Just finished The Dark Tower series by Stephen King

[Deeko]

So I finally finished this 8 million page monstrosity of a series. I thought it was great overall, but I thought the last two books he started to get a little crazy. Like literally, I think he'd been writing it for so long he started losing his mind. I thought it was really stupid the way he incorporated himself as the "pen of Gan" and the "living guardian" of a beam. He also started using a lot of random first person narration towards the end of the last book, which I didn't like either.

The ending itself, I liked the trip up the tower, with each floor being a stage (and usually death) within Roland's life, but what was with the ending? Why restart? And why at such a random point in history? Ok, it is supposed to be the point where Roland realizes the tower is attainable I get that, but if the two "keystone worlds" had such long histories, why would it loop, and at such a low, late point?

Like I said, overall great, very satisfying series, but I didn't really like the ending...anyone else feel the same?

 

[cKGunslinger]

Flagg kills Dumbledore.

 

[Deeko]

Oh yea, that's another thing. I didn't like the segment with Walter in the last book. First off, the things they explained about his involvement were better off unsaid, it made him seem much weaker and less important. Also, if Walter is this great sorcerer, and Mordred was so easily able to control his mind & kill him, why didn't he do the same to Roland? Or Oy? Or Patrick?

 

[AMDZen]

Originally posted by: Deeko
The ending itself, I liked the trip up the tower, with each floor being a stage (and usually death) within Roland's life, but what was with the ending? Why restart? And why at such a random point in history? Ok, it is supposed to be the point where Roland realizes the tower is attainable I get that, but if the two "keystone worlds" had such long histories, why would it loop, and at such a low, late point?

Like I said, overall great, very satisfying series, but I didn't really like the ending...anyone else feel the same?

Did you bother to read the epilogue?

Personally I have to agree with the things King said therein. There was just no other way for it to end and still hold meaning.

And besides, as he also said in the epilogue, life is about the journey not the destination.

 

[Deeko]

Yes, I read the epilogue. He first said its the "journey and not the destination" and made it sound like he wasn't even GOING to end it before he did. That would have been annoying. Sure, sure, the journey was great, but if I just read 8 million pages, I'd like some decent closure. Yes, that makes me "typical in our culture" which is exactly what he said, but so what? I don't see the problem with that. He also said he didn't like the ending, but its "what he saw", not that it was the only way to do it.

 

[crownjules]

Originally posted by: Deeko
Like I said, overall great, very satisfying series, but I didn't really like the ending...anyone else feel the same?

I loved this series, started reading it when I was 14 or 15 and got the first four books as a birthday present. The final three books came out seven years later and I found myself almost crying at times during the last book as the character's I'd come to know and love (I've reread those books countless times, and King's characterization is some of the best in the biz) died.

As to the ending, Roland starts over and is destined to do so until he "gets it right". For Roland, the Quest for the Tower is the end all, be all of his existance. So much that he will sacrifice everyone and everything to get to it. Who knows how many times before this time (as in the books) he has lived it through and how many times after it will continue? The key thing to note however, is that he is "getting it." He is starting to realize that the Tower should not rule his life as it has many times over.

Somewhere in the books it mentions something about a dream where he's at the Tower and he hears a horn blowing. As he starts anew, he has a horn that belonged to his friend Cuthbert, who fell in battle beside him and feels responsible for killing since he was their leader and was already questing for the Tower. In all other journeys, he never picked up that horn. ...

 

[cKGunslinger]

Flagg's ending was beyond weak. Although I guess the point was made that as bad-ass as Flagg was in this world, and all the other worlds where he's shown his presense, he was still a simple, inconsequential pawn when faced with even a weaken member of the line of Eld + the CK.

 

[cKGunslinger]

Originally posted by: crownjules

Originally posted by: Deeko
Like I said, overall great, very satisfying series, but I didn't really like the ending...anyone else feel the same?

I loved this series, started reading it when I was 14 or 15 and got the first four books as a birthday present. The final three books came out seven years later and I found myself almost crying at times during the last book as the character's I'd come to know and love (I've reread those books countless times, and King's characterization is some of the best in the biz) died.

As to the ending, Roland starts over and is destined to do so until he "gets it right". For Roland, the Quest for the Tower is the end all, be all of his existance. So much that he will sacrifice everyone and everything to get to it. Who knows how many times before this time (as in the books) he has lived it through and how many times after it will continue? The key thing to note however, is that he is "getting it." He is starting to realize that the Tower should not rule his life as it has many times over.

Somewhere in the books it mentions something about a dream where he's at the Tower and he hears a horn blowing. As he starts anew, he has a horn that belonged to his friend Cuthbert, who fell in battle beside him and feels responsible for killing since he was their leader and was already questing for the Tower. In all other journeys, he never picked up that horn. ...

Yeah, once you read the ending, then go back and re-read the series, you'll see that the horn was mentioned *several* times.

 

[altonb1]

I read that last book so long ago that it is semi-hazy, but I think I remember getting to the end and saying, "Are you kidding me???"

King is still my favorite author, but I find I hav a harder time getting started in his books any more. Maybe it's just a time issue...

 

[crownjules]

Originally posted by: altonb1
I read that last book so long ago that it is semi-hazy, but I think I remember getting to the end and saying, "Are you kidding me???"

King is still my favorite author, but I find I hav a harder time getting started in his books any more. Maybe it's just a time issue...

