45 replies to this topic

[Jolene Brown]

I took a long, long hiatus from fantasy, but since I enjoyed ASOIAF a lot, I have been thinking about reading The Dark Tower series.  I know all about the controversial ending, so I'm prepared.  I've heard that there's a drop-off in quality in the last 3 books of the series (is it 6 or 7 total?).  What do people think?  Is it worth it?

[Mr. E]

Jolene Brown, on 25 July 2012 - 03:15 PM, said:

I took a long, long hiatus from fantasy, but since I enjoyed ASOIAF a lot, I have been thinking about reading The Dark Tower series.  I know all about the controversial ending, so I'm prepared.  I've heard that there's a drop-off in quality in the last 3 books of the series (is it 6 or 7 total?).  What do people think?  Is it worth it?

1-3. Yes. 4-7...ugh.

The question is is 1-3 good enough to outweigh the last half of four to the end of the series.

[Jolene Brown]

I can deal with mediocre writing, but I hate when I feel like there is a drastic unjustified shift in characterization.  A generally good person can do a bad thing, or a generally bad person a good thing, or all the other options in between, but there's nothing that frustrates me more than sitting up and being like "X would never do that."  Are the issues with 4-7 just the plot getting away from him, or are there characterization issues too?  What are the issues with 4-7 exactly?

[Sonic The Hedgehog]

Mr. E, on 25 July 2012 - 03:20 PM, said:

The question is is 1-3 good enough to outweigh the last half of four to the end of the series.

For me it wasn't. I'd call the seventh book one of the worst books I've read in years. So much fluff, and deus ex machina, and disappointing climaxes to major events. Made me regret ever starting the series.

And to the OP, technically there's 8 books now. King recently released The Wind Through The Keyhole which is supposed to be book 4.5. Haven't read that one though, given my dislike of the original books.

[Mr. E]

Jolene Brown, on 25 July 2012 - 03:34 PM, said:

I can deal with mediocre writing, but I hate when I feel like there is a drastic unjustified shift in characterization.  A generally good person can do a bad thing, or a generally bad person a good thing, or all the other options in between, but there's nothing that frustrates me more than sitting up and being like "X would never do that."  Are the issues with 4-7 just the plot getting away from him, or are there characterization issues too?  What are the issues with 4-7 exactly?

hoo-boy

Okay, I promised myself I'd never do this, but I'm going to pimp my blog here:http://aestheticnerd...ole-pseudo.html (SPOILERS ABOUND) because it basically outlines everything I thought went wrong with the series.

TL;DR--It's my opinion, and there's a lot of conjecture, but basically a lot of evidence seems to indicate that King was feeling the weight of his mortality after his 1999 accident and therefore rushed out three almost 1000 page books in barely a year and a half, creating tremendous plotholes, inexcusable deus ex machina, and some hair-pulling WTF? moments, including what he did to most of the cast.

Sonic The Hedgehog, on 25 July 2012 - 03:35 PM, said:

For me it wasn't. I'd call the seventh book one of the worst books I've read in years. So much fluff, and deus ex machina, and disappointing climaxes to major events. Made me regret ever starting the series.

And to the OP, technically there's 8 books now. King recently released The Wind Through The Keyhole which is supposed to be book 4.5. Haven't read that one though, given my dislike of the original books.

I liked about 60% of 4.5, and was okay with 40%. The 60% is really good though. Maybe not enough for hardback, but definitely worth Mass-market paperback.

Edited by Mr. E, 25 July 2012 - 03:51 PM.

[Sci-2]

The first three books herald what might have been one of the greatest SFF series ever written. The fourth book is a good standalone, keeping up the promise of the previous books but as a flashback it's hard to know what'll happen in terms of future quality.

What happens to the quality in subsequent volumes, sadly, is worthy of a King horror novel.

[lupis42]

I believe the technical term for what happened in books 5-7 is http://tvtropes.org/...tionFromEditors

[Snikt5]

Personally, I think the whole dip in quality after book 4 issue is massively over exaggerated. Book 5 is my favourite in the series and whilst 6 is the weakest and 7 had its problems (well things I wished were different), I still enjoyed them immensely. Loved the ending too.

