The Dark Tower Series
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Pettytyrant101
Eldorion
Forest Shepherd
Ringdrotten
bungobaggins
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Re: The Dark Tower Series
by bungobaggins Fri Jan 02, 2015 12:36 am
Hi, Ringo. 
I've included my thoughts and some comments on your thoughts, here. 
I'm looking forward to starting book 6, as it looks much shorter than the previous two (might take a couple days off from reading, however).
P.S. I just want to say that I'm very grateful to have a Dark Tower buddy on Forumshire.
I've included my thoughts and some comments on your thoughts, here. I'm looking forward to starting book 6, as it looks much shorter than the previous two (might take a couple days off from reading, however).Ringdrotten wrote:Wrote a review a couple of days ago, but when I tried to post it I was taken away from the forum because it didn't support proxy or whatever (I had Hola unblocker enabled at the time), which is weird because it hasn't been an issue before. Anyway, it wasn't that long, I just got too pissed to rewrite it. This'll probably be even shorter as I've got some cleaning for Christmas to do! I recommend you don't read this until you've finished the Wolves, Bungo
- Spoiler:
There are two things that didn't work very well me. The first is the explanation to why the wolves steal twins. They steal them for the Breakers, who use some sort of twin gene to destroy the beams. I don't know what I was expecting, but I just didn't think that was enough to justify a 700 page book. And if they needed this gene from the twins, why didn't they just take all of them, instead of only one a pair? I think what I didn't like about the reveal of the purpose of the Wolves was that it was so late in the game, and we saw no proof of it. The only reason I can think that they wouldn't take both twins is that the town needs more regular people to keep reproducing; take both twins you've got less people to procreate. And there did seem to be a lot of people having twins in this town, I'm not sure if twins are more likely to also have twins when they have children.
The second issue I've got with the Wolves, is the way King includes himself in the story. And not only in the story, but as the author of everything that happens. I mean, I know this is fiction, but we read these books to escape reality and be entertained, and even though we know it's all make-believe it's nice to get lost in another world for a few hours, and the more believable it all is, the better. There's a lot of strange stuff in this series, but I've yet to feel "this is just bullshit", so he's succeded in making a believable world for me. I sort of felt that King took that away when he introduced himself as the author of Callahan's story, which would indicate that he's the author of everything else that happens as well. I'm getting close to an explanation to this in book six now, and it better be damned good, because on some level it ruined some of the pleasure of reading this series. This was something I was actually aware of before I started book 5, even before I started book 3, probably. So I've been aware that King was going to inject himself into the story, so it wasn't a surprise to me. I'm not sure how I feel about it at the moment, I'll just have to wait and see how it all plays out.
All in all I enjoyed the book alot, and even though I'm tempted to give it a 3/5 because of that whole author mess, I say it's a pretty solid 4/5, because of how well it's written and how immersed you get into this world he's created, and how involved with the characters. Book six is a fantastic book so far, and the pacing issues are gone completely. I just hope he can pull off a satisfying justification for including himself, because that took away some of the fun for me.
I'd give this one a 4.5 out of 5. I really liked the Seven Samurai/Magnificent Seven influence, and this one felt more like a western than the book 4. I'm a little confused by the title though, shouldn't it be The Wolves of Thunderclap, seeing as how the wolves are from Thunderclap and not the Calla?
My favorite quote from this book: "And the shooting will happen so fast and be over so quick that you'll wonder what all the planning and palaver was for, when in the end it always comes down to the same five minutes' worth of blood, pain, and stupidity." - Roland
P.S. I just want to say that I'm very grateful to have a Dark Tower buddy on Forumshire.
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Re: The Dark Tower Series
by Ringdrotten Fri Jan 02, 2015 9:01 pm
bungobaggins wrote:Hi, Ringo.Ringdrotten wrote: I'm going to disagree with you here, Ringo.
To be continued indeed - you'll like book six alot, I think
The only reason I can think that they wouldn't take both twins is that the town needs more regular people to keep reproducing; take both twins you've got less people to procreate. And there did seem to be a lot of people having twins in this town, I'm not sure if twins are more likely to also have twins when they have children.
This seems so obvious now that I'm embarassed I even had to ask.
This was something I was actually aware of before I started book 5, even before I started book 3, probably. So I've been aware that King was going to inject himself into the story, so it wasn't a surprise to me. I'm not sure how I feel about it at the moment, I'll just have to wait and see how it all plays out.
