I can see right now I'll have to make another attempt at reading this series. I tried (I really did!), but couldn't get into it. Please tell me it gets better as I go along?

I read through Book 3 many years ago, and for some reason, never went past it. I was obsessed with Roland and his personality when I was younger...like you, I thought about the characters and where it was going, but for some reason, I just can't start it over again. Can anyone convince me I should?

I accidenally came across DT4 and I read it in a day then I asked myself why haven`t I heard about these books? And of course I tried to found all the other ones. TOUGH LUCK....I only found dt3... The bad thing is that it will take some time to get it out of my mind... So I`ll keep on hoping...

The Dark Tower series was recently re-released with new introductions, DT4 contains about 11 pages of DT5, which should be out in Nov.

I'm re-reading DT1 & DT2. Have picked up DT3 and DT4 on Amazon.com - part of my R&R plans for this month.
Full series available (HC) and can pre-order DT5. Also try library for copies.

What the heck - let's throw in a comment! I just typed the words "Childe Roland to the Dark Tower Came" to see what would come up - also to take a second stab at getting through Browning's poem (This time I could follow it). For anyone who tried reading Volume I (THE GUNSLINGER) and couldn't "get into it" - I don't blame you. It's a terribly grim, dark, gloomy book - after that godawful shootout in Tull, I nearly gave up myself. BUT if you keep going into THE DRAWING OF THE THREE, you're in for a pleasant surprise - a great surprise! I've just re-read it for the third time (preparing for WOLVES OF THE CALLA) and I couldn't put it down. The second Roland steps through that first door into that airliner and into Eddie Dean, the story takes off like a rocket and never looks back. Some of the best, most suspenseful, most passionate writing of King's career. I am totally absorbed in this ka-tet (which only gets better with the additions of Odetta/Detta, Jake and Oy. I was a little disappointed that WIZARD AND GLASS was almost entirely a flashback (I want to get on with the Quest!), but it certainly filled in a lot of background that we needed to know. Now on to the Tower! (Incidentally, I've got a bad case of the flu right now - time to take some astin!)

to the dark tower I came
the best collection of stephen king
there is. I am obsessed with roland and his ever changing view of his world which mirrors our own Cant wait for dt5. if you haven't read any of the series Im sorry

Just had a thought, as to why the DARK TOWER series doesn't really kick in until THE DRAWING OF THE THREE. It's because Eddie and Susannah see the worlds (their own and Roland's) through OUR eyes. (Granted, Jake was in THE GUNSLINGER, but he was too young and scared and in awe of his surroundings to have a very strong presence at that time. But Eddie and Odetta/Detta speak in voices and think thoughts that have resonance for us. They serve, I think, the same purpose that the Hobbits serve in LORD OF THER RINGS (If you've ever tried to read THE SILMARILLION or any of Tolkein's other works where Hobbits are NOT the lens through which the epic adventures are viewed, you know what slow going it is). Eddie and Susannah, like the Hobbits, are US - and Roland starts to become far more exciting and fascinating and touching (and even more heroic) when seen through their eyes.

the first stephen king i ever read was 'the drawing of the three'. ever since then i've become an SK addict. ' the waste lands' has to be his best ever even though i find the riddling session with blaine the mono( in 'wizard and glass) one of the most gripping piece of work ever written.

THE DARK TOWER SERIES IS ONE OF THE BEST SERIES EVER. IF U CAN READ IT U CAN ALSO. IM ONLY 14 AND IVE READ BOOKS 1-3 AND AM 250 PAGES INTO THE FORTH. ALTHOUGH OWNING THE BOOKS HAS PUT A LARGE GAPING 80 DOLLAR HOLE IN MY POCKET IT WAS WORTH IT I AM WAITING AVIDLY FOR THE 5TH BOOK. BY FAR THE BEST AND MOST ADDICTING PART DOES NOT COME TILL THE END OF THE THIRD AND BEGINNING OF THE FORTH AS PAT KASEN SAID. BLAINE THE MONO IS A AMAZING PART OF THE STORY AND IS COMPLETLY ORIGINAL. YET UNFORTANITLY WE STILL DONT KNOW MUCH ABOUT WHAT HAPPED TO THE WORLD EXCEPT THAT IT HAS MOVED ON, AND THE HORRES LEFT ARE HIDIOUS.

