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A review by mathman329
The Dark Tower VII: The Dark Tower by Stephen King
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.