Hey guy's I'm halfway through The Dark Tower 7 (not having read Wind Through the Keyhole yet), and I'm always thinking about how I'm supposed to be picturing the characters based on the description. But after seven books, I loose track of stuff. So I thought I'd form this thread and see if people could pool their knowledge of what characters' appearances are supposed to be like at various stages of the journey.
You'll also notice that the descriptions King gives are not always in line with the artists' illustrations.
So here's the quote from the opening of the first book, describing Roland's wardrobe.
"A hide waterbag had been slung around his middle...Below the waterbag were his guns...The two belts crisscrossed across his crotch...The stocks of the guns were sandalwood, yellow and finely grained. Rawhide tiedowns held the holsters loosely to his thighs, and they swung a bit with his step; they had rubbed away the bluing of his jeans (and thinned the cloth) in a pair of arcs that looked almost like smiles. The brass casings of the cartidges looped into the gun-belts heliographed in the sun... His shirt, the no-color of rain or dust, was open at the throat, with a rawhide thong dangling loosely in hand-punched eyelets. His hat was gone. So was the horn he had once carried."
I can't remember if he actually has his hat in the flashbacks to Tull or not. I'm also pretty sure that he is somewhere described as having short hair.
Here's the pictures from the book. I think these are all from the original edition, except for the cover, which is from a more recent paperback.
In spite of this description, the illustrations in the original book depict him very much with a hat, a red hankerchief around the neck, and even a vest on. Later illustrations, such as the cover of the most recent paperback, show him with long hair, a hat, and a trenchcoat. So yeah, illustrations are not always accurate.
Where I get confused is in later books. I'm pretty sure his hair grows back out, and at some point he gets a hat back, but he's not always described as wearing it.
Here's the images from book 2, fairly accurate to the original description, with no hat and short hair, and a shirt that could be described as "no color."
Here's from book 3 and from book 5 where Roland is for some reason portrayed as wearing a blue denim shirt (and also starts wearing the cross that I believe is given to him in three). Still no hat, although he is definitely portrayed with one on in the illustrations for book 7
So yeah, if anyone can come up with any excerpts to describe what King actually intends the reader to think of Roland looking like, or the other characters too, that'd be great.
You'll also notice that the descriptions King gives are not always in line with the artists' illustrations.
So here's the quote from the opening of the first book, describing Roland's wardrobe.
"A hide waterbag had been slung around his middle...Below the waterbag were his guns...The two belts crisscrossed across his crotch...The stocks of the guns were sandalwood, yellow and finely grained. Rawhide tiedowns held the holsters loosely to his thighs, and they swung a bit with his step; they had rubbed away the bluing of his jeans (and thinned the cloth) in a pair of arcs that looked almost like smiles. The brass casings of the cartidges looped into the gun-belts heliographed in the sun... His shirt, the no-color of rain or dust, was open at the throat, with a rawhide thong dangling loosely in hand-punched eyelets. His hat was gone. So was the horn he had once carried."
I can't remember if he actually has his hat in the flashbacks to Tull or not. I'm also pretty sure that he is somewhere described as having short hair.
Here's the pictures from the book. I think these are all from the original edition, except for the cover, which is from a more recent paperback.
In spite of this description, the illustrations in the original book depict him very much with a hat, a red hankerchief around the neck, and even a vest on. Later illustrations, such as the cover of the most recent paperback, show him with long hair, a hat, and a trenchcoat. So yeah, illustrations are not always accurate.
Where I get confused is in later books. I'm pretty sure his hair grows back out, and at some point he gets a hat back, but he's not always described as wearing it.
Here's the images from book 2, fairly accurate to the original description, with no hat and short hair, and a shirt that could be described as "no color."
Here's from book 3 and from book 5 where Roland is for some reason portrayed as wearing a blue denim shirt (and also starts wearing the cross that I believe is given to him in three). Still no hat, although he is definitely portrayed with one on in the illustrations for book 7
So yeah, if anyone can come up with any excerpts to describe what King actually intends the reader to think of Roland looking like, or the other characters too, that'd be great.