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Rael · 02-02-2006, 06:37 PM

Anyone else read the Dark Tower series by Stephen King? I absolutely loved it. I am a huge SK fan, but even if you aren't, you still might like this. It is totally different from all of his other stuff.

KingVoyeur · 02-02-2006, 06:45 PM

Yeah, I finally finished reading The Dark Tower a coupla months ago. I got into it right before the fourth book came out, so I had to wait between each one (which totally sucked, especially at the end of The Wastelands, that wasn't a cliffhanger, that was just mean!). I feel like I really need to go back and re-read every other one of King's books, just to catch all the side references. I think I got most of them, but I'm sure there's a few I missed (hell, I think he may have even put some in his new book Cell). There's just so much depth to these books, especially when you get to the last two, the katet's trip to meet a very recognizable person is just plain trippy. I'd like to see a movie series of these books, but they'd have to be very well done.

DarkJedi · 02-02-2006, 07:07 PM

I caught the references in Cell too. At least, I think they're references to the Dark Towerverse that is in most of his previous works.

When the zombies first go Pulse on the world, alot of their dialogue consist of:

"Abbadala Ka-soy!" ...

That kind of thing is very representive of previous works like Desperation, Regulators, Insomnia, the DT books.

Also, in the new zombie book Cell, you can definitely catch how Katet-like the heros are....

Also a King fanatic here, Rael and KV. Like KV, I had to go through very crazed long waits between the DT books.

Rael · 02-02-2006, 08:36 PM

Luckily, I started them after Wizard and Glass came out, so I didn't have to wait too long, but the years I did were excruciatingly long. I can't imagine reading the end of Wastelands in the late eighties and having to wait so long.

So, what did you guys think of the ending?

DarkJedi · 02-02-2006, 08:59 PM

Good question on that one. I better add Spoilers Warnings to the title after this post though...lol

I would have to say that for the most part, I enjoyed the ending on the pure fact that it really did come full circle with him ending at the starting point. It goes into the fact that some things "never" end and some struggles are endless between good and evil.

It can also have a double meaning.

1. That Roland must continue on his journey to an end that will never come.
2. That Roland now has a chance to start over from the beginning and make different choices that he regret making in his past...especially in regards to his friends fates.

Now, I knew people were going to die in the last novel....but I didn't know who and when they did, I was still shocked at the abruptness of what happened in such a short time...The Katet most definitely ended shell shocked by the halfway point though the last novel.

I also really liked Bruntigan(sp? since I haven't picked up Hearts in Atlantis or the 7th book in almost a year) showing up in the novel. It would have been awesome if Sawyer made a appearence from the Talisman series but I understand that Sawyer and his katet were fighting a different battle and were not meant to be joined together in the Towerverse.

I also couldn't believe that Susan just ....wa...rolled away before the final confrontation. Really didn't know what to make of that. Again though, the Katet was clearly over before she did...

One of my favorite novels from King has been Insomnia so I was really pleased to see the character that so many changed/gave their lives for in that book came to fruition in the final battle(open for interpretation) between Roland and the Crimson King.

What's more.....King seemed to hammer down that the "journey" was the real struggle of good.....not the final battle.. I have to assume that was the real message because of the ease in which the C. K was taken out.

I remember first hearing that the series was going to end and my immediate thoughts were "Noooooooooooo, I don't want it to ever end!" . With the ending that King gave us, though, I can say that I'm happy that it wasn't absolute in the way that I expected...

No doubt about it though....S. King rules!

Rael · 02-03-2006, 01:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DarkJedi

Good question on that one. I better add Spoilers Warnings to the title after this post though...lol

I would have to say that for the most part, I enjoyed the ending on the pure fact that it really did come full circle with him ending at the starting point. It goes into the fact that some things "never" end and some struggles are endless between good and evil.

It can also have a double meaning.

1. That Roland must continue on his journey to an end that will never come.
2. That Roland now has a chance to start over from the beginning and make different choices that he regret making in his past...especially in regards to his friends fates.

Now, I knew people were going to die in the last novel....but I didn't know who and when they did, I was still shocked at the abruptness of what happened in such a short time...The Katet most definitely ended shell shocked by the halfway point though the last novel.

I also really liked Bruntigan(sp? since I haven't picked up Hearts in Atlantis or the 7th book in almost a year) showing up in the novel. It would have been awesome if Sawyer made a appearence from the Talisman series but I understand that Sawyer and his katet were fighting a different battle and were not meant to be joined together in the Towerverse.

I also couldn't believe that Susan just ....wa...rolled away before the final confrontation. Really didn't know what to make of that. Again though, the Katet was clearly over before she did...

One of my favorite novels from King has been Insomnia so I was really pleased to see the character that so many changed/gave their lives for in that book came to fruition in the final battle(open for interpretation) between Roland and the Crimson King.

