The Dark Tower Broke Me
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 18 ต.ค. 2024
- I was Broken By Stpehen King's The Dark Tower. Here are my thoughts/Review!
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What book broke you?
toll the hounds
I feel the same. I loved The ending. Possibly my favorite book series. And I hate the ending. But I loved it.
I just finished Player Piano by Kurt Vonnegut late last night. But I still had to look up if there was some sort of explanation to the ending. Cuz I was like “Hunh?”
It was a super good book though! Highly recommend. :)
Blade of Tyshalle by Matthew Stover
Some did: A Crime and The Punishment, Anna Karenina, Sorrows of Young Werther, Storm Of Swords, Perdido Street Station just to name few....
I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of seeing a fresh reaction to the ending.
Don’t forget the face of your father, and always remember to kill with your heart.
Loved The Dark Tower series. He's been hintng at the ending forever, Ka is a wheel. The ending gave me chills when I read with the last line being the very first line.
Ka is Truly a Wheel, that comes as a Wind
I thinks it's hinted at as well in his miniseries, Storm of the Century. "Hell is repetition"
Death, but not for you Gunslinger
Exactly. Throughout the whole book you see references to the past repeating itself because ka is a wheel
“No, not again! Have mercy I beg you please” crazy that he seems to remember he’s made it to the top of the tower once he’s there. LOVED the ending, loved this series, my favorite fantasy series wver
As someone who has traveled to the tower three times, your reaction is everything!!
Long days and pleasant nights
Kat K May you have twice the number
Six times for me. I read constantly. I am a huge life long Stephen King reader. Favorite author and the Dark Tower is my favorite series.
I love that I'm not the only 'un with a bit a Hambry on the " thumb" :p . I'll go now.
One thought I have is that he finally finishes when he saves Mordred. One insight Roland had was that he just felt sympathy for him. HIs ka'tet decided that he couldn't abort Mordred, which is of course closer to the moral path. Mordred has to be 'saved.' He's like a shadow story of Roland saving Jake. You can't give up on your own son.
"Death, but not for you, gunslinger. Never for you. You darkle. You tinct. May I be brutally frank? You go on.” Book 1: the the gunslinger
Sums up the whole book series; this why the first book is the most import in the series in my opinion. I love this book series and loved the ending. Once you know what happens at the end you have to go back and read it again to find the subtle hints about the ending, it is so much fun and worth reading more than once.
I also loved finding out slowly that its secretly a scifi fantasy disguised as a western. The ending of that book really blew me away and I dont think there will ever be another piece of literature that will give me that same effect
I believe that line is only in the revised version. He added and tweaked a few things after he finished the series to make it line up better with the ending.
There’s also several hints to the series ending in Wolves of Calla as well. The phrase “there is nothing at the top” is repeated 3 times in it from 3 different characters
@@kaseycormier3244 I think it has been hinted since book 3. "Ka is a wheel" is first mentioned.
first book is not the most important it’s the worst by far . second book is best and most important
Best self insert till Sanderson turns out to be Adonalsium.
San that would be so awesome!
Unpopular opinion: I LOVE the gunslinger, the first book! Dark Tower is one of my favorites. The first book gets better when you go back and read it again.
It's still my favorite as well. I loved how weird and strange it was. It felt like reading a fever dream. I first read it when I was only like 10 or 11 though and I had never read a "weird" western prior to that.
I disagree I love the Gunslinger. I feel other books in the series are great but I feel Gunslinger has the best first line in a book ever. It is why I have several copies of it in every cover I can find. I own all the other books in one copy
I'm the guy with the unpopular opinion: The Drawing of the Three is my personal favorite of the series. Mort may be my favorite Stephen King villain of all time, a coin toss between him and Annie Wilkes.
The Last Handbook I am fine with that the hardest book for me to get through was Wasteland all the other books I really like Wasteland though good felt like a slog for me
The Gunslinger is King's most pretentious book. But I still love it. He was super young when he wrote it.
As a King's constant reader, I held off reading The Dark Tower for a long time, I didn't think it would be my "thing", but I just finished it today and ... no other book has made me cry so much (Eddie!, Jake! Oy!), I was not shocked by the ending, but I think it makes a lot of sense. I guess I would pick up The Gunslinger very soon again. Long days and pleasant nights to you all.
Mordred's whole arc was brilliant as far as I was concerned. The fact that I felt sorry for him at the time of his death to me was absolute masterclass in writing.
THat's why I think part of Roland's task to get out of the wheel of ka is to save Mordred. Mordred was bad but he might be redeemable.
Mordred straight up freaked me out. Eep.
He spent 1/3rd of the book vomiting and shitting out blood because he ate rotting horse flesh .... great villian ....
@@MicahMicahel but surely he has to not drop Jake. Then if Jake isn't dropped they don't have to go to the circle to bring Jake back. Then Susannah never gets pregnant and Mordred never exists.
@@SMouse646 yeah... he can't drop Jake and there're other mistakes he will do. Some people think he makes it the next time but I think he's stuck for thousands of years. He might not meet Jake next time. There'll be other mistakes. It's kind of like the Buddhists wheel of life. They believe you have to reincarnate over and over and over until you get it right. Somehow I think that's a better story than succeeding the next time.
Can Mordred come through some other way? I think he'lll find a different way each time. Certain people don't return.
I love the ending because the story kind of lives forever and any flaws in the story are kind of erased by the imaginative reader.
I read the last 4 books as they were released and I have to admit I wasn't super impressed by Wolves and Song but I still adore Dark Tower. I haven't reread them as there's just too much to read LOL.
SPOILERS
I still think the ending and Kings warning to not continue is a perfect "trick" to get you into Roland's head and to experience his desire to still climb the tower. He was told his quest was over and you as the reader are told you have the satisfying ending but you have to keep reading because you need to know what Roland finds in the Tower as much as he does. I completely understand why people thinks it's cheap but it has stuck with me for 15 years.