I finished book six tonight - I'm satisfied with the way he solved it
[/spoiler]
P.S. I just want to say that I'm very grateful to have a Dark Tower buddy on Forumshire.
Replied in the spoiler - and yes, that's a badass quote
And I'm grateful you talked me into getting back to it Finally getting close to the Tower (not sure I want to, though! 
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Re: The Dark Tower Series
by bungobaggins Wed Jan 07, 2015 2:14 am
Why does Stephen King do things like this?
Why would you give that away? I know, or at least have had a strong belief, that the entire ka-tet (minus Roland) will fall at, or on the way to, the Tower. Why does he have to confirm it way before it happens? He did stuff like this in book 4 as well (about Susan) and it drove me absolutely nuts! What the hell, Stephen King?!
- Spoiler:
- From the chapter where Roland and Eddie have the shoot out with Andolini at the gas station:
"Eddie got in. Roland had paused for a moment to tap his throat three times. Eddie had seen him perform this ritual before when about to cross open water, and reminded himself to ask about it. He never got the chance; before the question occurred to him again, death had slipped between them."
Why would you give that away? I know, or at least have had a strong belief, that the entire ka-tet (minus Roland) will fall at, or on the way to, the Tower. Why does he have to confirm it way before it happens? He did stuff like this in book 4 as well (about Susan) and it drove me absolutely nuts! What the hell, Stephen King?!
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Re: The Dark Tower Series
by Ringdrotten Wed Jan 07, 2015 8:04 am
Yeah, I know, he did it in book 5 alot as well. Damn annoying 
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Re: The Dark Tower Series
by Ringdrotten Wed Jan 14, 2015 1:08 pm
Damn, you'll beat me after all I've not had time to read at all lately. Maybe I'm not supposed to find out what's in the top room? 
I've not had time to read at all lately. Maybe I'm not supposed to find out what's in the top room? _________________
“The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want for nothing. He makes me lie down in the green pastures. He greases up my head with oil. He gives me kung-fu in the face of my enemies. Amen”. - Tom Cullen
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Re: The Dark Tower Series
by bungobaggins Thu Jan 15, 2015 4:17 am
O Discordia!
You will get there Ringo. Took me almost five years to get this far.
Finished book six tonight. The end is almost here, but still feels very far away.
You will get there Ringo.
Took me almost five years to get this far.Finished book six tonight. The end is almost here, but still feels very far away.
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Re: The Dark Tower Series
by Ringdrotten Thu Jan 15, 2015 7:17 am
Nice - looking forward to hear what you thought of it! The end is almost here indeed, only a 1000 page book to go
{{{By the way, love the new signature - that's a haunting line}}}
{{{By the way, love the new signature - that's a haunting line}}}
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“The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want for nothing. He makes me lie down in the green pastures. He greases up my head with oil. He gives me kung-fu in the face of my enemies. Amen”. - Tom Cullen
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Re: The Dark Tower Series
by bungobaggins Fri Jan 23, 2015 4:19 am
Ringooooooooooooooooo.
Things have been slow going, and I'm kind of avoiding book 7, even though I've already purchased the kindle book and Audible audiobook.
I'll try to do a quick write up on my thoughts on book six.
Things have been slow going, and I'm kind of avoiding book 7, even though I've already purchased the kindle book and Audible audiobook.
I'll try to do a quick write up on my thoughts on book six.
- Spoiler:
- There was a lot that I liked about this book and some things that I either hated or made me roll my eyes. I really liked how it dropped right into the action with Roland and Eddie at the gas station. However the actual getting the door to work back in the Calla was a little tedious. I just wanted the story to get going, and when it did it was really good.
As handy as the turtle talisman was, I thought it was kind of weird. How does it have power over pretty much everyone except for the type 1 vampires? Overall I didn't like the turtle, it made things too convenient for Mia/Susannah. I mean, seriously, she got a nice luxury hotel room from using it. I also thought the "Dogan of the mind" was incredibly strange and thought it would just look silly if the book ever got made into a movie.
I was surprised how much I enjoyed the meeting with Stephen King. I really liked that his first reaction was to run away, very funny image.
I thought he was going to dominate most of the book, thankfully he didn't. We'll see if that continues in book 7.
Can't think of much else to say. I really liked the pacing; thought it worked well as a shorter installment (which is nice when the previous book was 700 pages and the next one is 1000).
