The Dark Tower

[Snow]

So after hearing folks rave about the Dark Tower Series I thought I ought to give it a try...

I read the first 6 or 7 Stephen King books before I concluded that he was pretty much a hack - a very talented hack but a hack nevertheless. He had a very engaging style, simple easy to read prose and some very interesting premises with enough creepy quirks to keep one's interest piqued but in the end his stories all fell short of the climax that his excellent story telling early in the book promised. After being disappointed 4 or so times in a row, I gave it up. Every now and again I pick up a book and read it just to stay in touch but even his best is far from a great use of time.

The Dark Tower - The Gunslinger, however, is beneath even his low standards. It took him 12 years to write; that alone should have been a clue - he can kick out a book twice that long between breakfast and lunch, and often does. The Gunslinger was a mess, a convoluted and disjointed storyline; arcane and needless musings, strange grammar, thoughts from nowhere, tortured run-on sentences.

I knew after 90 pages that it wasn't worth finishing - the world is too full of great books to waste time on substandard or even mediocre books - but toughed it out and perservered to the end... which came none to soon.

[Jason]

I hate novels.

I finally broke down last week and read Dan Brown's book: The Davinci Code.

It was entertaining (in a 2 hr action-adventure movie way) but I couldn't help but feel like I could have read something more useful or important.

I suppose I'll read another novel next decade. That seems to be about how often I give em a try.

[Traveler]

I love reading, articles, books, pomes, novels (mostly classics). Steven King is too involved in details that must matter in order to understand his style. It has been years since I read any of his works – green grass verses the Dark Tower and the Gun man is an odd stand on life, religion and eternity. I too was not impressed.

Many years ago I was doing consulting with a company that specialized in services for the US government – the military in particular. I was living in Maryland and working at a navy base known as “Pax River”. The work involved Anti Submarine Warfare. Interestingly a Russian Submarine had been lost in the Pacific that involved a lot of classified activity (which also foments rumors). Shortly thereafter a book was published titled “Hunt for Red October” that eventually inspired a movie. The book presented many problems to classified activities taking place at the time. Tom Clancy wove many classified facts with ridicules rumors and out right falsehoods. Never-the-less I have considered that book a breach of national security and a must read in understanding inner workings and secrets of our government. I do not have the same insight to his other works and have found his more current works in a different class – appearing to be written as after thoughts intended to cash in for profit.

The Traveler

[unixknight]

Originally Posted by Traveler

Many years ago I was doing consulting with a company that specialized in services for the US government – the military in particular. I was living in Maryland and working at a navy base known as “Pax River”.

Heh small world... I was there too in 2002 and 2004

[unixknight]

I cannot disagree more with the opinions so far about the Dark Tower series.

Firstly, The Gunslinger WAS written over many years, but while that does explain the mildly disjointed feel of it, it shows that maybe King has started off on this tale before he was ready, and had shelved it until he was.

Subsequent novels more than justified the faith given to him through the first (Which I still thought was pretty good).

The ending of the 7th book was only a disappointment if you didn't "get it." (No offense) I thought it was excellent.

What the Dark Tower is about is the idea of Redemption. The Gunslinger is the main protagonist but only marginally a 'good guy' but he learns to become truly a good guy along the way, but is in a sort of purgatory until he can truly live it.

[Dr T]

I put that book down too. I didn't enjoy it at all. I liked It and loved Needful Things and a few others but the Dark Tower was a waste of time so I put it down.