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Yeah, I'm with you. I'm glad he didn't answer all our questions but, rather, gave us more questions. This, like you say, gives power to the reader and lets us decide. I think he succeeded in giving us a phenomenal ending to match that of his brilliant first line of The Gunslinger.Best ending ever! I am one of those who believe that King gave us the best ending. Why? Simple really. He left it up to us (you) to decide what Roland's fate will be. I believe that Roland starts at the same point as where the first book The Gunslinger starts. This time, tho, he has the Horn Of The Eld with him. This time things will be different. This time he might actually fulfill his quest. Remember, Ka is a wheel, which is a circle. Remember, also, that there are other Worlds than these. I think that King ended the series the way he did so that he, too, can go back and revisit (rewrite) the story. I don't feel that he is completely finished with Roland's tale. I think there will be more stories to come.....
My take on the ending is this: Roland needs an artifact of Author Eld to enter the Dark Tower. He, in all his iterations, has used his guns (or gun, actually). But, since this is an artifact of killing, he has to go back and do it again. This last time his has the horn. And the voice says "this is your sigal (sp.? I have the audio books, so I don't know how it is spelled)". This time he is to use the horn to enter the tower. And this time, perhaps, he will find peace.
I just finished reading the entire Dark Tower Series for the first time (minus The Wind Through the Keyhole) 3 nights ago. I can't stop thinking about the ending. I loved it! But I'm trying to make sense of it.
There are a lot of posts I have seen online that talk about the ending. There are a hundred different theories from readers about what the ending means, which I believe is a great reason the ending is done so well. Questions that I pose here are: What is the significance of the Horn of Eld? Did Roland go back in time every time he starts the loop or does he start further in the future? Does he draw the same three every time? And what are the implications of the answers to these questions?
Start with the question about whether or not Roland goes back in time or not. I believed that he did. I believed that when he came back to the desert chasing Walter, he was back at whatever time it was in the beginning of the first book. Some people don't believe that is true. But I have a question then. If he advanced in the future (or started with the present time he entered the tower), wouldn't Stephen King's life in this world already be over? Would Roland then draw a different three people?
On the other hand, I can see why him going back to the past is also questionable. If he is only to draw the same three again, in their same when and where, then what's the point of Eddie, Susanna, and Jake living together at the end? If he starts all over again, then there is no point in including that part of it because they'll just be re-drawn and have no future together in the "other" New York.
Remember that in The Wastelands, they come to River Crossing and the town folk talk about how there was a gunslinger who had come through about a hundred years ago. Was that Roland?
I also want to know what your opinions are on the significance of the Horn of Eld. Does this mean it is Roland's last time he has to do this? Does he learn something new every time he does this loop until he finally gets everything right? Does he simply need the right pieces when he arrives at the tower?
I'd love to hear your opinions on the horn, whether you think he goes back in time every time, whether he draws the same three, and whatever other thoughts you have about the ending! I eagerly await your responses.
But I agree after W&G Mr. King seemed to get lazy and uninspired and did nothing but give us various "deus ex machina" to get himself through the series with minimal mental effort. He should be ashamed to build up a villain as terrifying and evil as the Crimson King which he then literally wipes away with no real challenge whatsoever.
I never "read" one word of the DT series actually. I listened to the whole epic on audiobook. Perhaps my understanding of the series is skewed then,
What if Roland started his quest with no virtues and was a regular piece of ****? Then slowly each revolution he becomes more of a decent human being? Like when he insists they help Calla destroy the wolves if they could. What if the first time around he said, "**** em. Let's move on" ?
Then again Roland has always been the man that straightens crooked pictures in strange hotels. To me that means he is the type of person that keeps order even when no one is looking. When no one has asked him to do so. Just because it's who he is.
Say thank ya.
Yes, good point. The fact that he ended up with the horn demonstrates that it is not Groundhog Day. Kind of opposite, since he does not really retain what he learned from his last pass around the wheel (at least not consciously).Hmmm. The ending infuriated me to begin with. Then it made me think. The more I thought the more I realized that it was perfect. Remember there are many whens. What is significant in this when is not necessarily significant in another when. I don't think it's like Groundhog Day.
Although I would prefer to keep all the DT books on the page, a cable show as a series makes more sense. That way all the necessary details could be included.Yes, good point. The fact that he ended up with the horn demonstrates that it is not Groundhog Day. Kind of opposite, since he does not really retain what he learned from his last pass around the wheel (at least not consciously).
Unrelated, I really wish they would make Dark Tower as a cable show (like Game of Thrones) rather than a movie. They would 10-12 hours per book rather than 2.
Welcome.Roland gets the Horn of Eld because that signifies where he restarts his adventure....way before the books start...before he loses it in the flashback....or battle. There is no saving the Tower or learning new things. It is all about the never ending quest....which is the Dark Tower series in a nutshell. Mr. King's claims of not wanting to leave the story unfinished is just smoke and mirrors...the Dark Tower stories will never end , and when they become stagnant he can just start all over again.