Stephen King The Dark Tower

[Clayden69]

Hi guys and girls, payday in a couple of days, so a trip to the bookstore is planned (of course). I'm thinking of getting The Dark Tower novels. As i understand it these are fantasy novels, right? They're not Stephen King's usual horror stories? I generally only read fantasy and nothing else.

[Hallow]

They're Fantasy with a distinct King flavour to them.

 

Definitively give them a try, bear in mind the first book was written a long long time before the rest and as such I'd recommend reading at least the first 2 or 3 before making up your mind.

[Kadere]

They're fantasy, but they're Stephen King fantasy. There are a lot of horror elements from his other works in it, but at it's heart it's a quest series akin to say LotR on a larger more twisted scale. That said the first book, The Gunslinger is mostly set up introducing you to the main character, the real quest won't start till book 3, The Wastelands. That said, even if for whatever reason you don't like The Gunslinger, or don't think it's all that great because it's so short and you only get a glimpse of the world he's created, it's best to just keep reading through book 2, Drawing of the Three, which will bring together your core group of characters.

 

It's a great journey, hope you enjoy it.

[raitora]

Maybe you should try the graphic novel series first, the story might go down better with visuals. The Dark Tower graphic novels tell of Roland's rise to being the gunslinger he is in the first book, and therefore the story is different from that of the novels. However they will give you an idea of what King's storytelling and the subject matter he is dealing with in this series.

[Kadere]

But the graphic novels are a) far more expensive, and b) totally out of order and add in details that don't even exist in the books. It's better not to know the Gunslinger's backstory when you start, not to jump ahead to book 4, IMO.

[Randolph Carter]

Yes, you should read the Dark Tower books.

 

They've been out long enough that you can get them used. I'd get the first three from the library, then if you like them, you can get 'permanent' copies / the rest of the series.

 

I read the first one over 20 years ago - before King went back and revised it to fit in with the later books in the series. I didn't like it as much then, but my tastes have changed enough since - I liked it a lot when I reread them all a few years ago.

 

Tolkein is definitely a huge influence on the series, as are western movies. The homage to Tolkein isn't on the surface, it is more reflections and echoes.

[Red2111]

i have mixed feeligns about this series. i couldn't put Gunslinger down, and enjoyed the 2nd book as well. but the 3rd was hard to keep my interest in and i read maybe the 1st few chapters of the 4th before putting it down.

 

 

i'd say give it a try for sure, but you may want to think about borrowing it from a friend or maybe checkign it out at the library before buying the entire series so you don't waste your money if you don't like it.

[Rufae]

They have moments of awesomness and moments of supidity. My favorites of the srries were probably Gunslinger and then Wizard and Glass. The rest meander in between, but itis worth a read if no other reason than to be knoweldgeable of them and their place in Fantasy Horror.

[Clayden69]

Thnx for the replies guys, looks like I have another series t read.

[Vambram]

My favorite books in the Dark Tower Series are the first two, and then the last three books. A lot of fans were disappointed with the final three books in the series, but I was not. Instead, I truly enjoyed how Stephen King linked most of his books and many of his characters together with the Gunslinger and with The Dark Tower. And to me, the ending was very well done, and most appropriate.

[Joshua Hendrickson]

My favorite books in the Dark Tower Series are the first two, and then the last three books. A lot of fans were disappointed with the final three books in the series, but I was not. Instead, I truly enjoyed how Stephen King linked most of his books and many of his characters together with the Gunslinger and with The Dark Tower. And to me, the ending was very well done, and most appropriate.

 

Wow, Vambram, we agree!

 

I too thought the ending of THE DARK TOWER was most appropriate, and I was the only one of my friends who'd read it who thought so. Given what Roland Deschain really was, it was the only ending he could honestly expect, if he had only had the imagination to think it through--which, of course, he didn't. It was beautiful, poetic justice.

[Vambram]

My favorite books in the Dark Tower Series are the first two, and then the last three books. A lot of fans were disappointed with the final three books in the series, but I was not. Instead, I truly enjoyed how Stephen King linked most of his books and many of his characters together with the Gunslinger and with The Dark Tower. And to me, the ending was very well done, and most appropriate.

 

Wow, Vambram, we agree!

 

I too thought the ending of THE DARK TOWER was most appropriate, and I was the only one of my friends who'd read it who thought so. Given what Roland Deschain really was, it was the only ending he could honestly expect, if he had only had the imagination to think it through--which, of course, he didn't. It was beautiful, poetic justice.

 

 

Yay!!! We agree on something. And its pretty cool that the agreement is one Stephen King's masterful epic, The Dark Tower series.

 

 

 

[FlyingSpaghettiMonster]

I found The Gunslinger quite hard to get into but I really enjoyed Drawing Of The Three and the rest of the series! Another good Stephen King fantasy is The Eyes Of The Dragon. Enjoy!

[Dewairah]

They're fantasy, but they're Stephen King fantasy. There are a lot of horror elements from his other works in it, but at it's heart it's a quest series akin to say LotR on a larger more twisted scale. That said the first book, The Gunslinger is mostly set up introducing you to the main character, the real quest won't start till book 3, The Wastelands. That said, even if for whatever reason you don't like The Gunslinger, or don't think it's all that great because it's so short and you only get a glimpse of the world he's created, it's best to just keep reading through book 2, Drawing of the Three, which will bring together your core group of characters.

 

It's a great journey, hope you enjoy it.

 

Thanks :)

[Quazie89]

I'm a fan of Stephen King, but I think the Dark Tower books are my favorite of his, and I would recommend them to anybody who likes fantasy even if they're not into King's other stuff, because the Dark Tower is different from most of his other work.

[Dewairah]

Thanks quazie89

 

the recommendations and reviews of DT on this thread are enough for me. I'll give them a shot in the next few weeks :)

[Quazie89]

You're welcome, Dewairah! It was no problem! I hope you enjoy your first reading of the Dark Tower!

[Sakaea]

They are a very good read, and if you've read other SK novels, you'll notice things popping up from some of his other (epic) novels.

[Mandro]

read the first three, the rest are crap. Maybe read the fourth, so that you realize just what crap it is. He SAID it was only five books, but it's a paycheck for King, screw him.