The Dark Tower Series

Townhallsavoy · « **on:** July 04, 2013, 10:41:04 AM »

I know some of you have read it. Worth picking up?

I'm interested in another fantasy series that spreads over a number of books like Harry Potter or ASOIAF.

The premise looks interesting, but I've never read a King book.

Kaos · « **Reply #1 on:** July 04, 2013, 03:12:53 PM »

Quote from: Townhallsavoy on July 04, 2013, 10:41:04 AM

I know some of you have read it. Worth picking up?

I'm interested in another fantasy series that spreads over a number of books like Harry Potter or ASOIAF.

The premise looks interesting, but I've never read a King book.

I think Stephen King is awesome. But Dark Tower didn't work for me. I lost interest and quit reading it years ago.

The Stand? Cujo? Salem's Lot? Outstanding books. The guy could write before he got so big nobody wanted to edit him.

Speaking of A Song... I just finished the fourth book (Feast for Crows). PFFFFFFFFFFTTTTTTTTTT. Garbage. It was bloated and stuffed with characters I gave not one fiddling crap about - and introduced a load more that mean nothing to me or the story. It was like the Martin guy said "Hey ho! I've got a gold mine here. Let me just scribble down whatever comes to mind." It was terrible.

And I swear, if he writes the words "boiled leather" more than ten times in Dance With Dragons I'm going to find him and boil his leather. There won't be a book six or seven.

Townhallsavoy · « **Reply #2 on:** July 04, 2013, 03:53:00 PM »

Quote from: Kaos on July 04, 2013, 03:12:53 PM

Speaking of A Song... I just finished the fourth book (Feast for Crows). PFFFFFFFFFFTTTTTTTTTT. Garbage. It was bloated and stuffed with characters I gave not one fiddling crap about - and introduced a load more that mean nothing to me or the story. It was like the Martin guy said "Hey ho! I've got a gold mine here. Let me just scribble down whatever comes to mind." It was terrible.

And I swear, if he writes the words "boiled leather" more than ten times in Dance With Dragons I'm going to find him and boil his leather. There won't be a book six or seven.

100% agreed on AFoC. It was awful. The only part that mattered was the last few chapters that actually moved the plot along. He's an asshole for writing that book, and I can't imagine having read book 3 at the time it came out and then waited six years for that.

Hogwally · « **Reply #3 on:** July 05, 2013, 09:03:57 AM »

I think the Dark Tower books were pretty awesome up through Wolves of the Calla. After that they kind of drop off. I didn't really like the way he ended it, seemed rushed. I think King had a car accident or a biking accident or something and was afraid he wasn't going to be able to finish the series, so he cranked out the last two as fast as he could.
But then maybe it's just me, I didn't really like the way the Wheel of Time books wrapped up either. If you like these kind of books and you've never read Tad Williams, give him a try.

AUJarhead · « **Reply #4 on:** July 05, 2013, 09:21:43 AM »

THS, check out The Dresden Files.

From Wikipedia:

In the world of The Dresden Files, magic is real, along with ghouls, vampires, demons, spirits, faeries, werewolves, zombies and other mythical monsters. Harry Dresden works to protect the general public, who are ignorant of magic and the dark forces conspiring against them. This makes it difficult for Harry to get by as a working wizard and private eye. The Chicago PD's Special Investigation unit, when led by Karrin Murphy, regularly employs Dresden as a consultant to help solve cases of a supernatural nature.

wesfau2 · « **Reply #5 on:** July 05, 2013, 10:05:13 AM »

I'll be the contrarian, of course.

I fucking love the Dark Tower series. It's a phenomenal mix of western, sci fi, fantasy and King's classic gross out horror.

"Drawing of the Three" is the best of the lot, but the way that King wraps up nearly every book he's ever written into Roland's universe in the final two books is amazing.

Then there's the ending. It was pitch...fucking...perfect. Truly the only ending that would have satisfied me.

Tiger Wench · « **Reply #6 on:** July 06, 2013, 02:38:07 AM »

Quote from: Kaos on July 04, 2013, 03:12:53 PM

I think Stephen King is awesome. But Dark Tower didn't work for me. I lost interest and quit reading it years ago.

The Stand? Cujo? Salem's Lot? Outstanding books. The guy could write before he got so big nobody wanted to edit him.

