Boards
Stephen King Dark Tower
Been reading this
First one pretty good.
Second one really good.
Third one ok but then talking train and riddles blah.
Fourth one more riddles really shit then shit boring flashback to young roland. (about a third of this read)
Can't be arsed to finish it. Worth persevering?
good thread to start on a Friday night
liked the first
never got around to starting the second
(mercy bump)
thanks bud
will do the same for you one day.
heard the second is best
but pretty much no chance of me remembering the first one now
Not read them
because I'm not a Theo.
See ↓
uh huh
I'm outta here.
I really enjoyed Book 4 on a second read
but that was when it was still seeming like the last one he'd write. I think if you read it while accepting that it barely moves the main plot along, it's actually a really good book.
Books 5, 6 and 7 are all rushed and lacking. He almost got killed and then decided he should finish it rather than risk it never being finished. I think the result shows that he was wrong in that. He should have just written a book to published after his death that detailed what would have happened in case he never finished it all.
That said, there are some good bits in each of 5, 6 and 7 so if you've got this far you probably may as well.
In terms of Dark Tower stuff, I'd say the Low Men in Yellow Coats story from Hearts in Atlantis and Black House are better (and you should really read them before books 5, 6 and 7 in any case).
7 volumes?
ahm oot
Turns out the 8th book he released is meant to be a bridge between 4 and 5.
it's wank.
so sad when someone can't let go.
thanks Theo
so the answer to "should I stick with this shit/" is basically "no".
Now go and explain Primer please.
1-4 are all pretty good
5 is shockingly crap. 6-7 have some good bits interspersed with the spectacle of a multi-millionaire author eating himself, which is entertaining in its own way.
How does he (King)...
...actually write so much. I've only read It and The Stand, the second of which is a modern classic. I'm just staggered at how much he has written.
just one of those people that have gotta write I guess
but let's face it his quality control isn't always what it should be
I'm going to read something else now and abandon Roland to his hey nonny no bollocks in the land of whatever.
on piles of money
surrounded by beautiful women
He was writing prior to Carrie and I think those books have presumably been published now.
In Bag of Bones (I think) his main character is an author struggling with writer's block. He makes reference to having several manuscripts lying around that never really made the cut but that they're there to fill in contractual obligations when he runs dry. I presume in that he was basically telling the readers what happens when he (King) puts out a duffer.
He actually only did one a year officially (hence Bachman) but they're often not massively long books. In On Writing he states that he tends not to have a fully plotted out book, rather he gets some characters and writes from there, meaning he isn't always sure what his end point will be. Again, I think this shows in his later stuff particularly, so you do get some great concepts that fizzle out in the final few chapters. I'd guess if you're the sort of author that meticulously plans your book and researches everything, then it's different.
I gave up after Book 2
I want to read The Stand - should I???
The Stand is really really good
Yeah, although not as good as IT when IT is at its best.
More consistent though.
what the hell is the turtle bit about?
'Salems Lot is still his best.
Nah, The Shining is.
I read both again recently, and Salem's Lot just doesn't quite work as well as I recall.
Yup
It's his classic
Loved these books..
...but somehow I never got to read the final one. I'm thinking of doing a binge and going back to the beginning. I haven't read doctor sleep yet (the follow up to the shining) but his best book of recent times has to be 11.22.63. I really enjoyed that, kind of a time travel/love story adventure. The scene where Jake comes across the characters from a scene in 'It' was great.