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Available
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Series
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Collection
Publication
Scribner (2005), Edition: 0, Paperback, 864 pages
Description
Fantasy. Fiction. HTML:Creating "true narrative magic" (The Washington Post) at every revelatory turn, Stephen King surpasses all expectation in the stunning final volume of his seven-part epic masterwork. Entwining stories and worlds from a vast and complex canvas, here is the conclusion readers have long awaited�??breathtakingly imaginative, boldly visionary, and wholly entertaining. Roland Deschain and his ka-tet have journeyed together and apart, scattered far and wide across multilayered worlds of wheres and whens. The destinies of Roland, Susannah, Jake, Father Callahan, Oy, and Eddie are bound in the Dark Tower itself, which now pulls them ever closer to their own endings and beginnings...and into a maelstrom of emotion, violence, and discove… (more)
Media reviews
N 1970, when he was 22, Stephen King wrote a sentence he liked: ''The man in black fled across the desert, and the gunslinger followed.'' It's an innocent sentence -- pulpy and suggestive -- but it grew to become a monster. As the first line in the ''Dark Tower'' series, it begins a story King
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intended to be the longest popular novel in history. With the publication of ''The Dark Tower VII,'' the series has topped the 4,000-page mark and, mercifully, reached its conclusion. Show Less
King's "The Dark Tower" is the culmination of a saga that spans 3,000 pages, seven primary volumes, at least 15 ancillary ones and more than three decades of effort on the part of its author.
User reviews
LibraryThing member Theta9
A Wretched End to a Great Story
I used to rate The Dark Tower among my favorite SF/fantasy stories right up through book 4 (Wizard and Glass), despite the early warning signs even back then. The "Captain Trips"-devastated Kansas that our heroes found themselves in after debarking from Blaine the
And then we come to the final part of the series. Issue one: Ubervillains like The Ageless Stranger (oftimes known as Flagg, Marten, and a whole legion of other names) and Modred, and even The Crimson King, turn out to be laughable as threats after the buildup they've been given. Two: From almost the very beginning we've been told that there is something wrong with the continuum of all the worlds, and that they face total destruction, and that the only way to save existence is to go to the Tower -- and in this book it turns out that destroying the breaker community at Algul Siento is all that is needed to halt the decay; the remaining beams will heal themselves, and Roland does not have to proceed to the Tower. This basically means Roland's quest was never really what we thought it was, and there should have been no need for the ending we got ... which brings me to ..... Three: I don't know how I would have written the end of the story. It's not my job -- it was King's, and he fell down on the job. After the build-up of the Tower being the linch-pin of all worlds, and the lecture about scale and size in "The Gunslinger and the Dark Man" way back in book 1, the cop-out of the "here we go again" ending is an insult to the Constant Readers, and the preemptiveness of King's defensive "stop reading here if you don't want to be disappointed" admonition is just rubbing salt in the wound. A series as good as this one has been for over half of its run deserved better than this.
I don't even know where to start with the smarmy, contrived situation that Susannah ends up in, with Eddie, Jake, and even Oy returned to her. It's like saying "it's okay that all the people she loved were killed, because here they are again, almost as good as before!" The replacements cheapen the deaths of their predecessors. And King's presence as a character in the last two books was every kind of suck.
I still love this series, and I can see myself rereading it -- but I don't think I can bring myself to go past book 4 any more.
I used to rate The Dark Tower among my favorite SF/fantasy stories right up through book 4 (Wizard and Glass), despite the early warning signs even back then. The "Captain Trips"-devastated Kansas that our heroes found themselves in after debarking from Blaine the
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Mono, and the trip to the Emerald City of Oz at the end of the book, were indications of some of the problems the series was to develop. Tying most of his previous works together into this one epic was unnecessary, and the series as a whole suffered from it. King apparently lost his groove during the long hiatus between books 4 and 5, and never got it back. After peaking with book 3 The Waste Lands and plateau-ing with the story of Roland's youth in book 4, the books 5 and 6 that eventually came out were pale shadows of the preceding volumes.And then we come to the final part of the series. Issue one: Ubervillains like The Ageless Stranger (oftimes known as Flagg, Marten, and a whole legion of other names) and Modred, and even The Crimson King, turn out to be laughable as threats after the buildup they've been given. Two: From almost the very beginning we've been told that there is something wrong with the continuum of all the worlds, and that they face total destruction, and that the only way to save existence is to go to the Tower -- and in this book it turns out that destroying the breaker community at Algul Siento is all that is needed to halt the decay; the remaining beams will heal themselves, and Roland does not have to proceed to the Tower. This basically means Roland's quest was never really what we thought it was, and there should have been no need for the ending we got ... which brings me to ..... Three: I don't know how I would have written the end of the story. It's not my job -- it was King's, and he fell down on the job. After the build-up of the Tower being the linch-pin of all worlds, and the lecture about scale and size in "The Gunslinger and the Dark Man" way back in book 1, the cop-out of the "here we go again" ending is an insult to the Constant Readers, and the preemptiveness of King's defensive "stop reading here if you don't want to be disappointed" admonition is just rubbing salt in the wound. A series as good as this one has been for over half of its run deserved better than this.