It was partly the excellent audiobook narration, but this quote sent chills down my spine as I felt it with Roland, "Oh, no! Please, not again! Have pity! Have mercy!"
Poor guy, hope its better for ya this time.
I started reading the DT books right before Wizard & Glass came out, and religiously read them as released, re-read the series as a whole numerous times, and holy shit. I never once realized it, but yeah, he totally gamed us with the "satisfying" ending message he wrote. Not cheap at all, that's pure genius.
In my defence, I was in my senior year of high school and after 4 years of checking out each of the 7 novels (including a hiatus during the 2020 pandemic), I felt like that would be my only chance to witness the ending for myself. Still a major cop out but I'm glad I finished it
@@gingermedman8509 it was mortifying seeing Roland beg for pity and mercy. Stephen King has such a powerful way of getting under the audience's skin and this is definitely one of those occaisions. That and the foreshadowing during the entirety of book 5, Wolves of the Calla. Every instance of Roland smiling was noted in detail which made me think "oh ok yeah this is great, hes embracing happiness a little more" and then SLAM. Nope. Stephen King is a horror author and Roland's smile is terrifying, when applied in the right context. I still get chills thinking about it
Huge tower junkie here, loved this review. I feel the same.
I absolutely adore the final ending. I don’t really like how any of the big three villains went out, but it is what it is. And most of the foreshadowing of the end is gonna be in the final three books, because King doesn’t really plan his stuff out. My favorite paraphrased quote in this regard is Cort telling Roland “you’ll wear out a hundred pairs of boots on your way to hell”. The Dark Tower is ultimately a story of addiction (as are many King stories) and possible redemption. Roland is by no means a good dude. He only really saves the Tower so it can’t fall before he reaches it. But his Ka-Tet brings more humanity out of him each time and by the end, he may forsake the Tower after saving it to stay with the ones he loves. That’s the salvation of Roland Deschain of Gilead, son of Steven. He has to learn to stop building a bridge of corpses to walk over and turn around in order to save his soul.
The tower... I think he wants to retain his importance in the last several novels as well as give us a true final facedown with Walter paddick and change Mordreds fate as well
🛑*SPOILERS*🛑
It pisses me off how book 7 ended honestly. And most of that is my fault because I anticipated so much that they would all have a good ending or at the very least Roland would. That even if his companions couldn't be there in person, they could maybe even show up in spirit and help to guide him along in that last stretch to the tower. Jake and Eddie dying broke my heart and it very much brought me to tears, and Susanah leaving to find a different life was indeed very nice but it still seems wrong to me when it isn't truly her Eddie and Jake. And poor Oy, if he were ever to die presently he would die defending his Ka Tet. I pictured that they would all be there to see the tower because they rightfully earned it and because too much was lost along the way to give up at all. But I think what pisses me off the most is the very ending. And I fully understand why he did what he did. "The man in black fled across the pale dessert, and the gunslinger followed." Ka is a wheel. Poetically, its a wonderful means of closure and the only ending that could ever be right. Literally, its a cop out. Not even the result but the reason itself. "MAYBE YOU'LL LEARN THIS TIME AROUND" as if Roland hadn't already learned. Was there no developmemt between the time he let Jake die in order to pursue the tower, and then neglecting the tower fully and let his heart decide his actions in order to save the boy; _three times?!_ At least. Did we not see him collapse on himself with all of his regret and pain and shame for even the idea that he could deserve such friends like Eddie, Susannah, Jake, and Oy? And proceed to try to pursuade them to leave him and the tower entirely just for the sake of their own lives. The love he learned to embrace when they showed him how to open his once locked heart, the pain he felt when they were snatched from him, the emptiness he endured after they were all gone. The Dark Tower is a long tale of many themes and the one at its center must be tragedy. Though in my opinion, what better way to end such a long, dark tragedy than with the silver lining of a forthcoming sunrise? Not even necessarily a happy ending, but at least one where they are all there; and they earned their right to be there for sure. I know its not my place to conceptualize someone else's story (I already despise fanfiction), but I can just see all of them getting to that tower and venturing upward until they reach the top, and what even awaits them then? Maybe the doors to take them home, maybe a way into a better, peaceful life, maybe one last sacrifice must be made in order to restore balance to the universe, one that justly belongs Roland. Maybe a cure to the darkness. Something that allows them to approach their final moments together, or to open the next chapter of their lives without the reigns of Ka tugging at them. I'm only an amateur writer myself but the way I see it, when it comes to story devices (like the dreadful repetition of tragedy), I personally find it better to use in passing or occasionally. But really I'm a schtick for The Good Ending. And thats my opinion on the ending of The Dark Tower.
You may have nailed it
Just finished the series and this description is perfect.
The condition of the end was fine for me. I just thought the roses and the tower itself were beyond underwhelming. So many times along the way, King glossed right over everything I found interesting, but the center of Mid world took the cake. It should have spent an entire book inside the tower itself, not just some half hearted epilogue. The end of book 1 was cosmic and mind blowing. I was intrigued to see what the reality of the tower was going to be.
"The spawn of Roland and the Crimson King and Susannah"
Mia (who literally had that one job): "AM I A F***ING JOKE TO YOU?!?!"
Unfortunately to CK and RF she was...
I was never a Stephen King fan until I read this book. Afterwards, I started reading his other books. I immediately picked up Salem's Lot after the series.
Oh man, without giving too much detail and spoilers, but the ending to each character's story, including the priest, broke me and had me in tears at times!
Eddie!
Agreed!
Yup... Eddie
Salem’s lot doesn’t get nearly as much love as it deserves. That and hearts in Atlantis are two of my favorite king books.
