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Scribner (2005), 448 pages
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Stephen King The Dark Tower VI: Song of Susannah with 10 full-color illustrations by Darrel Anderson The next-to-last novel in Stephen King's seven-volume magnum opus, Song of Susannah is at once a book of revelation, a fascinating key to the unfolding mystery of the Dark Tower, and a fast-paced story of double-barreled suspense. To give birth to her "chap," demon-mother Mia has usurped the body of Susannah Dean and used the power of Black Thirteen to transport to New York City in the summer of 1999. The city is strange to Susannah ... and terrifying to the "daughter of none," who shares her body and mind. Saving the Tower depends not only on rescuing Susannah but also on securing the vacant lot Calvin Tower owns before he loses it to the Sombra Corporation. Enlisting the aid of Manni senders, the remaining katet climbs to the Doorway Cave ... and discovers that magic has its own mind. It falls to the boy, the billy-bumbler, and the fallen priest to find Susannah-Mia, who, in a struggle to cope -- with each other and with an alien environment -- "go todash" to Castle Discordia on the border of End-World. In that forsaken place, Mia reveals her origins, her purpose, and her fierce desire to mother whatever creature the two of them have carried to term. Eddie and Roland, meanwhile, tumble into western Maine in the summer of 1977, a world that should be idyllic but isn't. For one thing, it is real, and the bullets are flying. For another, it is inhabited by the author of a novel called 'Salem's Lot, a writer who turns out to be as shocked by them as they are by him. These are the simple vectors of a story rich in complexity and conflict. Its dual climaxes, one at the entrance to a deadly dining establishment and the other appended to the pages of a writer's journal, will leave readers gasping for the saga's final volume (which, Dear Reader, follows soon, say thank ya).… (more)
Media reviews
Reading "Song of Susannah," the penultimate novel in Stephen King's "Dark Tower" series, is rather like taking on the third leg of a triathlon.
It's no coincidence that Stephen King began the final sprint of his marathon "Dark Tower" epic shortly after the events of Sept. 11, 2001. What's now clear -- and certainly wasn't when some of us read "The Gunslinger," the first story in the sequence, more than 25 years ago -- is that this saga is
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more than just an unlikely mishmash of spaghetti Western, Arthurian high fantasy and post-apocalyptic sci-fi. Show Less
Reviewing the fifth volume of Stephen King's Dark Tower sequence, Wolves of the Calla, for this paper I suggested that this probably wasn't the best place for new readers to begin. Volume Six, Song of Susannah, however, almost works as a stand-alone novel, and is highly recommended for readers who
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enjoy the more metafictional side of King's oeuvre, and especially those who have been waiting for something along the lines of his greatest novel to date, Hearts in Atlantis. Show Less
User reviews
LibraryThing member badgenome
Here it is: the fall. There were some ominous signs for a while now, and finally this series falls right on its ass. With Song of Susannah it finally becomes clear- if you thought these books were about Roland and his quest for the Tower, you're wrong; they're about Stephen King. This book is
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rendered pretty much unsalvageable by the ultimate hat-on-a-hat moment of King appearing in his own novel. Ugh. Show Less
LibraryThing member Carol420
I am probably a minority here when I say that I don't care for this series. I tried it once before and thought I would give it another go; still nothing. Stephen Kings's stand alone books are outstanding but I just can't get into these. The scariest part of the book? King's journal entry reference
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to his dream regarding the date 6/19/1999. That gave me more chills than anything in the entire book. Show Less
LibraryThing member Edward.Lorn
Sweet baby Tom Cruise this book is a chore. If it wasn't for the fact that it's been ten years since I first read it, I probably would have skipped this one. This is probably the most incomplete book in the series. We're all over the damn place, and there is no discernible plot other than "Fill in
With this volume, I felt as if WOLVES OF THE CALLA, SONG OF SUSANNAH, and THE DARK TOWER were conceived as one final 2,500 page book. Sure, WOLVES standsalone... kind of. In the way THE WASTE LANDS stands alone, I suppose. We have a cliffhanger in both books, is what I'm getting at. The problem with SONG is nothing truly happens. 544 pages of nothing but reasons and puzzles that will pay off in the final volume.
It's an easy read, don't get me wrong, but it's boring. Like having your teeth pulled while you're asleep. Sure, there's a gun battle, but it's the most lackluster one of the entire series. Yeah, the ending's visuals are pretty disturbing and confusing in a JACOB'S LADDER kinda way, but that's all this book has going for it, and probably is the only reason I give this volume three stars and not something lower. I almost wish King would have released SONG and TOWER as one volume. It would have been his longest published book to date, but at least SONG wouldn't have felt so bloody disjointed.
