Best Dark Tower book

[frik51]

Join the fun, Squire!

http://www.thedarktower.org/palaver/...d-Glass-(1997)

sk

[srboone]

One of the things I like about the original was it's little inconsistincies with the rest of the series. Ex. Roland's father being Roland the Elder in the original and Steven in the rest of the books. Later, when King becomes a character, he admits that he sometimes misinterprets Gan's voice and gets things wrong. I thought that added a little texture to the whole reading experience. But I can understand why he revised it.

[Tito_Villa]

I think the revised was published just before the release of 'Wolves of the Calla', so yeah i guess you read the original (which i admit to never reading).

[ozmosis7]

I couldn't say. I've only ever read one version and since I bought it right away I am guessing it is not the revised one?

[Tito_Villa]

Haha no worries. Which do you prefer (if any) out of the original and the revised Gunslinger?

[ozmosis7]

Oh, LOL. Nothing to read into there. I was just saying it was an interesting order is all, and trying to consider what my own order might look like. I guess it would be this...

1. The Gunslinger
2. The Drawing of the Three
3. Wizard & Glass
4. The Wolves of the Calla
5. The Dark Tower
6. The Wastelands
7. Song of Susannah

But then again, I haven't read them for some time, so that might change if I did so.

[Tito_Villa]

An interesting order there.

Why's that then???

[ozmosis7]

An interesting order there.

[Tito_Villa]

Since the last re-read my order of favourites goes ...

1. Wizard & Glass
2. The Wastelands
3. The Wolves of the Calla
4. The Gunslinger
5. The Dark Tower
6. The Drawing of the Three
7. Song of Susannah

[RJK1981]

I need read this series again soon, and can't really say which is my favorite until I do as I don't recall a lot of things. I'll probably start doing that before too long and hopefully time it to coincide with the new DT novel coming out. We'll see though, might not be able to wait even though I have ton of books I still need to read

[srboone]

Cool beans, Siep!!! We agree on 2 outta 7!!! I'll take it!

[frik51]

Great post!
It has been a number of years since I last read this series and at the moment I have no intention of re-reading it.
So, for now, this is how I would rank the books:

1. Wizard and Glass.
2. The Wastelands.
3. The Drawing of the Three
4. The Gunslinger
5. The Wolves of the Callah.
6. The Dark Tower.
7. Song of Susannah.

sk

[srboone]

Well, I've made the journey again with Roland and I've changed my mind on how I would rank the books--for the final time as I've read the entire cycle four times through (with the first three more times because I would reread the previous ones when next one came out: 1,1,2,1,2,3,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,1,2,3,4,5, 6,7,1,2,3, 4,5,6,7--that's a lot reading.), and I think I'm done. I've ordered some slipcases to store them for shelf presentation.

1. The Drawing of the Three. Narratively, imaginatively superior to all the others.
2. The Wastelands. The first half continues the narrative of TDot3. The second part is not as good, but still scores narratively.
3. Song of Susannah. Exciting and revealing with an unique structure compared to the rest.
4. The Gunslinger. Narratively simplistic, but well-written and exciting.
5. The Dark Tower. A satisfying conclusion to the series..and a beginning.
6. The Wolves of the Callah. Well written and exciting, but a lack of creativity keeps it at the bottom.
7. Wizard and Glass. Narrative problems, combined with an unreliable narrator and a lack of creativity.

All this is nit-picking. When you're comparing a group of very good books, that's all you can do.

Final thoughts:

Spoiler!

Roland is the last of the Line of Eld. He is charged with restoring the beams that hold the Dark Tower up. In order to do that, I think he must recall the Prim, the primal goo from which the Tower and the 6 Beams originally spang from; I think that the sounding of the Horn of Eld at the gates of the Tower will do that. However, Roland also must effect changes in himself in order to be able to use the HoE. So the question remains why did he fail in his quest? The first part of the answer is that he did not have the Horn. Now he does, but what changes must he undergo?

I think he must become ka's ultimate fool: he must accept all that Ka dictates and realize that he is not responsible for any of the consequences. In this, his biggest obstacle will be his humanity. He is slow and unimaginative, which are definitely to his advantage. But all of his failings have come because of his humanity (and all the obstacles thrown in his path have been designed to provoke a human response): he thwarted Ka's intent when he saved Jake, killed Jack Mort, and created Susannah Dean. His guilt over the girl Susannah's death also assured his failure at the tower (hell, before that, falling love with her also assured that), as did his affection for Rosa in Callah Bryn Sturgis. Finally, his decision to release Susannah from her duties as gunslinger did not help him--he did not let Ka take it's course. In essense, to preserve humanity, he must lose his. It must be remembered that while he is probably not above Ka, he exists at the highhest level of the DarK Tower, which is a physical mainfestation of Ka. The weaknesses that define humanity must be denied him, if he is to fullfil his destiny.

Finally, the question of Roland's ka-tet comes up: will his next ka-tet consist of Eddie, Susannah Dean, Jake and Oy? I think not. First, I remember reading a line in the DT series that made think it will consist of different characters, I wish I had made a better note of it. Second, he created his own ka-tet for this journey, so if he must accept the one Ka gives him, it will necessarily be different. But the souls of Jaimie, Cuthbert, and Allain obviously are being rebornm into a new kat-tet with each new journey.

[theenormityofitall]

Even though I just hit it again, I'll never remember it if I actually ever start reading the books. I guess I should be doing that; I'm not getting any younger, and the way I go through fiction, it'll take me a few years to read just the first 3 or so.

[srboone]

Then follow me down the rabbit hole again, Alice:

Spoiler!

Further...

Spoiler!

Just a little ways more...

Spoiler!

Almost there...

Spoiler!

BOOL!!!