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At one point in this final book of the Dark Tower series, the character Stephen King (added to the plot inSong of Susannah) looks back at the preceding pages and says "when this last book is published, the readers are going to be justwild." And he's not kidding.
After a journey through seven books and over 20 years, King's Constant Readers finally have the conclusion they've been both eagerly awaiting and silently dreading. The tension in the Dark Tower series has built steadily from the beginning and, like in the best of King's novels, explodes into a violent, heart-tugging climax as Roland and hiska-tetfinally near their goal. The body count inThe Dark Toweris high. The gunslingers come out shooting and face a host of enemies, including low men, mutants, vampires, Roland's hideous quasi-offspring Mordred, and the fearsome Crimson King himself. King pushes the gross-out factor at times--Roland's lesson on tanning (no, not sun tanning) is brutal--but the magic of the series remains strong and readers will feel the pull of the Tower as strongly as ever as the story draws to a close. During this sentimental journey, King ties up loose ends left hanging from the 15 non-series novels and stories that are deeply entwined in the fabric of Mid-World through characters like Randall Flagg (The Standand others) or Father Callahan (Salem's Lot). When it finally arrives, the long awaited conclusion will leave King's myriad fans satisfied but wishing there were still more to come.
In King's memoirOn Writing, he tells of an old woman who wrote him after reading the early books in the Dark Tower series. She was dying, she said, and didn't expect to see the end of Roland's quest. Could King tell her? Does he reach the Tower? Does he save it? Sadly, King said he did not know himself, that the story was creating itself as it went along. Wherever that woman is now (the clearing at the end of the path, perhaps?), let's hope she has a copy ofThe Dark Tower. Surely she would agree it's been worth the wait. --Benjamin Reese
Visit the Dark Tower store Over 30 years in the making, spanning seven volumes, Stephen King's epic quest for the Dark Tower has encompassed almost his entire body of fiction. Find every volume of this fantastic adventure, an interview with the master himself, and much more in our Dark Tower Store.
Authors on Stephen King Mystery writer Michael Connelly thinks Stephen King's "one of the most generous writers I know of." Thriller author Ridley Pearson says "King possesses an incredible sense of story..." Read our Stephen King testimonials to find out what else they and other authors had to say about the undisputed King of Horror.
The Path to the Dark Tower There are only seven volumes in Stephen King's Dark Tower series but more than a dozen of his novels and short stories are deeply entwined with the Mid-World universe. Take a look at the non-series titles, fromSalem's LottoEverything's Eventual. Can you find the connections?
History of an Alternate Universe Robin Furth, an expert on Stephen King's Dark Tower universe if ever there was one, has created a timeline of Mid-World, the slowly crumbling world of gunslinger Roland Deschain. Read it and get up to speed on a world of adventure.
Hail to the King Fans applauded and critics howled when Stephen King was awarded the National Book Foundation's Medal for Distinguished Service to American Letters. In typical fashion, King accepted the honor with humility and urged recognition for other "popular" authors. Listen to a clip of his acceptance speech, then order the entire speech on audio CD.
I Wrote My Own Ending I heard the warnings about how bad the last book was, but I thought that it could not be that bad. I enjoyed alot of King's work(The Stand,IT,Everything's Eventual,etc.)but the warnings are true!I was shocked when Eddie was killed off, then I told my self "Mabe King just wanted to kill him so he could make the last half of the book more serous,because Eddie was liked the comdy relef in the series".But(yet again)just when I am finally getting used to not having Eddie around, King kills off Jake! And I cryed for poor Oy, I could feel how sad he was. Then the I stoped reading and got on the computer and wrote my own ending, it is almost 300 pages long and it starts right before Eddie is shot in the head(In my version Eddie dosent get killed)it is called 'Dark Tower 8 The Tet dosent end so badly'(I don't think Badly is even a word, O well King made up alot of words in his story)But(again)the book kept me reading to the end so I guess its not that bad. So long readers!
All things serve the Beam. I cried when Eddie died. I weeped terribly when Jake died. I even shed a tear when Eddie, Jake and Susannah are finally reunited. But I sobbed so hard when Roland finally reached the top of the Tower that I could barely see the words on the page to finish reading. I LOVE this whole series and I can't imagine this story ending any other way. KA is a great wheel...you either roll with it, or you will be crushed beneath it. May the Turtle watch over us all when we finally reach the Clearing at the End of the PathThe View of an Idealistic Fool The last book of the Dark Tower series is an unexpected, but fitting, in my opinion. As Roland is made to go through the loss of his ka-tet one by one, we can almost feel the sorrow he feels. Yet, at the end, as Susannah Dean finally returns to the real world for a reuniting with another version of the ka-tet, there are recurring themes that somehow beckon to me.
Firstly, the idea of the continuity of the series. As Roland is made to go through everything again, his loss and his pain, there is still something that has changed; the Horn of Eld. Even one construct such as the Dark Tower has an amount of sympathy, and although we are not promised nor told of the consequences of this alteration, it holds a promise of hope to escape this time loop. That is, as always, the simplest definition of life. We live that we may hope for a better day, and we strive that we achieve it. Same here for Roland. It is life that is advocated here, not the doom of a repetition.
The ka-tet, a group bound by purpose and destiny, is an ideal that is not caught on by many. To have such a group of Eddie and Susannah Dean, Jake Chambers, Oy and the Artist brought together for a common reason simply shows that if we were to look beyond the convoluted boundaries of race, religion and upbringing, we can draw one thing that may prove to be the ultimate purpose of existence; we live so that others can go on. The purpose of Roland's ka-tet was to journey to the Dark Tower and, in their respective capacity, attempt to somehow orrect the world. One may indeed argue that the it is the results that matter; however, it was the effort that made the story a truly compelling read.
Lastly is the concept of the ultimate sacrifice; doom to a perpetual life. As Roland is made to go through the terrible sequence of events again and again without end, we should remind ourselves that many of us might feel the same way about our lives; monotony. Reading this story gives one a new perspective of how the simplest joys in life should be appreciated, and I think above all, one should be thankful for all he has to live for.
Over 30 years in the making, spanning seven volumes, Stephen King's epic quest for the Dark Tower has encompassed almost his entire body of fiction. Find every volume of this fantastic adventure, an interview with the master himself, and much more in our Dark Tower Store.
Mystery writer Michael Connelly thinks Stephen King's "one of the most generous writers I know of." Thriller author Ridley Pearson says "King possesses an incredible sense of story..." Read our Stephen King testimonials to find out what else they and other authors had to say about the undisputed King of Horror.
There are only seven volumes in Stephen King's Dark Tower series but more than a dozen of his novels and short stories are deeply entwined with the Mid-World universe. Take a look at the non-series titles, fromSalem's LottoEverything's Eventual. Can you find the connections?
Robin Furth, an expert on Stephen King's Dark Tower universe if ever there was one, has created a timeline of Mid-World, the slowly crumbling world of gunslinger Roland Deschain. Read it and get up to speed on a world of adventure.
Fans applauded and critics howled when Stephen King was awarded the National Book Foundation's Medal for Distinguished Service to American Letters. In typical fashion, King accepted the honor with humility and urged recognition for other "popular" authors. Listen to a clip of his acceptance speech, then order the entire speech on audio CD.