The Bazaar of Bad Dreams

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skimom2

Just moseyin' through...
Oct 9, 2013
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There's no new Dark Tower novel coming out in 2015. Steve has mentioned wanting to write about the battle at Jericho in recent interviews but he hasn't written that yet.

You know, as much as that is a watershed moment in the DT story, I almost don't want him to write it. Right now, it's a mythic story: How Mid-World Fell. I'd bet that every reader has a version in his or her own head of want happened there, necessarily misty and vague, but there. It would be a terrible task to live up to those mind movies. I liken it to the picture Mr. King drew in Danse Macabre (though there he was talking about monsters): If you can sustain terror--we never see the shape behind the door--it's the finest way, because once you open the door the reader can relax and say something like: "Oh, it's a 50 foot monster. That's bad, but what if it was a 500 foot monster!" Same thing here. "Oh, so that's how Cuthbert fell! That's pretty awful, but I was imagining______. That would be much worse." At best, people shrug; at worst they are disappointed.

I know a lot of people would disagree with me, but I calls 'em how I sees 'em.
 

Spideyman

Uber Member
Jul 10, 2006
46,336
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Just north of Duma Key
You know, as much as that is a watershed moment in the DT story, I almost don't want him to write it. Right now, it's a mythic story: How Mid-World Fell. I'd bet that every reader has a version in his or her own head of want happened there, necessarily misty and vague, but there. It would be a terrible task to live up to those mind movies. I liken it to the picture Mr. King drew in Danse Macabre (though there he was talking about monsters): If you can sustain terror--we never see the shape behind the door--it's the finest way, because once you open the door the reader can relax and say something like: "Oh, it's a 50 foot monster. That's bad, but what if it was a 500 foot monster!" Same thing here. "Oh, so that's how Cuthbert fell! That's pretty awful, but I was imagining______. That would be much worse." At best, people shrug; at worst they are disappointed.

I know a lot of people would disagree with me, but I calls 'em how I sees 'em.
Leaving that battle to your own imagination is spot on.
 

Moderator

Ms. Mod
Administrator
Jul 10, 2006
52,243
157,324
Maine
You know, as much as that is a watershed moment in the DT story, I almost don't want him to write it. Right now, it's a mythic story: How Mid-World Fell. I'd bet that every reader has a version in his or her own head of want happened there, necessarily misty and vague, but there. It would be a terrible task to live up to those mind movies. I liken it to the picture Mr. King drew in Danse Macabre (though there he was talking about monsters): If you can sustain terror--we never see the shape behind the door--it's the finest way, because once you open the door the reader can relax and say something like: "Oh, it's a 50 foot monster. That's bad, but what if it was a 500 foot monster!" Same thing here. "Oh, so that's how Cuthbert fell! That's pretty awful, but I was imagining______. That would be much worse." At best, people shrug; at worst they are disappointed.

I know a lot of people would disagree with me, but I calls 'em how I sees 'em.
I think he's already experienced that with the ending he came up with for the series. ;)
 

skimom2

Just moseyin' through...
Oct 9, 2013
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I think he's already experienced that with the ending he came up with for the series. ;)
I LOVED the ending, and wasn't disappointed at all :) It made sense, given the many references to Ka being a wheel; it would necessarily come around. I remember stopping short, laughing with delight, and saying, "You sonofab**ch!" in pleasure. It also fit with many of Mr. King's endings:
it really didn't end. No ending 'with a crash' so we would know it was over, as Salieri advised Mozart in Amadeus. It felt real, though, because how often in life do we know how ANYTHING ends? Almost never. The discussion of that is my favorite part of The Colorado Kid; he gave words to something I've felt for years: that a book that gives you everything is a cheat--it doesn't 'feel real'.
 
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Moderator

Ms. Mod
Administrator
Jul 10, 2006
52,243
157,324
Maine
I LOVED the ending, and wasn't disappointed at all :) It made sense, given the many references to Ka being a wheel; it would necessarily come around. I remember stopping short, laughing with delight, and saying, "You sonofab**ch!" in pleasure. It also fit with many of Mr. King's endings: it really didn't end. No ending 'with a crash' so we would know it was over, as Salieri advised Mozart in Amadeus. It felt real, though, because how often in life do we know how ANYTHING ends? Almost never. The discussion of that is my favorite part of The Colorado Kid; he gave words to something I've felt for years: that a book that gives you everything is a cheat--it doesn't 'feel real'.
You're one of the ones who "got it". ;)
 

Liselle

Well-Known Member
Jul 10, 2006
1,586
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England
There's no new Dark Tower novel coming out in 2015. Steve has mentioned wanting to write about the battle at Jericho in recent interviews but he hasn't written that yet.

Sorry Ms Mod my post was not very clear, I was merely saying the things that were up and coming in the not to distant and distant future, getting carried away with myself as per usual.
 

