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Stephen King

Silent Runner

By Silent Runner,
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SM47

SM47

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Cheers.

Calla is awesome. Seems like the whole DT series has 'clicked' with me upon reading it.

Roland's just told the Calla Folken the wolves are actually zombies. But I dunno who to believe, 'cos he told the ka-tet he was gonna spout bullshit at the meeting. So. Maybe they're not zombies.

What are the dark tower comics like? Worth a look?

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Treble

Treble

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A giant white hand descending from the heavens is just a BIT bigger than a lunatic driving a golf cart across the desert with a bomb strapped to the back.

I'm not going to change your mind, but there's no way I'm leaving this one :lol:

It's not a Deus ex Machina, as that's a device to rescue the characters at the same time as rescuing the author, who's written himself into a blind alley...

But King didn't: the bomb's in place, and it's been explained how it got there - the seeds of it getting there begin right from Trashman's introduction.

So King could have Larry escape and trigger it. Trashy go mental and trigger it. Lloyd flip and trigger it. It fall over a bit and get triggered (!) Basically, Flagg's defeat was already written-in. One way or another, a nuclear weapon was going to detonate and ruin his plans.

So therefore the 'hand of God' was a conscious decision. If you don't like it as a literary device (and, to be honest, I don't either) then fair enough, but the whole ending of The Stand doesn't feature a DEM because there's a set of reasons, actions and consequences leading up to it

I'll say it again though: I didn't like the 'Maradona' thing either. I like the epilogue, though, especially after reading more about

Flagg

in the DT novels.

I'm re-reading all the DT books right now. Midway through book 5 (WotC). I enjoyed book 4 (WaG) a lot more the second time, drinking-in the details of Roland's life whilst already knowing his future. It still drags though, and is one of the worst examples of King's "literary Elephantitis". It's nowhere near tight enough, and no novel requires 600 pages to explain a fairly simple western/love story.

Plus of course, you want to hear more about Jonas, Rhea, Maerlyn's grapefruit, the fight at Citgo oil patch and want it to get to that bit ASAFP. Book 5 is better paced, although there's still too much faff. It really starts to hit stride again at the final 2 books.

On a side note, I bought the Road to the Dark Tower, described as an insight an companion volume to the books. Don't buy it - it basically has synopses of each book, a bit of a timeline and minuscule glossary and some quotes from interviews featuring King. There's almost no analysis or supposition beyond the obvious (Pennywise / IT might be a psychic vampire like Dandelo! Wow, thanks for that...) so save your cash and don't bother.

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  • 1 month later...
SM47

SM47

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Finished Book 7 of the DT series earlier. It certainly was a long and wonderful journey. Didn't see what was so bad about the ending. I quite liked it, Ka being a wheel and all.

I'm thinking the horn represents a new found responsibility towards his ka-mates, rather than just using them as tools to reach the tower? It's basically a fantasy-western-science-horror fiction reimagining of Groundhog Day.

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Wickedkitten

Wickedkitten

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I just went to the library about a week or so ago and ended up picking up 8 books for something silly like £2.60, two of which were The Tommyknockers and Black House. I decided to reread The Talisman before starting up Black House again and it's definitely got to be not just one of my favourite King novels although he did do it with Peter Straub, it's one of my favourite novels full stop and to hear they are going to be doing a third book and a graphic novel is great.

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Treble

Treble

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Finished Book 7 of the DT series earlier. It certainly was a long and wonderful journey. Didn't see what was so bad about the ending. I quite liked it, Ka being a wheel and all.

I'm thinking the horn represents a new found responsibility towards his ka-mates, rather than just using them as tools to reach the tower? It's basically a fantasy-western-science-horror fiction reimagining of Groundhog Day.

Yeah, I don't think there's any big mystery:

The horn is a cypher; it represents the idea that Roland will use anything in his path and abandon it without emotion or regard if he believes it doesn't directly help his pursuit of the tower.

Roland doesn't grow or evolve at all during his experiences, and is kinda monstrous for it. Even the so-called monsters of the book (Walter/Flagg, Mordred) become more sympathetic the more their motives are revealed, and also show that they have learned something in their personal quests. Roland learns nothing; or, at least, he doesn't learn enough...

It also suggests that Roland's interpretation of ka is flawed; that perhaps it isn't 'fate' (i.e. you are bound by it and totally stuck to its purpose) and there are hints - again, in other character's lives and deaths - that they forged their own sticky ends through ignorance and naked ambition, rather than being ka's pawns.

So if Roland acknowledges his past and what was lost (represented by the horn of Eld) and takes care to learn the lessons of the past, and cherish it, perhaps he will tread his future path more carefully.

There's a good passage on this in The Road to the dark Tower that I bought which discusses this in detail. I'll try digging it out later.

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Danster

Danster

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Finished Book 7 yesterday and felt like something had been removed from my life, never to be had again. In fact, reading the last hundred pages I slowed to a snail's pace, savouring every word, knowing that there would never be another King story like this, not even close to this.

His best work? I think quite possibly, maybe The Stand or the first time I read IT can reach this pinnacle but none surpass it. The best story from one of the world's best storytellers. I am glad I came back to them after all this time. I'm also glad I re-read the first four because I had forgotten so much; it had been so long I'd even forgotten about the lobstrocities! Dad-a-chum?