I don't even know where to start with the smarmy, contrived situation that Susannah ends up in, with Eddie, Jake, and even Oy returned to her. It's like saying "it's okay that all the people she loved were killed, because here they are again, almost as good as before!" The replacements cheapen the deaths of their predecessors. And King's presence as a character in the last two books was every kind of suck.
I still love this series, and I can see myself rereading it -- but I don't think I can bring myself to go past book 4 any more.
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LibraryThing member deslni01
The ka-tet is together again and their quest to the Dark Tower continues - and finishes - in the final volume of King's epic Dark Tower series. Roland Deschain of Gilead's journey to the Dark Tower began several thousand pages and seven books ago and King is finally wrapping up the story.
This
Aside from the story, King actually changed his style of writing in some respects, and unfortunately the changes are not for the better. One of his writing changes is he now addresses the reader, and refers to the reader in his tale. For example, "We have reached that point...and all I can do now is point here and there and hope you can bring your own order out of the general chaos" (370), or "This was quite a bit more than Roland actually said (as we should know, having been there)" (623), among others. This is either new to the seventh volume, or very unnoticeable in the previous volumes and the change takes away from the story, ever so slightly.
Another unfortunate change in his writing style is that King reveals what is going to happen well before it happens. When a particular happenstance takes place that affects one of the many characters (not necessarily the main characters, and for better or worse), King reveals it is going to happen well before it is able to unfold. Examples include (names are omitted to protect anything from being given away) "little did he know that he stepped on the glass that will eventually kill him", or "this is the last time _____ would ever be together", and many more instances take place in the book. Again, this deviates from the previous volumes, and is an unwelcome change in his writing style.
Another issue, this time in the story itself as opposed to King's writing style, is how King handled the character of Randall Flagg in this final volume. (If you've yet to read this volume, perhaps you should skip this brief section). Throughout the series, Flagg is the antithesis of Roland. He is Roland's mortal enemy, one he has encountered many times (and appears in several of King's books). His death is very unsatisfying. It seems as if King merely remembered he had to do something about him and decided "oh shoot, I'll just take care of him here, on this one page."
All in all, the series was a blast. King did a marvelous job with his story telling, and brought to life some very memorable characters and developed them very nicely. The growth of Roland is exceptional throughout the series and his change is dramatic from the pages of The Gunslinger to The Dark Tower. This is easily the best epic tale, spanning several books, since Lord of the Rings and should not be bypassed by any curious reader looking for a wonderful tale full of many stories that are sad, happy, exciting, thrilling, and will leave the reader with a sense of wonder unrivaled in modern fiction. While the length of the series (roughly 4,000 pages worth) may deter some readers, King had a particular quote in the final volume regarding such a concern:
I hope you came to hear the tale, and not just munch your way through the pages to the ending. For an ending, you only have to turn to the last page and see what is there writ upon. But endings are heartless. An ending is a closed door no man (or Manni) can open.
And that sentiment echos in the heart of the series, as the true glory and wonder is the tale that takes place, not the ending itself.
And remember, ka is a wheel - Say thankya.
This
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volume has many exciting and entertaining plot twists, and will keep the reader on their toes throughout all 830 pages (excluding the appendix, which includes Robert Browning's poem "Childe Roland to the Dark Tower Came", the basis and influence for King's series). As the quest continues, the ka-tet is being followed by Mordred Deschain - the son of both Roland and the Crimson King, as well as the son of Susannah and Mia - who is plotting to kill anyone in his way to fulfill his destiny by killing Roland. Along the way, the ka-tet finds itself in Thunderclap, at the place where the children from the Callas are sent to have their brains tampered with before being sent back roont and must save the beam - and in doing so find themselves in the company of a very old friend (and one that many fans will smile, upon reading about again). And finally, along the way, the Artist is drawn, to help accomplish the remaining tasks prior to the showdown between the Crimson King and Roland.Aside from the story, King actually changed his style of writing in some respects, and unfortunately the changes are not for the better. One of his writing changes is he now addresses the reader, and refers to the reader in his tale. For example, "We have reached that point...and all I can do now is point here and there and hope you can bring your own order out of the general chaos" (370), or "This was quite a bit more than Roland actually said (as we should know, having been there)" (623), among others. This is either new to the seventh volume, or very unnoticeable in the previous volumes and the change takes away from the story, ever so slightly.