You speak true sai
I was in gym class when I read Eddie's scene. Like 8 kids saw me throw the book down on the ground and just sit there shaking my head "man...no...man"
This is my favorite book series. The ending totally blew my mind, and I wanted to immediately throw it up against the wall. Now I'm reading it a third time because I am a glutton for punishment. Long days and pleasant night, Sai Greene.
The reason for the characters driving him like that is explained in On Writing.
That is literally how he describes writing.
Take a sip of coffee*
So now you know, and you are up here with The rest of us... Welcome.
Love your reaction man, so natural and real.
Artas Baktios totally how I reacted the first time I read it!
This
know what?
@@Dennzer1 that would be a major spoiler. But I meant that the ending of this story might be quite upsetting in different ways. And when people reach that place in particular, its almost always something interesting to observe.
@@TheLastCrystal1 Yeah, I know it would be a major spoiler. I am trying to get some one in this comment section to tell me, but no luck so far.
It's been about 10 years since I've read this series, so I really don't remember much anymore, but I clearly recall LOVING the ending. I thought it was so clever and fitting. I've been planning to reread this series soon but adding other King's books that are the most related to the Dark Tower series.
I love the Dark Tower so much. The ending was one of my favorite moments in the entire series and actually inspired me in a big way to write my own story, the draft of which I just finished.
I'm glad you made it sai
As an amateur writer myself, I'd love to read what you have.
@@bbygngrndthCurrently it's 2.4 million words and not 100% readable. But when I've edited it down to something readable, for sure you can take a look. :)
@@bbygngrndth Feel free to send me what you got too, my man
I love the ending of The Dark Tower and honestly wish SK hadn't included his final warning. I know he's aware of his reputation for not sticking landings and was understandable nervous about how the ending to his magnum opus would be received but I think this is an ending that makes perfect sense with the story he was telling. Right from The Gunslinger it was always a morality tale for Roland. What was he willing to do to get to the Dark Tower? Who would he sacrifice along the way? You can see he's getting better but he still has more to go.
I respectfully disagree. Here's why: In that moment where we are warned to end our journey here and we continue anyways we become Roland. We know that Roland will suffer in this ending but we continue anyway. We are obsessed with getting to the top of the tower the same way Roland is and like him we are willing to subject the character we care about to suffering in order to get there. This is the best example I've ever read where it forces the reader to share and acknowledge the glaring flaws of the protagonist. At least that's how I feel about it.
At first I listened to the warning. I thought it ended perfectly with him going through the door into the mystery. I ended up reading it though and ... loved it! I thought of my own life and came to the conclusion that I would have to do this one over... I think. THE whole idea of doing it he right way was a theme and it was definitely hinted that the way he did it would determine his success. I know King didn't have it planned but he definitely had it set up for him to t think of, and that makes me think of the Stephen King character in the novel as well. Amazing books I miss them!
His magnum opus? The Shining came out before.
Gulam He’s been pretty consistent in calling The Dark Tower his magnum opus. I love The Shining but something like It would make a better alternative as a magnum opus because of it being his greatest statement on horror and a greatest hits of his writing to that point.
@@alchemypotato I would argue and say IT is cocaine's magnum opus since he doesn't even remember writing it.
I felt a lot like this when I first read this series. With time I've come to really love this ending and the wider meta commentary on storytelling that is throughout the series. Definitely colors the rest of the series differently when you read it again
I came to TH-cam to have my feelings about finishing this series validated and you did just that. Literally nailed every single thought I’ve had since I finished it 3 days ago(and have since re-read The Gunslinger already). I MUST re-read them now knowing the ending so I can fully understand and appreciate the quest.
No one in my life understands what it’s like to live and die at the hands of a paperback. All hail Sir King.
"I need to read to read the entire Stephen King universe in reality to understand it all"
Hahaha...AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!
Hahaha, the first few minutes of this video are an exact copy of my reaction when I finished the series ^^
A lot of people hate how stephen king put himself into the story as a “god” but that’s not really true. Yes, SK is inserted into the story, but he doesn’t independently write the stories of the characters and thus give them life within the story as if he is the god of his own universe. If I remember correctly it’s explained that he writes using “Gans(Gods) lens” meaning that what he thinks is his imagination is actually an ability to view the stories of characters throughout what we know as the SK universe and then he writes them into novels. He only has limited control in changing those stories, such as warning Susannah and Roland when they encounter Dandelo. So no, while reading the dark tower, the fictionalized version of SK did not truly “create” the ka-tet, he merely wrote down their stories.
What I've always gathered from it was that King was merely a vessel for Gan's will and thus King's stories. I always liked how he is (at least the way he writes it) humbled by being able to have this world come to be THROUGH him, not because of him.
It’s really an inspiration/muse thing that he employs with genius. In Essence we have all been creating our own worlds since we first played make believe as a child. The Prim is our mind - the creation story within each of us. (Now I’m starting to sound New Agey but I’m not).... and any creative knows that once you “give birth” to an idea it can easily take on a life of its own.
And Daniel I agree you want to know what happens the next time around the wheel of time (oops, Ka, excuse me) because it’s a little different but then does he meet SK again? Is SK trapped in a similar “Groundhog Day” scenario? Is Rolands reality contained WITHIN King’s or is it the other way around? If he doesn’t meet the same companions and have the same adventure with the succubus, does he create his own offspring and arch enemy again? Are there remnants from previous turnings like Andy etc? Where did he enter the loop, if the world is already old and the Tower is already under attack? Were the beams ever NOT under attack? Does Roland look like Idris Alba the second time? (LOL, still hate the movie).... AH THE WHEEL IS SPINNING LET ME OFF IM GOING TO VOMIT yikes. All the feels. All the feels.
He didn't depict himself as a god in the series. If you paid attention when you read it then you'd understand. He is simply a storyteller. He just hears the stories of Gan. Also, he's the physical guardian of the Keystone Earth Beam. If he had died in the car accident the beam he was guardian of would have fallen.
