theschwabregime

Has anyone read Stephen Kings Dark Tower series? (Linky to the first book in the series if your not sure what i'm talking about) Just wondering what it's about exactly and like if it's got some weird fantasy/horror elements to it. Monsters and stuff like that. I guess just a basic synopsis is what i'm asking for.

If anyone can do that for me, thanks in advance!

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Banzai

A synopsis of the series? That would be quite lengthy...but it is definitely worth a read. It manages to blend- one way or another- most of King's books into it's storyline, so if you are familiar with his works you'll recognise quite a few of the characters. I can give you a quick summary of the first four books if you like (I'm currently reading the fifth, so I can only give you a bit of an idea there).

The Gunslinger (Book 1)- Introduces the main character, Roland, and his hunt for the 'Man in Black' across the desert. He is a gunslinger, which is a kind of knight type thing, in a world which has 'moved on'. He is looking for the Dark Tower, which he believes the man in black can take him to. He meets a young boy from New York called Jake, who travels with him for a while, and to who he explains how he passed his rite of passage as a boy.

The Drawing of the Three (Book 2)- Picks up where the Gunslinger left off, with Roland needing to call three people from our world (at various times throughout the latter half of the twentieth century) into his own in order to continue his quest. These three each have/present their own problems which Roland must deal with.

The Wasteland (Book 3)- Roland and his new companions (Eddie and Susannah) must help Jake re-enter Roland's world. Jake joins the quest, and they find a post-apocalyptic city, where they must play riddles with a sentient train, in order to avoid death, and gain passage along their path).

Wizard and Glass (Book 4)- Along the path of their quest, Roland tells the company a story of his youth, from after he passed his test of manhood, and when he fell in love with (and later lost) a woman named Susan Delgado, which has previously been hinted at. Afterwards, Roland is faced by his lifelong enemy, who warns them to cease their quest, or suffer the consequences- but they pay him no heed.

Wolves of the Calla (Book 5)- Roland and the company are called upon by a village to help them defend against the 'Wolves', who come once a generation and kidnap some of their children.

Hope that helps, but I strongly recommend you read them. They are long, but are (in my opinion) King's crowning glory.

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"Who is the third who walks always beside you?
When I count, there are only you and I together
But when I look ahead up the white road
There is always another one walking beside you"
-"The Wasteland" by T.S. Elliot

theschwabregime

Interesting....does it have a certain time it takes place? like the 1800's or is it a modern set story?

It sounds really good, I like this whole man in black thing...do you happen to know how many books there are in the series? I know as soon as I finish Night Watch (see my other post, lol) I plan on getting the first book in this series.

Thanks for the info!

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Kane

There are 7 books in the series... The books take place in sort of an alternate world, which is similar to earth, and it also takes place on several levels of our earth. The time frames differ, with time moving at different paces in different places... It starts out in the protagonists world, which has "moved on." It's kind of post-apocalyptic. You'd have to read it to understand it best. I'm afraid I haven't explained it adequately.

theschwabregime

That makes sense to me actually. Since Banzai had mentioned a guy from new york i was just curious how that fit in with the entire story. Just knowing that it's not actual 2006/7 earth and they do some weird sort of time/plane shifting sells it for me.

Looks like another 100 or so bucks sliding away in the next few months

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Banzai

The time frame is strange. In the alternate world, there is no direct relative time in 'our' world, it is outside of the timeline. The interactions with 'our' world take place at various times from the sixties, to the present day (I've just remembered that King involves elements from his personal life in the later books).

As for Roland's world, there is a bit of a mix. There are parts which are medieval almost, and parts which reflect the settings of the American West. But through all of them there is the remnants of a very advanced civilization now long gone.

__________________
"Who is the third who walks always beside you?
When I count, there are only you and I together
But when I look ahead up the white road
There is always another one walking beside you"
-"The Wasteland" by T.S. Elliot

Banzai

Yeah, it's hard to describe to be honest. It isn't in the same boundaries and limitations as our reality. The books are very well written, though.

__________________
"Who is the third who walks always beside you?
When I count, there are only you and I together
But when I look ahead up the white road
There is always another one walking beside you"
-"The Wasteland" by T.S. Elliot

lythande

It's one of my favorite series ever. Found it by accident in high school 10 yrs ago, have probably re-read about 3 times, lately when the last of the series came out 18 months or so ago. I always look forward to 3-4 years down the road when I can re-read them again.

penforhire

100 bucks? That's expensive. I read books only once, so I don't buy 'em. I get them from the library or download them (legal in canada for now) on the net. I am an avid reader. I love reading, just don't wanna spend any money on it... for now.

BTW Stephen King is my favorite author. He is the exception to the rule. I buy all his books.

__________________
Always without desire we must be found,
if the deepest mystery we would sound,
but if desire within us be,
its outer fringe is all we shall see.

Banzai

Agreed, a hundred dollars seems a bit steep. Do you have charity bookshops in the US? I have a load of Stephen King books I got from a local Oxfam bookshop for about £1 each. Pretty good condition, too.

__________________
"Who is the third who walks always beside you?
When I count, there are only you and I together
But when I look ahead up the white road
There is always another one walking beside you"
-"The Wasteland" by T.S. Elliot

Banzai

I've just finished book seven. I was disappointed at first with the ending, but after looking back on the series as a whole, it was the only way it could realistically end. The book as a whole was very good I thought, keeping up the same blistering pace as book six throughout the whole six hundred pages. The series is definitely one to read, and a triumph for King's writing. He might not be the greatest writer ever (actually, he definitely isn't) but The Dark Tower series is a magnificent piece of fiction.

__________________
"Who is the third who walks always beside you?
When I count, there are only you and I together
But when I look ahead up the white road
There is always another one walking beside you"
-"The Wasteland" by T.S. Elliot

Leyline

IMO it was an excellent series that fell completely apart in the last two books.

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"I write to find out what I know." - Flannery O'Conner


My stuff:
Stilled-Life The Liberators
Xangurl Tessellation
The Woman Who Hitch Hiked With Cats