This. Once he got to the point where he got published for scribbling down monkey shit on a napkin, he lost it, whatever "it" is, the "it" that he had when he wrote The Stand. I love that book beyond reason. The Shining scares me shitless and Salem's Lot made me sleep with the light on when I was 25 years old. But his post-accident writing has been shit on a shingle and it wasn't all that great post
-fame.

Not to mention that with all the unnecessary sexual perversion that King writes in his books - words, scenes and situations that don't do anything to accelerate the plot or enhance the story line and are depraved and disgusting beyond measure - makes me think that if he were not a writer, he could very well have been a pedophile or a sexual sadist/serial killer. No shit. I genuinely think he writes about it to keep from doing it. Whatever it takes, man, but still. How many of you can say that you have read some of the dialog in his books and not thought, okay, that was unnecessary, not to mention gross as hell?

Townhallsavoy · « **Reply #7 on:** July 06, 2013, 10:53:44 AM »

Went to 2nd and Charles and picked up the first three in the series. I'm halfway through the first book. I like it so far. It's different than what I was expecting. I also just read the premise of book II and am a bit skeptical to see that he's going to go through some portal to 1980s America. But I'm chugging through.

I've been wanting to give Dresden Files a shot, but they haven't had it at the local library and 2nd and Charles is always sold out when I look for it.

Kaos · « **Reply #8 on:** July 06, 2013, 11:20:38 AM »

Quote from: Townhallsavoy on July 06, 2013, 10:53:44 AM

Went to 2nd and Charles and picked up the first three in the series. I'm halfway through the first book. I like it so far. It's different than what I was expecting. I also just read the premise of book II and am a bit skeptical to see that he's going to go through some portal to 1980s America. But I'm chugging through.

I've been wanting to give Dresden Files a shot, but they haven't had it at the local library and 2nd and Charles is always sold out when I look for it.

Library? What's that?

Don't you like have a Nook or Kindle? Is B&N closed in your neighborhood?

Townhallsavoy · « **Reply #9 on:** July 06, 2013, 11:55:05 AM »

Quote from: Kaos on July 06, 2013, 11:20:38 AM

Library? What's that?

Don't you like have a Nook or Kindle? Is B&N closed in your neighborhood?

Fuck ebooks. Bibliophile for life.

I only purchase used books from 2nd and Charles. They have a huge selection, and I haven't paid more than $6 for a book in two years.

Token · « **Reply #10 on:** July 06, 2013, 11:51:01 PM »

Quote from: Townhallsavoy on July 06, 2013, 11:55:05 AM

Fuck ebooks. Bibliophile for life.

I only purchase used books from 2nd and Charles. They have a huge selection, and I haven't paid more than $6 for a book in two years.

Quote from: Kaos on July 06, 2013, 11:20:38 AM

Library? What's that?

Don't you like have a Nook or Kindle? Is B&N closed in your neighborhood?

I'm currently using a kindle app on the Ipad, but we are remodeling and my wife wants to make a book case out of a tall old dresser that I'm retiring. I wish I had been reading paper/hard backs. We are lacking in that department.

Kaos · « **Reply #11 on:** July 07, 2013, 03:33:33 PM »

Quote from: Token on July 06, 2013, 11:51:01 PM

I'm currently using a kindle app on the Ipad, but we are remodeling and my wife wants to make a book case out of a tall old dresser that I'm retiring. I wish I had been reading paper/hard backs. We are lacking in that department.

I can send you an impressive number. I have books stacked everywhere. There are no bookcases in the new house I am building.

AU_Tiger_2000 · « **Reply #12 on:** July 08, 2013, 10:28:41 AM »

Quote from: wesfau2 on July 05, 2013, 10:05:13 AM

I'll be the contrarian, of course.

I fudgeing love the Dark Tower series. It's a phenomenal mix of western, sci fi, fantasy and King's classic gross out horror.

"Drawing of the Three" is the best of the lot, but the way that King wraps up nearly every book he's ever written into Roland's universe in the final two books is amazing.

Then there's the ending. It was pitch...fudgeing...perfect. Truly the only ending that would have satisfied me.

I read them all, for the most part I loved them. But I think writing himself into the books in the end just smacked of too much narcissism and it did seem like towards the end he did feel like "holy crap, I got run over by a van and nearly died, I better finish this up."

Worth reading though.