The Marvel Graphic Novel based on the 4th book.
The Dark Tower series by Stephen King is probably a series of books that if you had to pick between this series and all of his other books to read, you should pick these books. Drawing on a small cluster of characters, this science-fiction western fantasy horror tale is easily his most imaginative and entertaining of all his novels. It’s a large work, consisting of seven books (and reaching into three of his other novels: The Stand, Insomnia, and Salem’s Lot) that very obviously has affected him personally for many years; since his youth. This is his Lord of the Rings; his Narnia. To be honest, King is a good yarn spinner, but I don’t know if I would put him on the level of Tolkien or Lewis. To be fair, it is the greatest fantasy series you will find in print since those books, and most likely ever will.
This is an adult fantasy, however, and it is every bit as dark and foul as his other works. Evil here is just as evil as you will find in his other stories, and the villains are incredibly sadistic, in true King fashion. The difference lies in the characters. Here they are so well drawn and likeable, that it’s easier to get engrossed in this cast than any of the characters from his other novels. King has always had issues with giving us too much information that does nothing to service the plot, and I won’t lie to you, there are times in these books he gets into the over-descriptive as well. But this is his tightest work. It’s almost always hard to put the books down. King admits he feels as if he was driven to tell this story, and that he was just the vessel. The story, plot, characters, fantastic worlds and atmosphere are so dense and intertwiningly rich that I have no problem believing him. In many of King’s works, the resolution seems anticlimactic, or just so different than what you were expecting that it feels anticlimactic. Not so here, you are given a climax that both could be viewed as anticlimactic by some, but the symbolism is so rich, it’s the perfect ending, the only one that ever would have made sense. And it’s still most likely not what you were expecting!
I hate telling what stories are about in my reviews; I abhor spoilers, and I feel that the journey should be taken by the reader (or viewer) to get the full effect of the work. I will give you a small bit of overview.
Roland Deschain is the last of the Line of Eld, an ancient knight-like sect of humans much like the knights in King Arthur’s court. The catch is that they are gunslingers, like from the old west. These guys are feared and revered throughout the land. Their ability in warfare is almost superhuman. Roland is as kick-ass a hero as you ever have or will encounter in a novel. You will be bowled over by him.
The seven books of The Dark Tower are his story, and he writes them in a much more literate way than I’ve ever seen him write. While his characters have always had their own slang and terminology, it works here better. His exposition is far more intellectual than it’s ever been before. I think he usually has written novels for the masses, keeping them light and easy, even in his longer epics. With The Dark Tower, he poured himself into developing these books for himself.
The books are based on an old poem called Childe Rolande to the Dark Tower Came by Robert Browning, and pull from many other forms of literature and films to shape this universe. This fact is not only acknowledged, it is part of the story. That it is not completely an original work is what keeps this work from being a classic like the aforementioned novels, but at the same time, it’s what makes it so original anyway.
It has been announced that JJ Abrams is doing these novels as a movie series, ala an adult Harry Potter. He is an excellent choice, seeing works like Lost prove he might be the only one with the chops to pull something of this scope off.
This book is the prologue to the next six books. It describes the landscape of the world you are stepping into, and provides a simple tale to get at the heart and soul of our main character, Roland. King began writing this novel in 1970, and finished it eight years later. It was published in 1982.
The Drawing of the Three
Book 2 finds our hero putting together his “ka-tet”; the partners that will accompany him on his journey – to the Dark Tower. It is excellent, exciting and fun. It was published in 1987.
The third book sets the stage for the rest of the adventure to come, and it presents some of the wonderful mysteries that are to be unraveled in the upcoming books. You begin to get a sense of scope with this book. 1991.
This book largely concentrates on Roland’s past, telling a pivotal story that will bear much meaning on the rest of the books. I was least excited to read this one, not wanting to depart from our current (so to speak) band of heroes, but man, once this book gets going, it’s relentless. This might just be my favorite book of the series. It was adapted into the Marvel Graphic Novel in 2007. It was published in 1997. Randall Flagg makes an appearance (from The Stand).
Wolves of the Calla
The 5th book, this is a great one as well. This one is The Magnificent Seven of the mix, and believe me, there is excellent stuff in this one. It’s excellent, introduces some problems to be setup for the resolution, answers some questions, and asks others. Published in 2003. This book and the last two tie heavily into Salem’s Lot.
Oh no, the mind blowing does not stop with the 5th book. MAJOR discoveries are made here, the book is fast paced with a sense of dread for our protagonists, and the picture of this universe is almost complete. The end will have you gasping for air! Some have complained about this book, saying that it ruined the credibility of the previous 5 and took the story into a direction that they’d rather it not go. Let go of your inhibitions, and enjoy it with the rest of us. 2004.
This is the answer book, the climax. Strange fantasy-land things happen in this book, and it’s a little bit metaphysical, a little bit whimsical, and a whole lot of resolution. Many may not like the outcome, but King said he doesn’t care what you think- this is how the story ends. I think he believes this story is real! It came out late 2004 as well.
It's an emotionally charged epic that when it does finally hit the silver screen, will need a massive orchestrated score, mind-numbing effects and cinematography, and grade A actors to pull it off. Of all of Kings works, The Dark Tower is the most deserving of this kind of royal treatment.