Personally, I found myself in the same boat as you. WaG was really the high point of the series for me. I have fond memories of the lobstosity beach, Lud, Blaine and Mejis. Perhaps it had something to do with when I read them, I picked up the series in 97 and polished off TDotT, Wastelands and WaG as fast as I could find them (I didn't end up reading The Gunslinger for a few years).
Those books were classic King, drawing (no pun intended) from the late 70s-mid 80s world that his prior works were so firmly ensconced within. The latter three...not so much. It's strange that the (publishing) time between Wastelands and Wizard is the same as between Wizard and Wolves, 6 years. But then, the world hadn't moved on...
The final three books are not as good as the preceding ones, IMO (With the possible omission of Gunslinger. It's a good book and kicks off the series, but it's not quite in the same league as the others, especially not in its revised form.)
However, the surprising amount of content, backstory and overall 'King weirdness' in the final three can certainly make up for whatever shortcomings exist. If you are a King fan, I would suggest you continue. If not, the good and memorable bits are fewer and farther in-between than the first four, but they are still there. The man poured his heart and soul into the final three books, and in some ways they are a greater window into his mind than any of his other works (save On Writing, perhaps.)
There is no rush though, constant reader, the books will always be there. Whether you leave them on the shelf for a year or two and start from the beginning, or pick up exactly where you left off, Alain, Cuthbert, Jamie, Susan, Susannah, Eddie, Jake, Oy and Roland will all be waiting. Waiting for you to glance up at the sky one day and notice that all the clouds are tugged ever so slightly in one direction, along a single line. Waiting for you to remember that all things serve the beam. Waiting for 19...
I sort of like stories that break the fourth wall, so I didn't mind that King wrote himself in so much. Yeah, some of it was a little forced, but I feel like this series has been a way for him to explore his deeper self a bit and he couldn't quite finish it without revealing that. It gives us a little insight into who he is as a person, or who he thinks he used to be in any case. In a way, The Dark Tower is his own life story. And the characters represent different facets of his own personality. There's the obvious one, Eddie, the junkie who finds himself. I'm sure at some points in his life he felt like two people, the evil demon hiding within his nice outward self - that would be Susannah. The kid who felt neglected - if you read On Writing you learn that he was raised by a single mother, so the undertone of emotional neglect because of a parent that works all the time came through in Jake. And Roland himself represents his struggle to just get it so he can be happy. Learning to let go of an obsession is the main lesson of the story, the point is to enjoy the journey. To enjoy life. He had to "draw" those characters out of himself to process everything. And that's also probably why he took so many breaks while writing it and why the end seemed so rushed. When it finally clicked for himself, he couldn't just not finish it for all the fans out there.
And I think the appeal of the story for the rest of us is just how much we can relate to different struggles represented by the characters. They're all so human and so real because King put so much of himself into them that we can all find things to relate to. I know the series has changed my life in a profound way.
Agreed. I also think that writing it was very cathartic for him. His account of the accident in "On Writing" was chilling in its frankness, but that same scene in Dark Tower was heart-wrenchingly emotional. Not for King's sake, of course, but I imagine that writing that entire scene might have helped him to move on from the incident.
And honestly? I am totally fine with that.
There is a paperback set that's sold in the UK/Europe that you can order on UK Amazon(or whatever EU country you prefer). You have to order each book individually, though. It came out before The Wind Through the Keyhole, so that one just kinda sits off to the side. Nonetheless, the seven books look great together.
I've repacked my gunna with more King books on my current quest for the Tower. Started with The Stand and Eyes of the Dragon. Moved to On Writing to understand the King better. Then #1 and #2. Now am reading IT (holy crap it's good). Trying to decide if I go straight through #3 and #4 before I hit up the new #4.5 or if I detour into Salem's Lot or Insomnia or something else.
Edit: I think The Stand would fit nicely between #2 and #3.
> We have lots to celebrate, not the least of which is the completion of my third book, The Shining. That's the one which just happens to be about an alcholic write and ex-schoolteacher.
