#8 – The Dark Tower VII: The Dark Tower

Plot

The seventh and final installment of Stephen King’s The Dark Tower saga is perhaps the most anticipated book in the author’s long career. King began this epic tale about the last gunslinger in the world more than 20 years ago; now he draws its suspenseful story to a close, snapping together the last pieces of his action puzzle and drawing Roland Deschain ever closer to his ultimate goal.

Review

It’s been quite difficult ranking some of these Stephen King books, but one question I had to tackle early on was whether or not to count The Dark Tower series as one entry.  Ultimately, I decided to rank each entry separately, although I’m sure if you asked King himself, he would consider it one large tale.  

And it’s here – at the end of the tale – where we find The Dark Tower VII: The Dark Tower.  It is, in almost every sense, a complete masterpiece.  It starts with a captivating finish to The Song of Susannah and takes us on an incredible journey back to The Dark Tower, never letting us Constant Readers catch our breath. 

King’s imagery is on full display here as he can skillfully capture unbelievable scenery throughout.  Scenes that are both horrific and beautiful.  I could see others plotting out the details in this novel, but I doubt another could execute at this level.

A common theme during this list was character development, and The Dark Tower is the epitome of that notion.  Granted, we spend a lot of time with this group, but it’s time well spent, and it pays off across the board.  King was in perfect unison with these characters, and I’d have to imagine it was difficult for him to finally say good-bye.  

Roland Deschain is my favorite Stephen King character, and it was difficult for myself to realize his journey was coming to an end.  In fact, when King gave us an opportunity to stop reading (with about 50 pages remaining) I really wrestled with that decision.  I thought the ending presented for Roland was perfect and took a day to decide if I wanted to continue … which I ultimately did.

And that choice was the right call for myself – although I can certainly see merits for both sides.  I would be very interested to learn of those who took King up on his offer.

Saying good-bye is never easy, but King gives us a fond farewell to all of Roland’s ka-tet.  Here’s to not forgetting the faces of our fathers and seeking out a better world.  

Details

Pages: 1050

Dates Read: Pre-2012

Quote: “The road and the tale have both been long, would you not say so? The trip has been long and the cost has been high … but no great thing was ever attained easily. A long tale, like a tall Tower, must be built a stone at a time.”

Best Part: Patrick utilizing his eraser in the best way possible.

Hint for #7: The Barenaked Ladies wrote a song called, “Who needs sleep?” but these sufferers would surely raise their hands to that question.

 

Until next time, peace be the journey.