In summation: This is the only volume that hasn't changed in my mind from one read to the other. It's still plodding, still sleep-inducing, and lacks any real story. Still, WIZARD AND GLASS is garbage by comparison, and that one had a plot.
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as many holes as possible, and be meta as fuck!"With this volume, I felt as if WOLVES OF THE CALLA, SONG OF SUSANNAH, and THE DARK TOWER were conceived as one final 2,500 page book. Sure, WOLVES standsalone... kind of. In the way THE WASTE LANDS stands alone, I suppose. We have a cliffhanger in both books, is what I'm getting at. The problem with SONG is nothing truly happens. 544 pages of nothing but reasons and puzzles that will pay off in the final volume.
It's an easy read, don't get me wrong, but it's boring. Like having your teeth pulled while you're asleep. Sure, there's a gun battle, but it's the most lackluster one of the entire series. Yeah, the ending's visuals are pretty disturbing and confusing in a JACOB'S LADDER kinda way, but that's all this book has going for it, and probably is the only reason I give this volume three stars and not something lower. I almost wish King would have released SONG and TOWER as one volume. It would have been his longest published book to date, but at least SONG wouldn't have felt so bloody disjointed.
In summation: This is the only volume that hasn't changed in my mind from one read to the other. It's still plodding, still sleep-inducing, and lacks any real story. Still, WIZARD AND GLASS is garbage by comparison, and that one had a plot.
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LibraryThing member TheLiveSoundGuy
An invaluable resource for anyone in the concert, and sound reinforcement industry.
LibraryThing member smurfwreck
I'm having the same problem with this series of books that I'm having with the Harry Potter books (which are at the same point 6 of 7 books) in that it feels like there is way too much left to say and not enough books in the series left to say it in. It's hard to review any one book in particular
One of the draws for reading the series to begin with was the allure of tying a bunch of King novels together through these books, and at the end of the day it does, though to what lengths I'm not sure are worth it. In this book we even get the man himself involved in the story with a side quest for Roland and Eddie to find King and discover his connection to the Tower. Now on the outside this may come off all Deux Ex Machina, but at the end of the day it really doesn't resolve anything and just opens more doors.
I think that's what bothers me so much about this book, it's that it opens more doors than it should for the 6th entry in a 7 book series.
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in the Dark Tower series beyond the first two because every book after The Drawing of the Three feels like one book interrupted by circumstance and time. I couldn't imagine what it was like to read The Wastelands and have to wait for the end to the cliffhanger, and I can't believe King waited until Wizard in the Glass to tell the back story on Roland, only to leave it half finished.One of the draws for reading the series to begin with was the allure of tying a bunch of King novels together through these books, and at the end of the day it does, though to what lengths I'm not sure are worth it. In this book we even get the man himself involved in the story with a side quest for Roland and Eddie to find King and discover his connection to the Tower. Now on the outside this may come off all Deux Ex Machina, but at the end of the day it really doesn't resolve anything and just opens more doors.
I think that's what bothers me so much about this book, it's that it opens more doors than it should for the 6th entry in a 7 book series.
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LibraryThing member eduscapes
Book VI in the Dark Tower series, Song of Susannah is as complicated and compelling as the other five books. If you haven't read the others in the series, this one won't make much sense. You reallly need to start at the beginning. This book really sets things up for the grand finale coming out this
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fall. Show Less
LibraryThing member caerulius
This book felt like it had been thrown together very quickly. Susannah's divided journey didn't feel believable to me, and I didn't care about Mia the way I should have for the premise to work. I just felt that the split-personality aspect of Susannah was being pushed too hard, too far, for too
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long. The reappearance of the low men in yellow coats from King's Hearts in Atlantis only marginally satisfied, as well. Show Less
LibraryThing member delphica
(#23 in the 2004 book challenge)
This is the penultimate book in the Dark Tower saga, and things are really starting to heat up. This was a real page turner, although it feels mostly like a lead in to the upcoming, final DT book. It wasn't quite as good, I think, as Wolves of the Calla, it reads
Grade: A-
Recommended: If you've read this far in the series, I doubt you'd stop now.
