"Childe Roland to The Dark Tower Came", finally! (The Dark Tower v.7 - Stephen King)

Member Name: dididave

Product:	The Dark Tower v.7 - Stephen King
Date:	04/01/06 (235 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Suitable ending, Roland remains a fascinating hero.

Disadvantages: Impossible to write the perfect ending for avid fans such as myself.

The story so far…

Roland of Gilead the last in a long and revered line of true Gunslingers is finally nearing the end of his quest to reach The Dark Tower and save it from The Crimson King. If he fails The Dark Tower is destroyed all worlds will crumble. As Roland and Eddie Dean, former heroin addict and now a Gunslinger in his own right edge toward the tower their friends Jake and Father Callahan are heading for a showdown with a group of vampires Callahan knows only to well. Will they succeed in defeating them to save Eddie's wife Susannah from the demon child to whom she is about to give birth?

"The Dark Tower" is the seventh and final instalment of Stephen King's Dark Tower series. In this final outing we finally discover whether Roland is to be successful in his seemingly endless quest and what losses he and his group must suffer and endure along the way. As with all the Dark Tower series this is a westernised slice of fantasy fiction. This series is considered to be Stephen King's Magnum Opus and it is unsurprising that this instalment is the lengthiest at a mammoth 702 pages. You will not be surprised to hear that this is not a standalone novel and indeed I would urge you not to buy this novel without prior knowledge of the series. In order to appreciate this novel knowledge of all six previous books is essential. In fact, throughout the series there have been references to other books by Stephen King and the characters within. This is such a dominant feature of "The Dark Tower" I would suggest to understand the series and in particular this outing you would need to have knowledge of and be a fan of his previous works. Writings such as "Insomnia", "Desperation" and "Hearts in Atlantis are referred to among others. It is a testament to King's skill as a writer that these books all have a place in Roland's world.

Of course the most important thing about "The Dark Tower" to followers of the series will be how King pulls the various plotlines together and whether he surprises us as readers along the way. Prepare to be truly surprised as "The Dark Tower" is filled with more twists and turns for our favourite gunslingers than all the previous novels combined. In an effort to throw us of the scent King supplies scenario after scenario of excitement from Susannah's birth to "The Dark Tower" itself nothing is how it appears. King by closing the series was bound to be on a hiding to nothing as however it ended readers would be dissatisfied. Fortunately, there is a definite feeling of closure tinged with sadness at what for me feels like the end of a road that I have travelled with Roland and his "ka-tet" for so long.

Roland is such a great character by King, so flawed and tragic yet noble that his journey became my journey, his losses my own. So realised is he that his fate and that of his followers becomes real. Roland's rag tag bunch of misfits have held me under their spell for so long that "The Dark Tower" for me is an emotional read that actually made me cry in places. Despite its size the climax to the series reads in no time at all as King elaborates with marvellous imagery the post-apocalyptic feel of Roland's mid-world and describes the epic feeling of "The Dark Tower" itself.

Needless to say this novel is not perfect but nothing King could have written would have been. At times the characters that seemed so important in previous outings seem trivialised by King and his concentration on Roland and "The Dark Tower" itself means other areas are lacking. Much has been made of King's decision to include himself in this series and he does seem to give himself a somewhat inflated role. Also, despite its size this novel almost feels rushed and as a fan I feel perhaps the action packed into this final episode could have easily filled an eighth. Nonetheless, this is a fitting conclusion to an epic series that for me is as close to a modern day Lord of the Rings in terms of imagination and scope as you will find. Add to this the fantastic drawings by the illustrator of the first book in the series "The Gunslinger" and what you have is a suitable conclusion to a series that everyone should try and read just to see how fantasy fiction should be written, with style, imagination and risk.

Available in hardback for £25.00 (£18.99 at Play.com)
Recently released in paperback for £14.99 (£8.99 at Amazon UK)
ISBN: 034082722X

Summary: A great end to an epic series.