Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.12 AVERAGE
4.12 AVERAGE
I know opinions vary on this book, but for me, it was a joy from start to finish. King is a master storyteller and there is not a single point where at least two or three things are going on at the same time. This makes a rather long book supremely interesting.
Unfortunately the book marks the beginning of Stephen King's attempt to shoehorn himself into his story, and that detracts from it. It would be an even better book if he didn't try to make it so much about himself - which I feel was a tepid and somewhat annoying attempt, now that I have read all the way to the end of The Dark Tower.
Unfortunately the book marks the beginning of Stephen King's attempt to shoehorn himself into his story, and that detracts from it. It would be an even better book if he didn't try to make it so much about himself - which I feel was a tepid and somewhat annoying attempt, now that I have read all the way to the end of The Dark Tower.
adventurous
challenging
dark
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Definitely my favorite of the series so far. The plot and different side quests were really interesting and the characters were very enjoyable (particularly since now they are really well established). Also because I'm a big fan of Salem's Lot and of crossovers and meta-stuff and basically good jokes and things. 💁
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
fast-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
Dark Tower. Roland gets lucky. Father Callahan from Salem's Lot returns. What's not to like?
As I dive into the world of Stephen King, I'm starting to feel as though the Dark Tower is my least favorite. Granted, the entirety of what I have read has consisted of It, Pet Semetary, his memoir On Writing, and up the fifth book a n the Dark Tower.
While there are aspects I enjoy in this series, so much reminds me of why I grew tired of the X-Files and Fringe: Red Herrings. Perhaps, I'm judging too quickly, but so far most of the "mysteries" do not interest me. When the answers are revealed, I find it very lackluster. I'm determined to finish this series even though it's a bit of a grind, but I hope things get a little more exciting.
Stephen King himself has admitted that this series was a very casual project for him and, until his van accident, wasn't too motivated to finish the Dark Tower.
I also have to admit that I'm not into Westerns. This series is heavily influenced by Clint Eastwood's spaghetti Westerns and it shows. I do enjoy Westerns on occasion, but many are just too predictable for my tastes. That being said, this book seemed like a VERY drawn out version of The Magnificent Seven / The Seven Samurai. Only instead of fighting greedy rancher thugs, they're fighting robot werewolves heavily inspired by Dr. Doom. Yeah, alright...
I have some knowledge that the series becomes 'self-aware' and it turns out King is like a god in this world. I recently watched the John Carpenter movie "Into the Mouth of Madness". In this film, a sort of Stephen King character finds himself with God like powers in which the characters he's written become real people. I'm curious if King used this as inspiration for this revelation in this series?
In any case, The Wolves of the Calla was a grind to read. I think this is in part because King had to completely restructure how he wanted the series to end. As a result, much of this book was set up. I just didn't think it should take 700 pages between the set up of the confrontation with the Wolves to finally have a battle that was actually a bit 'meh'.
While there are aspects I enjoy in this series, so much reminds me of why I grew tired of the X-Files and Fringe: Red Herrings. Perhaps, I'm judging too quickly, but so far most of the "mysteries" do not interest me. When the answers are revealed, I find it very lackluster. I'm determined to finish this series even though it's a bit of a grind, but I hope things get a little more exciting.
Stephen King himself has admitted that this series was a very casual project for him and, until his van accident, wasn't too motivated to finish the Dark Tower.
I also have to admit that I'm not into Westerns. This series is heavily influenced by Clint Eastwood's spaghetti Westerns and it shows. I do enjoy Westerns on occasion, but many are just too predictable for my tastes. That being said, this book seemed like a VERY drawn out version of The Magnificent Seven / The Seven Samurai. Only instead of fighting greedy rancher thugs, they're fighting robot werewolves heavily inspired by Dr. Doom. Yeah, alright...
I have some knowledge that the series becomes 'self-aware' and it turns out King is like a god in this world. I recently watched the John Carpenter movie "Into the Mouth of Madness". In this film, a sort of Stephen King character finds himself with God like powers in which the characters he's written become real people. I'm curious if King used this as inspiration for this revelation in this series?
In any case, The Wolves of the Calla was a grind to read. I think this is in part because King had to completely restructure how he wanted the series to end. As a result, much of this book was set up. I just didn't think it should take 700 pages between the set up of the confrontation with the Wolves to finally have a battle that was actually a bit 'meh'.
I can't even begin to explain this mess. How dare you, Mr. King.
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gun violence, Racism, Violence
Minor: Death
Really enjoyed this one. Finally has the ka-tet going on a gunslinger-style quest, while still moving forward the quest for the tower. Also sets up some big questions for the final two novels to answer. Enjoyed the Salem's Lot tie-in as well.