This is the penultimate book in the Dark Tower saga, and things are really starting to heat up. This was a real page turner, although it feels mostly like a lead in to the upcoming, final DT book. It wasn't quite as good, I think, as Wolves of the Calla, it reads
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more like a bridge book. There are some things I feel very, very nervous about as we head into the conclusion of the Dark Tower quest, and I'm warning people now that if certain bad things happen to certain characters, I might have to take to my bed for a week. I feel like I can't say much else without spoilers, as I know some people are probably planning to pick this up.Grade: A-
Recommended: If you've read this far in the series, I doubt you'd stop now.
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LibraryThing member placo75
CAUTION: SPOILERS
At the end of Wolves of the Calla (DT 5), Susannah/Mia slips away to New York to have her "chap." In Song of Susannah, we follow her to a place in mid-world called Fedic where she delivers the kid. The Manni from Calla Bryn Sturgis send the Gunslinger, Eddie, Jake, Oy, and Father
At the end of Wolves of the Calla (DT 5), Susannah/Mia slips away to New York to have her "chap." In Song of Susannah, we follow her to a place in mid-world called Fedic where she delivers the kid. The Manni from Calla Bryn Sturgis send the Gunslinger, Eddie, Jake, Oy, and Father
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Callahan back to this world via todash, but they end up in different wheres and whens--Jake, Oy, and Callahan in New York City in Susannah's when, and the Gunslinger and Eddie in Maine, where they eventually have an encounter with Stephen King himself. Not my favorite in the series thus far, but still good. In an interesting twist, King writes himself into the story at the end of this one. Show Less
LibraryThing member gling
This is the worst of the 7 books. Poorly written (where was King's head at?) and reminded me of all the Stephen King books that I don't like (and they are numerous).
Possibly, what I liked least was that he inserted himself into a huge portion of the book in a characteristic whim of self-promotional
I am about to start book VII of The Dark Tower. I'm hoping he extricates himself from the story so I'm not subjected to anymore of his megalomania.
Possibly, what I liked least was that he inserted himself into a huge portion of the book in a characteristic whim of self-promotional
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self-indulgence.I am about to start book VII of The Dark Tower. I'm hoping he extricates himself from the story so I'm not subjected to anymore of his megalomania.
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LibraryThing member dragonfairy
This part of the epic Dark Tower series is captivating and suspenseful. The direction King takes with Eddie, Susannah, Jake, Father Callahan, Oy, and Roland is both surprising and dramatic. It takes balls to do what King has accomplished with this work.
LibraryThing member sturlington
Spoilers ahoy!
Here it is, the sixth book in the epic saga of The Dark Tower, and in many ways, the most audacious and surprising installment yet. One thing that’s surprising is that it is such a short book, encompassing really only one day in the long journey of the ka-tet seeking the Tower. But
Finally, in the most audacious twist of all, Roland and Eddie travel to 1970s Maine and meet Stephen King himself (who has written himself as a man with more than a few flaws). They learn that, as the author of their own story, King is one of the linchpins holding the Tower in place and must be protected at all costs. The short novel ends with the mother of all cliffhangers: a baby about to be born; a suicide mission about to begin; and we all know what’s going to happen to those Twin Towers (think the Crimson King might have been working with the terrorists?).
In the final, and even more audacious, twist, the story closes with the death of King himself after being hit by a van. What is real and what is fiction? I’ve lost track. Suffice it to say, Part VI is a very quick read, less a standalone book in its own right, but rather functioning as a bridge from The Wolves of the Calla to the final and most eagerly awaited installment.
Here it is, the sixth book in the epic saga of The Dark Tower, and in many ways, the most audacious and surprising installment yet. One thing that’s surprising is that it is such a short book, encompassing really only one day in the long journey of the ka-tet seeking the Tower. But
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in that day, Susannah and her hitchhiker demon Mia cross over into 1999 New York and labor pains begin, heralding the arrival of Susannah’s demon baby – a baby who is destined to kill his father, who, through some bizarre demon manipulation I won’t try to explain, is Roland. Father Callahan, Jake and Oy follow Susannah and prepare for a showdown with a whole lot of baddies, but not before stashing Black Thirteen in a storage locker in the World Trade Center (where else?).Finally, in the most audacious twist of all, Roland and Eddie travel to 1970s Maine and meet Stephen King himself (who has written himself as a man with more than a few flaws). They learn that, as the author of their own story, King is one of the linchpins holding the Tower in place and must be protected at all costs. The short novel ends with the mother of all cliffhangers: a baby about to be born; a suicide mission about to begin; and we all know what’s going to happen to those Twin Towers (think the Crimson King might have been working with the terrorists?).