Another unfortunate change in his writing style is that King reveals what is going to happen well before it happens. When a particular happenstance takes place that affects one of the many characters (not necessarily the main characters, and for better or worse), King reveals it is going to happen well before it is able to unfold. Examples include (names are omitted to protect anything from being given away) "little did he know that he stepped on the glass that will eventually kill him", or "this is the last time _____ would ever be together", and many more instances take place in the book. Again, this deviates from the previous volumes, and is an unwelcome change in his writing style.
Another issue, this time in the story itself as opposed to King's writing style, is how King handled the character of Randall Flagg in this final volume. (If you've yet to read this volume, perhaps you should skip this brief section). Throughout the series, Flagg is the antithesis of Roland. He is Roland's mortal enemy, one he has encountered many times (and appears in several of King's books). His death is very unsatisfying. It seems as if King merely remembered he had to do something about him and decided "oh shoot, I'll just take care of him here, on this one page."
All in all, the series was a blast. King did a marvelous job with his story telling, and brought to life some very memorable characters and developed them very nicely. The growth of Roland is exceptional throughout the series and his change is dramatic from the pages of The Gunslinger to The Dark Tower. This is easily the best epic tale, spanning several books, since Lord of the Rings and should not be bypassed by any curious reader looking for a wonderful tale full of many stories that are sad, happy, exciting, thrilling, and will leave the reader with a sense of wonder unrivaled in modern fiction. While the length of the series (roughly 4,000 pages worth) may deter some readers, King had a particular quote in the final volume regarding such a concern:
I hope you came to hear the tale, and not just munch your way through the pages to the ending. For an ending, you only have to turn to the last page and see what is there writ upon. But endings are heartless. An ending is a closed door no man (or Manni) can open.
And that sentiment echos in the heart of the series, as the true glory and wonder is the tale that takes place, not the ending itself.
And remember, ka is a wheel - Say thankya.
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LibraryThing member PghDragonMan
When I started reading the "Dark Tower" series, I was enthralled with the character of Roland. I thought the concept, while not totally original, was exceptionally well done. After book four, I felt the edge begin to slip from the storyline. King is still a masterful storyteller, however,
There is nothing original in the last book. Every device was telegraphed, so there were no surprises in the plot. I fully anticipated the arrival of characters from previous stories, arriving deus ex mechina, to save the day. Even the trite ending of the book was exactly as expected. It was almost as if the author felt compelled to fill his unwritten contract with his "constant reader" and deliver a final installment, even though his heart had gone out of the project.
What kept me slogging trough the pages was King's rich descriptions and wonderful dialog. What is really sad is that even when Stephen King is writing a mediocre story, he is way better than a lot of his contemporaries. If I were rating this on plot alone, it would be a sad two star rating.
At points in my reading journey with Roland and friends, I waited several years between installments for the next book to be delivered. I was satisfied with installments when they finally did arrive. Each was a well crafted story, carrying the plot further along, filling in background to Roland's world. I almost wish that King had not delivered the last installments and the we were either forced to wait for a return of the inspiration that gave us the first three volumes or this forever remained an unfinished masterpiece.
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throughout the saga. It is only through the graces of his storytelling ability, and my personal desire to, like Roland, see my quest through to the end, that I continued to read this last book. It was that bad.There is nothing original in the last book. Every device was telegraphed, so there were no surprises in the plot. I fully anticipated the arrival of characters from previous stories, arriving deus ex mechina, to save the day. Even the trite ending of the book was exactly as expected. It was almost as if the author felt compelled to fill his unwritten contract with his "constant reader" and deliver a final installment, even though his heart had gone out of the project.
What kept me slogging trough the pages was King's rich descriptions and wonderful dialog. What is really sad is that even when Stephen King is writing a mediocre story, he is way better than a lot of his contemporaries. If I were rating this on plot alone, it would be a sad two star rating.
At points in my reading journey with Roland and friends, I waited several years between installments for the next book to be delivered. I was satisfied with installments when they finally did arrive. Each was a well crafted story, carrying the plot further along, filling in background to Roland's world. I almost wish that King had not delivered the last installments and the we were either forced to wait for a return of the inspiration that gave us the first three volumes or this forever remained an unfinished masterpiece.
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LibraryThing member reading_fox
One of the more annoying endings to a series you've slogged through seven books to get to. I'm unlikely to re-read this often.