> [...]
> Holy shit, I'm an alcholic, I thought, and there was no dissenting opinion from inside my head - I was, after all, the guy who had written TheShining without even realizing (at least until htat night) that I was writing about myself.
- On Writing, Stephen King.
I have not really been one to go into in-depth analysis with the series, but I'll throw out an idea on this one. Having read King's (sort of) memoir On Writing, he has always described his method of writing fiction as being a medium through which the story flows. In other words, he doesn't make conscious decisions to include himself and take out Jake, this was just the way the story evolved. I know that this isn't necessarily the most waterproof explanation but I think it has some merit.
I've never read Salem's Lot, but I still plan to soon. King summarized a lot, but I still don't know who all died or lived. I don't know any of the fine strokes, just the broad ones.
I'm rereading the DT series now and making a list of books to read afterwards. I know there are already exhaustive lists out there, but I'm planning on reading (and rereading, in some cases):
I don't think I'll be let down knowing what I already know from the DT - that's for Ka to decide.
It was a gift from my Mother, who found it on the UK Amazon site for £14.99, only had 4 in stock at the time of release. I was gobsmacked when she gave me it, after a quick google search I found this:
http://www.abebooks.com/9780848807801/Gunslinger-Dark-Tower-Book-1-0848807804/plp
You can buy it here in black or here in silver YOUR WELCOME!! 🤣🤣
Unfortunately, I can't sell it due to copyright (afaik), but the full-size download is available here to print (see on the right "Download") :) If you want to thank me, I have a fantasy novel up on Amazon you could check out.
I actually ended up getting the matching version through this exact amazon link
I know that it doesn't display the "correct" matching cover which is quite annoying. It seems that Amazon plays fast and loose with the book covers, and YMMV.
First of all, King sucks at endings. Don't read too far into them, because there's not as much as you might want there to be.
This whole saga was King's observation of the epic tale. Journey, companionship, overcoming the personification of evil: it's all there. I like to think his ending was more of an extension of "On Writing:" the ending of the epic is, really, unimportant. The journey is what matters, clichéd though that may sound: Roland's ending is also his beginning.
If you refuse to take his ending literally, it becomes much less painful.
Edit: that's the most colons I've ever used in one paragraph.
I'm reading On Writing, and he gets into some of the common themes of his stories, and how his real life inspired them. A perfect example of that is how many of his stories have "the empty lot" - an abandoned lot with trash and rubbish strewn about haphazardly. He bases this off of a lot where he used to play when he was a child and his single mother was struggling to make ends meet.
However, I think that the story of the Dark Tower didn't arise so much as an "excuse", but more it emerged from his subconscious. The entire story reads very much like a stream of conscious narrative, and he talks at length about how he didn't know what would happen from book to book (even being forced to respond to letters from dying fans that he wished he could tell them the ending). That, coupled with the fact that [he puts himself in the last few books, in the capacity that even him telling the story is a part of the story itself, and that Roland acts as a sort of external motivation to finish the story](/spoiler), tells me that King wasn't just writing a bestseller here; he was writing the story that his life demanded he write.
Coincidentally, one of the themes in his books that actually scares me to think about, is the fact that he has at least half a dozen stories where the mode of producing fear is rooted in "grisly death by vehicle", stories he wrote YEARS before he was hit while jogging. I mean, he was likely just inspired by people's general fear of being killed by a car or a truck or a train, but it's really sort of haunting to me how pervading that is in his writing.
There are a couple ways. If you download the Stitcher Radio app from the Google Play store, you can just search for Tower Junkies and find us there. Or you can download the Google Play Music app, search "Tower Junkies" and subscribe there.
I have this at home. I don't think I have the board or pieces, but I used to just sit in my bed and play the game on the tower for hours. Used to take it in the car as a handheld game. Pretty sure it still works.
For those who want a nostalgia bomb there's and app for that: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.mow.droidtower&hl=en
Barnes & Nobles sells it, along with quite a few others. Came out in the middle of December, I got the set for Christmas. The back illustration is more influences by the comics than the books, but it's still awesome. Link below to the B&N site with pictures.
