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re: Just finished Stephen King's Dark Tower Book 1
Posted on 4/30/15 at 10:15 am to txbd
Posted on 4/30/15 at 10:15 am to txbd
quote:
I'm going to give this book a try. The Stand is my favorite book of all time.
the dark tower series is what pushed me to read the stand
I had only read a couple of King's books before i started the series, i just wanted to try it because i enjoy Series of books
The Stand is great and a large portion of Dark Tower makes references to it
1
Posted on 4/30/15 at 10:21 am to Breesus
I read "The Stand" over the last several months.
Very much anticipating the movie with McCaunoghey and Bale tied to it.
Just started "The Gunslinger" Underwhelmed after the stand but I want the whole story on the walkin dude
Very much anticipating the movie with McCaunoghey and Bale tied to it.
Just started "The Gunslinger" Underwhelmed after the stand but I want the whole story on the walkin dude
Posted on 4/30/15 at 10:32 am to Breesus
I just finished the series about a month ago. I disagree with most here. I think the last book was the best, but the whole series is great. And I thought the ending made perfect sense. Wolves is a little slow, but still not bad.
That series really had me caring about all the main characters by the end. Enjoy, it was a great ride.
That series really had me caring about all the main characters by the end. Enjoy, it was a great ride.
This post was edited on 4/30/15 at 10:35 am
Posted on 4/30/15 at 10:47 am to MSMHater
I enjoyed the whole series. There were some parts that dragged on, but still a good read overall. And, like someone mentioned before, it's cool how King links a lot of his stories together.
Posted on 4/30/15 at 10:49 am to Breesus
The Dark Tower series is the only Stephen King I ever read, but I loved it. The first book was great, but so was the last. There may have been a lull in the middle at some point, but well worth finishing. Luckily, I read the first 6 right before book 7 came out.
Posted on 4/30/15 at 10:58 am to Breesus
I also enjoy the fact that King got the idea from a Robert Browning poem written in 1855 called:
"Childe Roland to the Dark Tower came."
Here is the poem (far too long to post the actual poem)
LINK
Per Wikipedia, that Browning poem was itself inspired by King Lear, written by Shakespeare for the uninitiated among you:
Shakespeare himself took inspiration from a Scandinavian medieval ballad called "Childe Rowland".
Much of this is from Wikipedia, so the last part one could be BS. But there is no question about the connection from King to Browning to Shakespeare.
ETA: Here is the blurb from the Childe Rowland ballad wikipedia page:
"Childe Roland to the Dark Tower came."
Here is the poem (far too long to post the actual poem)
LINK
Per Wikipedia, that Browning poem was itself inspired by King Lear, written by Shakespeare for the uninitiated among you:
quote:
Child Rowland to the dark tower came,
His word was still 'Fie, foh, and fum
I smell the blood of a British man.
— King Lear, Act 3, scene 4
Shakespeare himself took inspiration from a Scandinavian medieval ballad called "Childe Rowland".
Much of this is from Wikipedia, so the last part one could be BS. But there is no question about the connection from King to Browning to Shakespeare.
ETA: Here is the blurb from the Childe Rowland ballad wikipedia page:
quote:
Stephen King has also written about the character Rowland (spelled Roland) in his Dark Tower series, though this explicitly references the Robert Browning 1855 poem. In this sci-fi/fantasy tale, Roland is the last gunslinger on a tireless mission to reach the Dark Tower, the nexus of all worlds. It is perhaps worth noting that, while King seems to have based the novels more on the Browning poem, there are some similarities between Roland's tale and "Childe Rowland," such as the sorcerer "Maerlyn" and an antagonistic "king" figure (represented in the novel by the Crimson King). Also his father's sword is represented by Roland's large .45 revolvers and the Door Upon The Hill is referred to many times as "doors to other whens and wheres", a prominent theme that is explored thoroughly during The Dark Tower II: The Drawing of the Three.
This post was edited on 4/30/15 at 11:01 am
Posted on 4/30/15 at 12:42 pm to Breesus
You need to stop reading the last book when the author tells you to.
Here's a fun fact: The character "Erron Black" from Mortal Kombat X is an interpretation of Roland.
Here's a fun fact: The character "Erron Black" from Mortal Kombat X is an interpretation of Roland.
This post was edited on 4/30/15 at 12:44 pm
Posted on 4/30/15 at 12:53 pm to Breesus
The first four books are the best; my favorite was Wizard and Glass. I read books 5 and 6 but lost interest in finishing the series, based on what I had heard of the final book and the way the series just lost appeal to me after book 4.
Posted on 4/30/15 at 1:18 pm to CockHolliday
For all of you Dark Tower fans out there, I highly recommend The Whirlwind in the Thorn Tree by S.A. Hunt.
It is very similar, but not a blatant rip off of The Dark Tower. It's a Fantasy/Western set in both the "real world" and a fantasy realm. There's also a healthy dose of Sci/Fi thrown in as well.
