posted
I've wanted to read these books for a while now, and I have a friend who's really into them and just gave me two books as a present. He gave me The Gunslinger and The Talisman. I asked him which I should read first and he said The Talisman because it connects to the The Dark Tower series at the earliest point in all his books even if it isn't an official part of the series. Something about this strikes me as wrong, in that for some reason I feel I should be starting with the first book in the actual series.
I know a lot of people here have read them, any suggestions on where I should begin?
It almost feels to me like reading one of the prelude to foundation books before reading the foundation series. I think it really would've lessened the experience of reading the foundation series had i read those other books first.
posted
Doesn't make a difference. In fact The Talisman hardly connects at all, its sequel Black House is much closer to the Dark Tower series. Start with The Gunslinger, I did, no regrets. The only book I would say one has to read is Salem's Lot anytime while reading the first 4. Every other connected book to me is just for fun.
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posted
Little Sisters of Eluria, a short story, is about a main character in the Dark Tower series, and takes place before The Gunslinger. But it to can be read at any time, it gives nothing away, and nothing else gives anything away about the short story.
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posted
Start with The Gunslinger. The whole series has many references and connections to many of King's other works, but it's not really necessary to read all that other stuff. It makes the references make some sense, but I don't think it's imperative to go into all that. If you want to, it is fun though. It's kind of like rereading LOTR after reading the Silmarillion for the first time. There's a lot of, "Oh yeah! That's what this is about!"
I just reread The Dark Tower series these last two weeks. It's so great! Enjoy it. At least you don't have to wait years for the last books to come out like I did, since he's finished writing them now. (That was maddening, believe me.)
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posted
Yes, go with the Gunslinger. The 'connected' books don't make sense as connections until you've read the main thread, though for the most part they are still excellent books in their own right. But if you're just going for the Gunslinger, then go straight to the source.
"The man in black fled across the desert, and the gunslinger followed."
Posts: 10645 | Registered: Jul 2004
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posted
It doesn't make a difference which you read first. I read the Dark Tower series and never read the Talisman and only a few other King books. Almost all of Kings books have a connection to the Dark Tower series, including Salems Lot, The Stand, and Hearts in Atlantis. The Dark Tower series can be read and enjoyed without reading any of his other books, but reading some of the other books adds to the appreciation of the series. There are some sites on-line that help to draw the connections for you as well. I found this one very usefull: http://www.thedarktower.net/connections/roadmap
I refered to it regularly while I read the books. It outlines the connections between King's other books and the Dark Tower series.
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posted
I think The Talisman is one of the best things King has ever written. But it's not really part of the Dark Tower series. It should be read alone and savored. And if you ever have a chance to read the "sequel", find something else to do. Like trimming your toenails or having root canal.
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I had a really tough time getting through Gunslinger. Kept aborting mid-book, but each time I'd get a little bit further after each subsequent book in the series. It wasn't till I finished Wizard & Glass (#4) that it finally all *clicked* for me. I guess I needed the backstory that gets revealed in W&G to finally get to like Roland enough to be able to finish Gunslinger.
And I actually THREW #7 in disgust. A couple times, in fact. I won't say why here, I think I mentioned it the last time we discussed the series, which if I remember right was about the time that the last book was released.
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Is the series complete after #7? I'm just not a fan of starting a series unless I know I can get some closure.
Also, I've never really read King because I don't enjoy horror. I take it that even if The Dark Tower has some horror elements that it's more than that?
I should probably read Shawshank Redemption -- loved the movie.
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posted
You'd have to actually read "Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption". It's in the same collection as "The Body", which was made into the movie "Stand By Me".
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Yes, it's complete. But you will either love the ending, or loathe it with a passion surpassing time.
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Oh dear, your answers are not reassuring . . .
Yeah, sorry Lisa -- I knew it was a short story or novella, didn't remember the title. Have also thought I should read "The Body" because I liked Stand By Me as well.
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posted
Has anyone here watched Nightmares and Dreamscapes? It was an 8 episode collection of Stephen King's short stories. Some were horror, some were science fiction, and others I can't classify other than just good old Stephen King-ish.
There was one in particular (I won't give details as so not to ruin it for anyone who hasn't watched it) that reminded me particularly of the Dark Tower Series.
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Uprooted: stop reading after #5. I assure you that the hypothetical books that your imagination will have already partly written by that point will be immeasurably more satisfying than the two that King actually wrote. I know telling a sci-fi reader to stop reading a series before it's over is practically heresy, but in this case it's far, far more fulfilling. Consider life as a Star Wars fan -- and how much more enjoyable it was -- before the prequels.
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I found the last book to be the most satisfying. If you read the series to that point, you've already acepted every axiom Steven King demands his readers accept. Sure it was weird. Sure it didn't make a lot sense with scientific (or science fiction) analysis, and it wasn't quite fantasy, but I thought it was still amazing.
I started the series the day after I graduated from highschool. Read the first book in a day, the second book in two days, and then spent the next six months reading the rest of the series (my reading slowed down when I got to college). I finished the last one in January, and was utterly devistated that there were no more books. As the events came to a close, I nearly was in tears.
The only other books that I've been deeply saddened to finish are two Vernor Vinge novels (A Deepness in the Sky and A Fire Upon the Deep).