The Law dude I literally just described how it works it literally says it in the book I don’t think this can even be argued lol
@@dingoman3137 that's deep
I did enjoy the Crimson King’s story arc, in that, he sorta killed himself earlier, by going insane. To me it shows that insanity is the ultimate evil which can even ‘kill’ the multiverse’s ultimate evil
@The Law I disagree. I loved the kings end. This presence that exists through a number of Kings stories driven mad by his own obsession. With this madness he is reduced from a seemingly omnipresent force of evil to nothing more than an old man screaming at the sky. It is a great way to show the powerful pull of the tower and helps to reinforce the tragedy of Roland's journey. The real fruit of Roland's labor, saving the tower and existence, wasn't even an afterthought. It just happened on the way. If that hadn't been in his way to the tower Roland's wouldn't have bothered as long as he could reach the tower before it fell. It all boils down to his NEED to see the towers top floor. The end of the CK shows he's been on the same path. All things serve the beam.
@The Law I agree with you. I dont hate flagg getting whacked but it was way too early and out of the blue. And the showdown with the crimson king was pretty weak. He just screams and lobs sneetches, no epic palaver where he tries to fuck Roland's head up? Roland had sick fights with way lesser baddies
@The Law i just finished the last book literally minutes ago so I'm still processing lol. but that was really my only gripe with the ending, the baddies suddenly not being all that bad
Read "The Talisman" and "Black House". Good King fantasy horror story and a neat part of the Dark Tower world.
@ rolanddarktower1 - There's supposed to be a third King/Straub book on the way...
@@sirandrelefaedelinoge That would be awesome, the black house is definitely in my top 3 of king books. It was by far tge scariest I read.
I firmly believe Jake will be the true individual who can enter the dark tower without repercussions and will free Roland because of the talisman. Hope the third installment comes soon
@@avbot2879 you just blew my mind! That'd be awesome
Hey I actually have a video on this matter go check it out and tell me what you think?🤙🏽 it’s on my channel it’s a challenge I’m going to start and the way I’m going to read The Dark Tower series!
I shared this video with my GF who doesn't read at all just so she can see your euphoria and understand why I read
Wow I can’t imagine my husband not being a reader. We have so many book discussions and encourage each other to read books we love. My husband even reads to me which is funny considering he’s a HS math teacher and I was the 5th grade teacher who read to my students. He read me Lord of the Rings when we were dating in the Army while stationed in Korea. We’d go to the military hotel, most people thought we spent the time in bed...we were but he was reading to me part of the time. I knew then he was The One. Good luck converting your girlfriend!
Time to get a new girlfriend.
She doesn't sound like a keeper.
You should break up with her.
I've read everything Stephen King has written and at first... I hated the end of The Dark Tower. Thought it was awful. However, I slowly came around to it and now I think it's absolutely genius. No other way it could have ended. I've now read the series 3 times and plan on doing so again soon. Wizard and Glass is my favorite.
Those are my feelings as well.
I agree, my sister hated the ending until I explained to her how positive the ending was potentially since he now has the horn. Which gave her another perspective she didn't even think about.
100%. Wizard and glass; the gunslinger and Dark tower are my favourite 3 in this order.
Absolutely agree, 7th time through and EVERY TIME even knowing already that ending just sticks me.... He recently told a group of people at a signing that he truly believes there is another book coming to truly finish Roland's wheel once and for all... KA is a wheel and it's turning...
I thought how the crimson king was defeated was kinda weak, but everything else about the end was phenomenal. Wizard and Glass was definitely my favorite as well. I love the kind of merlin vibe. It had just the right amount of action, mysticism, and suspense to make the star crossed lovers aspect not too cheesy
The ending was devastating. Still gives me chills thinking about it years later. Perfection. Pure magic. Ripped my heart out of my chest.
The ending to Dark Tower was heartbreaking and perfect to me. It tied the whole theme of the series in. There were definitely bumps in the road but I thought the ending was great.
This book.... this book was such an emotional roller coaster there was fantastic action, there were tears (this book made me cry twice). The more you read the series after finishing it the more small things click. It's also why I had such an issue with the movie. This had the potential for greatness in cinema. I'm glad you enjoyed it, it is always a pleasure to see ppl react to the Tower the same way I did my first time.
This series is my favorite, I inherited the first three books when I was 14 and have re-read these since then! I even have a dark tower tattoo!
I love your enthusiasm with this! No one I know has read them and has freaked out with me!!
I have both the Ka symbol and Unfound high speech letters as tattoos. We must be pretty close in age, give or take a couple years, cause I read the first 3 books then very briefly waited for the Wizard and Glass to come out. I've also re-read several times, and gotten others to become DT junkies. Hands-down my favorite books ever as well, even Song of Susannah, which I found to be pretty boring.
@@bbygngrndth I also have the unfound tattoo! I'm in my late 30's. One if my artist friends made a DT teapot for me! One of my most cherished items!
King isn't a god in the story hes a tail spinner."word slinger"
Naw king IS GAN
Yeah... he’s just a tool.
@@passiondpete1624 why would Gan need to hear the song of the turtle. King is said to be "Es ka gan" but not gan. I think Es ka gan refers to his job as gan works through him. Love the dark tower have a good day bud.
King is more like a prophet role. he's more of a conduit
Read 'The Stand' ... it's my favourite King book. Every time I've reread it I pick up something that I'd missed or overlooked before.
If you liked the Stand you'll love Swan Song by Robert R. McCammon.
@@WilliamBKeck Cheers, I'll give it a look.
M-O-O-N that spells damn good read, oh LAWS yes!
Made me so sad when Oy sacrificed himself for Roland. Loved Oy.
I bawled.
Olan...