In the final, and even more audacious, twist, the story closes with the death of King himself after being hit by a van. What is real and what is fiction? I’ve lost track. Suffice it to say, Part VI is a very quick read, less a standalone book in its own right, but rather functioning as a bridge from The Wolves of the Calla to the final and most eagerly awaited installment.
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LibraryThing member bibliophile26
Only one more book to go and I'll be finished with this series! I'm very interested in the overarching story, but most of these books have been hard to get through. This one was relatively short (as compared to the 700+ pages of Book V) and action-packed. I plan to finish Book 7 before the end of
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the summer. Show Less
LibraryThing member Blazingice0608
A good book, however very short. Took the series to the King we know and love, lots of monsters and crazy occurances. This is also where the controversial event of King appearing in his own book occured.
LibraryThing member jaygheiser
This is getting more like traditional Stephen King. Most of this story takes place in New York, instead of Rowland's mid world,and perhaps that's why some of the traditional Stephen King creepiness has crept into this. Also, the author introduces himself as I character, albeit an unwitting one. I'm
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not a certain yet whether this is self-indulgent, or an incredibly clever plot device which makes King's writing and publishing of the book an actual phenomenon of the force of ka (fate) which permeates Roland's world. Either way, this is still a good read, but I found it less compelling than its five predecessors, although the pictures were nice. Show Less
LibraryThing member capetowncanada
I did not care for the last book to much and I think this one is only slightly better. The Ka-tet is split into three group's, Roland and Eddie, Jake and Callahan, with Susannah and her other personalities. In the scenes with Susannah you find out who Mia is and where she came from. There is a good
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part with black thirteen, Jake and Callahan. There is also and good action scene with Roland and Eddie followed by a bit of a twist when they meet a new character which to me is the worst part of the whole series, took me out of story. Also thought the book would have been better without the last 15-20 pages from the new character. Show Less
LibraryThing member skinglist
More real world cross overs. Susannah comes into her own.
LibraryThing member wispywillow
This is probably my least favorite of the series so far, but it wasn't terrible. I finally felt a little compassion for Mia, and it was good to get some more Susannah-time. Sadly the ka-tet is still split; hopefully they'll regroup in the last novel.
An interesting scene with Jake and Oy in New
Now for the Stephen King part: I'm not sure if his writing himself into the story is literary genius or unequalled ego... but it is sort of... cool. At least he wrote himself as a normal guy and not as anything special; he even talked about his beer gut and some addictions that he probably shouldn't have. So yeah... kind of cool, kind of strange. Perfect Stephen King.
I'm looking forward to the seventh and final book in the series!
An interesting scene with Jake and Oy in New
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York--the kid is really becoming a gunslinger!Now for the Stephen King part: I'm not sure if his writing himself into the story is literary genius or unequalled ego... but it is sort of... cool. At least he wrote himself as a normal guy and not as anything special; he even talked about his beer gut and some addictions that he probably shouldn't have. So yeah... kind of cool, kind of strange. Perfect Stephen King.
I'm looking forward to the seventh and final book in the series!
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LibraryThing member deslni01
The ka-tet is broken, as Eddie and Roland, Jake and Callahan, and Susannah and Mia are all off on their own, disconnected from each other in King's penultimate Dark Tower volume, Song of Susannah.
In a different when, Eddie and Roland face another gunfight, only a day after their previous fight
The Coda, however, is quite interesting and really illuminates how much the Dark Tower means to King. It is a collection of pages from his journal that are all tied together in that they are about the Dark Tower books and show how he feels, his thought process, and many other factors involving the series and his life.
While more of a small (compared to the last two books, which were nearly twice as long) filler between Wolves of the Calla and The Dark Tower, Song of Susannah completes its task of setting up the final volume, and putting each character in place for what must eventually happen with the ka-tet, the Crimson King, and the Tower itself.
In a different when, Eddie and Roland face another gunfight, only a day after their previous fight
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with the wolves and gather up more information on the tower, the quest, and the Tower/Deepneau pair. Then they meet an interesting character - Stephen King. Yes, that's right; one of the characters in Stephen King's Dark Tower series is Stephen King himself. While not playing a tremendously large role (at least, not yet), it is quite the move on King's part - rather ambitious, cliche, and it could easily be hit-or-miss to the reader. The Coda, however, is quite interesting and really illuminates how much the Dark Tower means to King. It is a collection of pages from his journal that are all tied together in that they are about the Dark Tower books and show how he feels, his thought process, and many other factors involving the series and his life.
