Best Dark Tower book

[srboone]

Man, aren't you lucky I'm in the Nederland (Colorado) public library at the moment and my (PC) time's running out....Have to keep it short....

sk

Ka.

[srboone]

I found something in Wizard and Glass that I probably knew that I had forgotten or maybe just never thought about before.

Spoiler!

Last chance for those of you who have not read The DT series...

Spoiler!

Ok...

The world of The Stand that Roland and his ka-tet stumble into along I-70 is from 1986--not Eddie Dean's 1986--but 1986. The original version of The Stand took place in 1980, the C&UC version in 1990. So the C&UC version stands alone, not as a revision of the orginal. Pretty shitty and "thinny" explanation of the half-assed attempt to update it for a new generation (the remnants of the original that mark a stark contrast to the updated portions of the 1990's version are a result of a thinny), but it is acceptable (barely) since time runs differently in the "other worlds than these."

***I guess that means that the original version is for his fans who have read the DT series and the 1990 version is for those who are curious about The Stand, but don't want to get involved in the mytholgy he's created.

The C&UC version of The Stand is still my least favorite King book. (But that's another thread...)

[srboone]

Another meditation on my current journey across Mid-World (I'm halfway thru W&G):

Spoiler!

In The Drawing of the Three, Roland figures that the third he drew was Susannah Dean. But in the Argument to Wizard and Glass, King states that Jack Mort was supposed to be the third, but Roland applied his will to ka and killed Mort in the subway where Odetta Holmes lost her legs.

As we are reminded throughout the DT series, ka will have it's way, regardless of how we try to thwart it. In this case, ka willed that Roland would draw three and supplied Jake as the third since Roland prevented him from dying when he was in Mort's body.

Maybe ka has a sense of honor and doesn't like having to find another to accomplish what needs to be done. Perhaps ka's indignation at Roland's actions caused it to decree that Roland should go through his journey again.

..........

Maybe not.

People smarter than me have probably already posed this and I'm just coming late to the party...

[srboone]

Finished Wizard and Glass. Here's why I don't think it is the best DT book:

Spoiler!

1. While the references to The Wizard of Oz work within the parameters of the DT series, it displays a lack of imagination on King's part.

2. The transitions from journey to tale and journey again is awkward; the narrative voice does not change. It is quite jarring in fact and makes for an uncomfortable reading experience.

3. Roland, in the end, is a very unreliable narrator. When Eddie asks Roland how he can know the four corners of the story he is telling, Roland replies, "Is that really what you want to ask, Eddie?" While Eddie says "No," the reader is screaming "Yes! Yes! Yes!" While it is explained later that Maerlyn's Grapefuit showed him the things that he couldn't possibly have known otherwise, Roland admits that he had to guess at some of it. Also, the Grapefruit was shown to have lied to him before. The unreliable narrator is not in itself a bad thing in literature, but given the totality of the W&G reading expereince, it works against the novel.

It must be said that W&G is an important installment of the DT series; if Roland regaining his humanity is the key to solving the riddle of the DT, Roland must come to terms with his past. It's obvious that he has not, so the ending of the series should have been no surprise.

I still think The Drawing of the Three is the best of the series. Narratively it flows better and is better conceived. It is also more exciting with no lulls in action. Part of this comes from the fact that King's early fiction is forward-thinking while his later fiction deals with remembering things that have happened before. I have a preference for his early works (of which TDot3 would be a part--W&G definitely falls in the latter category.)

[theenormityofitall]

I need to stay away from this thread if I ever want to read the series. I'm seeing too much about it here. And I can't help but hit "show" when I see spoliers. Like a lil tot wanting a cookie, I have to do it.

[srboone]

Early on I used the spoiler within the spoiler technique, to give you a chance, but...

[theenormityofitall]

lol yeah I know. I can't help myself.

[RJK1981]

I need to stay away from this thread if I ever want to read the series. I'm seeing too much about it here. And I can't help but hit "show" when I see spoliers. Like a lil tot wanting a cookie, I have to do it.

lol, I do the exact same thing with every spoiler tag I see here

[peteOcha]

It shouldn't say "spoiler". "CLICK ME CLICK ME!!!!!!!!" would be more appropriate.

[srboone]

Then follow me down the rabbit hole again, Alice:

Spoiler!

Further...

Spoiler!

Just a little ways more...

Spoiler!

Almost there...

Spoiler!

BOOL!!!

[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]

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.

[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]

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

[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