Random Thoughts from a Random Mind - The Dark Tower

I am a fan of Stephen King. When I was in middle school and high school, he was the only author I read, outside of assigned reading. I read The Gunslinger when I was in Eighth Grade. I don’t really remember enjoying it. When I went to college I didn’t really read too much. When I graduated I picked up The Gunslinger again and re-read it. I still didn’t really get into it but a lot of my friends really enjoyed the series, so I tried out part two, The Drawing of Three.

Well I read about half of it and then moved on to other books. I don’t know why I couldn’t stick with these books. Two years ago I went back and started The Drawing of Three over again and was able to finish it. I enjoyed the introduction of Eddie Dean and Detta Walker/Odetta Holmes/Susannah Dean. They added a nice escape from Roland. I also liked the jumping between worlds, which I was promised a lot of.

So I moved onto the third book, The Wastelands. I read to the part where they killed the Great Old One the Bear and again lost interest. A year passed and then I went back to it. Finished it in a couple of days and now I’m reading Wizard and Glass. I’m about 250 pages into it. I know from what I’ve said so far I sound crazy for stopping and going back. If I really enjoyed it I would stick with it. But Stephen King kept putting this series on the back burner and coming back to it.

The Stand is my favorite book by him so when they get off Blaine at the start of Wizard and Glass and appear to be in The Stand universe I got really excited. Also I think Randal Flagg showed up at the end of The Wastelands and talked to Tick Tock Man. So when Roland started his flashback I was sad. I do want to know more about his past and so far it’s pretty interesting but I really want to hang out in The Stand universe.

I’ve been told the next two books are mostly flashbacks. I’ve also been told I should stop reading ¾ of the way through book seven The Dark Tower because the ending is one of the worst things a friend of mine has ever read. I think I will keep with these series but like the author and even the main character it might take me a lifetime to do so. Do you have any thoughts about it?? Let me know!!! Thanks for reading.

I am a fan of Stephen King. When I was in middle school and high school, he was the only author I read, outside of assigned reading. I read The Gunslinger when I was in Eighth Grade. I don’t really remember enjoying it. When I went to college I didn’t really read too much. When I graduated I picked up The Gunslinger again and re-read it. I still didn’t really get into it but a lot of my friends really enjoyed the series, so I tried out part two, The Drawing of Three.

Well I read about half of it and then moved on to other books. I don’t know why I couldn’t stick with these books. Two years ago I went back and started The Drawing of Three over again and was able to finish it. I enjoyed the introduction of Eddie Dean and Detta Walker/Odetta Holmes/Susannah Dean. They added a nice escape from Roland. I also liked the jumping between worlds, which I was promised a lot of.

So I moved onto the third book, The Wastelands. I read to the part where they killed the Great Old One the Bear and again lost interest. A year passed and then I went back to it. Finished it in a couple of days and now I’m reading Wizard and Glass. I’m about 250 pages into it. I know from what I’ve said so far I sound crazy for stopping and going back. If I really enjoyed it I would stick with it. But Stephen King kept putting this series on the back burner and coming back to it.

The Stand is my favorite book by him so when they get off Blaine at the start of Wizard and Glass and appear to be in The Stand universe I got really excited. Also I think Randal Flagg showed up at the end of The Wastelands and talked to Tick Tock Man. So when Roland started his flashback I was sad. I do want to know more about his past and so far it’s pretty interesting but I really want to hang out in The Stand universe.

I’ve been told the next two books are mostly flashbacks. I’ve also been told I should stop reading ¾ of the way through book seven The Dark Tower because the ending is one of the worst things a friend of mine has ever read. I think I will keep with these series but like the author and even the main character it might take me a lifetime to do so. Do you have any thoughts about it?? Let me know!!! Thanks for reading.

Im a big Dark Tower fan and I actually think Wolves of the Calla (book 5) is the best of the series. It does have a lengthy flashback that makes up maybe a fourth of the book, but i found Father Callahan's story actually more engaging than that of Roland and Mejis. As for the ending of the series... Ive made my peace with it, but it feels like King ran out of ideas and it stings to know such a great work could have been handled better at the end. You're certainly not the only one who's had a starty stopy relationship with the book, its a challenging read that's tone is not exactly a hopeful one.

The first three were good anything past that is kinda garbage. i would have recommended skipping the forth book as it demystifies the whole series and it becomes a complete joke when he literally writes himself into the book

But i guess its all personal taste.

So much I could say but it's late and I'm tired. The ending of the final book is perfect and ends in the only way it could have. I instantly put that book down and picked the first one up again. Ka is a wheel as you may well know.

There are parts of the series that are dry but for reasons I have honestly tried and failed to explore and explain those books as a single unit would rank as one of, if not my actual favorite stories. Something about Roland and his world imprinted itself onto me and while there are flaws I love every word.