#49 – The Dark Tower 4.5: The Wind Through the Keyhole

Plot

Roland Deschain and his ka-tet—Jake, Susannah, Eddie, and Oy, the billy-bumbler—encounter a ferocious storm just after crossing the River Whye on their way to the Outer Baronies. As they shelter from the howling gale, Roland tells his friends not just one strange story but two . . . and in so doing, casts new light on his own troubled past.

Review

Nearly eight years after King finished The Dark Tower series, he returns with another installment – this one slated to fit between books #4 and #5. Fortunately, I did not have to wait eight years as I had only recently finished the series and found myself excited to revisit Roland and his ka-tet.

The nostalgia was ever-present as Roland told his crew another story from his past, and this time that story involved another story, so it was basically a story within a story within a story. And yes, that sentence breaks my personal record for most times using the word ‘story.’

Nothing essential happens in this novel. The Wind Through the Keyhole doesn’t create any canon for The Dark Tower series and we know none of the major players are at any risk since we already know how everything ends up. Instead, this acts as a pleasant reminder of how well Roland can tell stories.

The Wind Through the Keyhole doesn’t resonate with me as much because I had just finished the series a couple months prior and wasn’t necessarily missing these characters as much as some other Constant Readers. The story Roland tells is captivating, but it falls short when compared to some others he has told along the way.

Details

Pages: 309

Dates Read: February – March 2012

Quote: “In the end, the wind takes everything, doesn’t it? And why not? If the sweetness of our lives did not depart, there would be no sweetness at all.”

Best Part: Watching Roland perform his old ammunition/hypnosis trick once again.

Hint for #49: This book introduced me to Salvador Dali – a name I still haphazardly throw out for every Jeopardy question about painters.

 

Until next time, peace be the journey.