LibraryThing member badgenome
Roland finally catches his Tower in a book that represents a rather amazing rebound from the dreadful Song of Susannah. Looking at the Dark Tower series as a whole, one can track King's progressively self-indulgent writing; The Dark Tower is no different in that regard as the storytelling doesn't
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even approach being economical. It is, however, an unexpectedly emotional experience- something I'd reckoned we'd be cheated out of after the disaster that was book six. As for the controversial ending, I have no problem with it. I found it to be surprisingly good, and I think it's the right one. It would have been even better, though, if King hadn't broken in on his own story to wonder aloud why anybody even cares what's in the Tower; maybe this is a tacit admission that even he realizes what a turd Susannah had been. In short, The Dark Tower is a reasonably strong conclusion to a series that seemed destined for greatness, then disintegrated, becoming considerably less than the sum of its parts. Show Less
LibraryThing member skinglist
So sad. So frustrating. The world is 19. Ka-tet. We all serve the beam.
LibraryThing member nimil
that ending... i am not happy.
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 erinbearlina
Stephen King's piece-de-resistance. I love this series. I read it a few years ago and am currently listening to it on audio. It's all encompassing - massive in scope. It's an epic story, a never-ending one. The descriptions are visually enticing - so typically Stephen King. These books make the
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statement "in bold" that I believe all his other books do in maybe more subtle ways. Definitely worth a read. Show Less
LibraryThing member pixiedark
A great ending to a great series.
LibraryThing member SoapBoxinMyMind
My rating is for the Dark Tower Series, as it was a fabulous adventure with suspenseful events and developing relationships. Through the series, the reader learns more about Roland and his early life, as well as where all the players in the story fit in to his quest. It was well done and I am
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pleased with the ultimate ending, though I have a friend who was extremely angered by the way Stephen King chose to wrap things up.As for this final book, The Dark Tower, in and of itself, I was somewhat disappointed in aspects of the book because I feel that King juts needed some filler. As is his style, he makes an appearance in this book, and this is where my qualm lies. I do not like the extent in which he ties himself to the story. This is the part that made me feel like he just wanted to be done with the series. Getting past that, though, I enjoyed the last book very much. Show Less
LibraryThing member Edward.Lorn
On its own, THE DARK TOWER is a train wreck. Much like SONG OF SUSANNAH, it's all over the place, and meta-as-fuck. Because of this, my review of book seven will cover the series as a whole. Say sorry. Say thankee, sai.
I read the first three books (THE GUNSLINGER, THE DRAWING OF THE THREE, and THE
In April, Dan of Dantastic Reviews, posted on Booklikes that he would be rereading the series, one book a month, and asked if anyone wanted to join him. Since it'd been a decade since I finished Roland's quest, I jumped at the chance, hoping that this time I'd enjoy it more. Overall, I did. WOLVES was far better the second time around, as was TOWER, but I actually hated WIZARD AND GLASS even more this go around, and found my feelings hadn't changed whatsoever where SONG OF SUSANNAH was concerned. I also reread THE WIND THROUGH THE KEYHOLE between WIZARD AND GLASS and WOLVES OF THE CALLA, as King intended. In the end, I laughed, I cried, I mourned the loss of close friends, and would still recommend the series to anyone who enjoys epic quests, crazy-original monsters, meta-fiction, and amazing world building.
With the Dark Tower series, King does here what King does best: character development. You come to love every member of Roland's ka-tet, and, even when the series starts going down hill at the rate of a cinderblock dropped from the tippy-top of the Empire State Building, you're compelled to continue reading because you have to know how everything character's story ends. In fact, their fates are the best part of the entire series, and the most touching material King has ever written. Come the halfway mark of THE DARK TOWER, the tears begin, and do not let up until the final page. Strangely enough, the last sentence of the final book makes me want to start reading the entire thing all over again, but I won't, at least not for another decade, probably when my daughter's old enough to enjoy reading through it with her old man.
Highlights of the series include: All the fantastic set pieces throughout the series, the battle of Tull, Jakes fall (only because it's so well done), the incomparable originality of THE DRAWING OF THE THREE, the shoot out at Balazar's place, the end of Jack Mort, Shardik's attack, every bit of the mad dash through Lud, Blaine's riddling (even though I'm one of the few who loved that insane train), the end of WIZARD AND GLASS (because, you know, it does finally end, and that's a great feeling, the fact that it's over), the titular part of THE WIND THROUGH THE KEYHOLE, the return of Father Donald Callahan (the disgraced priest from the tragic town of `Salem's Lot), the slaughter of the Wolves, the return of Sheemie (the only good part of WIZARD), Roland, Susannah, and Oy's time on Odd Lane, the thing under Castle Discordia, the final fates of Eddie Dean, Jake Chambers, Oy, and Roland, the circle completed.
