Who here has read the Dark Tower series?

[Walter Oobleck]

First, let me say I'm sorry to hear about your brother. Thanks for sharing such a detailed account of your Dark Tower discovery, I love reading these type of "first time" reading Stephen King experiences. The Paul Harvey reference is perfect, lol. Btw, when did you first read a SK book? Which one?

the very 1st was It, like i said, on the recommendation of my brother. His name was Kevin. He was a high school math and science teacher...the kids loved him, especially when he blew up the science lab. heh! i forget the details, but i remember him saying he panicked, was looking at kids, seeing if any were bleeding or not. i think something shot into the ceiling tile. yeah...four-wheeler, wiped out, the 30th of june, hottest day of that year, 2002. anyway, kevin tells me, here' read this, this is good, it's about a clown...and then he gave me some detail how the clown can take different shapes. i think it was...i dunno...maybe '96? give or take a year. i read dreamcatcher when it was published. '99? was on another board, local, and a friend there had posted a cover, thought it was cool, and was intrigued by how the story starts. i deer hunt, too. enjoy time in a tree each fall...so quiet. winter in a tree is nice, too...i'd stay there all night, so incredibly quiet, nice if the snow is falling, you can hear footsteps, the snow packing beneath the deer's hooves, that slow approach, just the noise and then movement. their entire life is on guard, watchful.

i've read It a number of times, four or more, five maybe? i lost track. i don't think there's a story, save the ones i've yet to read, that i haven't read multiple times.

 

[Spideyman]

the very 1st was It, like i said, on the recommendation of my brother. His name was Kevin. He was a high school math and science teacher...the kids loved him, especially when he blew up the science lab. heh! i forget the details, but i remember him saying he panicked, was looking at kids, seeing if any were bleeding or not. i think something shot into the ceiling tile. yeah...four-wheeler, wiped out, the 30th of june, hottest day of that year, 2002. anyway, kevin tells me, here' read this, this is good, it's about a clown...and then he gave me some detail how the clown can take different shapes. i think it was...i dunno...maybe '96? give or take a year. i read dreamcatcher when it was published. '99? was on another board, local, and a friend there had posted a cover, thought it was cool, and was intrigued by how the story starts. i deer hunt, too. enjoy time in a tree each fall...so quiet. winter in a tree is nice, too...i'd stay there all night, so incredibly quiet, nice if the snow is falling, you can hear footsteps, the snow packing beneath the deer's hooves, that slow approach, just the noise and then movement. their entire life is on guard, watchful.

i've read It a number of times, four or more, five maybe? i lost track. i don't think there's a story, save the ones i've yet to read, that i haven't read multiple times.

Walt, do you find that as you re read, during different time periods in your life, that you look at the story in a different light?

 

[MarkS73]

I've been a Stephen King fan for most of my life but always steered clear of the Dark Tower books. Somehow i've always thought it would'nt
be my cup of tea. I've been following this board for a couple of years now and because of what i read here and on another board decided to give The Gunslinger a try. I was lost in it almost immediatlty. Last year i've read the whole series in a couple of months and it's among the best things i've ever read. After The Gunslinger i wanted to read the series in style so i bought all the beautiful Grant editions on Ebay, that added a lot to the fun
I'm still on my big Stephen King re-read trip, currently reading Duma Key, once i'm finished i'm going to start the Marvel omnibuses. Looking forward to those too.

 

[Walter Oobleck]

Walt, do you find that as you re read, during different time periods in your life, that you look at the story in a different light?

There was this once, about 12 of us from my high school senior class participated in a trip to Florida. Had a blast. On the way back (bus) we stopped in Atlanta, the Six Flags Park there. They have this gigantic roller coaster, or had...been a few years. The coaster has a 10,000 foot drop, the highlight of that coaster. My friend, Dan, and I stood in line, a long line, just to get our hand stamped so we could go stand in another line at the appropriate time to ride the coaster. That took up all of our time there. If we had time we'd have done it again. So much of my reading of King is like riding the coaster, sorta...take the ride, run around and do it again. I think I read Insomnia back-to-back about five times. (Lookin' for those Easter Island bools...just call me the Space Cowboy)

I think only It and Dreamcatcher qualify for any length of time between reads. Don't believe I looked at either differently, had much the same reaction throughout the story, maybe a line or two hooked more of my attention. Other reads, maybe I catch a mistake or two. Firestarter, enjoyed the 1st time through, a subsequent read I thought one chapter that followed another had too much of a Western Union feel to it. Green Mile...enjoyed the story each time...subsequent reads I began to develop a dim view of Paul. Why didn't he say something? Going along to get along, a theme throughout King's stories. Thought the difference in Roland, revised/original, enlightening. In the original he came across as a smart-alack post-teenager, "how's she hanging, boys?" Seemed out-of-character for the Roland I knew in the revised but then too it fit the narrative.

What I did find with the repeated readings are the themes and ideas that seem to run in many of the stories, how one story is a variation on some of the same general ideas expressed in one or more other stories. Thought it fascinating, the word green, in The Wastelands. I think I even made a half-hearted attempt to count them all up not with the idea of spanking King, as Twain has been spanked, numerous times...and made to stand over in the corner...but just because the word is used so much. 468 times. heh! I forget the number, not 468, but quite a bit. And then there's things like the...forget the name it is called...but in Tommyknockers, late in the story, that plane crashes. Much like what happens in Under the Dome. Or that deal with the well...actually, wells. Or the Ming vases. No end of things in King's stories to keep readers like myself curious. Rereads are worth effort.