No favorite quotes from this one, but my favorite moment was when Callahan and Jake were preparing to enter the Dixie Pig. However, I have some gripes about what happens in there at the beginning of book 7 that I'll get to once I've finished it and get around to a review.
I'll give this one 4.4/5. Very good, solid installment, but I missed things building to a head as they did in book 5 which actually gave us resolution to the climax with an added cliffhanger that set up book 6. Here we got buildup to a climax followed by a cliffhanger to that climax. I think that's my big gripe with this book. We continue from a cliffhanger and end with another cliffhanger not having resolved the plot of this installment. It's like this book is sort of hanging in todash space, if that makes sense.
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Re: The Dark Tower Series
by bungobaggins Sat Feb 14, 2015 1:12 am
Hey Ringo. Just wondering how you're doing with the series. I'm stuck at 14 percent on book 7.
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Re: The Dark Tower Series
by Ringdrotten Sat Feb 14, 2015 11:52 pm
Hi, bungo! Sorry I haven't responded to this yet, I've been busy lately. Added a few comments to your book six review
I'm slowly making progress with book 7 - at 26% now, but the Tower is getting closer at last I'm enjoying it, but there I've got two pretty serious gripes with the last book so far, but I won't go into that until you've read at least up until 25%-ish yourself. And it's a bit too early to pass any judgement when there's still 75% left of the book, so we'll see. Pretty excited about being so close after months and months (years, even, if I count my first attempt at reading book 1)
Sorry I haven't responded to this yet, I've been busy lately. Added a few comments to your book six review bungobaggins wrote:Ringooooooooooooooooo.
Things have been slow going, and I'm kind of avoiding book 7, even though I've already purchased the kindle book and Audible audiobook.
I'll try to do a quick write up on my thoughts on book six.
- Spoiler:
(...)
As handy as the turtle talisman was, I thought it was kind of weird. How does it have power over pretty much everyone except for the type 1 vampires? Overall I didn't like the turtle, it made things too convenient for Mia/Susannah. I mean, seriously, she got a nice luxury hotel room from using it.
Agreed, the turtle seemed like a very convenient way for King to solve a few issues. I can see why authors and script writers sometimes make use of such "easy ways out", but that doesn't mean I like them very much. I also found the Dogan of the mind very strange, and I still don't fully understand what it is.
I was surprised how much I enjoyed the meeting with Stephen King. I really liked that his first reaction was to run away, very funny image.
I was also surprised, and I was actually satisified with how he handled the inclusion of himself in the story. Like you say, though, we'll see how it all pans out in book 7
I'll give this one 4.4/5. Very good, solid installment, but I missed things building to a head as they did in book 5 which actually gave us resolution to the climax with an added cliffhanger that set up book 6. Here we got buildup to a climax followed by a cliffhanger to that climax. I think that's my big gripe with this book. We continue from a cliffhanger and end with another cliffhanger not having resolved the plot of this installment. It's like this book is sort of hanging in todash space, if that makes sense.
I also liked the pacing, a very welcome change in my opinion. Loved the book on the whole, but it did feel more like book "5 and a half" or something, it felt very short when compared to the previous three.
I'm slowly making progress with book 7 - at 26% now, but the Tower is getting closer at last
I'm enjoying it, but there I've got two pretty serious gripes with the last book so far, but I won't go into that until you've read at least up until 25%-ish yourself. And it's a bit too early to pass any judgement when there's still 75% left of the book, so we'll see. Pretty excited about being so close after months and months (years, even, if I count my first attempt at reading book 1) _________________
“The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want for nothing. He makes me lie down in the green pastures. He greases up my head with oil. He gives me kung-fu in the face of my enemies. Amen”. - Tom Cullen
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Re: The Dark Tower Series
by Ringdrotten Sun Mar 01, 2015 10:12 pm
42% 
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“The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want for nothing. He makes me lie down in the green pastures. He greases up my head with oil. He gives me kung-fu in the face of my enemies. Amen”. - Tom Cullen
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Re: The Dark Tower Series
by bungobaggins Wed Mar 04, 2015 1:31 am
Eh, I haven't touched it in a few weeks.
Feeling kind of burned out on everything.
Feeling kind of burned out on everything.
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Re: The Dark Tower Series
by Forest Shepherd Wed Mar 04, 2015 10:24 pm
I've never read any of it!
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"The earth was rushing past like a river or a sea below him. Trees and water, and green grass, hurried away beneath. A great roar of wild animals rose as they rushed over the Zoological Gardens, mixed with a chattering of monkeys and a screaming of birds; but it died away in a moment behind them. And now there was nothing but the roofs of houses, sweeping along like a great torrent of stones and rocks. Chimney-pots fell, and tiles flew from the roofs..."