Low points of the series include: the lackluster ending of THE GUNSLINGER, the insta-love between Eddie and Susannah, WIZARD AND GLASS (the entire book, plus the plagiarism of THE WIZARD OF OZ), the bloated nature of WOLVES OF THE CALLA (seriously, that book could have been at least two hundred pages shorter, but that can be said of all King's book since FIRESTARTER), Stephen King writing himself into the series, 95% of SONG OF SUSANNAH, Walter/Flagg's disappointing death, part one of THE DARK TOWER (which should have been the end of SONG, and I still have no idea why it wasn't), the anti-climactic fate of Mordred, the description of the Crimson King (Santa Claus... fucking really!?), the dickhead move of complaining about how readers don't understand that storytelling should be about the journey and not the destination, and how King basically says he only wrote about what Roland finds inside the dark tower because he didn't want to hear people's shit, and, finally, the fact that the series is over, that Roland's quest is finished... kind of.
Important bits that are missing from the series: Roland and the last of the gunslingers' final fight against Farson's army (my rage boner throbs epically because we get every single boring detail of Susan and Roland's bullshit love story, but King only mentions the fight with the Good Man in a brief flashback in WOLVES), the period of time when Jake becomes a complete and utter badass (he goes from being a scared kid in THE WASTE LANDS to taking on the Wolves as if his spine were made of iron and his sack roughly the size of a bowling ball, the fate of Ted Brautigan (he of HEARTS IN ATLANTIS).
In summation: Yes, there are a lot of craptastic parts about this series, and plenty of unanswered questions, but, other than THE LORD OF THE RINGS, this is the only fantasy series I've ever been able to finish. I've attempted A SONG OF ICE AND FIRE, THE WHEEL OF TIME doorstops, Moorcock's Elric Saga, and THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA (a.k.a The Bible featuring Greek Mythology) and couldn't finish more than two books of each. If nothing else, read the first three books in the Dark Tower series and skip the rest. WIZARD is a complete bore, SONG is incomplete, TOWER is a rushed train wreck, and WOLVES is filled with loads of superfluous information, yet the Dark Tower tale as a whole is a definite five-star read, if for no other reason than my unfaltering love for every character. Some of the best friends I've ever known in life live between the pages of these books, and I miss them already. Say thankya, sai King.
I read the first three books (THE GUNSLINGER, THE DRAWING OF THE THREE, and THE
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WASTE LANDS) when I was thirteen. When WIZARD AND GLASS came out, I read that one, and hated it. I still hate it, even after three reads. In 2003, I reread the first four books in anticipation of the release of the final three, which King announced early that year. Then, when it came out, I read WOLVES OF THE CALLA, and in 2004 I raced through SONG OF SUSANNAH (which I hated only slightly less than WIZARD AND GLASS) and, eventually, the seventh and final book, THE DARK TOWER. Ten years later, King released THE WIND THROUGH THE KEYHOLE, I blew through that one and found it a pleasant bit of storytelling. That's the history. Now onto the 2014 reread.In April, Dan of Dantastic Reviews, posted on Booklikes that he would be rereading the series, one book a month, and asked if anyone wanted to join him. Since it'd been a decade since I finished Roland's quest, I jumped at the chance, hoping that this time I'd enjoy it more. Overall, I did. WOLVES was far better the second time around, as was TOWER, but I actually hated WIZARD AND GLASS even more this go around, and found my feelings hadn't changed whatsoever where SONG OF SUSANNAH was concerned. I also reread THE WIND THROUGH THE KEYHOLE between WIZARD AND GLASS and WOLVES OF THE CALLA, as King intended. In the end, I laughed, I cried, I mourned the loss of close friends, and would still recommend the series to anyone who enjoys epic quests, crazy-original monsters, meta-fiction, and amazing world building.
With the Dark Tower series, King does here what King does best: character development. You come to love every member of Roland's ka-tet, and, even when the series starts going down hill at the rate of a cinderblock dropped from the tippy-top of the Empire State Building, you're compelled to continue reading because you have to know how everything character's story ends. In fact, their fates are the best part of the entire series, and the most touching material King has ever written. Come the halfway mark of THE DARK TOWER, the tears begin, and do not let up until the final page. Strangely enough, the last sentence of the final book makes me want to start reading the entire thing all over again, but I won't, at least not for another decade, probably when my daughter's old enough to enjoy reading through it with her old man.
Highlights of the series include: All the fantastic set pieces throughout the series, the battle of Tull, Jakes fall (only because it's so well done), the incomparable originality of THE DRAWING OF THE THREE, the shoot out at Balazar's place, the end of Jack Mort, Shardik's attack, every bit of the mad dash through Lud, Blaine's riddling (even though I'm one of the few who loved that insane train), the end of WIZARD AND GLASS (because, you know, it does finally end, and that's a great feeling, the fact that it's over), the titular part of THE WIND THROUGH THE KEYHOLE, the return of Father Donald Callahan (the disgraced priest from the tragic town of `Salem's Lot), the slaughter of the Wolves, the return of Sheemie (the only good part of WIZARD), Roland, Susannah, and Oy's time on Odd Lane, the thing under Castle Discordia, the final fates of Eddie Dean, Jake Chambers, Oy, and Roland, the circle completed.