Thanks!
My tattooist, Gari Henderson drew it up but it was heavily influenced by an image I had on Pinterest and also the David Finch cover to the Gunslinger Born comics.
We chatted it through and agreed on something quite dramatic to take up most of the upper arm. I'd originally over complicated things a bit by suggesting lots of different elements to incorporate.
In the end, it was a better idea to just do one image really well!
This was something I read once that I think really tied up the open ending really well while still leaving so much to the imagination of the reader. It's a final, FINAL ending--after Roland redoes his entire quest with the horn. It's a fanfic, yes, but it's a darn good one.
The Dark Tower Series Books Volume 1 - 8 Collection Set by Stephen King (Gunslinger, Drawing Of The Three, Waste Lands, Wizard and Glass, Wolves of the Calla, Song of Susannah and Many More!) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B008XXC144/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_RJ6GVYMKNP74VK5Z3C79 Found it for cheaper. Same box set seems new and like 40 bucks cheaper than what I saw befor
I just bought this
It's not an Omnibus, but is all the books except Sailor in hardback. They have the Sailor in paperback for $70 bucks as well, but that's a bit steep and I'm waiting for it in hardback hardback. Not sure why Sailor isn't included. Kinda disappointed, but excited to finally read em!
I have this one.
And this one
https://www.ebay.com/c/201596781
What different between op’s and what I have?
I have no idea....though I've seen them around.
I'm fairly certain that there isn't a complete matching set of the Hardcovers available, though there is a seven book matching set for paperback on amazon.
https://www.amazon.com/Dark-Tower-Complete-Gunslinger-Wastelands/dp/1604322667
If you're looking for a complete set of first editions, it's possible...though you start getting kind of expensive once you go back to the first three.
The Dark Tower Art Portfolio - Signed Traycased 1 / 1000 https://www.amazon.com/dp/1623300932/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_tJS2ybWA37APZ
And idea if there is a difference between the two...amazon is ready to ship today and CD says ready for holidays
there is one for the wastelands like that read by SK too, but thats it. When Wizard and Glass released they rerecorded all 4 with Frank Muller reading them, then by the time Wolves came out Frank had died (RIP, press F to pay respects...) so the revised Gunslinger, Wind through the Keyhole, and 5-7 are all read by George Guidell
Heres a listing on amazon for the OG wastelands... considering the way they use stock pics im not sure if the edition is correct or if you'd end up getting the Muller Version if you bought it you'd probably want to verify which one it is with the seller but that picture is of the SK version (the muller one is green)
Look for the books that were published by Pocket Books.
> "know" they've been with him before, based on the feeling of deja vu they experience, and their facility with guns and horses
Exactly! I've read most of Sai King's lexicon (including the most brilliant book on the art of writing since White, "On Writing") and understand his process pretty well. "The Wind blows..." and all that. And I agree with you, it is obvious the trio had joined him before on numerous iterations.
Roland? Sibling(s)? Very interesting! Wow. Very neat indeed.
Agreed on Roland's ultimate sin. However, I love Roland's katet. I think they are as much a part of/trapped by The Tower's resumption as Roland himself. I think the last iteration we we privied to, let's call it "Iteration 19", saw everyone making massive leaps towards their best selves. Roland, however, could not give up on his ultimate wish of climbing The Tower and seeing who's at the top. Eddie, Jake and Sussanah are rewarded with a quasi-second life because they came the closest to what was necessary. However, they are still not perfect. I think they need to be present with Roland in the final hour, to tell him that his mission is done and that The Tower is safe, that will make the final go around what it needs to be.
Also, I have numerous doubts about the film adaptation. This series is very important to me and I just don't believe that the film we're getting is one that we truly deserve.
Thanks for the response. Long days, and pleasant nights, Sai Vincent!
Like, nboylie said.
