The eye of the dragon

Post by **The Leper Fairy** » Fri Jan 02, 2004 7:00 am

Or at least I think that's the title of it. That's how crap it is, I'm reading it and I don't even remember the title. It's King's lame attempt at a fantasy story. Have you guys ever read this... or even heard of it?

It's about these two boys, this bad guy poisons the king, frames one of the sons, the stupid son becomes king blah dee blah... and that's as far as I've gotten so far.

Post by **birdandbear** » Fri Jan 02, 2004 4:53 pm

I enjoyed it for what it was. Definitely not one of his greatest though. This one was actually written for his children when they were young. It's fully intended to be a little juvenile - I think his daughter asked him to write a fairy tale....

Also, it's DT related. This is Flagg's earliest appearance, to my knowledge -and Thomas and Dennis are mentioned by name on the first page of The Gunslinger....and again somewhere in TDOTT.....

Post by **birdandbear** » Fri Jan 02, 2004 4:56 pm

Boy was I wrong!

The Eyes of the Dragon was published in 1987......9 years after The Stand....

Post by **Baradakas** » Tue Feb 03, 2004 8:49 am

I liked it, but in all honesty it lacked many of the things I felt a fantasy novel requires. Still it was good for the three hours I was waiting for the doctor....

-B

Post by **The Leper Fairy** » Fri Feb 06, 2004 4:22 am

Maybe I shouldn't have been so harsh... but you waited for the doctor for 3 hours?!?! Argh!

Post by **Baradakas** » Fri Feb 06, 2004 7:40 am

You're surprised? Average wait to actually speak to a doctor in the Midwest United States: 2 hrs. 30 min.

-BtC

Post by **Encryptic** » Tue Mar 09, 2004 9:10 pm

It's pretty good, but not the most memorable fantasy ever. I will say that even this effort is head and shoulders above some of the dreck I've had the displeasure of reading *cough*Goodkind*cough* in the past.

Post by **nuk** » Fri Apr 01, 2005 8:41 pm

I'm no King fan, but Eyes of the Dragon was the best of the six or so of his books I've read. Although, there were extenuating circumstances. I was learning spanish, and had just read Spanish translations of Christine and some non-King book. Christine was like watching a movie that took place at night in a fog. I missed entire scenes because my Spanish wasn't good enough. Then I got a copy of Los ojos del dragon, and it was wonderful, simply because I understood it. I learned so much vocabulary, and my confidence got a big boost. Thank you, Sephen King.
Since then, however, Dean Koontz has been my favorite Spanish author.

Sun Apr 10, 2005 3:23 pm

There are some scenes that I remember and like... I read this a long time ago maybe I was 13 at the time. I liked the idea of the son with all the advantages and the son who was like the father, and their relationship.

Post by **Ellester** » Tue Dec 13, 2005 7:36 pm

It’s not a great story, but it’s in a medium that King does not normally write in, so it’s understandable that he doesn’t write great high fantasy fairy tales. Nevertheless I like it, it’s a fun little read. And I like it when King takes diversions from his normal horror book even if it doesn’t work.

I just finished re-reading the book a couple of weeks ago. It’s been over 10 years since I last read it and I enjoyed reading the story again.

Post by **Cheval** » Wed Dec 14, 2005 2:19 am

birdandbear wrote:This one was actually written for his children when they were young. It's fully intended to be a little juvenile - I think his daughter asked him to write a fairy tale....

The hardcover edition I have does say that - It was a "bedtime story" for his daughter.

Ellester wrote:It’s not a great story, but it’s in a medium that King does not normally write in, so it’s understandable that he doesn’t write great high fantasy fairy tales. Nevertheless I like it, it’s a fun little read. And I like it when King takes diversions from his normal horror book even if it doesn’t work.

It is surely a different medium of writing.
It was bearable and IMO, better than The Regulators.

nuk wrote:... Dean Koontz has been my favorite Spanish author.

Ditto

Post by **Avatar** » Wed Dec 14, 2005 5:37 am

I mainly like it for the background to Roland's world, which is obviously where it takes place.

The story for his daughters makes sense, because it's really written in a very "classic" fairy-tale style.

It's not an incredible story, but it's fun.

--A

YouTube · Post by **Menolly** » Thu Mar 15, 2007 2:08 pm

I'm about halfway through this as I type.

My (and Beorn's) journey into the world of DT begins!

I should amend that. Somewhere, packed away with all the other issues of The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction that my Daddy was a charter subscriber of, is what I believe is the first appearance of The Gunslinger in serialized form. I know I read the short story in a pulp magazine as a teen, although I recall very little of it. I am expecting severe deja vu when I start the novelization of The Gunslinger...

Post by **A Gunslinger** » Thu Mar 15, 2007 2:10 pm

Menolly wrote:I'm about halfway through this as I type.

My (and Beorn's) journey into the world of DT begins!

I should amend that. Somewhere, packed away with all the other issues of The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction that my Daddy was a charter subscriber of, is what I believe is the first appearance of The Gunslinger in serialized form. I know I read the short story in a pulp magazine as a teen, although I recall very little of it. I am expecting severe deja vu when I start the novelization of The Gunslinger[/i]...

You are in for a marvelous treat, Menolly!! It is a great series. Read a few of the ancillaries as well. I would recommend:

The Stand
The Talisman/Black House
Insomnia
Hearts in Atlantis

YouTube · Post by **Menolly** » Thu Mar 15, 2007 2:32 pm

Thanks Guns.

Av and I have talked this to death. I currently have all of the books (even the ones Beorn already read before I realized they were DT related, such as TT/BH) checked out from the library...

Post by **Avatar** » Fri Mar 16, 2007 4:34 am

Awesome. It's a great journey.

Took me 17 years.

--A

Post by **A Gunslinger** » Fri Mar 16, 2007 12:54 pm

Took me about 7 once I found out about it. For some reason I had access to the gunslinger, but just didn't "go there" until like 1999, during the wait between Wizard and Glass and the Wolves of the Calla.

YouTube · Post by **Menolly** » Fri Mar 16, 2007 2:57 pm

I suspect it will take Beorn about three weeks. Me, a lot longer as I spend way too much time online.

If it becomes a new obsession for Beorn, then I'll go out and get the books for ourselves.

Post by **Avatar** » Mon Mar 19, 2007 4:04 am

A Gunslinger wrote:Took me about 7 once I found out about it. For some reason I had access to the gunslinger, but just didn't "go there" until like 1999, during the wait between Wizard and Glass and the Wolves of the Calla.

I read the Gunslinger in 1990. I was 13.

--A

YouTube · Post by **Menolly** » Mon Mar 19, 2007 10:39 am

OK, for me, Eyes of the Dragon down, The Gunslinger is next.

Beorn finished The Wastelands last night. We're waiting for The Stand to come in from being on hold at the library before he moves on to Wizard and Glass.

He's already read The Stand: Complete and Unedited, before I realized it was part of the series. But I figure this is the original edition this time, and perhaps will hit him in different ways as an integral part of the series this time...

Kevin's Watch

Kevin's Watch

The eye of the dragon

The eye of the dragon