Spideyman

Uber Member
Jul 10, 2006
46,336
195,472
79
Just north of Duma Key
I LOVED the ending, and wasn't disappointed at all :) It made sense, given the many references to Ka being a wheel; it would necessarily come around. I remember stopping short, laughing with delight, and saying, "You sonofab**ch!" in pleasure. It also fit with many of Mr. King's endings: it really didn't end. No ending 'with a crash' so we would know it was over, as Salieri advised Mozart in Amadeus. It felt real, though, because how often in life do we know how ANYTHING ends? Almost never. The discussion of that is my favorite part of The Colorado Kid; he gave words to something I've felt for years: that a book that gives you everything is a cheat--it doesn't 'feel real'.


Many of my constant reader friends felt cheated with the ending. I love it-- just like you. It was the "only ending" for that journey. I'm a foreshadowing nut, and every time I read the words- Ka is a wheel, something ticked in the back of my head.
Stories that have happily ever after endings are great- I'm a romantic- I like "happy", but the ones that are opened ended- they are spectacular.
 

FlakeNoir

Original Kiwi© SKMB®
Moderator
Apr 11, 2006
44,082
175,641
New Zealand
I was completely fine with the ending, it was some of the stuff that came before the ending that ripped the guts right out of me... I bet Stephen's ears were burning BIG time on my last leg to the Tower.
Colourful language much, eh wot? :laugh:

(I got over it, forgave him and moved on... :biggrin2: )
 

skimom2

Just moseyin' through...
Oct 9, 2013
15,683
92,168
USA
I was completely fine with the ending, it was some of the stuff that came before the ending that ripped the guts right out of me... I bet Stephen's ears were burning BIG time on my last leg to the Tower.
Colourful language much, eh wot? :laugh:

(I got over it, forgave him and moved on... :biggrin2: )

I cried so hard that I got a stomachache to go with the usual headache when
Jake died.
True fact. Last go through on The Gunslinger, I was reading alongside LilMan & he got interested in the pictures, so I summarized the story to the point at which I was stopped: Jake and Roland at the well/hole/thingy. To this day, if you say 'Jake', he gets shiny, wet eyes. And he STILL wants me to read the series to him (8 is a LEEEEETLE bit young, methinks).
 

FlakeNoir

Original Kiwi© SKMB®
Moderator
Apr 11, 2006
44,082
175,641
New Zealand
I cried so hard that I got a stomachache to go with the usual headache when
Jake died.
True fact. Last go through on The Gunslinger, I was reading alongside LilMan & he got interested in the pictures, so I summarized the story to the point at which I was stopped: Jake and Roland at the well/hole/thingy. To this day, if you say 'Jake', he gets shiny, wet eyes. And he STILL wants me to read the series to him (8 is a LEEEEETLE bit young, methinks).
It was the same way for me when..
Eddie died. I was not prepared at all! I sobbed my heart out, my partner who lets just say isn't all that supportive with that kind of thing, came in when he heard me and (scowled) told me to harden up, it's just a f'king book!
And so, when we got to Jake, I was already numb.

My boys have all read this series from about the age of 12.
Lil Man has a great Mom, so I'm sure he was fully supported through this. :)
 

Spideyman

Uber Member
Jul 10, 2006
46,336
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79
Just north of Duma Key
I was completely fine with the ending, it was some of the stuff that came before the ending that ripped the guts right out of me... I bet Stephen's ears were burning BIG time on my last leg to the Tower.
Colourful language much, eh wot? :laugh:

(I got over it, forgave him and moved on... :biggrin2: )


Right there with you Flake and Skimom.
Oy hit the hardest for me. Eddie- I knew SK and felt that would be so. Jake tore my heart out. End on November is my re read of the journey each year- knowing it will be coming does not help. I still bawl my eyes out. Dang SK is just too good at getting us so involved with his characters!
 

skimom2

Just moseyin' through...
Oct 9, 2013
15,683
92,168
USA
Right there with you Flake and Skimom.
Oy hit the hardest for me. Eddie- I knew SK and felt that would be so. Jake tore my heart out. End on November is my re read of the journey each year- knowing it will be coming does not help. I still bawl my eyes out. Dang SK is just too good at getting us so involved with his characters!
Yep, fall is when I re-read DT. I have a jumpstart, because I re-read the first three this summer.
 

Spideyman

Uber Member
Jul 10, 2006
46,336
195,472
79
Just north of Duma Key
Yep, fall is when I re-read DT. I have a jumpstart, because I re-read the first three this summer.

I always wait till end of Nov. A psychological thing-- was reading the last book of the journey during a major tropical storm praying I'd get to know the ending before being blown away. Thus, when the season ends- I feel relief and re read.