Low points of the series include: the lackluster ending of THE GUNSLINGER, the insta-love between Eddie and Susannah, WIZARD AND GLASS (the entire book, plus the plagiarism of THE WIZARD OF OZ), the bloated nature of WOLVES OF THE CALLA (seriously, that book could have been at least two hundred pages shorter, but that can be said of all King's book since FIRESTARTER), Stephen King writing himself into the series, 95% of SONG OF SUSANNAH, Walter/Flagg's disappointing death, part one of THE DARK TOWER (which should have been the end of SONG, and I still have no idea why it wasn't), the anti-climactic fate of Mordred, the description of the Crimson King (Santa Claus... fucking really!?), the dickhead move of complaining about how readers don't understand that storytelling should be about the journey and not the destination, and how King basically says he only wrote about what Roland finds inside the dark tower because he didn't want to hear people's shit, and, finally, the fact that the series is over, that Roland's quest is finished... kind of.
Important bits that are missing from the series: Roland and the last of the gunslingers' final fight against Farson's army (my rage boner throbs epically because we get every single boring detail of Susan and Roland's bullshit love story, but King only mentions the fight with the Good Man in a brief flashback in WOLVES), the period of time when Jake becomes a complete and utter badass (he goes from being a scared kid in THE WASTE LANDS to taking on the Wolves as if his spine were made of iron and his sack roughly the size of a bowling ball, the fate of Ted Brautigan (he of HEARTS IN ATLANTIS).
In summation: Yes, there are a lot of craptastic parts about this series, and plenty of unanswered questions, but, other than THE LORD OF THE RINGS, this is the only fantasy series I've ever been able to finish. I've attempted A SONG OF ICE AND FIRE, THE WHEEL OF TIME doorstops, Moorcock's Elric Saga, and THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA (a.k.a The Bible featuring Greek Mythology) and couldn't finish more than two books of each. If nothing else, read the first three books in the Dark Tower series and skip the rest. WIZARD is a complete bore, SONG is incomplete, TOWER is a rushed train wreck, and WOLVES is filled with loads of superfluous information, yet the Dark Tower tale as a whole is a definite five-star read, if for no other reason than my unfaltering love for every character. Some of the best friends I've ever known in life live between the pages of these books, and I miss them already. Say thankya, sai King.
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LibraryThing member Spiceca
Dark Tower Series finally complete and bittersweet for me. I came to really get into the characters and hated to see my time with them end. That being said this finale wasn't as perfect as I was hoping it would be.
Some of the cons:
-I wasn't thrilled with how several characters exited the
-Kings character of himself played way too big of a role for my liking
-The excessive fast pace of the story- a whole lot was thrown into this book that easily could have spread out to 2 books but maybe that was just Ka speeding up time.
Some of the Pros:
-I liked the twist with the "Chap"- nice additional element
-I liked the circle of Ka concept
-I liked the new character that was introduced in the latter half
HERE BE SPOILERS (NOT RECOMMENDED TO READ AHEAD IF YOU HAVENT READ YET)
I was very annoyed with not only how quickly but how unnecessarily Jake and Eddie were forcibly removed from the story, not to mention it was one right after the other- I barely had enough time to get used to the first one before the second whammy. And then it was pretty much Susannah that was left with Roland since Oy's role was almost nonexistent at that point(and she is my least favorite character). Susannah's exit was pretty lackluster as well. Even though I was very sad to say goodbye to Oy (as I would love to have my own little Oy around), his exit was at least a brave finale fitting for the little warrior that he was.
Mordred's finale was a bit pathetic really. I was expecting more from this line. It was practically over as soon as it started. The new character of the artist was a great addition especially since what he could do was pretty cool. The final showdown was shorter than expected and while not wonderful it wasn't really the ending.
The actual ending was perfect for the series. I love how Roland's personality forced this aspect; after-all "there are other worlds than this" and the wheel of Ka will continue whether Roland wants it to or not.
Some of the cons:
-I wasn't thrilled with how several characters exited the
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story.-Kings character of himself played way too big of a role for my liking
-The excessive fast pace of the story- a whole lot was thrown into this book that easily could have spread out to 2 books but maybe that was just Ka speeding up time.
Some of the Pros:
-I liked the twist with the "Chap"- nice additional element
-I liked the circle of Ka concept
-I liked the new character that was introduced in the latter half
HERE BE SPOILERS (NOT RECOMMENDED TO READ AHEAD IF YOU HAVENT READ YET)
I was very annoyed with not only how quickly but how unnecessarily Jake and Eddie were forcibly removed from the story, not to mention it was one right after the other- I barely had enough time to get used to the first one before the second whammy. And then it was pretty much Susannah that was left with Roland since Oy's role was almost nonexistent at that point(and she is my least favorite character). Susannah's exit was pretty lackluster as well. Even though I was very sad to say goodbye to Oy (as I would love to have my own little Oy around), his exit was at least a brave finale fitting for the little warrior that he was.