IF U HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THE BOOK E-MAIL ME

VI
When some discuss if near the other graves
be room enough for this, and when a day
Suits best for carrying the corpse away,
With care about the banners, scarves and staves
And still the man hears all, and only craves
He may not shame such tender love and stay.

I too typed in " Childe Roland..." as one person here mentioned they did. I printed a copy of Browning's epic poem to read and puzzle over later. I am currently re-reading DT 3 after reading the first two over the past couple of weeks. I first read DT 3 about ten years ago when I got a copy of it from a book club by mistake. I loved it but never picked up the earlier books. The newly released paperback series caught my eye and I jumped back in... and wow what a trip.

I disagree with those who liked DT 2 better than DT 1. I read King's preface to the new series where he acknowledges those who think that The Gunslinger was difficult to follow. Maybe I am twisted but i loved it and didn't find it at all hard to follow. The novel's dark austerity makes it all the more appealing to me. I totally 'get' King's idea of spaghetti western meets Tolkien.

As for the shootout in Tull, I didn't find it nearly as disturbing as the scene in DT 2 where Eddie gets a cavity search by Balazar's goons. For some reason I found this description to be completely gratuitous as opposed to the scene in Tull that had actual significance to the plot.

I'm just quibbling here though, because overall this series is great. I just think that DT2, while being a necessary and powerful link, is the weakest of the three I have read when judged on its own merits. What do the rest of you think?

I am looking forward to reading DT 4 and the rest!

The DT story lets me travel to the special place where I wish I could be, and where I think I have been. I would have a Kingsland Ale at my first chance. The story is best realized if you read all the related books. Are you a beamer or a breaker? Waiting for Dt 6 and 7. See you on the flip side.

I also typed "childe roland...etc...etc..." to see what it brought up. I've read DT 1 through to 5 and i'm re reading them all as we speak. I find it amazing the references to the Dark Tower events in the rest of Kings work, go andread the Stand and Needful Things and you'll see what i mean, also his short stories and Hearts In Atlantis. Obviously Kings own quest to write about the Dark Tower and the Ka Tet is as consumming as Rolands own quest.

Email me if you notice any references, i've just pointed out the easy ones, its hard to find one of kings books that dont refer to the Dark Tower in some way!

im 15 the first book (the gunslinger) was really good thats what started me reading the other 3 the drawing of the three was amazing waste lands was probabley the least cool and wizards and glass was really good as well

Im only 16 and i don't read that much. But The Dark Tower is the best series i have ever read! I can't wait to read the last two books of the series

I'm currently 400 pages through DT 5 and these books are amazing. i find that i can relate to all of the characters as king so avidly describes them through clever flashbacks and changing points of view. i get hints of the book in my every day life (for example, the allusion to the robert frost poem fire and ice seen in dt 5) dt 4 was my personal favorite, but i think that this is the highest point in king's career. i can't wait for the last two to be published! another interesting fact: lupe means wolf in french!

Hey guys what's up i'm 18 and I started reading the Dark Tower series three years ago. I went to my high school library looking to re-read The Lord Of The Rings series when by mistake i picked up the Wastelands. I read it without realizing that it had it's predecessors, after i found them i ate them up. I am about 100 pages into the fifth one and can't wait to finish. I need someone to talk to about the Dark Tower, someone who can answer questions and ask as well because i myself have read the first four books three times already.

man....Ive read alot of Stephen Kings books....but nothing of his works are like these, I cant seem to put them down, Im so entranced in his books, the anticipation for his last two books to come out are so great, I cant wait to see what is exactly is at the dark tower...maybe the crimson king is Stephen King himself ;)

For those of you who say that The Gunslinger was hard to read through I would suggest looking at your local library for the book on tape. In fact, I would even recomend to those who have read the books to listen to them on tape. Frank Muller reads the first 4 books (If listening to the first one, they have rereleased it with someone else reading it - find the one that Frank Muller reads - ) and he does a great job with the characters. I especially love how he does Eddie's voice. (As a side note to anyone that cares, Frank Muller won't be reading anymore books because of an accident he got in. I think it was very nice of Stephen King to dedicate book 5 to him. I could defenately belive that Muller heard the voices in King's head.) I am re-listening to the books again before I start on book 5 and as many before me have stated this is a great series, so to all that have yet to read (or listen to) the Dark Tower series...what are you waiting for? Good reading all.