As for Ka being a wheel? Yes I can dig that and I can dig the ending, Roland's return to the start of the first book is a fine way for the series to depart. leaving the reader with a sense of ending, new beginnings and potential for change. Roland having the horn of Eld with him the nect time certainly suggests that things might be different this time. Perhaps taking the path of the horn rather than of the gun, perhaps.

Anyway, I did feel that the appearance of Eddie and his "brother" Jake for Susannah was a little cheap. Giving them back after wrenching them away from us so powerfully earlier in the book felt like appeasing for appeasement's sake. But then I guess, Ka is a wheel yadda-yadda, there are more world's than this one... etc.

Am tempted to read The Eyes of the Dragon now, it's sitting on my shelf, never been read. But... I need to leave King alone again for sometime I think.

All in all? Well worth the read, well worth the slog through The Wizard and the Glass and I am very pleased to have read them all.

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PlasticToy

PlasticToy

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The first Stephen King novel I read was It and I really enjoyed it. I then bought Carrie, which was okay, and The Shining, which was just as great as It.

Then I bought The Stand, which is now my favourite novel. I'll admit I was rather sad when I finished it because I got so much enjoyment out of reading it and it took me a good while to read it.

I've made a start to the Dark Tower series but haven't got very far. I've only read the first two novels and made a start to the third but didn't get very far. I should have another go at it since I do want to read it (and I've got the fourth one to read after it) and it's been a while since I last read something.

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Danster

Danster

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The first Stephen King novel I read was It and I really enjoyed it. I then bought Carrie, which was okay, and The Shining, which was just as great as It.

Then I bought The Stand, which is now my favourite novel. I'll admit I was rather sad when I finished it because I got so much enjoyment out of reading it and it took me a good while to read it.

I've made a start to the Dark Tower series but haven't got very far. I've only read the first two novels and made a start to the third but didn't get very far. I should have another go at it since I do want to read it (and I've got the fourth one to read after it) and it's been a while since I last read something.

Do it and savour it. I was gutted when it ended. :)

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SM47

SM47

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So I finally got around to reading The Gunslinger Born at band practice yesterday while I was waiting for my friend to stop an inappropriate moog solo.

Didn't rate it. Except for the artwork, which was amazing, I don't think it worked that well.

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Akai XIII

Akai XIII

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So I finally got around to reading The Gunslinger Born at band practice yesterday while I was waiting for my friend to stop an inappropriate moog solo.

Didn't rate it. Except for the artwork, which was amazing, I don't think it worked that well.

I really liked Gunslinger Born and Long Road Home. I want to pick up Treachery at some point, but it's still too expensive (£18.99 @ Borders).

This thread makes me want to read The Dark Tower again ^_^

Also: Firestarter is great, it's one of my favourite books.

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Danster

Danster

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I've recently had a craving for a Stephen King, unusually since I haven't read one in ten years. I've read Pet Cemetary, Tommyknockers (too scared to finish it), Cujo and a load of short stories - they were my favourites.

Recommend me do!

If you haven't already, then try the Dark Tower, it encapsulates everything that is King.

Otherwise, I recently read most of his short story collections and they are all brilliant. Some of his best work there I reckon.

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Professor Puzzles

Professor Puzzles

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I've recently had a craving for a Stephen King, unusually since I haven't read one in ten years. I've read Pet Cemetary, Tommyknockers (too scared to finish it), Cujo and a load of short stories - they were my favourites.

Recommend me do!

I'd recommend The Dead Zone and Different Seasons if you want some shorter books. Otherwise jump into It or The Stand.

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Treble

Treble

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Think I've read IT and The Stand - so many, it's hard to remember.

Anyway - short stories and The Dark Tower Gunslinger Book 1 bought. Thanks guys :lol:

Can't remember if I read Different Seasons. Any memorable stories from it that might jog my memory?

Just a bit!

* Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption - Filmed as 'The Shawshank Redemption'

* The Body - filmed as 'Stand by Me'

* Apt Pupil - made into a movie with Ian McCellan

* The Breathing Method - the only one not filmed, but very good :angry:

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SM47

SM47

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I really liked Gunslinger Born

The art was incredible. Pretty much how I imagined it. Except Reynolds should've looked more like the evil biker out of Raising Arizona.

But apart from that, the thing just reads like a trailer for Wizard and Glass. And it's fairly unsubtle one at that, there's an introduction box out somewhere near the beginning that reads something like 'Alain Johns, got some sweeeet psychic powerz'. It also completely

demystifies Farson, whereas the original books were ambiguous as to who he actually was, whether he was a real person or just another alias of Randall Flagg. Also, Farson's men being eaten by the thinny was RUBBISH.

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Darren

Darren

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Anyway - short stories and The Dark Tower Gunslinger Book 1 bought. Thanks guys :lol:

If the Gunslinger doesn't grab you, or feels a bit weird, please don't be put off. The second book is where it really takes off IMHO. The first book feels more like a prologue, although it has some pretty crucial stuff in it that resonates through the whole series.

Read them all, is what I'm trying to say!

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