Mordred's finale was a bit pathetic really. I was expecting more from this line. It was practically over as soon as it started. The new character of the artist was a great addition especially since what he could do was pretty cool. The final showdown was shorter than expected and while not wonderful it wasn't really the ending.
The actual ending was perfect for the series. I love how Roland's personality forced this aspect; after-all "there are other worlds than this" and the wheel of Ka will continue whether Roland wants it to or not.
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LibraryThing member sturlington
The last, and probably the thickest (with the possible exception of Wizard and Glass) volume in the Dark Tower series is in itself a contradiction: absurd and moving, deeply satisfying and unsatisfying in its long-awaited conclusion to Roland’s question, disappointing and ultimately redeeming. Of
Several aspects of the story border on the ridiculous: Roland’s were-spider son, who dies an ignominous and rather disgusting death after eating a sick horse; the Lovecraftian creature that chases Roland and company through the tunnels under Castle Discordia; the fairy-tale troll that awaits them in a little cabin and the note from King himself that saves them. You may find King inserting himself into his own novel as a mighty important linchpin in the universe to be a shocking bit of hubris, but his characterization of himself is frankly so unflattering as to take away all accusations of ego. At some point, though, you’re ready for the Dungeons and Dragons escapades to stop and the serious story to resume.
But the ending makes up for it. Our favorite characters get the promise of a life they deserve, and Roland – well, I won’t give it away, but I imagine I’m one of the few readers who didn’t howl in frustration and throw the book against the wall when we find out what happens to Roland. It seems that King was toying with us all along, and it will take a bit of musing to unravel the tangled web of story upon story, world interconnected with world, that King has created in this epic. That’s just the way I like it. I won’t say Volume VII is my favorite in the series – the first three are far better, and King’s gaffes concerning Susannah’s occasional standing or walking when she has no legs are almost unforgivable – but I will say that he wrote an ending I never saw coming, and that’s why I liked it so much.
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course, King kills off a bunch of major characters, which was foreshadowed all along, but don’t forget the line from Volume I: “Go on, then; there are other worlds than these.” So don’t get too upset.Several aspects of the story border on the ridiculous: Roland’s were-spider son, who dies an ignominous and rather disgusting death after eating a sick horse; the Lovecraftian creature that chases Roland and company through the tunnels under Castle Discordia; the fairy-tale troll that awaits them in a little cabin and the note from King himself that saves them. You may find King inserting himself into his own novel as a mighty important linchpin in the universe to be a shocking bit of hubris, but his characterization of himself is frankly so unflattering as to take away all accusations of ego. At some point, though, you’re ready for the Dungeons and Dragons escapades to stop and the serious story to resume.
But the ending makes up for it. Our favorite characters get the promise of a life they deserve, and Roland – well, I won’t give it away, but I imagine I’m one of the few readers who didn’t howl in frustration and throw the book against the wall when we find out what happens to Roland. It seems that King was toying with us all along, and it will take a bit of musing to unravel the tangled web of story upon story, world interconnected with world, that King has created in this epic. That’s just the way I like it. I won’t say Volume VII is my favorite in the series – the first three are far better, and King’s gaffes concerning Susannah’s occasional standing or walking when she has no legs are almost unforgivable – but I will say that he wrote an ending I never saw coming, and that’s why I liked it so much.
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LibraryThing member francomega
The Grande Finale. I thought its publication would be a bigger event but I suppose only the true fans were left standing at this point. Some controversy about how he ended his opus, but I don't know what else he could have done. I was satisfied.
LibraryThing member nightcrawler78
And the killer. After having spent countless hours reading the first 6 Dark Tower books I was really looking forward to this conclusion. I had heard rumors of a bad ending but invested myself anyway.
Well, I didn't get to the end. I made it to 200 pages of this book and stopped. I tried several
Well, I didn't get to the end. I made it to 200 pages of this book and stopped. I tried several
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times to resume the reading but was left quite disatisfied at the crazy turn of the story. Spider-baby? Fedic? Bird heads on human bodies? What the hay? Sorry, but this is not what I was expecting or frankly what King had gotten me used to with the first 6 books. Brutal ending. Show Less
LibraryThing member Daniel.Estes
Darn you Stephen King. This messy, messy seventh book caps off one of the most awe-inspiring, heart-breaking reading experiences of my life. Too often I was frustrated and bored by the narration—endless cul-de-sacs of trivial descriptions and for the love of Gan too many relentless mentions of
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19—but then I'd be surprised by moments of gripping wonder and I'd think, "Yes, this is the heart of what it means to seek the Dark Tower." Show Less
LibraryThing member Rosenectur
As the Dark Tower series has gone along it's had it's highs "The Waste Lands" and it's lows "Wizard and Glass", this final book in the series was another low.