Omg Oy! I almost forgot about Oy. I cried
*SPOILER ALERT*
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My interpretation:
Since he has the horn, I can tell you there is a sequel.... It's Robert Browning's poem.
Yes, thank you. I think about 90% (can't confirm) of people who have read the entire series don't read the poem, especially the ending.
Holy shit. You're RIGHT.
I read the poem but the way it was written was really confusing and hard to read
English in not my native language so that probably didn't help
the movie is actually a sequel to the books.
when someone explained that to me I was able to stop judging the movie.
@@Oxxyjoe that would be fine if they didn't fuck the lore in the ass in the first 10 seconds of the movie...also black roland, him being white is even a plot point lol
You pretty much captured EXACTLY how I felt at the end (so very long ago). THANKS for bringing it all back to me!!!
Wizard and Glass is one of my favorite all time books. I started the dark tower many years ago when I was maybe 13 or 14. Totally spot on review here, though you and I have super similar taste. This series is what introduced me to the wonderful world of fantasy.
Omg I’m so stoked you finished it! I love fantasy but this is my all time fave series to date. I love the dark tower.
I'm glad you finished the reading part. It took me weeks to decide whether I liked the ending and months to decide that Dark Tower is King's magnum opus and a true masterpiece of literature. I thought about this book long after I finished reading. I caught myself thinking about months after I thought I had thought it true. I read the series as they were published and was so frustrated with King taking so long to finish it. I have decided that King doesn't finish his books. He concludes the action, but he never finishes them. I think that is one of the reasons I think he is the best author we have. He leaves the door open for a universe of possibilities. That Dark Tower drew me in physically, intellectually, emotionally and spiritually testifies to how great it is.
Thanks for your review.
Ahhh! You did it! I just left a comment on your Song of Susannah review video about this! Welcome Sai Greene! We are well met on the path. Long days and pleasant nights to you.
I think it's one of those endings that sounds (and perhaps is) bad on paper, but really works given the right execution. King pulled it off in my opinion!
Nollhypotes oh this! Yes! I completely agree with that.
I don't know. I think if someone explained it to me I would've liked it, but been mad at them for spoiling.
New to your channel. Your passion for the content is what sells me. Couldn’t help smiling the whole time I watched your review. Keep on man.
"Ka is a wheel, whose only purpose is to turn."
Absolutely love it. Every time. Eddie breaks me. Every time. Thanks for the video. Watching you process this book 'in real time' was perfect. Can't wait to see more DT content, especially with the upcoming series on Prime.
I've read King my whole "reading" life and started to tackle the Dark Tower series in 2003. I read the Gunslinger I think in one day. I started The Drawing of the Three immediately after and hit a speed bump. I couldn't finish it. Over the next several years I'd pick it up and the speed bump was there again. Finally, in 2014 I picked it up and got over that hump and very quickly consumed the remainder of the series. It was fantastic and ultimately satisfying for this life long reader of King. And yes, I loved the ending. Loved it. I kind of had an idea that was the direction it would go. (and to be fair I can't remember if it was something I picked up on or if it was somehow spoiled to me over the years in between the speed bumps) Regardless, I love how it ended. Honestly, it's the only way it could end! And it is the last thing I read that actually made me physically cry. I'll avoid the spoiler, but lets say it involves a character sacrificing them self for a certain author. I put the book down for a bit and cried like a friend had just died. This series is a great accomplishment.
I started the series when I was like 13. The Dark Tower came out right before i turned 21 and I've reread it numerous times. I love it. I was so upset the first time I finished it because I wanted Roland to have peace. Once I sat with it I understood it was the only way it could end and stay true to itself.
Now, almost twenty years after the release, I look at these books like old friends. I love them, I love the characters, and I hope Roland finally got his redemption.
"This book broke me"
Welcome to the club!
Now go watch the movie and be horribly disappointed by the worst adaptation ever put on screen.
NinjaRodent as a CR, NEVER recommend that movie again. Don’t even mention it.
I figured it was like a continuation of sorts, at the end of the story Roland is in the desert and has the horn of Gilead this time. In the movie, Roland has the horn lashed to his bag. I'm not impressed with the movie overall, but there is some evidence that points to it being just another turn of the wheel. We have no idea how many times he has climbed the stairs of the tower and had to live his hell.
Fax
@@kylesexton6067 ROFL...and wholeheartedly agree
Jedi Day you said you figured it’s a continuation and mentioned how Roland had the horn with him in the movie. That’s because the guy who made it did in fact intend for it to actually be a sequel to the book series. That was confirmed. I think it’s really frustrating and it pisses me off. But before I say what pisses me off the most at the end of the day, I still want to address some of the biggest things he botched, because obviously the guy butchered the story. I mean he cut major main characters from the storyline, he made it more about Jake being the hero of the story than he did Roland. The way Roland was portrayed in the movie was a huge slap in the face to the Roland Deschain that Stephen King created, in my opinion. In the movie, Roland is damn near ashamed to be a gunslinger. He is reluctant to identify himself as one and allows to himself to be doubted and walked on. In one scene with Jake, Jake practically makes Roland his bitch. He tells him all that stuff about “you’re no gunslinger” like trying to shame him and everything. And Roland just sits there and takes it. He’s a complete contradiction to the Roland Deschain that Stephen King wrote. The biggest evidence of that is how he not willing to practice the whole Gunslinger creed he’s always lived by and preached heavily through the entire series. Forgetting the face of this father is exactly what the film version of Roland did and was unwilling to continue practicing that creed and instead buried it in his past. I think Idris Elba himself played a pretty cool Roland Deschain. It’s just a shame he had to play a shitty version of him rather than a true version of him. Anyway, this guy basically told a completely different story in this movie. I mean I think I would describe it as like... it’s like he read The Gunslinger, then basically took probably 30% of the contents of The Gunslinger and thought “nah, I’m not gonna read the rest”. So then it was like he skimmed through the rest of the books (minus the final book), tore out random pages here and there without really looking at them, then stuffed them into that 30% he took from The Gunslinger, then just made up random shit to try to connect the random pages he took from the other books to the parts he used from The Gunslinger. Then created an entirely different resolve that was very generic and thought to himself “yep, I think that’ll do it”. And made that the movie. I know the guy didn’t do anything like that, I know he likes the whole series. But the idiotic way he went about doing the movie, you’d think he did something like that. And all of that is among other things.