While more of a small (compared to the last two books, which were nearly twice as long) filler between Wolves of the Calla and The Dark Tower, Song of Susannah completes its task of setting up the final volume, and putting each character in place for what must eventually happen with the ka-tet, the Crimson King, and the Tower itself.
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LibraryThing member Crowyhead
I described this book (well, the whole Dark Tower series, really) to someone last weekend as "disconcertingly good." Which sort of does Stephen King a disservice; I mean, I've always admired his ability to push all the right buttons. Let's face it, when the man is on, he is ON. But this series hits
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all the right notes, spot on. I'd be hard pressed to point out true clunkers in terms of storytelling (maybe a couple in the first book, but I'm willing to cut him some slack on that one). Even the stuff that really shouldn't work, like having Stephen King appear as a character, somehow does and is even moving. Show Less
LibraryThing member edgeworth
I did not have high hopes for this one. It's about Susannah's demon baby, it largely takes place in Earth, and it's the one where the characters come face to face with Stephen King. How the mighty have fallen. Now, it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, but that's not quite the same as being
I mentioned in my review for Wolves of the Calla that what I hate about the Dark Tower series (and what King loves) is all the numerology/comosology/fate/destiny/hallucinations/mystic bullshit. That's present in Song of Susannah in spades, along with the series' other huge problems: bloat, and the impression that King is making it up as he goes. There is waaaaay too much detail in his prose. Early on in the chapter, as Roland's gang prepares to give chase to Mia through the magical doorway in the Calla, there are endless pages describing the local Manni cult setting up all their mystic pendulums and starting the ritual. Who gives a shit? Get to the point.
Later on, we have a gunfight between Roland and Eddie and the same mafia goons they killed in The Drawing of the Three - because apparently they're in the real world now. We also see Eddie getting shocked when he finds out that "in this world" Co-Op City is in the Bronx, not Brooklyn, because King fucked that up back in '87 and decided to integrate it into the story. We also find out that Susannah's baby is not a demon's, but Roland's, because Roland fucked the same demon in The Gunslinger and it took his seed and passed it to her... and it's also the Crimson King's baby, somehow. And I still don't get what the fuck Mia is - first she was meant to be one of Susannah's many alternate personalities, always tiring to read about, but now she's some kind of demon that was turned into a human by the low men in a scientific outpost? Who can somehow possess Susannah's body and make her grow legs? I don't know what the fuck's going on anymore, Steve. That's what happens when you have a mortality crisis after a car accident and scramble to write three books in two years.
There's also a bizarrely racist section where Susannah stumbles through a hotel full of Japanese tourists, overflowing with Asian stereotypes and phoentic Engrish. I don't know what the fuck that was about.
Having said that, the part where Roland and Eddie meet Stephen King wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be. He's not in control of them: he's confused and terrified and totally out of his element. Ideally he never would have taken the characters back into the real world at all, let alone put himself in the story, but if it had to happen this is probably the best way to go about it. Song of Susannah is easily the lowest point of the series so far, but it's not (quite) terrible. I think it just emphasises the worst aspects of the Dark Tower series and features none of its good aspects.
Something I noticed, incidentally, was that I couldn't stand the chapters set in Maine (where King goes about his typical New England wankfest - we're a long way from cyborg bears now) and the chapters set in New York City, because to me New York City is as mystical and fantastic as Roland's world. This gave rise to another thought: other than his fantasy and sci-fi stuff that's not set on Earth at all, has King ever written so much as a single scene set outside the continental United States?
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good.I mentioned in my review for Wolves of the Calla that what I hate about the Dark Tower series (and what King loves) is all the numerology/comosology/fate/destiny/hallucinations/mystic bullshit. That's present in Song of Susannah in spades, along with the series' other huge problems: bloat, and the impression that King is making it up as he goes. There is waaaaay too much detail in his prose. Early on in the chapter, as Roland's gang prepares to give chase to Mia through the magical doorway in the Calla, there are endless pages describing the local Manni cult setting up all their mystic pendulums and starting the ritual. Who gives a shit? Get to the point.
