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A review by batrock
The Dark Tower by Stephen King
5.0
No one would recommend getting hit by a minivan as a way to inspire oneself to complete one’s opus. It worked for Stephen King, but the pain was immense, and the man who hit him ended up dying in a sad and lonely way. There were very real sacrifices involved in the conclusion of The Dark Tower, but they made everything seem inevitable. The Dark Tower became a Beam unto itself, focused in a way that King had not been able to make it before.
And what more to say? Much can be written of the entire experience. The extra books. The invisible years that one now has to imagine existed between dabbling in the waters. But what can be written of The Dark Tower VII: The Dark Tower, right here and now?
The final triad are a trilogy unto themselves; the balance isn’t off, but The Dark Tower is possibly the most eventful of all seven books. There is so much to like here, so much fulfilment, and none of it feels gratuitous. If you didn’t already know that you cared for these characters, you’ll realise it here. And if you’d never cared for them, why did you come this far?
King shows that he knows how to build, and he knows how to knock down. A lot of the time he speaks of the writing of the books as if they wrote themselves, and he doesn’t always agree with them. This is a strange tack to take, but it does explain why some things that have been present across the whole series sort of get despatched. Some fresher elements show promise but don’t exactly fizzle so much as whimper.
But, like the roses, and like the Tower itself, such large swathes of The Dark Tower sings to the reader. There are passages of such beauty that you lose momentum because you have to marvel at what, in one way or another, took 34 years to arrive before your eyes.
The reader is Roland. We want more than anything to breach The Dark Tower and reach the top. Regardless of what we find there, it’s been a hell of a journey. To read such a body of work, even if it is coming from one of the biggest writers in the world, really feels like a privilege. The Dark Tower isn’t just seven (/eightish) books; all of the supplementary material (read: most of King’s body of work) finally brings you here. The Tower stands below you, and your quest is finished. Enjoy your rest, gentle reader … and do it all again when you want to revisit some of the truest literary friends you’re ever liable to make.
And what more to say? Much can be written of the entire experience. The extra books. The invisible years that one now has to imagine existed between dabbling in the waters. But what can be written of The Dark Tower VII: The Dark Tower, right here and now?
The final triad are a trilogy unto themselves; the balance isn’t off, but The Dark Tower is possibly the most eventful of all seven books. There is so much to like here, so much fulfilment, and none of it feels gratuitous. If you didn’t already know that you cared for these characters, you’ll realise it here. And if you’d never cared for them, why did you come this far?
King shows that he knows how to build, and he knows how to knock down. A lot of the time he speaks of the writing of the books as if they wrote themselves, and he doesn’t always agree with them. This is a strange tack to take, but it does explain why some things that have been present across the whole series sort of get despatched. Some fresher elements show promise but don’t exactly fizzle so much as whimper.
But, like the roses, and like the Tower itself, such large swathes of The Dark Tower sings to the reader. There are passages of such beauty that you lose momentum because you have to marvel at what, in one way or another, took 34 years to arrive before your eyes.
The reader is Roland. We want more than anything to breach The Dark Tower and reach the top. Regardless of what we find there, it’s been a hell of a journey. To read such a body of work, even if it is coming from one of the biggest writers in the world, really feels like a privilege. The Dark Tower isn’t just seven (/eightish) books; all of the supplementary material (read: most of King’s body of work) finally brings you here. The Tower stands below you, and your quest is finished. Enjoy your rest, gentle reader … and do it all again when you want to revisit some of the truest literary friends you’re ever liable to make.