SydLexia.com - The Forums :: View topic - Stephen King's 'The Dark Tower' Discussion

Wizard Joined: Jun 12 2009 Posts: 4209

Ok, finished the series recently. I have a (not so) few thoughts about it.

Note, if you haven't read the books yourself, I don't suggest trying to understand what I'm about to say. It's far too complicated (still working it out for myself).

First of all, in 'The Gunslinger', Walter mentions a creature in control of the Dark Tower (I believe he alludes to God, or something), but in the later books, he says 'I know for a fact that there is nothing at the top of the tower!'. It just irks me, for some reason. I can understand him wanting to confuse Roland, but at the same time... why? There's no point--Roland doesn't care who's IN the Tower, he just wants IN the Tower.

Second, am I alone in saying Dandelo from the last book was a fucking twin to 'It'? That creeped me the fuck out.

Third, did anyone notice that Mrs. Carmody from 'The Mist' and the leader of the church in 'The Gunslinger' are strikingly similar in attitude?

More later, I'm out of time. What do you guys think?

Joined: May 22 2008 Location: Goshen, VA Posts: 6544

This should be noted as having spoilers to people who have never read it.

Anyways, I have never read them, and have probably only read about 60% of King's work. I like the majority of it, but his habit of being extremely long winded when it's unnecessary completely annoys and bores the hell out of me.

I would probably like The Dark Tower books, I just don't have the time to sit down and read them all.

Title: Hugh Joined: Sep 23 2007 Posts: 1591

I think just about all of these "Such and such discussion" threads have spoilers on what they're discussing... really, if you think you can read discussion on a story without having the story spoiled, you're being a bit of a dumbass, in my opinion. And he warns that you probably won't understand it if you haven't read it, which is another tipoff that it's going to go into some detail. And regardless, backseat modding is generally pretty annoying.

Posted: Dec 30 2009 04:17 am

I read the first three in record time, for I absolutely love the setting of our world reduced to ancient relics. I hit the fourth book (Wizard and Glass), and I have not read any in the series since. That fourth book was just so fucking awful to me, I don't know if it was the abrupt change in characters, the change in setting, or the medieval atmosphere, but I have read no further.

Is it just me, or does Stephen King have a thing for sodomizing his characters with guns? It happened at least twice, in the extended version of The Stand, and in The Gunslinger. I know this is only two times, but that is two times more than any other author I know of.

Is it just me, or has there been quite a bit of tension and hostility on the boards lately?

Title: Hugh Joined: Sep 23 2007 Posts: 1591

I think it's just you, I haven't noticed us being any more dickish than usual.

Posted: Dec 30 2009 11:53 am

Captain_Pollution wrote:

I think it's just you, I haven't noticed us being any more dickish than usual.

i agree. we're all assholes generally.

maybe its the upcoming full moon that put you in this sensitive mood.

and for the record, i have never ever read a stephen king book. my mom just recently bought dolores claiborne for me (i have no idea why... she probably figured i would like it since its stephen king and its hardback) and that might be the first and only stephen king book i read