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bc_dittemore 's review for:
The Dark Tower
by Stephen King
About four or five years ago (2018ish) I decided to tackle The Dark Tower Series. It was probably one of the first major series I had ever read. In truth, I’m not a big series reader, but if anyone knows how to spin a long epic yarn, it’s King. (Besides, he was working on the Dark Tower before series were cool, may it do ya fine.) With the culmination of The Dark Tower Series with book 7, eponymously named, King has given us both a gift and a curse.
Now, in 2023, I’ve revisited the series, this time on audiobook, and with the exception of the last three entries, it has lost none of that original charm. First, I think that the series ends exactly as it should. King’s reputation as a writer of lackluster conclusions does not follow him into his magnum opus. Judging by King’s own comments, one can tell he may in fact disagree. And I know it’s because he felt rushed.
And it shows. The first four books came few and far between. King gave them time to percolate before putting pen to page. And they are all nearly perfect. Not simply perfect in a King way, but perfect in the world of literature as a whole. The final three is where the major cracks begin to show — not that the first four are flawless by any means — but it is here, in book seven, where King makes some considerable missteps. There is a lot of great stuff in The Dark Tower VII: the battle at Blue Heaven is a memorable set piece (if not bloated) and the beginning of the novel is as strong as any in the series.
One glaring flaw is King’s use of villains, or lack thereof. Without trying to be spoilery, I will just say they are even more lame than The Lawnmower Man. And there is a sense that even up to the very end King didn’t know all the details behind Roland’s obsession himself; there is certainly no shortage of loose ends left untied.
Still, even with its foibles it really couldn’t have had a better ending. And maybe that’s why I read so few series. I know there’s some great stuff out there, but The Dark Tower is so darn satisfying do I really need to spoil that?
Now, in 2023, I’ve revisited the series, this time on audiobook, and with the exception of the last three entries, it has lost none of that original charm. First, I think that the series ends exactly as it should. King’s reputation as a writer of lackluster conclusions does not follow him into his magnum opus. Judging by King’s own comments, one can tell he may in fact disagree. And I know it’s because he felt rushed.
And it shows. The first four books came few and far between. King gave them time to percolate before putting pen to page. And they are all nearly perfect. Not simply perfect in a King way, but perfect in the world of literature as a whole. The final three is where the major cracks begin to show — not that the first four are flawless by any means — but it is here, in book seven, where King makes some considerable missteps. There is a lot of great stuff in The Dark Tower VII: the battle at Blue Heaven is a memorable set piece (if not bloated) and the beginning of the novel is as strong as any in the series.
One glaring flaw is King’s use of villains, or lack thereof. Without trying to be spoilery, I will just say they are even more lame than The Lawnmower Man. And there is a sense that even up to the very end King didn’t know all the details behind Roland’s obsession himself; there is certainly no shortage of loose ends left untied.
Still, even with its foibles it really couldn’t have had a better ending. And maybe that’s why I read so few series. I know there’s some great stuff out there, but The Dark Tower is so darn satisfying do I really need to spoil that?