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Posted: Sat Jul 10, 2004 4:12 pm
by Furls Fire
I think I will go with Wizard and Glass too. With Wolves of the Calla running a close second. I think it's because of the backstories of both Roland and Callahan. I love how we learn what happened to Callahan after he left Salem's Lot. Way cool!

Roland's story is just heartbreaking, but it makes for awesome fantasy! And we finally get inside of him, find out what made him the way he is...

Posted: Mon Jul 12, 2004 1:54 pm
by Old Darth
W&G dwells too long on Roland's earlier days without providing much info pertinent to the current quest. I find the current group of quest characters far more interesting than the previous one. Personal perference.

I like the Callahan back story much more. Always felt sorry for the guy since Salem's Lot.

Posted: Mon Jul 12, 2004 2:39 pm
by A Gunslinger
Old Darth wrote:W&G dwells too long on Roland's earlier days without providing much info pertinent to the current quest. I find the current group of quest characters far more interesting than the previous one. Personal perference.

I like the Callahan back story much more. Always felt sorry for the guy since Salem's Lot.
Callahan was dealt a pretty crappy hand in the Lot. I fear than Jake will be unable to save him at the upcoming battle at the Dixie Pig, however. Callahan is tough, but he is no Gunslinger.

Posted: Tue Jul 13, 2004 7:10 pm
by Old Darth
Callahan is tough, but he is no Gunslinger.
Yes. This time he will die. The important thing his soul will be redeemed.

Posted: Mon Jul 19, 2004 12:49 am
by FizbansTalking_Hat
Well I just finished The Drawing of the Three and wow, I'm very impressed with how the storylines all wove together in the end, lots of fun times in that book, and some surprises along the way. Just getting into The Wastelands so it should make for some good times now. Cheers and much love to everyone again for pushing me into this series. Cheers.

Posted: Mon Jul 19, 2004 2:54 pm
by A Gunslinger
Thanks Fiz!

Posted: Mon Jul 19, 2004 5:23 pm
by FizbansTalking_Hat
I was reading on New York Times, on their book section they have a small site devoted to just Stephen King and his works.

Stephen King Interviews, etc.

At the top of the page there is a comment about how Stephen King has not recieved any major awards for any of his works, and I wonder about that. Thinking about his long career, this massive undertaking of the Dark Tower series, its a bit odd that he hasn't been recognized for his talent asside from his fans. Your thoughts.

Posted: Mon Jul 19, 2004 5:37 pm
by A Gunslinger
Actually this is not entirely true. He recently recieved the rathr prestigeous National Book Foundation Letters Award... from NPR:

Nov. 19, 2003 -- Critics have rarely embraced Stephen King as a serious writer. But the prolific novelist, best known for his horror stories, is about to enter some serious company. The National Book Foundation is honoring the best-selling author with a lifetime achievement award whose previous recipients have included Arthur Miller, Eudora Welty and John Updike. King discusses the award and his writing with NPR's Susan Stamberg.

Beginning with 1974's Carrie, King has published 40 books and more than 200 short stories. The author of The Shining, Pet Sematary, The Green Mile and The Shawshank Redemption resents being pegged in one genre.

"It's always made me uneasy to be called a horror writer or a suspense writer," King tells Stamberg on Morning Edition. "They're hooks to hang your hat on and I reject them. I've never denied that I was a horror writer, but I've never introduced myself as that either. I see myself as Stephen King. I'm an American novelist, and that's it."

I personally find his narrative to be witty, and his use of metaphor/simile unequalled in popular prose.

Posted: Mon Jul 19, 2004 5:54 pm
by FizbansTalking_Hat
Thanks for the knowledge Gunslinger, cheers.

Posted: Mon Jul 19, 2004 8:04 pm
by Roland of Gilead
King won the O. Henry Award for his short story, The Man in the Black Suit.

I didn't think it was one of his best myself, but evidently the powers-that-be did. :P

Posted: Fri Jul 23, 2004 1:37 pm
by Old Darth
Hey Fiz how's the reading going?

Posted: Fri Jul 23, 2004 11:18 pm
by FizbansTalking_Hat
Funny, you should ask, I was checking this forum and coming here to post some more. I'm about half way through The Wastelands and I'm really enjoying it, though maybe I'm at a slow part, not much action going on, just a lot of building up to something, specifically
Spoiler
The Key and the Rose
But, do not mention anything else, everythign is strange and new to me and thats how I want it, full of suspense. I'll be able to discuss the entire series when I'm done at the middle of next month some time, getting closer and closer to book 4 and then the new ones, can't wait for those considering how much you people rave about them.

So to answr the question, it goes very well indeed. Cheers.

Posted: Sun Oct 31, 2004 5:29 pm
by duchess of malfi
Things have been completely nuts around here lately, but I finally got a chance to finish Runes last night, and began reading The Gunslinger.

I'm only a little bit into it, but so far it reminds me about both what I greatly like about King, and also what I'm not so fond of in his writing...he has this incredible creativity, and the ability to spin a wondrous and gripping story...but he can also be a bit crude, and that I don't care for so much.

Nonetheless, so far this is a very promising beginning to his series. :) 8)

Looking forward to getting a chance to read farther. :)

Posted: Mon Nov 01, 2004 5:58 pm
by duchess of malfi
I did get a chance to read a bit farther, and I really like the little boy Jake. :)

Posted: Mon Nov 01, 2004 10:16 pm
by birdandbear
Yay!!! New blood! :twisted: ;)

Fiz, you're square in the middle of my favorite segment of the whole thing. :D :D :D I love the Waste Lands.... :D

Posted: Thu Nov 04, 2004 4:03 pm
by Zahir
Personally, I'm extremely impressed with The Dark Tower, and the first in the series was actually my fave for a long time. And on a perhaps-trivial note, it was refreshing to see an epic fantasy that did NOT resemble some version of medeival Europe.

Posted: Wed Nov 17, 2004 2:26 am
by duchess of malfi
Started the fourth book today...but I have a million errands to run tomorrow, so might not get a chance to read much for a day or so...

I am very pleased that the one thing that happened in book one that nearly made me put it down
Spoiler
Jake...
came up again in the second book, and became a major part of the plot in the third. :)

Posted: Mon Nov 29, 2004 1:33 am
by duchess of malfi
I stayed up until 4AM this morning -- I had made the mistake of starting DT7 and couldn't put it down! :oops: :oops: :oops:

I nearly stopped reading after The Gunslinger because I thought Roland was so cold and distant, violent and obsessed. But he changes so much over the course of the following books! 8O 8O 8O I am sooooo glad I stuck with these books!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It wasn't an easy read in places -- especially Wolves of the Calla onwards where King began introducing all sorts of characters and situations from his other books (most of which I had not read). But I stuck with it, "got" most of it after awhile...

...and the two endings were perfect. One made me cry from joy -- the other from a mixture of pityand hope!!!!!