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A review by roenfoe
The Drawing of the Three by Stephen King
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Based on exploring the reviews on Goodreads and on here, I can see that I am in the minority of those who preferred The Gunslinger to The Drawing of the Three. While it's a close call, I am a long-time "far future dystopia" fan and I enjoy when the author explains little to nothing about the setting (instead choosing to present it through the eyes of someone who lives there and is accustomed to their surroundings). The element of mystery and overpowering loneliness achieved in The Gunslinger properly conveyed a world that had "moved on", setting up the gravity of the story King will tell in the next six volumes. However, this doesn't mean I didn't enjoy The Drawing of the Three- in fact, I liked it a lot! Spoilers ahead.
The best new element of this book was the characters- I love character driven narratives, and while Roland is a fine main character, I was so happy to see two new, fully fleshed-out and diverse characters to dive into. Additionally, there are quite a few well developed tertiary characters that added further dimension to the story. While I loved the isolation of the first book, I'm glad that this novel featured a larger cast. Eddie and Odetta felt real, often more real than Roland (which I think is the point) and I felt connected to them throughout the course of the story. However, it is impossible to review this book without mentioning the egregiously racist caricature that Odetta's alter "Detta" represents. I recognize that King lampshades this vile racism by having his characters discuss how she acts like a stereotype, but that doesn't make it any less excusable. Detta could easily still have been a hostile threat without becoming a living embodiment of the "crazy angry prejudiced undereducated black woman with a bayou accent" caricature. This aspect of the story aged so poorly that I wouldn't be remotely surprised if this element alone prevented a lot of people from finishing the book at all. It's disappointing that the first major, named female character that has any consequence for the long term narrative is developed this way.
Additionally, the incredible, unique surreal/fantasy elements continued in the form of the "door" system. I loved the surreal set pieces of the last book (the jawbone, the succubus, the tarot cards) and honestly wish there had been more in this volume.
Overall-despite this book's failings, it still gripped me and is extremely unique. I used to love fantasy all the way until high school, when I switched to science fiction. This is the first fantasy series I have picked up, let alone enjoyed, in a really long time. I look forward to (hopefully) seeing it through to the end!
The best new element of this book was the characters- I love character driven narratives, and while Roland is a fine main character, I was so happy to see two new, fully fleshed-out and diverse characters to dive into. Additionally, there are quite a few well developed tertiary characters that added further dimension to the story. While I loved the isolation of the first book, I'm glad that this novel featured a larger cast. Eddie and Odetta felt real, often more real than Roland (which I think is the point) and I felt connected to them throughout the course of the story. However, it is impossible to review this book without mentioning the egregiously racist caricature that Odetta's alter "Detta" represents. I recognize that King lampshades this vile racism by having his characters discuss how she acts like a stereotype, but that doesn't make it any less excusable. Detta could easily still have been a hostile threat without becoming a living embodiment of the "crazy angry prejudiced undereducated black woman with a bayou accent" caricature. This aspect of the story aged so poorly that I wouldn't be remotely surprised if this element alone prevented a lot of people from finishing the book at all. It's disappointing that the first major, named female character that has any consequence for the long term narrative is developed this way.
Additionally, the incredible, unique surreal/fantasy elements continued in the form of the "door" system. I loved the surreal set pieces of the last book (the jawbone, the succubus, the tarot cards) and honestly wish there had been more in this volume.
Overall-despite this book's failings, it still gripped me and is extremely unique. I used to love fantasy all the way until high school, when I switched to science fiction. This is the first fantasy series I have picked up, let alone enjoyed, in a really long time. I look forward to (hopefully) seeing it through to the end!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Drug use and Drug abuse