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Re: The Dark Tower Series
by bungobaggins Wed Mar 04, 2015 10:39 pm
Thanks for that contribution, Forest.
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Re: The Dark Tower Series
by Ringdrotten Thu Mar 05, 2015 5:16 am
49% now - when you pick it up again, it will be worth it, bungo 
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“The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want for nothing. He makes me lie down in the green pastures. He greases up my head with oil. He gives me kung-fu in the face of my enemies. Amen”. - Tom Cullen
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Re: The Dark Tower Series
by Ringdrotten Thu Mar 19, 2015 6:52 pm
Slowly making progress - 60% - get on with it, bungo
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“The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want for nothing. He makes me lie down in the green pastures. He greases up my head with oil. He gives me kung-fu in the face of my enemies. Amen”. - Tom Cullen
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Re: The Dark Tower Series
by Ringdrotten Wed Apr 01, 2015 3:32 am
Done 
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“The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want for nothing. He makes me lie down in the green pastures. He greases up my head with oil. He gives me kung-fu in the face of my enemies. Amen”. - Tom Cullen
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Re: The Dark Tower Series
by bungobaggins Wed Apr 01, 2015 4:38 am
Fuckin' hell, Ringo!
At least it's over for you! Did you like the ending?
At least it's over for you! Did you like the ending?
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Re: The Dark Tower Series
by Ringdrotten Wed Apr 01, 2015 12:52 pm
I'm not quite sure yet. When I read the final page I both hated and loved it, but now that I've slept on it (I stayed up until 5am thinking about it ), I am quite happy with the ending. But I understand now why the fanbase is so divided. I think the ending King wrote was one of very few possible ways to end it, really. So many things I'd love to discuss right now, hurry up But what a beautiful story The Dark Tower is, and at the same time both horrible and sad. I've bought The Wind Through the Keyhole now, and plan to read it when my head has landed on planet earth again. The feeling I've got now is comparable to the one I get when I finish LotR - almost sad, but content, yet I still want more. I usually turn to The Hobbit then. Perhaps TWTTK can serve as this series' TH
), I am quite happy with the ending. But I understand now why the fanbase is so divided. I think the ending King wrote was one of very few possible ways to end it, really. So many things I'd love to discuss right now, hurry up But what a beautiful story The Dark Tower is, and at the same time both horrible and sad. I've bought The Wind Through the Keyhole now, and plan to read it when my head has landed on planet earth again. The feeling I've got now is comparable to the one I get when I finish LotR - almost sad, but content, yet I still want more. I usually turn to The Hobbit then. Perhaps TWTTK can serve as this series' TH _________________
“The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want for nothing. He makes me lie down in the green pastures. He greases up my head with oil. He gives me kung-fu in the face of my enemies. Amen”. - Tom Cullen
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Re: The Dark Tower Series
by bungobaggins Wed Apr 01, 2015 1:40 pm
Well, hopefully I can get back to reading soon.
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Re: The Dark Tower Series
by bungobaggins Sun Apr 05, 2015 10:00 pm
Only 22 percent in, and already disappointed/pissed off.
- Spoiler:
- How in the fuck can he just kill off Randall Flagg, and in such a terrible fashion? He was such a great villain: charismatic, theatrical, mysterious, and he has a sick sense of humor to boot. I don't care if Mordred is only a baby at the moment, he's not going to be able to replace Flagg as a better villain.
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Re: The Dark Tower Series
by Ringdrotten Mon Apr 06, 2015 1:06 am
That was one of the two 'serious gripes' I mentioned above - nearly ruined it all for me that early in the book. I always thought Walter would stay in the story until the very end, and I was hoping for some epic showdown between him and Roland at the foot of the Tower itself. Instead we got... something else, which we'll discuss in due time I'm sure
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Re: The Dark Tower Series
by bungobaggins Sat Apr 11, 2015 6:18 am
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/stephen-kings-dark-tower-alive-787758
The longer I sit with these books, the more I'd like it to NOT be made into any sort of movie or TV series. I like the images of it that I've created in my head, and I like the story (for the most part) just the way it is.
The longer I sit with these books, the more I'd like it to NOT be made into any sort of movie or TV series. I like the images of it that I've created in my head, and I like the story (for the most part) just the way it is.
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