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4.27 AVERAGE
4.27 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I don't know why people complained about the ending of this series, I loved it! It had the right amount of stakes, action, emotional moments, and the ending (though controversial) worked really well for me and made me want to start the whole series over again with these revelations and fresh eyes. The journey to the Dark Tower was long but I loved it and look forward to my next King journey. Long days and pleasant nights :)
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The Dark Tower series was a captivating and unexpected story, one that at times I could hardly put down, at other times one I wanted to savor slowly, and sometimes was so intense that I could hardly stand it. I started with the newer versions and read them all straight through (including The Wind Through the Keyhole, which was published as I was beginning the series.)
Of all things, the broad story of The Dark Tower epic is its own medium: stories. It is a reflection on stories, their place and their function as well as how readers and storytellers (“wordslingers”) relate to them. How stories come alive to all of us. (Literally, here.)
I’ve read the interpretation that the Dark Tower itself represents The Work. And this interpretation works: if Stephen King moves on to another story, then the world in the series must then also ‘move on.’ If King dies in the middle of writing it, then the world in the series must then meet its end, falling into nothingness.
There is no doubt that stories are integral in The Dark Tower. Roland may be a man of little imagination, but he spins an exquisite tale, according to his companions. Just as time and space are funny in Roland’s world—which is a story in itself—so too is time when a story is being told in the series, as evidenced by the number of times that the ka-tet feel outside the rules of time (more than usual) when engrossed in a story. Haven’t we all experienced the same sensation?
King gives the stories within his story a place of honor by simply devoting a large percentage of pagespace to them. Indeed, The Wizard and Glass is almost entirely flashback. Every major character comes with an intricate backstory which is rarely paraphrased for the reader. I found myself immensely enjoying some of these side trips as much as the main plotline.
King also draws attention to storytelling devices throughout. Most obviously, he sends Susannah a note that she is about to come across the ‘Deus ex machina.’ In one scene, he even writes a conversation among the ka-tet discussing issues of genre, seeming to make a sideways jab at the typical American audience which wants its genres to be clearly separated. (It is fitting that The Dark Tower is itself a work that famously spans a number of genres.) King allows references to other works, notably Harry Potter and The Wizard of Oz, to infiltrate The Dark Tower, which I read as a comment on what can happen if a writer allows himself to be so overly-influenced by others to the point that he starts to blatantly recycle others’ ideas.
But perhaps one of the most interesting things King does is to draw attention to the seemingly tiny plot details that make so much difference later. He baldy explains how the story would have ended very differently if a certain character had moved a moment later, had stood an inch to the right, had neglected to pick something up or remembered something at the right time. (If the butterfly in Africa hadn’t flapped her wings, eventually resulting in a tsunami in Asia that wiped out an entire city.)
…
I interpret the rose in the Keystone World as not only the Tower in that world, but as holding Roland’s entire world inside it. I further interpret the roses surrounding the Dark Tower in Roland’s world as holding even more worlds inside them. (Oh, what becomes of the rose Roland picks at the end?) I envision that each rose surrounding the Tower is another iteration of this same story, each with slightly different details, each moving closer to a more tightly-knit, more perfect plot. How many times then, has Roland repeated this journey? How many revisions has The Dark Tower undergone? Is the iteration that Roland begins at the end of our reading the last—and therefore perfect—one? The version where he picked up the horn and everything else falls into place? I have heard rumor that King intends to rewrite the series again. Looking at it in this way, I applaud him for it, as his life is imitating his art.
I, like many other readers, felt the conflict involving the Crimson King, Roland, and the Deus ex machina Patrick Danville anti-climactic. I expected more from the Crimson King than that. But perhaps he has gone crazy having to re-enact his life so very many times. Perhaps King wrote this is an intentional flaw to show that this version of the story hasn’t worked out all the kinks.
Furthermore, I like the interpretation of Roland and Susannah as Readers. King makes an obvious distinction between the two at the end, as Susannah decides not to push through to the bitter end, but instead chooses to savor the journey of life and enjoy what is offered her along the way, in contrast to Roland, who pushes through to the Tower, ignoring everything but finding out what happens in the end. How many of us can relate? We read a book paying attention to little else beyond ‘what happens’ and ‘how does it end?’ that we fail to notice the artistry, the details, to enjoy the journey. The message is actually quite zen. King even separates the closing chapters, warning us of the dangers of needing to find out how it ends. But, as Roland begins the tale again from the beginning, I think the Reader is invited to begin again as well, and perhaps this time, the Reader will ‘pick up’ on things they missed the first time, just as Roland has (literally) picked up the horn this time round. King invites us to read again, this time, stopping to smell the roses.