So what it is that pisses me off the most at the end of the day, like I was going to say, is that even in the midst of all these terrible representations, the guy had the audacity to resolve it the way he did. He made it so their mission was a complete success and therefore ending the loop. The reason that pisses me off as much as it does is because I can’t help but think “Who are you to make this the end-all, be-all?”, “Who are you to say this is how it’s resolved?”. So unless Stephen King himself says the movie is canon, I refuse to think of it as that.
EDIT: One thing I want to add regarding Idris Elba as Roland, there is one little bit of appreciation I have for it. The scene in the movie where Jake brings Roland to the hospital was actually pretty hilarious I thought. With the doctor asking Roland questions and Roland looking to Jake on how to answer the questions. And Roland’s exit from it as well. I got a kick outta that scene. 😆
I don't have words, i just finish the last volume... im speechless. I thanks you and the comments which helped me better understand somethings. I love this so much, my heart is broken now i've to leave the characters and this universe.
I totally agree with you Danier, very nice review!
Sorry if there is some english mistakes, i'm french ^^
Ha, Daniel is having the exact same reaction I had when I finished The Dark Tower
This series is amazing. I've recommended it to so many people, they mostly look at me funny because of my enthusiasm.
I'm not really a huge King fan, I haven't actually really been hooked by any of his other books, but holy crap The Dark Tower really got its hooks into me. I felt an emotional wreck by the end, I even had to stop reading for a few hours at three points during the last book as I began crying too much to continue on. This series is just plain amazing and I highly recommend everyone to read it.
Regarding hints when you reread: several characters describe Roland as seeming very old, but physically he’s maybe in his 40s.
I think he's older than 40 because his arthritis has taken over badly. The illustrations show him too young but they also get other details wrong as well. I still like them though. he's hard to place because when he sat down with the man in Black at the end of the 1st book, that lasted for about a millennium. I imagine him looking kind of like Clint Eastwood around at 75
Really glad you enjoyed this series. I was a little 13 year old dork in middle school when I picked up the first Dark Tower, and even though some of it might have gone over my head, at 35 now it still remains one of my favorite series of all time. I remember how psyched I was when the final book dropped, and feeling like I'd been socked in the gut when I got to that ending. It was great.
It’s not about the ending because it’s the journey that matters.
Nice
@The Law a thing which never ends by definition has as many endings as it wants. breaking the rules and having cakes it already ate
@The Law confirmations of the mundane pass for magic, especially in pop fiction where SK is (at least now) a happy little honest capitalist
@The Law I'm no real judge but I found Revival to be a clever mixture of spiritualist and occult themes while telling a coming of age story. And Eddie just happens to be that boy, who somehow got sucked into the world of the gunslinger. King has forgotten more than you'll ever know as the saying goes
@The Law the problem is thought people put too much hype and anticipation into an ending that it will never live up to what they want. As some one else says it's mainly about the journey too. The ending I thought was great.
I've been waiting for this review and am not disappointed. Finishing this series makes you feel the feels and want to talk/rant to anyone about it. The Crimson King and Randall Flagg could have definitely had better endings, but I still love the series. I don't think I've ever said WTF so much throughout my read of a series.
Best books ever
Now lets talk about the worst movie adaptation for a book EVER
Do you really think it was worse than the Eragon adaptation?
@@stevenbradley6004 Or the Percy Jackson ones.
These books would make great movies or a series. They have to respect and understand the books though. The people that adapted the movie didn't respect or understand it.
@Bryce making movies is a group effort. writing a novel is to visualize the whole thing. It's a bigger job.
There is one line of dialogue in the dark tower movie that instantly ruined the whole thing for me.
Roland: I don't care about the dark tower.
Wtf ?!
Looking forward to more of your thoughts on the series. Please more Dark Tower videos!!!!
The Dark Tower series is a true epic!
I have read through the dark tower two times and plan a reread this year and yea, I’ll never stop loving it. I love the characters I love the awesome action and bad-assery of Roland and thus the bad-assery of the ka-tet. Every book is its own amazing little epic in itself to creat this HUGE and AWESOME epic as a whole. Now you must read The Wind Through the Keyhole. It’s a 4.5 novel that doesn’t ass much to the long storyline of TDT as a whole but it’s
really fun too. I am so so happy you finished and loved it. I love it for the same reason. It’s so weird and amazing
Wind Through the Keyhole is a nice filler novel between books 4 and 5, and has some solid world building in its own right. There are a few majorish revelations towards the end as well! It’s somewhere in the middle of the 8 books as far as quality, but much like most later King works, where it lacks in prose and depth, it makes up for it with pace and story!
I agree especially reading it in the proper order, something that others didn't get a chance to do by reading them as they were released. Also reading the Stand and It really helps to understand the universe he writes in. Even reading the Shining gives insite. Salem's lot and Pet Sematary help fill in also.
It really is a lot to digest. I read all of these and the DT series in under a year so for me it was very dense.
Wind Through the Keyhole...i advice all new readers of the Dark Tower to start with 4.5
Wind Through the Keyhole is like an old warrior from ww2 who doesn't talk about his wars. But ask everyone to sit back and relax "I have a story to tell you."
I WISH I had read this book after 4 instead of finding after I finished the series. I thought it was good, but I think it would have been better as part of the journey.
Nobody ever brings up The Little Sisters of Eluria.