> His injuries — a collapsed right lung, multiple fractures of his right leg, scalp laceration and a broken hip — kept him at CMMC until July 9. His leg bones were so shattered that doctors initially considered amputating his leg, but stabilized the bones in the leg with an external fixator.[40] After five operations in ten days and physical therapy, King resumed work on On Writing in July, though his hip was still shattered and he could sit for only about forty minutes before the pain became unbearable.
You asked this at the perfect time! I'm doing an essay on King right now and found a great site with a list of works about him. here's that. Also, be sure to check out his book On Writing and of course The Dark Tower; The Complete Concordance!
As pointed out by a friend, Levine cites King's On Writing as a major influence on his storytelling.
I'm not in Brazil, but looks like you can get it on amazon...
https://www.amazon.com.br/Dark-Tower-Gunslinger-Stephen-King/dp/1444723448/ref=tmm\_pap\_swatch\_0?\_encoding=UTF8&qid=1671050682&sr=8-1
Also don’t forget Little Sisters of Eluria. This can and should be read after the complete series. https://www.amazon.com/Dark-Tower-Gunslinger-Little-Sisters/dp/0785149317/ref=nodl_?dplnkId=ca85fa8c-a1a7-4ef0-a4e3-c6e2757f2bd7
I found the cover because I have the rest of the series in the matching art-style. Finding the cover isn’t too hard online but every time I try ordering it (twice) I end up with this cover
So strange!
here's another with no King connection........published a year before King's joke, but still maybe inpired by the Dark Tower perhaps?
​
My husband ordered it off of Amazon there's some really shady looking shirts out there and I couldn't decide on one and was telling my husband what I wanted but how I didn't want another shirt that just falls apart, this showed up today!
The Man in Black Fled Across The Desert and The Gunslinger Followed T-Shirt https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07RG8YHQ9/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_glt_i_BAB8FS1K8TAZ9HAKRY6S?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
It was done by Gari Henderson from Northside Tattooz, Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK. Check out Gari's Instagram, he's super talented, specialising in black and grey work.
It has to do with different publishers having the rights to the books, so you will only get either the first four in a set, or the last 3 in a set.
Edit: After some research, it looks like you can buy the Hodder & Stoughton set from here. They don't have Song of Susannah in stock, but it gets you 6/7 of the way.
Tribute to Frank. Dark Tower 1 - The Gunslinger - Unabridged by Frank Muller. I don't know how long this will last, but I have found a rough copy, edited the volume (which was unbearably loud, probably taken from cassette tapes), adjusted the EQs to a tolerable listening level and normalized it to withing listening standards. http://www.4shared.com/rar/Eu8rbjU9ba/Stephen_King_-_Dark_Tower_1_-_.html
I don't have a date for the shirt yet, but expect it early to mid-August (here's my FB page if you wanna keep updated ). Do you have any other ideas for Tower-related shirts? I'd love to make more DT verse stuff. :)
The sub continues to be updated. Apart from some graphical enhancements, I added a couple more user flair options (Maturin!). We now have a new link flair system put in place (thx /u/thefinalslowdance). Apart from Spoilers, we can now mark posts as Image, Video, Palaver (discussion), Theory, Fan Art, and Poll. You may also filter posts on the sub using the navigation menu in the sidebar. I think it's very important that we flair our posts whenever possible; it will really help new/returning users and makes this place look spiffy! Let me know what you think about the changes and shoot me any criticisms/suggestions.
p.s.
I am still trying to update up/down arrows to something more Dark Tower-y, perhaps to Maerlyn's Grapefruit and Black Thirteen? IDK yet, but I need some help with the coding. If you got the know-how, hit me up!
Is this any different than the Dark Tower Omnibus?
It looks like the same collections. Amazon Link
I'm waiting for a Drawing of the Three Omnibus... did they stop making these issues?