Spoiler
I expected the epic to end with some incredible metaphysical meaning of the universe along the lines of Walter O’Dim’s revelations to Roland at the end of The Gunslinger. If I was mildly disappointed that King didn’t really go that route (and at other aspects of the plot,) I didn’t stay that way long as I reflected on the story arch.Of all things, the broad story of The Dark Tower epic is its own medium: stories. It is a reflection on stories, their place and their function as well as how readers and storytellers (“wordslingers”) relate to them. How stories come alive to all of us. (Literally, here.)
I’ve read the interpretation that the Dark Tower itself represents The Work. And this interpretation works: if Stephen King moves on to another story, then the world in the series must then also ‘move on.’ If King dies in the middle of writing it, then the world in the series must then meet its end, falling into nothingness.
There is no doubt that stories are integral in The Dark Tower. Roland may be a man of little imagination, but he spins an exquisite tale, according to his companions. Just as time and space are funny in Roland’s world—which is a story in itself—so too is time when a story is being told in the series, as evidenced by the number of times that the ka-tet feel outside the rules of time (more than usual) when engrossed in a story. Haven’t we all experienced the same sensation?
King gives the stories within his story a place of honor by simply devoting a large percentage of pagespace to them. Indeed, The Wizard and Glass is almost entirely flashback. Every major character comes with an intricate backstory which is rarely paraphrased for the reader. I found myself immensely enjoying some of these side trips as much as the main plotline.
King also draws attention to storytelling devices throughout. Most obviously, he sends Susannah a note that she is about to come across the ‘Deus ex machina.’ In one scene, he even writes a conversation among the ka-tet discussing issues of genre, seeming to make a sideways jab at the typical American audience which wants its genres to be clearly separated. (It is fitting that The Dark Tower is itself a work that famously spans a number of genres.) King allows references to other works, notably Harry Potter and The Wizard of Oz, to infiltrate The Dark Tower, which I read as a comment on what can happen if a writer allows himself to be so overly-influenced by others to the point that he starts to blatantly recycle others’ ideas.
But perhaps one of the most interesting things King does is to draw attention to the seemingly tiny plot details that make so much difference later. He baldy explains how the story would have ended very differently if a certain character had moved a moment later, had stood an inch to the right, had neglected to pick something up or remembered something at the right time. (If the butterfly in Africa hadn’t flapped her wings, eventually resulting in a tsunami in Asia that wiped out an entire city.)
…
I interpret the rose in the Keystone World as not only the Tower in that world, but as holding Roland’s entire world inside it. I further interpret the roses surrounding the Dark Tower in Roland’s world as holding even more worlds inside them. (Oh, what becomes of the rose Roland picks at the end?) I envision that each rose surrounding the Tower is another iteration of this same story, each with slightly different details, each moving closer to a more tightly-knit, more perfect plot. How many times then, has Roland repeated this journey? How many revisions has The Dark Tower undergone? Is the iteration that Roland begins at the end of our reading the last—and therefore perfect—one? The version where he picked up the horn and everything else falls into place? I have heard rumor that King intends to rewrite the series again. Looking at it in this way, I applaud him for it, as his life is imitating his art.
I, like many other readers, felt the conflict involving the Crimson King, Roland, and
Furthermore, I like the interpretation of Roland and Susannah as Readers. King makes an obvious distinction between the two at the end, as Susannah decides not to push through to the bitter end, but instead chooses to savor the journey of life and enjoy what is offered her along the way, in contrast to Roland, who pushes through to the Tower, ignoring everything but finding out what happens in the end. How many of us can relate? We read a book paying attention to little else beyond ‘what happens’ and ‘how does it end?’ that we fail to notice the artistry, the details, to enjoy the journey. The message is actually quite zen. King even separates the closing chapters, warning us of the dangers of needing to find out how it ends. But, as Roland begins the tale again from the beginning, I think the Reader is invited to begin again as well, and perhaps this time, the Reader will ‘pick up’ on things they missed the first time, just as Roland has (literally) picked up the horn this time round. King invites us to read again, this time, stopping to smell the roses.
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
I can’t believe I read this entire series. Every book got longer and harder to read. The ending though…wow I loved the ending so very much. I don’t regret reading all 7 million pages of this series solely because the ending was fantastic.