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Post by Free Hat on Feb 17, 2013 11:52:19 GMT -5
I've been meaning to make this thread for awhile. Somebody gave me "The Wind Through the Keyhole" for Christmas and, not having read the rest of the Dark Tower series (or anything by King for that matter), I've been hesitant to jump into it. So I have two questions. Is the book accessible enough to be enjoyable to someone unfamiliar with the series? If not, is The Dark Tower actually worth the time investment it would take to get into it?
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Post by hotshotalex on Feb 17, 2013 11:57:51 GMT -5
I have read the first three books and have loved it so far.
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ICBM
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Post by ICBM on Feb 17, 2013 12:46:57 GMT -5
6500 pages of reading from end to end. Worth every second. I have reread it twice. Be advised there will be some pretentious stuff late in the series and people either love or hate the final scene. I love it and think it has symitry
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Post by mike2789 on Feb 17, 2013 12:48:30 GMT -5
Yes. Worth the time
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H-Virus
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Post by H-Virus on Feb 17, 2013 13:08:12 GMT -5
IMO, one of the best things that King has ever written.
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Post by Tony Santoro on Feb 17, 2013 13:15:08 GMT -5
The first four books are some of the best stuff King has ever written. There is a change in the last three, due most to the car accident. But they are still worth reading until the end. I for one love the last part. It adds a little more depth to the main character and his purpose.
Now, Wind Through the Keyhole, you can take or leave. I read it after book seven. And I found it to be similar to a fan fiction more than a credible part to the series.
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Post by Free Hat on Feb 17, 2013 13:51:02 GMT -5
The first four books are some of the best stuff King has ever written. There is a change in the last three, due most to the car accident. But they are still worth reading until the end. I for one love the last part. It adds a little more depth to the main character and his purpose. Now, Wind Through the Keyhole, you can take or leave. I read it after book seven. And I found it to be similar to a fan fiction more than a credible part to the series. Would I be lost if I read it first though? Where it was a gift I'd feel guilty if I didn't at least attempt to read it.
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Post by Piccolo on Feb 17, 2013 13:59:58 GMT -5
I never read WthK, but the rest of the series is worthwhile. There are many scenes that, even years later, are still imprinted on my memory, which is always (to me) the sign of something that struck me or moved me deeply.
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Post by Mighty Attack Tribble on Feb 17, 2013 14:32:56 GMT -5
While The Gunslinger is one of my favourite books, I started losing interest rather rapidly in the books that followed.
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Post by Tony Santoro on Feb 17, 2013 16:22:22 GMT -5
Would I be lost if I read it first though? Where it was a gift I'd feel guilty if I didn't at least attempt to read it. You wouldn't be lost, but you would miss out on some key plot points. WThK is suppose to be read between "Wizard and Glass" (book 4) and "Wolves of the Calla" (book 5.)
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biafra
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Post by biafra on Feb 17, 2013 16:39:39 GMT -5
My favorite series ever.
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Post by YAKMAN is ICHIBAN on Feb 17, 2013 16:40:54 GMT -5
I read the first book (first three bound together?) and found it nearly unbearable.
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ICBM
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Post by ICBM on Feb 17, 2013 17:29:29 GMT -5
The Drawing of the three darn near killed it for me, but glad I stuck around. The Wastelands was my fave. A lot of people do not like Wizard and Glass or Wolves of the Calla, but i enjoyed both immensely. Wind thru the keyhole is a good read but I believe you need to have read the first four at least before trying it on.
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Post by Free Hat on Feb 18, 2013 0:41:24 GMT -5
Ok, I guess I'm starting from the beginning then. Truthfully I was kinda hoping I wouldn't have to, just because I find it difficult to stick with a single author for long periods of time without getting bored.
For example, I've been reading a lot of Sherlock Holmes stories lately, but after having worked my way through the first two novels and the first collection of short stories, I find myself already burned out on them. Given the length of the Dark Tower books, I imagine I'll have to take long breaks between each one. Next Christmas will probably have gone by by the time I get around to Wind Through the Keyhole.
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Post by britishbulldog on Feb 18, 2013 2:13:24 GMT -5
For me the first book is a necessary evil. It sets up Roland very well but is a very boring read. Thankfully, it is a quick read. By the middle of the second book it picks up and once it gets going it is one of the greatest series of books I have ever read. If you are a King fan you will quickly realize how much of his universe runs through this series.
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Beav
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Post by Beav on Feb 18, 2013 3:13:01 GMT -5
The Dark Tower is probably the best thing I've ever read. I've read/listened to the audiobooks for the series at least 6 times and it never loses it's magic. Granted I haven't read Wind Through the Keyhole yet (I'm waiting to reread the series again and put that in between books 4 & 5), but everything else is wonderful. It has shaped me as a reader and writer and has changed the way I look at the world. I can't speak highly enough of it.
So, yes, read it.
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biafra
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Post by biafra on Feb 18, 2013 8:03:54 GMT -5
The Dark Tower is probably the best thing I've ever read. I've read/listened to the audiobooks for the series at least 6 times and it never loses it's magic. Granted I haven't read Wind Through the Keyhole yet (I'm waiting to reread the series again and put that in between books 4 & 5), but everything else is wonderful. It has shaped me as a reader and writer and has changed the way I look at the world. I can't speak highly enough of it. So, yes, read it. Keyhole is fantastic. I advise reading it now, and again when you re read. You'll want to.
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Kalmia
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Post by Kalmia on Feb 18, 2013 8:18:31 GMT -5
For me the first book is a necessary evil. It sets up Roland very well but is a very boring read. Thankfully, it is a quick read. By the middle of the second book it picks up and once it gets going it is one of the greatest series of books I have ever read. If you are a King fan you will quickly realize how much of his universe runs through this series. Ah, is that so? I read the first book and was stuck between finding it boring and nothing like I expected. I never really got too far with the second book. Worth trying again?
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Gus Richlen: Ruffian
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Post by Gus Richlen: Ruffian on Feb 18, 2013 11:25:27 GMT -5
Unbelievably confusing reading, I can gurantee you that.
But yes.
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Post by britishbulldog on Feb 18, 2013 22:35:50 GMT -5
For me the first book is a necessary evil. It sets up Roland very well but is a very boring read. Thankfully, it is a quick read. By the middle of the second book it picks up and once it gets going it is one of the greatest series of books I have ever read. If you are a King fan you will quickly realize how much of his universe runs through this series. Ah, is that so? I read the first book and was stuck between finding it boring and nothing like I expected. I never really got too far with the second book. Worth trying again? I would say absolutely. Get through the second book and you will be hooked. I still read the entire series every 4-5 years
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