The whole of the Beginnings series is available on Amazon in a hardback collection as well:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Stephen-Kings-Dark-Tower-Beginnings/dp/1982110201
(I'm in UK so may be different for you).
https://www.amazon.com/Tower-Omnibus-Set-BOXED-DARK-OMNIBUS-2V/dp/B008MCSPSM found this. 210 is the cheapest for sale for anyone interested.
so much wrong in this reply. Last Shots is in Hardcover. ALL of the Drawing of the Three graphic Novels are in Hardcover. They AREN'T Marvel anymore anyway.
https://www.amazon.com/Stephen-Kings-Dark-Tower-Complete/dp/1982135468
simply wondering why i would buy this when it is incomplete/will S&S release their hardcover version of Marvel's paperback version ever?
Sorryfor the delay. Saw it on amazon right after I finished my journey, and immediately ordered. Ka is truly a wheel.
Ooooh man, I'm so tempted to buy this complete collection when it comes out this october (Amazon link)[https://www.amazon.com/Stephen-Kings-Dark-Tower-Gunslinger/dp/1982123168/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=the+dark+tower+graphic+novels&qid=1565637670&s=gateway&sr=8-1]
Congrats! I got a similar box set for Christmas, but with different covers. I think I like yours better. The box my set is in matches yours just not the covers.
Here is my set on Amazon
Yes it is, but here is the original listing I bought my comic from. https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.com%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F192352435126
It’s cheaper than the amazon listing https://www.amazon.com/Dark-Tower-Omnibus-Stephen-King/dp/0785155414/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1531249910&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=dark+tower+omnibus&dpPl=1&dpID=51MYJ3TJB1L&ref=plSrch
IT. Then Insomnia.
Then Salem's Lot, The Shining, Firestarter, The Stand.
Needful Things, Pet Cemetery and The Talisman also jump out, and On Writing is great if you want to more know the man himself.
But he is not that emaciated and messed up through the whole series. By books four and five, they're all in much better shape (and better fed). I guess I see him as an older, grisled, version of young Roland. I definitely picture him as you describe him in DotT, but he recovers substantially in TW so that by WotC, he is much healthier. Funny, though, how people's imaginations differ. Makes me think of King talking about telepathy in On Writing.
Definitely. IT is also a good source for the "empty lot" and "bound together by destiny" themes. According to On Writing, King draws the "empty lot" from his own childhood, where he used to play in an empty lot where people would leave beer bottles and trash.
You can see it, too. His protagonists age with him.
I'm laying the intensity on thick, but you should also read Stephen King's 'On Writing' if you have any interest in writing yourself. That book did more than any college course to give me insight into the craft.
He's taken suggestions about what to do in the past, but judging by his thoughts on writing (taken from On Writing), I don't think he'd let us affect the actual course of the tale. It's more of a, "Is there interest in this or isn't there?" And, sai, there certainly is. I loved the series as is, but King is the writer and I'm not at all prepared to claim to know Ka.
I used to read "On Writing" like it was the damn morning newspaper. Didn't matter where I started, I just opened it up and started reading. LOVED that book. Anyway, there was a part in there where King says that Insomnia and Rose Madder are "stiff, trying-too-hard novels", to which I can only respond "What is a GOOD one, then?"
You're looking for the ones from this set, right? Amazon probably has them all individually (not necessarily new), you just have to look through all the different editions they offer. Might be easier just to buy the set and have extra copies of 6 and 7. Of course, that set doesn't have Wind Through The Keyhole, so if you're getting a new set you could also look at other pre-movie complete sets.
Which one is the first? https://www.amazon.com/Dark-Tower-Omnibus-Stephen-King/dp/0785155414 or https://www.amazon.com/Dark-Tower-Gunslinger-Slipcase-Hardcover/dp/0785188703
Or does the order really matter?
As for a matching set, there was a paperback boxed set released.
https://www.amazon.com/Dark-Tower-Boxed-Set/dp/1501163566
As for hard cover, you'd have to buy them individually and they don't really run together well as they have varying art styles. Not to mention that finding a good hardcover of The Gunslinger will be quite costly.