The original iteration of The Gunslinger wasn't so easy to tell this was going to be the ending. If you read the Revised edition, the beginning has been prefaced to include a bit about how Roland feels woozy and sort of amnesiac at the very beginning but then begins chasing the Man in Black.

I still think that's one of the best openings, ever. "The man in black fled across the desert, and the gunslinger followed." So simple, yet so central to the plot of the whole series.

 

[Killercavecow]

I enjoyed the whole series.

I wasn't sure when King began to include himself in the story, but he rode it out alright...I can live with that.

I do think that the death of the Crimson King and Walter were a bit weak though..

 

[HeroOfPellinor]

Steven King can't write an ending to save his life. Seriously, nothing he's ever written has had anything but an absurd ending.....okay except Shawshank Redemption.

 

[cKGunslinger]

Originally posted by: crownjules

I still think that's one of the best openings, ever. "The man in black fled across the desert, and the gunslinger followed." So simple, yet so central to the plot of the whole series.

Meh, I never really cared for that line. :shiftyeyes;

 

[Deeko]

Originally posted by: Killercavecow
I enjoyed the whole series.

I wasn't sure when King began to include himself in the story, but he rode it out alright...I can live with that.

I do think that the death of the Crimson King and Walter were a bit weak though..

Yea, as soon as he erased the sore from Susannah's face, I knew that's how they were going to kill the Crimson King. It was really predictable, which isn't normal for King.

 

[Poulsonator]

I thought the ending was one of King's best. He's got a reputation (well-earned) for not being able to write a good ending. What I didn't like about the series was King writing himself in, the ending to the "riddle game" with Blaine, and the last few books really felt rushed.

Overall, I really enjoyed the series. I was hooked years ago and read the new books as soon as they came out. I shed a tear when Oy paid tribute to Jake. I want a pet Oy.

 

[AMDZen]

Originally posted by: Deeko
Yes, I read the epilogue. He first said its the "journey and not the destination" and made it sound like he wasn't even GOING to end it before he did. That would have been annoying. Sure, sure, the journey was great, but if I just read 8 million pages, I'd like some decent closure. Yes, that makes me "typical in our culture" which is exactly what he said, but so what? I don't see the problem with that. He also said he didn't like the ending, but its "what he saw", not that it was the only way to do it.

He said that when he thought about it he realized its the only way it could end. Thats pretty much verbatim.

I'd like to here what sort of ending you would have given the series, I think he was 100% right.

Still, all the questions you had were answered by the MAN himself. I'm not sure what you expected from ATOT

 

[Deeko]

I'm not the author of the book, why should I come up with an ending? He created that world, he ends it.

Simply put, his ending sucked. I'm sure he could have come up with something better, I highly doubt out of infinitely many possible endings, that that's the ONLY thing he could have come up with. And I also was quoting, pretty much verbatim, when he said he didn't like the ending but that's what he saw.

PS I opened this thread to discuss the books/the ending, not asking ATOT to write a new ending for me, dumbass.

 

[Shadowknight]

The last three books sucked. For one thing, he threw out the stuff about the Crimson King from Insomnia because he didn't feel like incorporating it into the series, then claimed it was a fake book made to confuse the enemy :disgust: A book Stephen King wrote and published. Years ago. For another, it was beaten into our heads at one point that you needed to have Roland's guns to entire the tower, yet the Crimson King entered, decided to get some fresh air on the balcony, and got stuck.

The idea that the Dark Tower, the center of the universe, exists solely to have Roland work out his personal issues was lame. The top of the tower was supposed to have the Creator, the Crimson King, or be empty, according to the series. Instead we got a magic door to Roland's past to punish him until he stopped sacrifing people to get to the Tower. This was particuarly stupid, if he screwed up in one of these interations, the universe would be destroyed if he didn't keep the beams from being torn down/destroyed. This was even sillier because Rolan did change; he decided that he would sacrifice himself to save Jake instead of sacrifing Jake to reach the tower; it just worked out that Jake got killed.

Anyway, still like the first 4 books, but the last 3 were a waste of time, money, and paper to me.

 

[Accipiter22]

by FAR my favorite was the one that was almost entirely a flashback to the days of his youth, and that girl he loved. I think this was the 2nd or 3rd book. I LOVED those parts of that book. Easily my favorite part of any fictional book i've read

 

[Phoenix15]

My personal fav is still The Drawing of the Three. I too, felt the last few were rushed a bit. I coulnd not STAND the whole "19" thing. That alone almost made me want to stop reading. "It's all nineteen!" Blech :disgust:

 

[Gunslinger08]

I just finished the series.

It was clear what the ending had to be. As they say, ka is a wheel.

 

[Skyclad1uhm1]

I liked most of his horror novels far more than his fantasy ones. He has very good horror stories and is/was (haven't read recent horror stories of his) among the top 10 or even top 5 horror writers, but there are far superior fantasy writers around. From Janny Wurtz to Terry Pratchett, there is a wide range of better writers when it concerns fantasy.

All my opinion of course, so don't whine when you think otherwise

 

[Yossarian]

didn't the harry potter stuff in Wolves piss you guys off? I was like WTF.

 

[Gunslinger08]

Originally posted by: Yossarian
didn't the harry potter stuff in Wolves piss you guys off? I was like WTF.

No, it was just another one of his references to outside literature. There are tons of them throughout the series.

 

[DurocShark]

As mentioned above, I was most irritated by Flagg/Marten/Whatever's death.

And the Crimson King didn't die. He was reduced to just eyes, remember? And too much Deus Ex Machina in that last book.