[Jolene Brown]

If I read books 1-3 or 4 and then stop, will I just be super-frustrated?  Or is there a natural stopping point beyond which I can sort of imagine my own ending?

[Memory Lane]

lupis42, on 25 July 2012 - 04:17 PM, said:

I believe the technical term for what happened in books 5-7 is http://tvtropes.org/...tionFromEditors

King's had that since the 1980s at least, so I'm not so sure.

[Zcrow]

Read 1-4 then read the cliffnotes/summary of the rest.

[the maid of woodlynne]

Yikes. I'm just about to start book 4 (tonight, actually) - I've managed to stay spoiler free all this time and had no idea about the last few books being such a disappointment for so many folks.

I shall continue to follow the Beam and see where it leads me. :crosses fingers:

Thanks for the heads-up, though.

[Cuthbert Allgood]

I WAS a fan of the books in 90s, a big fan (hence my nickname). A fan but not a fanboi apperantly, because I wasn't blinded by my love to books to deny the massive quality decrease after 4th book.

As many people stated Book 1-4 are great (some exlude Book 4) but last 3 is utter crap. He abandons some plot threads or just solve them for the sake of it, he adds weird / boring new ones, he completely forgets  the face of his father and some previously hinted storylines about Roland's past.

And yes, it seemsit has a lot to do with Mr. King facing his mortality after the truck incident, rushing the last 3 books.

[lupis42]

Incidentally, the last three Dark Tower books are a standing counterargument to anyone who thinks that GRRM should be trying to write faster.

[Mr. E]

Jolene Brown, on 25 July 2012 - 04:51 PM, said:

If I read books 1-3 or 4 and then stop, will I just be super-frustrated?  Or is there a natural stopping point beyond which I can sort of imagine my own ending?

Ironically, this is basically what King wants you do to in the ending--so I'd say go for it. You can enjoy 1-3 (and most of four) on their own merits. Number 2 is probably my favorite of them, and is great simply as a standalone. 3 leads into four with a well-done cliffhanger, so you probably won't be able to finish three and then stop. I don't know if I can say the same for four.

[TheEvilKing]

I've read the first 5. I didn't notice any massive drop off in quality in book 5, although it did seem like a bit of a pointless side adventure at certain times, and there were some long boring bits. There were some good bits too. I can never resist when the gunslingers start being bad ass.

[David Selig]

TheEvilKing, on 26 July 2012 - 07:52 AM, said:

I've read the first 5. I didn't notice any massive drop off in quality in book 5, although it did seem like a bit of a pointless side adventure at certain times, and there were some long boring bits. There were some good bits too. I can never resist when the gunslingers start being bad ass.

I agree, Book 5 is very good IMO. Pretty pointless in terms of the main plot, but fun to read and exciting. It's the last two books which are really subpar IMO. the sixth is just bad all around, and the seven has its good moments, but there are so many facepalm moments and the ending is atrocious.

[Mr. E]

TheEvilKing, on 26 July 2012 - 07:52 AM, said:

I've read the first 5. I didn't notice any massive drop off in quality in book 5, although it did seem like a bit of a pointless side adventure at certain times, and there were some long boring bits. There were some good bits too. I can never resist when the gunslingers start being bad ass.

David Selig, on 26 July 2012 - 07:58 AM, said:

I agree, Book 5 is very good IMO. Pretty pointless in terms of the main plot, but fun to read and exciting. It's the last two books which are really subpar IMO. the sixth is just bad all around, and the seven has its good moments, but there are so many facepalm moments and the ending is atrocious.

My biggest gripe with book 5 is the sudden introduction of

Spoiler

19 as the huge plot point when there was no indication of it in any of the previous four books. Meta, I understand what was going on, but that didn't make the introduction any less jarring. My second biggest gripe is the "Harry Potter" model sneetches or whatever they were. Again, I see what he's trying to do here (and in the ending of book four). It's just...clumsy.

[wolverine]

Books 1-4 = awesome.

5 is a bit meh.

6 and 7 make me hate Stephen King.  I can't forgive the choices he made.

[Lord Manwoody]

I liked the entire series, including the ending.

Wizard and Glass was my favorite in the series.