek puts it at the bottom. See his review where we discussed that more in depth....I guess if we start to disagree too much we can always pick up a Koontz novel and laugh at it together."
LOL Chris. Koontz is actually pretty good when he's not horrible.
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Yes, I've been lucky enough to read some of the good ones.
I liked it better by the third time I read it. The first time, I was just too excited to be reading it for the first time... y'know how those fresh King books are. The second time was to refresh my memory before chomping through Wolves and Song. The third time was early in 2010, and I'm sure the hormones from having a baby probably had something to do with it, but I loved it. I cried during the flashbacking at times, and the rest of the time I just felt so at home and comfortable with Roland and the rest of my crew, trekking along through a tiny bit of the Stand. :)
While it wasn't my favorite, I remember liking it. Its been several years since I've read it, and I need to pick it up again, but I really want to read through the entire series from start to finish, and I'm lacking the time at the moment.But I will probably be contributing to discussions when I remember certain things :]
Hi, W&G is one of my favorite DT novels!
This is where the characters really started to mean something to me. I loved the beginning three books but this one really made you understand Roland more which hadn't been covered in those books. I did want more about the group in the present but it wasn't as big a deal to me as finally getting this story. It actually irked me when people were gripping about this one and Bag of Bones when they first came out for their focus on romantic themes.
******Spoiler*******The most imortant thing about "Wizard and Glass" - to me -- is that this is when we meet Sheemie for the first time.
This is my third read and this book was my favorite the first go round. The second go round, Wolves of the Calla was my favorite. Always said The Waste Lands was my least fave, but we'll see... Regardless, am psyched to read W&G.
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The most imortant thing about "Wizard and Glass" - to me -- is that this is when we meet Sheemie for the first time."
Depape-Reynolds-Jonas!
Chris, you have heard nothing until you hear the master himself reading Dark Tower. I have the first two read by Stephen King. It is hard to find, a treasure.
Amanda wrote: "This is where the characters really started to mean something to me. I loved the beginning three books but this one really made you understand Roland more which hadn't been covered in those books. ..."I agree completely. While reading the first three, I kept asking myself what made Roland into who he is. W&G, along with the graphic novels, really gives a lot of insight into our gunslinger. I always see W&G as one of the more important books of the series, especially when I finished book 7.
I liked seeing his world how it was back in the day before it had moved on too much. I haven't got to read any of the graphic novels yet besides the first set, but I'd love to know more about that world :)
Kit wrote: "I liked seeing his world how it was back in the day before it had moved on too much. I haven't got to read any of the graphic novels yet besides the first set, but I'd love to know more about that ..."You won't be disappointed!
The other Dark Tower audio books were not the same without Frank Muller.
I do not understand Dave McKean's art in general.
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I'll be listening to the rest of them too (it's a re-read, btw). I'm actually looking forward to George Guidall, the reader for the others.
1. I like Guidall. I've listened to other things he's done and he's really good.
2. While I do like Muller, I don't like all of his character voices. He does well on Roland's ka-tet, but I really don't like the way he handles the people of Hambry. He makes all of them sound like toothless bumpkins. I'm listening to The Dark Tower, not an episode of "Mama's Family!" Hehe
His Eldred Jonas sounds like the little horny old coot from the old Redneck Rampage game.
Chris wrote: "His Eldred Jonas sounds like the little horny old coot from the old Redneck Rampage game. "LOL I thought I was the only one who played that. Good times.
I'm halfway through now and I am having a hard time putting it down.
I have about 250 pages left, and while I am really enjoying it.. I'm also finding that I sort of agree with the people calling the flashback bloated. It's nearing the end of the flashback, but I don't feel like much has happened. I feel like the story line that has elapsed thus far could have been condensed quite a bit, without losing out on anything. But that said, I haven't been bored yet, which is a testament to King's story telling ability for sure.
The Flashback was so horribly long. I couldn't wait for it to end, because it did nothing for me - it didn't advance neither the characters, nor the plot.thankfully the next volume, Wolves of The Calla is so much, much bettter.
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I finished it, and gave it 5 stars. It's one of my favorite volumes of the series so far.Curiously, both Wolves of The Calla and Wizard and Glass share the same structure - the ka-tet stops in a small town, spends some time there and there's a showdown at the end.
However, Wolves of The Calla is much more mature and much more focused. I really liked how it paid tribute to The Magnificent Seven, and the introduction of the new characters was unexpected and merry. The fifth Dark Tower is the best of King - magnificent storytelling written in clear, crisp prose. His ability to recerate a small town, with all problems and small communities that are formed, likes and dislikes, beliefs and the lack of them...add to this King's excellent characterization skills (his trademark - these characters are truly different from each other, no matter how small parts they play) and his sharp ear for dialogue and you have a winner.
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You guys aren't making it any easier for me to wait until February to read the next one...
You are absolutely right, Mac (and Chris) -- "Wolves..." is one of the best - not only in the DT series, but even considered on its own merits as a single book - I love the fact that the town is called Calla Bryn Sturges, in tribute to the man who directed the Magnificent Seven (or, truly - The Seven Samurai)
It must be dinner time, when I first read that I saw Mac and Cheese.
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Are you calling me cheesy?
What if I am? I doubt it would be the first time someone has called you that...
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I've decided that my favorite new character so far is Sheemie. King better not hurt my Sheemie!
I was wondering, are you guys going to read a Dark Tower book a month until you finish the series?
Just wondering, then Stephen King book are going to read after the Dark Tower Series?
We don't know yet... there will be nominations and a poll to vote.
Becky, I just want to tell you that this idea of reading (or re-reading) The DT series was pure genius -- I thought that I remembered as well as any books I'd ever read, but each re-reading uncovers yet another small beauty I'd forgotten.
Thanks B - I agree... I've read through them all several times so far, and it still feels new. I love that. One thing though that I've noticed this time around and wish I hadn't, is that as I'm listening to Frank Muller read, all of the Mejis patois is grating! So ye do, so I am, so they were, aye, etc. It turns every sentence that Frank reads into this long draggy drawl. And he's not exactly a speed-talker, that Frank Muller. Sometimes just the word "aye" can take him 3 seconds to say!! Count it. Three seconds is kind of a long time for one syllable! *sigh*
I never felt like this was annoying when I read it, and heard it in my head, but hearing FRANK read it is something like nails on a chalkboard. LOL
I'm finished now, and definitely looking forward to Wolves!