Long days and pleasant nights Sai. I've made the journey to the tower 6 or 7 times now I think and still not tired of it.
Wizard and Glass was leaps and bounds better than any other book in this series.
In my opinion, tied with Drawing of Three, but largely, yes I agree with you.
the gunslinger was awesome in itself too,(they all have thier place actually) but pretty much on the same page.
Gunslinger is by far the best IMO
All about The Waste Lands.... Blane is a pain
Nah, wolves of the calla was the best book.
I absolutely love DT . I feel it's the greatest work of art on the planet . I loved the end . I'll ramble on if I don't be careful lol . The characters were like family and on that note you HAVE to read the wind through the keyhole!!! It's amazing !. Great video ,I'm a new subscriber and I really enjoy your channel .
The pacing is my biggest issue with TDT. The story is so meaty and complex, and I ALSO love the hella messed up ending. But getting through the series was a hell of a chore, for me. One I cant bring myself to do a second time.
I re read or audiobook the dark tower at least twice a year. It's crazy because u keep finding out new things upon reread. It's really out there. I find my favorite books in the series change with literally every reread.
Another holy moly moment brought to you by Daniel Absolutely Shocked Greene XD
So glad you read it! I didn't know you were working on it. It is one of my all time faves, right under Wheel of Time. It's nice you're one of the appreciators of the ending.
Also, I just did a re-read a few years ago and didn't catch much as far as hints toward the ending, but I also wasn't listening for them, so....
What truly broke me was Oy. His last word..'Olan.. as he died a truly noble death. Just following the orders of Jake, his beloved friend. Fuck, im crying even thinking about it and its been over a decade since I last read the series
I bawled and still bawl thinking about it.
I've made the journey multiple times. I highly recommend the audiobooks also. I subscribed to your channel based off this review of my favorite series.
Man everytime you review previous books I say "wait until he reads the last book he will completely lose it".
I recently finished the series. I loved it. I feel the same about the ending as you. Great, but like ahhhhh... lol
But I actually listened on audiobooks. If u remember right, in one of the books epilogue, king talks about the ending not being as important. Paraphrasing, but he said if you were reading a book just for the ending, you should just skip to the end. He said he likes to focus on the story. Great video my guy. Have a great one.
The Dark Tower series could be summed up as: it's a great journey, the destination may be a problem.
if you didn't like it.
Life before death, strength before weakness and journey before destination my friend.
Great series with a brave ending. It's definitely one of my favorite King tales (along with The Stand, The Shining, Eyes of the Dragon and It).
The CK shows up in Insomnia and I feel how he's dealt with at the end of that story weakens him and explains why he's disposed of *easily* in the end of Dark Tower... maybe?
It's more that Stephen King has a philosophy (which he has talked about elsewhere) that Evil is by nature one-dimensional and reliant on illusions and tricks to make itself appear otherwise, and that the closer you get to it the more you realise how pathetic it truly is, just as The Crimson King seems powerful and intimidating from a distance but when Roland finally makes it to the Tower he finds a raving lunatic who has murdered his own followers, is helplessly stuck on the balcony of the Tower and is reduced to throwing pitiful bombs.
Both Randall Flagg and The Crimson King go out like chumps because Stephen King honestly sees them as chumps, and that's how he sees all evil people, and his villains gets anti-climactic endings because he really believes that is all they deserve.
I read The Crimson King before I knew Dark Tower even existed. I do not remember him in Insomnia, which I really enjoy, I only remember Lachesis, Clotho and Atropos.
I wonder if King is a big fan of the band Kind Crimson and their song in the Court of the Crimson King.
I'm so glad I happened upon your channel as I finished this series, like 1 week ago, crazy timing. You've helped me appreciate and analyze the books and convinced me to tackle WoT next.
Do you ever do discussion videos (with spoilers off the bat) as opposed to review? I'd love to hear more of your thoughts about the story and it's implications. As well there's some thoughts I'd love to post in the comments but wouldn't want to spoil anything for a prospective reader.
In fact I wanted to quote Roland's "last" words of the story, because they sent a chill through my spine. But even that, though vague, would be a huge spoiler if you thought about it.
The Dank Tower
*dabs*
This genuinely made me me laugh out loud
Random question for you - where did you get your shelving for your books in your background? I LOVE it! We just moved and I opted to leave my cheap bookshelves behind and purchase new once we got to our new place. I have an awesome loft that I want to transform into looking like a library and your setup is exactly what I'm looking for!!
4:03 my brain is hurting
I wish I had known about your channel when I first read the series. I was out of my mind when I finished it and wished I had had someone to put words to my feelings like you have. Loved watching the videos and seeing how you’ve enjoyed this series.
I coincidentally just reread the whole series..took me a few years to get over the initial frustration. I loved the ending, wasnt a big fan of how SK insulted ALL of his readers at the end of DT but what ever. If you're looking for a great SK book that ties in with DT series, read Insomnia..
I didn't think it was an insult. I looked at it as part of the meta game he was playing. I even set the book aside for a couple weeks thinking it was a perfect ending. The final ten pages made it better though. Any shortcomings with the Mordred part being anticlimactic was erased because he is going to have another turn but maybe he'll save Mordred this time. I think he was supposed to reach out to Mordred.
This book series does for me what no other series has done, and that's taken me out of my chair, out of my room, my space, and put me right there, in the head of the writer. I see what he wants me to see, and by god, I feel what he wants me to feel. I shed more tears over this series, all three times I've been through it, than any other written work that I've read. I called myself a King fan before I read this series. Then I became a full-blown fanatic. I can't mention his name and not mention this series. It's just not possible. Brilliant reaction, very much like my own after reading beyond the warning. I think my words were "What in the actual fuck..." followed by "that poor, poor man."
It was such a cop out ending. I wonder how those people reacted who were following it from the start...