Did he? Why is Amazon advertising TDOTT as revised? Honestly curious, not being a smart ass.
https://www.amazon.com/Drawing-Three-Revised-Dark-Tower/dp/0452284708
Edit: Wastelands too
https://www.amazon.com/Waste-Lands-Revised-Dark-Tower/dp/0452284716
UK has them. I presume this is the one you're looking for? Not sure if it can be shipped to Germany
This sounds like a big commitment, but if you've read the books you won't want to mess around. Just go with this. You won't be disappointed.
I know you said you're listening to the main novels via audiobook, but I'd just like to mention that the comic book adaptations do a great job of clarifying the backstory. The first 30 issues all take place prior to The Gunslinger, and cover both the material from Wizard and Glass as well as other aspects of Roland's backstory which are only mentioned or hinted at in the novels. What's more, I don't think anything in them is really a spoiler for the further novels (there's a short flashback in Wolves of the Calla which the comics also incorporate, but it doesn't give anything new away to know ahead of time). The first 30 issues as well as a ton of bonus materials are available in a great hardcover omnibus edition; here's an Amazon link, though I believe it can be had for closer to $65 on eBay. It's close to a thousand pages total, and the bonus materials in the Companion book seem really cool too though I haven't gotten around to reading them in full (though those are probably best saved for after finishing the main novels, since it includes things like a world gazetteer which includes things not encountered until the final book).
I'm not usually a big fan of comics, but these are really well done, and the Omnibus editions have a great value for the price if you like the Dark Tower series, and especially if you're interested in seeing more of Roland's backstory fleshed out (including things like the Fall of Gilead, which you won't find elsewhere).
Those are the UK editions I think, I'm not 100 percent on that but I know I got them from Waterstones and they're on Amazon over here:
America doesn't have a complete set yet, but that might change soon.
as for the graphic novels, these are the ones i own and they're amazing. I don't have part 2 yet though.
Depends on how you want to read them; there are [lots of options](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Dark_Tower_(comics). They are all compiled from a monthly series, so if you want to get really serious, you can buy the individual issues, of which there are 75 or so. Or you can get graphic novels, which compile 5-7 issues at at time, and there are currently 14 of them released.
There are Omnibus collections, as well, which collect 5 or 6 of the trade paperbacks, one for the pre-Gunslinger works (Wizard and Glass plus bonus material), and one for the Gunslinger book. Those also come with a really nicely compiled companion volume, which compiles a ton of additional material from the comics, and also are recommended. This is my recommended method, but it's not cheap. The third omnibus will presumably eventually go through The Drawing of the Three, but that's the current story in the monthly book, so that's likely a couple of years from coming out.
I'm sure there are other ways to read it for free, some of which might even be legal, but I collect both the monthly book and the omnibus collections.
So, i have recently been reading 'The Whirlwind in the Thorntree'.
I just finished the second book, and am starting book three in a little bit. It's not 'exactly' a book about Gilead and the world of Roland. More like...a level of the tower close to it, if ya kinnit.
The characters are interesting. The plot is engaging, and the action is page turning. I love it so far and I think its a fantastic homage to The Dark Tower.
This reminds me, I've got the first Omnibus collection that goes up to The Battle of Jericho Hill and I still haven't read them.
It was Robin Furth who King hired, and she wrote the concordance which is worth a pick up as well. Bev also has a deep knowledge and love of the series, and is definitely worth checking out too. I used to haunt his message board back in the day, and he was always a swell guy.
can i be stupid and ask what the difference between these two comic omnibusses are?
Dark Tower Omnibus Hardcover – September 21, 2011
Dark Tower: The Gunslinger Omnibus Slipcase Hardcover – September 16, 2014
I enjoyed this in it's own right! King hired Bev Vincent to help him after the huge gap between books, and ended up signing off on her turning it into its own project.
On mobile, sorry for the ugly link! http://www.amazon.com/The-Dark-Tower-Companion-Stephen/dp/0451237994
If you're OK with ordering from europe you can get this full set of matching paperbacks easily:
But I recommend trying to hunt down the hardcover versions (much harder). The cover pictures are the same but they are bigger and contain the illustrations (in glossy pages inserted throughout the book).