The plot:
The imagination of the author is huge, with a world building effort that is something akin to GRR Martin in size, scope, and complexity. His characters are well thought out and full of "human flaws". His villains are scary as shite and no one is safe (ala GRR Martin). He puts his heroes through the ringer and pulls no punches.
I'm almost done with the third book and I've really enjoyed them.
It is very similar, but not a blatant rip off of The Dark Tower. It's a Fantasy/Western set in both the "real world" and a fantasy realm. There's also a healthy dose of Sci/Fi thrown in as well.
The plot:
quote:
After coming home from a stint in Afghanistan, veteran Ross Brigham learns that his father has passed away. Dearly departed Dad was a famous fantasy novelist, and the 300 fans that show up for the funeral demand that Ross finish E. R. Brigham's long-running magnum opus.
Ross and two of the author's devotees investigate his untimely death and discover that he might have been murdered...and the time-bending gunslingers of Dad's steampunk novels might be real.
As they try to acclimate to the arid deserts of the author's fantasy world, the three damaged heroes become pawns in a war for humanity's survival. The Muses have grown tired of immortality and now incite atrocities on Earth, trying to lure down a leviathan from the stars.
Can Ross and his new friends stop the scheming satyrs before both worlds are eaten?
Inspired by such old-school fantasy classics as Stephen King's The Dark Tower, C. S. Lewis's Chronicles of Narnia, and Madeleine L'Engle's A Wrinkle in Time.
The imagination of the author is huge, with a world building effort that is something akin to GRR Martin in size, scope, and complexity. His characters are well thought out and full of "human flaws". His villains are scary as shite and no one is safe (ala GRR Martin). He puts his heroes through the ringer and pulls no punches.
I'm almost done with the third book and I've really enjoyed them.
Posted on 4/30/15 at 2:53 pm to TygerTyger
quote:
And that ending. frick that fricking ending.
I actually thought it was perfect.
But I'd slogged through a lot of stupid crap in the last few books in order to reach that ending. Honestly I was more than ready for the series to end by that point. At its best it was one of the best works of fantasy I've ever read so I was determined to reach the finish.
Probably the thing that I hated most was one of the characters he inserts in the last few books. Just unforgivable. Robert Heinlein did something similar towards the end of his career and I hated it then too.
Posted on 4/30/15 at 4:07 pm to Tigris
quote:
Robert Heinlein did something similar towards the end of his career and I hated it then too.
I've read a few Heinlein books: Stranger in a Strange Land, Friday, and The Cat Who Walked Through Walls are the ones I can think of. Heinlein seemed to write these awesome stories with interesting characters and exciting plots. For about 90% of the novel. Then it's like he got bored or hit a deadline and he'd just end the thing abruptly in one or two paragraphs. I found it to be very unsatisfying.
Posted on 4/30/15 at 8:20 pm to bird35
quote:
I have read the series the times. The Dark Tower and GOT are my two favorite series.
Long days and pleasant nights.
I was about to start one of these series. Which one should I start on ?
Posted on 4/30/15 at 8:23 pm to Finn
Well, The Dark Tower is completed, so you know when you start that there's light at the end of the tunnel.
GURM still owes us 2 books and he's a walking heart condition, so we may never get ""his" ending. Thank the Old Ones that HBO isn't waiting around on his fat arse.
But, A Song of Ice and Fire is a far superior story in all ways in my opinion.
GURM still owes us 2 books and he's a walking heart condition, so we may never get ""his" ending. Thank the Old Ones that HBO isn't waiting around on his fat arse.
But, A Song of Ice and Fire is a far superior story in all ways in my opinion.
Posted on 4/30/15 at 9:38 pm to Breesus
Wizard and Glass was my favorite. Wolves of Calla sucked. Wastelands was good as well. Great series even with the ending.
Posted on 5/1/15 at 7:54 am to Ash Williams
Randall Flagg = Man in black?
Posted on 5/1/15 at 7:57 am to TygerTyger
quote:
Song of Ice and Fire is a far superior story in all ways in my opinion.
Well that's just like your opinion man.
But as for me King is a far far superior writer to Martin.
Though it's unfair to compare horror/suspense to Middle Ages fantasy.
Posted on 5/1/15 at 8:39 am to txbd
yes, is also main bad in King's "childern's" novel "Eyes of the Dragon"
Posted on 5/1/15 at 9:06 am to DirtyMikeandtheBoys
Have you read The Talisman?
Posted on 5/1/15 at 9:20 am to Breesus
quote:
The Talisman
Great read
Loved the Dark Tower series. Roland may be one of my favorite characters ever.
Posted on 5/4/15 at 4:17 pm to Breesus
I am halfway through the second book. Just started the Odetta Holmes part.
I really enjoyed the Eddie Dean angle.
I love how the first book ended. It had me like:
I really enjoyed the Eddie Dean angle.
I love how the first book ended. It had me like:
This post was edited on 5/4/15 at 4:17 pm
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