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blackhobbit's review against another edition
5.0
Wow, that ending. It was an interesting ending for the series. It’s definitely make up for book six. It is definitely the journey that matters. It was a great book.
jayseewhy's review against another edition
3.0
I was prompted to start this series by an intriguing poster that I saw for the movie it inspired. Eight books and over a year later I have finally reached the end (and still haven’t seen the movie).
Getting through the series was a real quest. At times the reading was captivating but I was repeatedly left questioning whether I should give up or not before reaching the Dark Tower.
For me the biggest problems with the series lay in King’s painstaking setups that, while engaging, were a bit of a slog to get through and rarely had a satisfying payoff. I also felt that a lot of the plot was haphazard, particularly in this final book.
My disappointment continued until the last couple of pages where the book left me with a conclusion that I thought was clever, completely unexpected and entirely satisfying.
Getting through the series was a real quest. At times the reading was captivating but I was repeatedly left questioning whether I should give up or not before reaching the Dark Tower.
For me the biggest problems with the series lay in King’s painstaking setups that, while engaging, were a bit of a slog to get through and rarely had a satisfying payoff. I also felt that a lot of the plot was haphazard, particularly in this final book.
My disappointment continued until the last couple of pages where the book left me with a conclusion that I thought was clever, completely unexpected and entirely satisfying.
mathman329's review against another edition
4.0
I set off on my path towards the Dark Tower with Roland and his Ka-Tet years ago, and I decided it was time we came to that clearing this past summer. While I wanted this book to be worthy of 5 stars, I didn't feel like it was a masterpiece. The ending to a well crafted series? Certainly. By itself, a magnificent novel? Pretty close, but not quite there.
What I did respect about this novel was the way it tied everything together. The meta elements of the novel, the pop-culture tie ins, the references to other parts of the King universe; all of these things contributed to my enjoyment of this novel much like they did throughout the latter half of the series. The fates of Jake, Eddie Dean, Susannah Dean, Pere Callahan, and Oy all were satisfying. From the beginning to the end, this entry in the series kept me on the edge of my seat, waiting to see what Roland would finally encounter once he reached the Tower and field of roses all around it.
And as much I as I wanted to LOVE the ending, I just didn't. It wasn't a bomb, though; I found the ending to be satisfying and appropriate. I purposely waited to write this to see if my opinion might change. Ultimately, the reason I didn't think it was 5 Stars was because I still wanted more. A book that ends and leaves me with no need for continuation at least feels like complete closure. Without spoiling anything, I will tell you that there is closure to this journey. And yet, I needed more of it. I needed more of Roland's stories, his odd Midworld turns of phrase, his "tough love" demeanor, all of it.
All in all, I'm glad I finally made it through the entire journey. I wish I had done it a little faster, and I might revisit it sometime down the line, but for now, I'll have to find another band of Gunslingers to tag along with. The Dark Tower earns 4 out of 5 roses.
What I did respect about this novel was the way it tied everything together. The meta elements of the novel, the pop-culture tie ins, the references to other parts of the King universe; all of these things contributed to my enjoyment of this novel much like they did throughout the latter half of the series. The fates of Jake, Eddie Dean, Susannah Dean, Pere Callahan, and Oy all were satisfying. From the beginning to the end, this entry in the series kept me on the edge of my seat, waiting to see what Roland would finally encounter once he reached the Tower and field of roses all around it.
And as much I as I wanted to LOVE the ending, I just didn't. It wasn't a bomb, though; I found the ending to be satisfying and appropriate. I purposely waited to write this to see if my opinion might change. Ultimately, the reason I didn't think it was 5 Stars was because I still wanted more. A book that ends and leaves me with no need for continuation at least feels like complete closure. Without spoiling anything, I will tell you that there is closure to this journey. And yet, I needed more of it. I needed more of Roland's stories, his odd Midworld turns of phrase, his "tough love" demeanor, all of it.
All in all, I'm glad I finally made it through the entire journey. I wish I had done it a little faster, and I might revisit it sometime down the line, but for now, I'll have to find another band of Gunslingers to tag along with. The Dark Tower earns 4 out of 5 roses.
joe_couture's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
jraia's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
It may not be the ending you want but it’s the ending that’s right.
blitskater's review against another edition
5.0
“De man in het zwart vluchtte door de woestijn en de scherpschutter volgde hem.” De cirkel is compleet. Sommige series hebben geen einde. Het verhaal is verteld. Na meer dan 7 boeken en meer dan 15 jaar om deze epos af te sluiten, is de laatste bladzijde nu gelezen. En dat voelt toch vreemd. Alsof je afscheid neemt van een goede vriend. Ergens wilde ik niet dat ik deze serie zou uitlezen. Zodat ik altijd terug kon naar Midden Wereld. En hield ik mezelf altijd voor dat ik nog bezig was. Nu is het klaar en ook dat is goed.
jsw501's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
trin's review against another edition
3.0
When I recommend the [book: Dark Tower] series to people (which I do) the comparison I make is that it's rather like The X-Files's nine-year run: long and engaging, but at the end, you're still left scratching your head. (And possibly wanting to beat Chris Carter about his head with his own surfboard. Ahem.) King has a lot of fascinating threads going into this book, but they come out a confused knot. Certainly, there are thrilling moments, and moments that moved me (possibly to tears, but let's just ignore that). But on the whole, I found the ending unsatisfying, raising more questions than it answers. It doesn't fully make sense to me: how does Roland's end, for example, affect Susannah's? (She says vaguely, in a poor attempt to avoid spoilers.) Also, how the hell does Randall Flagg's exit manage to be both incredibly squicky and incredibly lame?
Yet as frustrating as the climactic volume is to me, I still continue to rec the series. That says something...about King's storytelling, my own level of masochism, or both.
Yet as frustrating as the climactic volume is to me, I still continue to rec the series. That says something...about King's storytelling, my own level of masochism, or both.
ruttery's review against another edition
4.0
7 years, 7 books, my (slow, so slow) journey with Roland & co (ka?) is finally finished. I felt myself growing weary towards the end, almost gave up during Song of Susannah, but couldn't deny myself a glimpse at the tower. I am kind of relieved it's over, but the journey was certainly exhilarating and dragged me straight into Mid-World. Looking back on the series as a whole, I think it is Roland's tales of Mejis and Gilead that stick firmest in my mind. King writes simplistically but powerfully, and it's the little descriptions of feeling and memory, love and loss, Mid-world mannerisms and turns of phrase that is what made this story so alive to me.
I'll have to drop a star for the book - I enjoyed the writing, loved the creations of Roland's world, and of New York, but towards the end got tired of everything being explained by ka/"just because" ("why won't the fire light? Because it hates us"), random insertions of lightsabers/snitches/teleportation (wait, there are people who have the power of teleportation, yet we've relied on these doors the whole damn time?), and Stephen King's own appearance. Say sorry, I know he apologises, but that doesn't mean I have to like it any better...
I'll have to drop a star for the book - I enjoyed the writing, loved the creations of Roland's world, and of New York, but towards the end got tired of everything being explained by ka/"just because" ("why won't the fire light? Because it hates us"), random insertions of lightsabers/snitches/teleportation (wait, there are people who have the power of teleportation, yet we've relied on these doors the whole damn time?),
Spoiler
rather pathetic endings for all three of the (quite scary up until that point) big bad baddiesSpoiler
I didn't find that I hated the ending, like so many others. It actually made a lot of sense, considering Roland's character. Of course he would keep making the same mistake over and over again. I don't quite understand how this time around he has managed to acquire the horn, but it left me thinking "what if", the mark of good story-telling, in my opinion.marthisuy's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0