Later on, we have a gunfight between Roland and Eddie and the same mafia goons they killed in The Drawing of the Three - because apparently they're in the real world now. We also see Eddie getting shocked when he finds out that "in this world" Co-Op City is in the Bronx, not Brooklyn, because King fucked that up back in '87 and decided to integrate it into the story. We also find out that Susannah's baby is not a demon's, but Roland's, because Roland fucked the same demon in The Gunslinger and it took his seed and passed it to her... and it's also the Crimson King's baby, somehow. And I still don't get what the fuck Mia is - first she was meant to be one of Susannah's many alternate personalities, always tiring to read about, but now she's some kind of demon that was turned into a human by the low men in a scientific outpost? Who can somehow possess Susannah's body and make her grow legs? I don't know what the fuck's going on anymore, Steve. That's what happens when you have a mortality crisis after a car accident and scramble to write three books in two years.
There's also a bizarrely racist section where Susannah stumbles through a hotel full of Japanese tourists, overflowing with Asian stereotypes and phoentic Engrish. I don't know what the fuck that was about.
Having said that, the part where Roland and Eddie meet Stephen King wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be. He's not in control of them: he's confused and terrified and totally out of his element. Ideally he never would have taken the characters back into the real world at all, let alone put himself in the story, but if it had to happen this is probably the best way to go about it. Song of Susannah is easily the lowest point of the series so far, but it's not (quite) terrible. I think it just emphasises the worst aspects of the Dark Tower series and features none of its good aspects.
Something I noticed, incidentally, was that I couldn't stand the chapters set in Maine (where King goes about his typical New England wankfest - we're a long way from cyborg bears now) and the chapters set in New York City, because to me New York City is as mystical and fantastic as Roland's world. This gave rise to another thought: other than his fantasy and sci-fi stuff that's not set on Earth at all, has King ever written so much as a single scene set outside the continental United States?
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LibraryThing member slarsoncollins
I'm not going to rate these separately as that doesn't make sense to me. I thought this was a wonderful series. I was horrified when he got hit by the car and I thought he may not be able to finish the story. The plot was incredible and the characters were like close friends of mine by the end. His
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imagery and imagination are an inspiration to those of us who strive to write for a living. His best work by far, IMHO. Show Less
LibraryThing member etimme
Strong, action packed entry in King's definitive series. The story remains rich with tradition and with dialect. Roland points out that Calla left its mark on their speech, and it works to great effect to make them stand out even more from the worlds they left behind, or are yet to leave.
Susannah
Although I think that some people dislike the hubris of an author writing himself into his own series, I think it had to happen. We've been watching King meld together stories from all genres to form the worlds through with Roland's ka-tet walks, and I think we had to meet the author to bring the question of fate and destiny to a head. Eddie is King's creation, and his typos form the former addict's reality, yet Eddie's reality influences King's future creations. It's a really confusing, self-feeding cycle.
We also had some great revelations. Eddie is a crafter of talismans, and is also both Cuthbert and not-Cuthbert. Susannah creates her own reality. Jake is a seer and also innocence lost.
The only misstep I think King makes is making Roland's joint problems so prominent in Wolves of the Calla, and then making them only a footnote in Song of Susannah. I'm sure his hands or legs will fail him at a pivotal moment in the next book, but I wish that they would not, or that the malady was something that would kill him after his quest.
Susannah
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has always been my least favorite character, but this book does a little to lessen this dislike. I'm happy that her alternate personalities might finally be coming to an end with the penultimate entry.Although I think that some people dislike the hubris of an author writing himself into his own series, I think it had to happen. We've been watching King meld together stories from all genres to form the worlds through with Roland's ka-tet walks, and I think we had to meet the author to bring the question of fate and destiny to a head. Eddie is King's creation, and his typos form the former addict's reality, yet Eddie's reality influences King's future creations. It's a really confusing, self-feeding cycle.
We also had some great revelations. Eddie is a crafter of talismans, and is also both Cuthbert and not-Cuthbert. Susannah creates her own reality. Jake is a seer and also innocence lost.
The only misstep I think King makes is making Roland's joint problems so prominent in Wolves of the Calla, and then making them only a footnote in Song of Susannah. I'm sure his hands or legs will fail him at a pivotal moment in the next book, but I wish that they would not, or that the malady was something that would kill him after his quest.
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LibraryThing member danconsiglio
This is where King got too meta for his britches. He tries to do too much and it falls flat. Don't write yourself into your own novel, D-bag! Too bad, I really liked this universe up until this point.
LibraryThing member queencersei
The Dark Tower series starts to show its age with this entry. King seems rushed to wrap the whole thing up. But for those already into the series it is not too painful a read.
Subjects
Awards
Locus Award (Nominee — Fantasy Novel — 2005)
Locus Recommended Reading (2004)
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2004-06-08
Physical description
8.38 inches
ISBN
0743254554 / 9780743254557