What's more.....King seemed to hammer down that the "journey" was the real struggle of good.....not the final battle.. I have to assume that was the real message because of the ease in which the C. K was taken out.

I remember first hearing that the series was going to end and my immediate thoughts were "Noooooooooooo, I don't want it to ever end!" . With the ending that King gave us, though, I can say that I'm happy that it wasn't absolute in the way that I expected...

No doubt about it though....S. King rules!

Yeah, I agree with everything you said, and Insomnia was one of his better novels. I do think that the trip Roland is on and the end, when he gets thrown back into it, it will be his last, because if I remember correctly, he has Cuthnerts horn, which he never had before, and in the poem it is based off of, Childe Roland has the horn and blows it at the Dark Tower. I have a feeling we haven't seen the last of the DT series though, no matter what SK says.

KingVoyeur · 02-04-2006, 08:00 AM

I think if we see anymore of the DT, it will be in short stories, like in the book "Everything's Eventual" with the story of the doctors in Mid-World. It'd be nice to see more of the universe pop up in King's next works.

How about starting a list of other King books that reference the DT?

Here's a couple I can think of:

Salem's Lot (obviously, it's a major plot point in DT, albeit one of the more twisted ones, second only to King himself being a major character).

Insomnia - The Crimson King is a major baddie here.

Eyes of the Dragon and The Stand - Flagg (aka Walter) is an ass in both (I'm surprised I didn't see him in Cell.

The Talisman and Black House - Characters go to Mid-World, and Roland's Ka-tet is mentioned.

Desperation and The Regulators

From a Buick 8 - I would say that the world they saw in the trunk was probably the wastelands in Mid-World

Hearts in Atlantis - the first story involves character from Mid-World.

It - the turtle is obviously one of the Beam guardians.

Those're just a few off the top of my head, what else?

Rael · 02-04-2006, 10:57 AM

I'm ptretty sure It has a few veiled references. Black House also had some connections, if you didn't mention that. In one of my SK books, at the front where it lists all of his books, it has the ones that deal with DT highlighted. I'll have to find it, and then I'll post what is says.

Did you guys know that SK id collaberating with Marvel to do a Dark Tower comic series. It is going to be about some stuff before the Gunslinger. It isn't just a rumor either, Marvel announced it on thier site.

KingVoyeur · 02-04-2006, 12:56 PM

Yeah, they talked about that on Cinescape.com a while ago. I'm not real big into graphic novels or comics (though, damnit, this site is pushing me towards it) but I'll probably pick this one up. Should be interesting. I wonder what the story will cover, the same stuff as DT or Roland's past?

Rael · 02-04-2006, 02:10 PM

I'm pretty sure it covers his past more than anything.
And please don't tell me you avoid comics because they are for kids. You are really missing out if you think that.

02-02-2006, 06:37 PM	#1
Rael Thinks Phantoms is the bomb, yo! Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 58	The Dark Tower seriesSpoilers Reviews inside Anyone else read the Dark Tower series by Stephen King? I absolutely loved it. I am a huge SK fan, but even if you aren't, you still might like this. It is totally different from all of his other stuff. __________________ True knowlege is the realization of one's ignorance.

02-02-2006, 06:45 PM	#2
KingVoyeur American Cthulu Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: In some f*cked up dimension. They don't even have pie! Posts: 3,988	Yeah, I finally finished reading The Dark Tower a coupla months ago. I got into it right before the fourth book came out, so I had to wait between each one (which totally sucked, especially at the end of The Wastelands, that wasn't a cliffhanger, that was just mean!). I feel like I really need to go back and re-read every other one of King's books, just to catch all the side references. I think I got most of them, but I'm sure there's a few I missed (hell, I think he may have even put some in his new book Cell). There's just so much depth to these books, especially when you get to the last two, the katet's trip to meet a very recognizable person is just plain trippy. I'd like to see a movie series of these books, but they'd have to be very well done. __________________ "If you're referring to the one night we slept together, I'd talk about your cock but I've got respect for the dead!" - From *Vampire Lesbians of Sodom* by Charles Busch

02-02-2006, 08:36 PM	#4
Rael Thinks Phantoms is the bomb, yo! Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 58	Luckily, I started them after Wizard and Glass came out, so I didn't have to wait too long, but the years I did were excruciatingly long. I can't imagine reading the end of Wastelands in the late eighties and having to wait so long. So, what did you guys think of the ending? __________________ True knowlege is the realization of one's ignorance.