For one thing, writing himself (Stephen King)into the book I think was a bad idea, it is a trick that falls flat. Revealing the Deus ex
Which opens up all sorts of questions when it comes to the many endings in the book. I can't really go into them for fear of spoilers. The biggest disappointment, however, comes not from the Deus ex Machina, but from the end of Modred's story line. It builds up and up and then is pretty anticlimactic.
If you've made your way through the series you'll probably end up reading this book no matter what I say, but be prepared for a series of let downs, and writing that is not up to par with several of the other books.
For one thing, writing himself (Stephen King)into the book I think was a bad idea, it is a trick that falls flat. Revealing the Deus ex
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Machina and then showing him to be mostly powerless. He basically says he has no control over what he writes. It "flows from his belly button". *raises eyebrows* He helps the characters out of a couple of spots, but more often he'd rather forget the whole business. Yet the characters can't let him forget and are continually coming to HIS rescue reminding him that writing this story is going to save all the worlds.Which opens up all sorts of questions when it comes to the many endings in the book. I can't really go into them for fear of spoilers. The biggest disappointment, however, comes not from the Deus ex Machina, but from the end of Modred's story line. It builds up and up and then is pretty anticlimactic.
If you've made your way through the series you'll probably end up reading this book no matter what I say, but be prepared for a series of let downs, and writing that is not up to par with several of the other books.
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LibraryThing member mohi
And so it ends. King wraps up pretty much all of the threads and characters in his usual morose way. The final confrontation is a major letdown. But the book is saved/further destroyed by the epilogue that you will either love or hate.
LibraryThing member miyurose
My husband and I started this in audio format back in September, and finally managed to take enough long car trips to finish it!
I think it was a fitting ending to the series. It's not often that King makes me cry. The series as a whole is truly a masterpiece, however you feel about the rest of
I think it was a fitting ending to the series. It's not often that King makes me cry. The series as a whole is truly a masterpiece, however you feel about the rest of
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King's work. I recommend the audio version if you find the books a little overwhelming. Show Less
LibraryThing member vashlock524
Wow, what a finish! Such an epic tale could not have ended any other way, I believe. By the end of the whole series, I knew each member of the ka-tet and felt deep sadness at its demise. Amazing!!
LibraryThing member trinityofone
When I recommend the Dark Tower series to people (which I do) the comparison I make is that it's rather like "The X-Files"'s nine-year run: long and engaging, but at the end, you're still left scratching your head. (And possibly wanting to beat Chris Carter about *his* head with his own surf board.
Yet as frustrating as the climactic volume is to me, I still continue to rec the series. That says something...about King's storytelling, my own level of masochism, or both.
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Ahem.) King has a lot of fascinating threads going into this book, but they come out a confused knot. Certainly, there are thrilling moments, and moments that moved me (possibly to tears, but let's just ignore that). But on the whole, I found the ending unsatisfying, raising more questions than it answers. It doesn't fully make sense to me: how does Roland's end, for example, affect Susannah's? (She says vaguely, in a poor attempt to avoid spoilers.) Also, how the hell does Randall Flagg's exit manage to be both incredibly squicky *and* incredibly lame?Yet as frustrating as the climactic volume is to me, I still continue to rec the series. That says something...about King's storytelling, my own level of masochism, or both.
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LibraryThing member nesum
It's over, and yet the end has me wishing for ever more. Things wrap up quickly here, and perhaps not in the way we would wish, but in the way it must be. What Roland finds at the Dark Tower, also, is perhaps not what we hoped for, but what we know, deep down, is the only thing he CAN find. After
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this novel, I found myself more impressed with Stephen King than I even had been. He's always been able to tell a story, but here we see him telling a story purely in the way the story should be told and not, necessarily, the way the audience wants it told. It is better because of that. The Dark Tower has been a wonderful and moving ride. I look forward to rereading this one again and again. Show Less
LibraryThing member placo75
12-16-2006 I just "finished" this novel. A heart-wrenching ending to this long tale. For now, I'm heeding Sai King's urging not to read the final chapter. It is enough for me. Say thankya.
LibraryThing member dragonfairy
I was left speechless and angry at the end, but upon further thought I understand why King took the path that he did when writing the final installment. I still feel somewhat speechless, but not really angry anymore.
Subjects
Awards
Bram Stoker Award (Nominee — Novel — 2004)
British Fantasy Award (Winner — August Derleth Fantasy Award — 2005)
Original publication date
2004-09-21
ISBN
0743254562 / 9780743254564