I HAVE NOT LONG FINISHED READING DT5.
SO I RE-READ FROM NUMBER ONE I AM NOW GETTING INTO NUMBER FOUR. I FOUND THE SERIES REALLY GOOD . EVEN MY TWO SON'S ARE ENJOYING THE BOOK'S THEY ARE AGED 17 & 13 SO THE SERIES HAS BEEN PASSED DOWN. I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO D6

I am one of the many who have typed "Childe Roland to the Dark Tower Came" into some search engin "Altavista" looking for an copy of this mysterious pome written by Robert Browning and saw unoficial stephen king site and thought that id check it out. as it happnes to be i now have the 5th book open in my lap YET A NOUTHER STEPHEN KING FAN... neways. And iv been wonderin how in hell dose SK manage to encorperate 15 outher books in with this one series? even thoe i like the idea that he managed to use the superflu emptied world as one of the ones that the ka-tet visit. the priest form 'Salem's Lot is intresting as well.
I would also like to point out, to those who have read most of his outher books, Flag, or Walter or marten or whatever sk wants to call him in outher books, is a charicter who is repetive in his books and it makes me wonder about him, he seams to have an impact on this series as well and wants for Roland and the ka-tet to renounce the tower.... but whi?
i will leave u with this last thought of mine ~~cause i gotta get back to book 5~~ but i wowld like to let all outher sk fans out there who aer out of collage that there is a 16 year old teen runnin around who has read all of sk's books. i started in 6th grade acculy the teacher wanted a note from home sayin that i could read these books >>i think he was unstable

I was introduced to the dark tower series by my boyfriend and am currently working on the fifth book. I've found the series to be much more realistic than my normal scifi/fantasy norm. (It's the first series I've ever read by SK) I think it's one of the best series of books ever done (at least so far) and I can't wait for the rest!!

I am 13 years old and have already read DT1-5. The first book was a bit slow to follow, but things quickly spedup in DT2. Part 4 was basically just a flashback of when Roland first became a gunslinger. This book was crutial to understand some of the plotline. King has brought in characters from other books in DT5, and I believe he will put in more! As for King himself... I have learned that STEPHEN KING HIMSELF will be in the book! Not just in the end of DT5, but throughout the series! I am waiting to get to Walden Books to get #6, Song of Susannah, and I can only imagine what DT7 will be like in September, when it comes out!( The day is the 21st, KINGS BIRTHDAY!)Thats all I got, email me for info.

only 1/3 thru #6 and its already much better than wolves. i think wizard and glass is still the best of them so fsr

This morning i purchased DT6 Song of Susannah and i'm already halfway through! My eyes ache and i need to get some food but i cant put it down!

Just finished DT5 Wolves... and thought it was the best one so far, (well maybe Wasteland.) The cliffhanger ending is driving me nuts and i know it wont be resolved quickly in DT6. To those of you who don't know there's a DARK TOWER SHORT STORY in a Stephen King collection called Everythings Eventual. The story is called The Little Sisters of Eluria, it takes place shortly before the Gunslinger but after Roland is on his own and following Walter. Its pretty good, go get it!

Thats it its all over, and theres still so much we never found out. . . . I've been reading these books for the last 14 years (i got the gunslinger when i was 13) and now i can only back to the beginning and start over again. . .hmmmm who does that remind you of . . .

just finished reading the last dark tower book.didnt want to finish as i know its the last.amazing how kings mind works to put it all together.a modern day tolkien.anyone agree?

You're too early! Come back at June 18, 2002 05:04 PM to see this post.

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