Stephen King's The Dark Tower: Possible Spoilers?

[Marmel]

I just finished reading Book V: Wolves of the Calla. I would be interested to get some of your thoughts on this is you have read it.

Myself, after reading it, I feel I need to go back and re-read the others again. There is so much going on, so many characters, places and whens to keep track of.

I was also intrigued by the last chapters and the book that Roland found: "Salem's Lot" Is King going to be a character in Book 6? WTF is going on with that part? I like Cllahan in this book, and think that he is a great addition to the story.

Jake has finally become a man. Roland had to watch his friends die, Eddie had to watch his brother die, Suzanne had to watch Detta/Odetta die, and now Jake had to watch the only friend he ever had die. When Roland gave him the cigarette, I think he became a man at that point.

Another interesting note is Roland's arthritis. I wonder how this will affect him in the next 2 books. King would not have made such a point of it for nothing. I remember King saying he was not sure if Roland would be the one to make it to the Tower. Could this book with Roland's arthritis and Jake's growing up foreshadow Roland handing over the quest for the Tower to Jake in the next book? I couldn't even image Roland not being there at the end though.

[SackAttack]

I think Roland will probably be there, but with everything that's happened to him, I think it's going to fall on the remainder of the ka-tet, whatever that might be, to accomplish their ultimate objective.

As far as the Salem's Lot reference, that was a little creepy, but I don't know if he's actually writing himself in, or what the deal is. I've noticed in books like "The Waste Lands," he seems to be tying his previous body of work together with The Dark Tower, so I don't know if this is merely one way for him to draw in work that otherwise might be inaccessible to the tale, or if he's really seriously trying to write himself in.

Supposedly the final three books are due out over the next two years, though, so we should get some resolution pretty quickly.

[kserra]

I love this series of books...but I've never read any other King books, so I'm finding the references to his other books a bit concerning...just for the fact that I don't have complete awareness of what these references mean...

In one of the books, maybe more, there is a list of King's works with notations regarding whether they have any reference to "The Tower" series...as I recall, there were several titles that apparantly have some connection to it...

I agree that Roland's arthritis will become a major factor in the book...I envision something where Roland serves as more and more of a mentor while Eddie picks up the slack as the leading man...all the while Jake continues to hone his skills and it becomes apparant that he is the greatest gunslinger of them all...Then, at some point, there will come a time where one of them will have to sacrifice their life for the group to survive...and then Roland will die... But that's just a guess...I'd really like to see them all make it through (such a sap)

I've become quite attached to the characters in the series...I've even gotten my wife to read all of them now, and she really is enjoying it as well.

I just hope Oye doesn't get killed off...as I read the books, I imagine him as my dog, Cleo...just makes the little guy that much more dear to my heart... :)

Any idea when the next book is coming out?

Kevin

[primelord]

The final two books are both going to be released this year.

Song of Susannah (Dark Tower VI) - June 8, 2004
The Dark Tower (Dark Tower VII) - September 21, 2004

[SackAttack]

Er, yes, two, not three.

I was still counting Wolves of Calla. Can't imagine why.

[Desnudo]

The priest in the Dark Tower series is from Salem's Lot. If I remember correctly there's a whole side story about his encounter with the vampire from that story in Wolves.

[Desnudo]

The final two books are both going to be released this year.

Song of Susannah (Dark Tower VI) - June 8, 2004
The Dark Tower (Dark Tower VII) - September 21, 2004

Sweet, wrapping it up nice and neat. Anyone want to send Robert Jordan this schedule? :)

[JeeberD]

I really hope King isn't going to do something stupid like have himself at the top of the tower. I don't really like the idea of him writing himself into the book, and I find the whole finding of Salem's Lot thing kind of troubling. Of course, that got me to buy a paperback copy of SL and reread it since it had probably been at lest ten years since I first read that book... :)

I definitly think that Roland's arthiritis is going to come into play. In what way I'm not certain, but it's much to big of a deal to not be followed up on...