So Strider and Uprooted, start the series and read it as far as you can before you realize that it's not meeting your expectations. For me, that moment never happened, for Tom, it happened around the fifth book. You need to make your own calls on this one.
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posted
It actually happened for me about halfway through Song of Susannah, but I'd never recommend that somebody stop halfway through a book. Posts: 37449 | Registered: May 1999
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I can understand someone not liking the ending of the Dark Tower. I like it, but hey, to each his/her own. My only problem with any Stephen King book is that it is too readable. I can't put a book of his down unless absolutely required to. Consequently, when first reading the Dark Tower series I was able to overcome my nausea when reading on the bus. For this, I am eternally grateful to SK, as I ride the bus and train for a long long time every day, and it is now my favorite place to read.
Back on track: I love 'Song of Susannah.' Tom, I'm wondering what made you dislike it. As I said, I understand not being to thrilled with the ending of the series, but 'Song of Susannah' was awesome, imo.
*SPOILERS*SPOILERS*SPOILERS*
I love the multiple nature of Susannah/Detta/Odetta, and how she deals with the newcomer Mia. I love the weird backstory of how Mia came to be. The shootout with Roland and Eddie and how they meet John Cullom and form the Tet Co. is also great.
*END SPOILERS*
So anyway Tom, why didn't you like 'Song of Susannah'?
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posted
I liked all 7 too, but I enjoy a little bit of weird.
Keep in mind, also, that Tom is one of about three people on this forum who liked MS&T. He's clearly not to be trusted.
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The VERY ending of The Dark Tower was fine; I thought that was a very nice way of resolving something that, by its very nature, had been established as irresolvable. But I found the various "reveals" in SoS and DT underwhelming and rushed, and certain villains -- like Mordred and the Crimson King himself -- overhyped and ludicrous. And certain treatments of certain characters bordered on the outright sadistic. All of this may have been a part of King's point -- in fact, I suspect it was -- but symbolic depth does not always a good novel make. Posts: 37449 | Registered: May 1999
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posted
Thanks Uprooted for asking the question first. I googled MS&T and only found Materials Sciences and Technologies, which didn't make any sense to me.
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you know, if you guys want to turn this thread into a spoiler thread that's fine with me. I got what I need out of it. I can change the topic line to include SPOILERS and you can go at it. And I'll do my best to not open it up again. Posts: 8741 | Registered: Apr 2001
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posted
If you like the "Dark Tower" you MUST read "Hearts in Atlantis". It ties in directly to Dark Tower, and the movie does not do it justice.
*SPOILERS* I love how the Crimson King (aka Devil), who is trying to destroy the Tower and thus the Universe, is shown as the Lidless Eye. Sauron lives!
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quote:Consider life as a Star Wars fan -- and how much more enjoyable it was -- before the prequels.
See, I agree with you about the Dark Tower, but this plunges your credibility about such things into the negative.
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quote:Originally posted by Lisa: You'd have to actually read "Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption". It's in the same collection as "The Body", which was made into the movie "Stand By Me".
Apt Pupil became a movie to. Not nearly as good of a movie I will admit though.
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quote: See, I agree with you about the Dark Tower, but this plunges your credibility about such things into the negative.
So you're saying you prefer a continuity where the Force is genetic, Yoda only taught the youngest children, Leia never actually knew her mother, and Anakin Skywalker fell to evil in, like, five minutes?
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quote:Originally posted by The White Whale: Thanks Uprooted for asking the question first. I googled MS&T and only found Materials Sciences and Technologies, which didn't make any sense to me.
posted
In February Marvel is releasing the seven issue DARK TOWER: THE GUNSLINGER BORN. It is supposed to be about Roland's early life. It is written by Peter David, who's a darn good comics writer, and "overseen" by King, whatever that means. See preview: http://www.newsarama.com/marvelnew/Feb07/dummy.htmlPosts: 407 | Registered: Mar 2006
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If you had seen the newest dvd release, you'd know that they in fact both almost shot at the same time. Way to go George!
Posts: 8741 | Registered: Apr 2001
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quote:So you're saying you prefer a continuity where the Force is genetic,
"The force is strong in my family. My Father had it. I have it. And my sister has it."
quote:Yoda only taught the youngest children, Leia never actually knew her mother,
Meh.
quote: and Anakin Skywalker fell to evil in, like, five minutes?
Not what happened. Palpatine worked on him for years.
Beyond that, your question distorts the actual issue. Even if I prefer the versions of those events that you prefer, that doesn't mean that the net harm to the mythos was greater than the benefit of everything else we got. I could agree with you that each of those was a mistake and still not wish the prequels hadn't been made.
Posts: 26071 | Registered: Oct 2003
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I am firmly in Tom's camp -- both with ending half-way through Song of Susannah and Memory, Sorrow & Thorn.
I was highly disappointed by Stephen King basically chickening out (imo) and kowtowing to literary literature. I completely understand the temptation to do so. But still...
Actually, I differ with Tom on the ending ending. I think recursion is a cop out. But then again, I have apocalyptic tendencies.
Posts: 3423 | Registered: Aug 2001
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posted
The names he gave the aliens in Imzadi totally threw me out of the story. I'm sure he thought it was cute, but I definitely would have enjoyed it more had he reined it in.
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Was Imzadi II any good? I haven't read a media tie in book in a decade, but I liked the first one so much I've been tempted to give it a try.
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