I completely agree. He didn't know how to end this, and just threw this shitty ending.
We've all followed it from the start. Even those of us who liked the ending.
Ka is a wheel.
@@tonel.9967 The whole point is that we'll walk away wanting more, even if it's just whatever may change now that he has the horn. It's up to us where it goes the next time around.
@@tonel.9967 Ka is a wheel.
In no way was it a cop out. A cop out would have been if Roland climbed the tower and just found a way to fix the multiverse's problems with the flick of a switch. I read every book when each one was new and my reaction was almost exactly like Daniel's. It took me a couple days to wrap my head around it.
Hey Daniel! Just found your channel and I’m binging 🙈🙈🙈 I’m currently reading The Institute...... I’m a HUGE fan of King (I’ve probably read 95%) of his work (many of them 2-3 times 😶) and we seem to have the same favorites! That said, if you haven’t read Insomnia DO! I’m a fan that gets excited, when I recognize a “low man” and I look for the path of the “beams”..... this book is incredible! Long AF, awesome characters, and had me peaking through my blinds at night, gripped in terror! Sorry for the long post, but I really hope you read it!
Thank you, for the great content! Ya got a new subscriber ❤️
I found it hard to finish the Gunslinger. So I just gave up on the series. To be honest my reading of that book just soured me to reading any Stephen King books.
Yea it was a very weird read. I finished it but I'm not likely to pick it back up again. The one scene where some woman is literally itching to get some put me off so hard lmao. Think this series is one of those like Malazan, where you either like it or hate it.
Your loss
Yes, the Gunslinger is terrible. From sb who doesn't like King at all but did read the series, the second book the Drawing of the Three or whatever is arguably? the best in the series. Tightest plot, very interesting characters.
@@lostmyknife Really! Is it really good? I actually read the Gunslinger because my mom bought the Drawing of Three. But of course you can't really start a series in book two. So I looked for book 1 but because I found it hard to read. I never got to read that second book.
@@leirycpanizales5878 if you had trouble with the first one, theres no telling how you'll react to the second. Honestly, for me, it was one of the most jarring reading experiences I've ever had. The second is probably my least favorite, because the tone doesnt really match the rest of the series to me. Fourth book is absolutely stunning though, and they're all great.
I finished The Dark Tower for the first time just a few weeks ago. It was my first ever fantasy (or fantasy-adjacent) series and I absolutely loved it. Now, I'm expanding my horizons (as someone who's primarily read King and horror, in general) and exploring more fantasy. And boy do I wish I'd done it sooner. And boy am I grateful that The Dark Tower was my introduction.
Dude, I literally kept this video on my "watch later" drawer for 1¹/² year (when I first started my journey to The Dark Tower) and my oh my, was that worth it. I'm flipping right now, so as I watched the video I could relate to your euforia. Nicelly done review!
Ka is a wheel, the man in black fled across the desert and the gunslinger followed.
As someone who first started reading these 22 years ago, I totally feel you on this! I’ve read this series over and over again, it’s amazing (and yes, it ties into pretty much every book he has ever written)
I wanted to love it but I absolutely despised every word.
As one of the few in the comments what made you dislike it so much? I'm just genuinely curious and love hearing other's opinions.
You liked the other novels but didn't like the last one at all? They were so linked that I'm curious how you had that reaction... maybe you only read the last one? In that case it wouldn't make sense and that's why you hated it?
As a fan since finding a copy of an unheard of little book called The Gunslinger in 1986, I was tickled to see that your reaction mirrored mine when finishing the series. I loved it. Welcome to the ka-tet of those who’ve completed one rotation. Long days and pleasant nights, Daniel.
A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway. That's just not right, Ernest. That's just not right.
I'm glad you enjoy this series, but stephen king has good prose? I like Stephen King, but that's a weak point for him in my opinion. He has fun ideas and does characters well, but prose? Ha!
Thanks for finally finishing this series. I read it years ago and I think it ended exactly the way it had to. The first sentence of the first book becomes the last sentence of the last book. Perfect circle. And yet there is still progression. Heluva series.
Stephen King has AWFUL ends. Got tired of him for this!
The endings of DT, pet semetary, IT, 11-22-63 were fantastic in my opinion.
@@stambec2 That´s alright. I just think the opposite :)
I can imagine :)
Awful endings seem to be subjective. i loved the endings of the Dark Tower books and the other Stephen King books. HIs fault would be that he uses deus machinas in the endings sometimes because he is eager to end the book. Patrick the artist was one of them. I was okay with Patrick though. King is in the pulp fiction tradition. That doesn't mean there's a lower bar... it just means he's allowed to get a bit goofy.
Also I’m excited because I finished it days ago too! Always love your videos Daniel.
I HATE that he put himself in the book.
I need to read it again soon, but it’s epic. And your review describes every single emotion I felt. One of the best series ever. I remember imagining how things look like as I was reading and it was mind bending. It’s just amazing. Can’t believe we don’t have a TV show yet.
Spoilers, I guess.
I didn't like the ending. For me it was like "It was a dream". Fancy, King style "It was a dream", but "it was a dream" nonetheless.
sorry, but no. It was not close whatsoever to the "it was a dream" ending. Not at all
@@SS-rr7by Ok, If you will feel better. It's Groundhog Day. Fancy, King style Groundhog day, but Groundhog Day nonetheless. With exception that Gunslinger doesn't remember his journey.
Bro, Ive started reading since 2017 as an addicting habit now lol, I've read all STEphen King but the rest of the dark tower series. I'm on song of susahanna, only 100 pages to go and I get already! It's amazing, I can't wait to finish it and it wld be cool to talk to someone about who has read it too but ayyee, awesome video bro!!
Omg! Love your reaction. I've read the first two many years ago. One of my reading goals is to read the whole series this year. I love the multiverse, everyone and everything connects.