It might be too early to ask these questions, since I haven't read The Dark Tower yet. I just finished SoS a few days ago. *Please* don't give any spoilers from the last book.
I know that the Dark Tower series brings in characters from King's other works. I've delighted in recognizing some of these, like Flagg and Father Callahan. But is King also simply recycling some characters? For instance, Eddie Dean in the Tower series is so similar to Larry Underwood in The Stand that it's weird. Roland and Stu from The Stand seem to share a lot in common as well. It's something I'm very curious about.
Also, King seems to re-use certain phrases that I recognize from time to time as well. I read The Talisman a few weeks ago, and laughed out loud when I read something described as a "Kansas city clutch" - a phrase used in The Stand . King also seems fond of a certain way of speaking when writing preachers - Gardiner from The Talisman and the preacher Jake and Callahan meet near the end of SoS speak in exactly the same way. King also seems quite fond of the phrase "darn-tootin'" .
Now maybe I'm being a geek. Maybe I've read waaaay too much King. But if anyone else has thoughts on this I'd be interested.
space opera
Posted by TomDavidson (Member # 124) on :
King has several tropes, and certain motifs that verge on the cliche. He also has certain "stock" characters and pop culture references; he's definitely a child of his time. He acknowledges several of these tendencies in the Dark Tower books, although I don't know if that's necessarily a good thing.
[ January 05, 2005, 09:31 AM: Message edited by: TomDavidson ]
Posted by BannaOj (Member # 3206) on :
Sew Corny is the S. King goddess... I'd ask her.
AJ
Posted by dread pirate romany (Member # 6869) on :
I have always thought of it as King using archetypes...something I quite enjoy. I am very sad to say I haven't even gotten "Wolves of Calla" yet.
Posted by LadyDove (Member # 3000) on :
I felt a little like King's last three books of the Tower series were an infomercial for many of his earlier books. Though I loved the Tower Series, the constant mentioning of his other books and characters made the Roland story cheaper and less "real" for me. As a personal protest to this perceived pandering, I won't read Salem's Lot . (Yeah, I know, big whoop! But like I said, it's a personal protest.)
He tries to explain away this this problem by saying that all the other stories he's told were simply preparing him to tell Roland's story, but it seemed disrespectful to me, as the faithful reader of thousands of pages, to hit me over the head with this fact.
Posted by Goody Scrivener (Member # 6742) on :
And I felt like the last three were badly rushed. I get the impression that the accident scared the <bleep> out of him (which is completely understandable) and he realized that he'd better get his butt in gear to be sure to finish the series and not tick off a few million fans. I know he made comment in the "authors note" at the end of 7 about letters he was geting from people that wanted to know how it ended because they themselves had fatal diseases.
Posted by Space Opera (Member # 6504) on :
Potential spoilers Goody, I thought it very interesting that at the end of Song of Susannah we get that writing journal ending in such a terrible way. I guess his accident was really on his mind, which I'm sure would be true of anyone in that situation.
I don't know how I feel about his own role as a character in this series. I find it intriguing and difficult to figure out. Needless to say, I'm looking forward to seeing what happens in the next book.
Tom is certainly right about the "stock" characters. I wonder if the Eddie/Larry thing is intentional, since we do see at least one other character in a different form - namely Walter/Randall Flagg. Since this last book I finished I have a difficult time thinking of Eddie as Eddie as all - I see him as Larry - but maybe the Larry of a different world.
space opera
Posted by Goody Scrivener (Member # 6742) on :
Space, according to one of the "in the know" members of my King group (as in this guy has written books about King and his works with The Man's assistance!), almost all of the journal entries are false. Many of them were based on actual events at the time that they're supposed to have been written, but as they say on crime shows, "the names have been changed to protect the innocent".
And I sort of knew about the newspaper article at the end of SOS because the journalist whose name was used - with permission - posted to that group reveling in the fact that he had an "in".
I'm still mad at him for writing himself into the story. I think he could have accomplished so much more had he not stooped to that level. And the last book had me REALLY mad, I actually THREW the book across the room at one point and cried at several others.
I'm not enough of a rabid fan that I'd read his grocery list if he were to publish it (and yes I do know people that insane) but DT's ending wouldn't have been enough to have turned me from him completely if he does ever decide to publish fiction again. I won't touch that baseball book about the Red Sox because (a) I can't stand baseball and (b) I generally don't like non-fiction. However if someone were to buy it for me.... I'd have no objection to it sitting in my King cabinet with the rest of his works. Otherwise it will be his only book that I don't own.
Posted by Space Opera (Member # 6504) on :
Oh wow, the ending must be horribly bad. Please don't tell me it's true (as someone posted on this board previous without a spoiler tag ) that he wakes up and it's a dream. On the other hand, go ahead and tell me. That way I can prepare myself.
I wonder why he decided to write himself in - what his motivation was.
space opera
Posted by Goody Scrivener (Member # 6742) on :
Nope, you were told wrong... unless the person who told you interpreted what DID happen that way, and now that you say it I suppose I can see that interpretation. There's actually two endings and he warns you not to continue beyond a certain point. But yes I think the ending - the final ending - was horribly bad, and I didn't care for the happy ending either.
And if I ever find myself face to face with The Man again (yes I said again), I WILL be grilling him on his motivation for making himself a character!!! That was just soooooooooo wrong!
[ January 05, 2005, 10:53 PM: Message edited by: Goody Scrivener ]
Posted by TomDavidson (Member # 124) on :
I have to admit that almost the entire last book, and huge chunks of Song of Susanna as well, felt like a betrayal of the series. I won't go into detail here, but I think most people could safely stop after Wolves of the Calla and imagine better endings to the series from there.
Posted by Goody Scrivener (Member # 6742) on :
I seriously considered it, Tom. But I'm enough of a completist that I just had to know.
![[Smile]](smile.gif)
.![[Mad]](mad.gif)
) that he wakes up and it's a dream. On the other hand, go ahead and tell me. That way I can prepare myself.![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)