02-04-2006, 08:00 AM	#7
KingVoyeur American Cthulu Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: In some f*cked up dimension. They don't even have pie! Posts: 3,988	I think if we see anymore of the DT, it will be in short stories, like in the book "Everything's Eventual" with the story of the doctors in Mid-World. It'd be nice to see more of the universe pop up in King's next works. How about starting a list of other King books that reference the DT? Here's a couple I can think of: Salem's Lot (obviously, it's a major plot point in DT, albeit one of the more twisted ones, second only to King himself being a major character). Insomnia - The Crimson King is a major baddie here. Eyes of the Dragon and The Stand - Flagg (aka Walter) is an ass in both (I'm surprised I didn't see him in Cell. The Talisman and Black House - Characters go to Mid-World, and Roland's Ka-tet is mentioned. Desperation and The Regulators From a Buick 8 - I would say that the world they saw in the trunk was probably the wastelands in Mid-World Hearts in Atlantis - the first story involves character from Mid-World. It - the turtle is obviously one of the Beam guardians. Those're just a few off the top of my head, what else? __________________ "If you're referring to the one night we slept together, I'd talk about your cock but I've got respect for the dead!" - From *Vampire Lesbians of Sodom* by Charles Busch

02-04-2006, 10:57 AM	#8
Rael Thinks Phantoms is the bomb, yo! Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 58	I'm ptretty sure It has a few veiled references. Black House also had some connections, if you didn't mention that. In one of my SK books, at the front where it lists all of his books, it has the ones that deal with DT highlighted. I'll have to find it, and then I'll post what is says. Did you guys know that SK id collaberating with Marvel to do a Dark Tower comic series. It is going to be about some stuff before the Gunslinger. It isn't just a rumor either, Marvel announced it on thier site. __________________ True knowlege is the realization of one's ignorance.

02-02-2006, 07:07 PM	#3
DarkJedi Hey, Sweden! Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Somewhere nice & relaxing. Posts: 2,698	I caught the references in Cell too. At least, I think they're references to the Dark Towerverse that is in most of his previous works. When the zombies first go Pulse on the world, alot of their dialogue consist of: "Abbadala Ka-soy!" ... That kind of thing is very representive of previous works like Desperation, Regulators, Insomnia, the DT books. Also, in the new zombie book Cell, you can definitely catch how Katet-like the heros are.... Also a King fanatic here, Rael and KV. Like KV, I had to go through very crazed long waits between the DT books.

02-02-2006, 08:59 PM	#5
DarkJedi Hey, Sweden! Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Somewhere nice & relaxing. Posts: 2,698	Good question on that one. I better add Spoilers Warnings to the title after this post though...lol I would have to say that for the most part, I enjoyed the ending on the pure fact that it really did come full circle with him ending at the starting point. It goes into the fact that some things "never" end and some struggles are endless between good and evil. It can also have a double meaning. 1. That Roland must continue on his journey to an end that will never come. 2. That Roland now has a chance to start over from the beginning and make different choices that he regret making in his past...especially in regards to his friends fates. Now, I knew people were going to die in the last novel....but I didn't know who and when they did, I was still shocked at the abruptness of what happened in such a short time...The Katet most definitely ended shell shocked by the halfway point though the last novel. I also really liked Bruntigan(sp? since I haven't picked up Hearts in Atlantis or the 7th book in almost a year) showing up in the novel. It would have been awesome if Sawyer made a appearence from the Talisman series but I understand that Sawyer and his katet were fighting a different battle and were not meant to be joined together in the Towerverse. I also couldn't believe that Susan just ....wa...rolled away before the final confrontation. Really didn't know what to make of that. Again though, the Katet was clearly over before she did... One of my favorite novels from King has been Insomnia so I was really pleased to see the character that so many changed/gave their lives for in that book came to fruition in the final battle(open for interpretation) between Roland and the Crimson King. What's more.....King seemed to hammer down that the "journey" was the real struggle of good.....not the final battle.. I have to assume that was the real message because of the ease in which the C. K was taken out. I remember first hearing that the series was going to end and my immediate thoughts were "Noooooooooooo, I don't want it to ever end!" . With the ending that King gave us, though, I can say that I'm happy that it wasn't absolute in the way that I expected... No doubt about it though....S. King rules!

02-04-2006, 12:56 PM	#9
KingVoyeur American Cthulu Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: In some f*cked up dimension. They don't even have pie! Posts: 3,988	Yeah, they talked about that on Cinescape.com a while ago. I'm not real big into graphic novels or comics (though, damnit, this site is pushing me towards it) but I'll probably pick this one up. Should be interesting. I wonder what the story will cover, the same stuff as DT or Roland's past? __________________ "If you're referring to the one night we slept together, I'd talk about your cock but I've got respect for the dead!" - From *Vampire Lesbians of Sodom* by Charles Busch

02-04-2006, 02:10 PM	#10
Rael Thinks Phantoms is the bomb, yo! Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 58	I'm pretty sure it covers his past more than anything. And please don't tell me you avoid comics because they are for kids. You are really missing out if you think that. __________________ True knowlege is the realization of one's ignorance.

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