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[haziegirl]

Well my sister suggested over the summer that I read the Dark Tower series, by Stephen King, and when I moved back in at school, I started reading it.  I'm currently on the 4th book, and I find it pretty interesting, but not much different from your average fantasy/sci fi/end of the world type series.  Good vs Evil sort of thing.  But still pretty cool.  It's the first ever Stephen King I've ever read.

Anyway, I was just wondering if anyone else had read the Dark Tower series, or if you're currently reading it.  And if so, what are your thoughts?

[Cartilage Head]

I read and finished it a few years back. It's pretty good, but the ending of the entire series is... iffy.

 Anyway, I'm suprisedyou found it so routine.. I found it very unconventional. Of course, you aren't that far into the series yet.

[Alarra]

I think it's a great series personally. My favorite book is actually the fourth one.

[haziegirl]

well I think within the overall quest, it's original.  I think the idea of writing a series of books that kind of explains the whole cosmic balance, and what not, is over done.

But I really do like the series so far.  I am only about halfway, so you're right, I don't have much to base my opinion on.  But I'm enjoying it.  The first two books really kept me entertained... intrigued...  I read through those pretty quickly.  The third book was a bit harder to get through, in my opinion.  I even thought about taking a break from the series, which generally translates into not finishing it, for me.

So far the fourth book seems pretty good.  I think now, I just need to find a nice quiet place I can read.  My dorm room isn't really providing me with a good reading environment at this point in time.

[MatticusPrime]

It's pretty good, but the ending of the entire series is... iffy.

Do you mean the ending you're encouraged to stop at or the one you get if you keep reading?

[Mister Rand McNally]

I would honestly encourage anyone reading this series to stop reading at the fourth book and make up your own ending, at least if you wish to continue reading Stephen King novels in the future.  If you are comfortable with losing all respect for the man and never picking up a book of his in the future, then you should read on.

I guess I took the fifth, sixth, and seventh books personally as I'd been reading them for years before the fourth book came out.  Anyone familiar with the most current books will hopefully understand my frustrations.

[haziegirl]

uh oh, now I'm getting scared to read the rest of the series...

[Alarra]

While the ending originally bothered me, having read through the books again, I'm now not sure. It's really rather interesting and unique and....well I just don't know. I still have great respect for the series....

and I'm talking the real ending, not the one he says is the ending....because really, who can stop reading a book that still has a great number of pages left just because the author says to? Why add more if you don't want it read?

[lordjim]

Good series, I enjoyed them all.  Though the trick that King uses in books 5-7 really annoys me.

[Jedit]

While the ending originally bothered me, having read through the books again, I'm now not sure. It's really rather interesting and unique

Which is why Terry Pratchett used it in one of his novels fifteen years earlier, of course.

I found the last two books of DT to be a horrific slog, but when I got to the end of Book 7 I was truly pissed off.  The seven volumes went straight to the nearest charity store, because I'll be fucked up the ass with a rusty chainsaw before I read that kind of crap twice.

[Cartilage Head]

 Though it would be better to be dissappointed with the ending than to never read it at all.

 Don't be afriad!

[Scandanavian War Machine]

dont stop reading! i found that i liked the "disapointing" ending because anything else would have seemed forced and unfit. i think it ended exactly how it should have.
that series had me completely occupied and transfixed for an entire summer so its worth reading all the way through.

[Apple Pie]

LOVE THIS SERIES.

I remember reading in one of his intros that few people read the DT series, but those who do are incredibly passionate about it.

Yeah. That's me.

I would honestly encourage anyone reading this series to stop reading at the fourth book and make up your own ending, at least if you wish to continue reading Stephen King novels in the future.  If you are comfortable with losing all respect for the man and never picking up a book of his in the future, then you should read on.

I guess I took the fifth, sixth, and seventh books personally as I'd been reading them for years before the fourth book came out.  Anyone familiar with the most current books will hopefully understand my frustrations.

Whilst the fourth book is definitely my favourite, I think reading the final three is still worthwhile. Personally, I didn't find the ending to be annoying or frustrating at all. I was thinking about it later, and thought that, logistically, it's the only ending that just...fits.

After all...ka is a wheel.

*sigh*

I wish I had a billy bumbler.

[LordChristofMcGee]

I did start reading these a while ago when my sister still lived at home (she had them) but I got stopped at book 4 and need to re-read them... something that is definitely on my wishlist... there are 7 of them I take it in the whole series? I liked the first three I remember that much... but I think I need to re-read them for some closure...

[Reenie]

I read those last year. The fourth one was definitely my favourite! Sometimes it was sort of slow going, and after King offed my favourite character in book 7, I took a never-ending "break" from the series. Oh well, I may finish it someday.

[singeivoire]

I've been trying to get my hands on these books for months now - our library only has #'s 3,4, and 6 so I have been thwarted thus far.  I read King's "Hearts and Atlantis" and was intrigued by the first novella in that book, which seems to be tangential to the whole Dark Tower series.

However, if it all ends badly, I may not want to make the effort to track them down/slog through the entire series.

[dozyrozy]

I've read them all and it seems, like quite a few people I began to lose interest in the second half. My favourite was the Drawing of the Three (the second book) but I think that might be because I started with that one. Funny, I seem to do that a lot with series, not read the first one until quite late! I can't really remember what happens in the later ones, it's been a while since I read them, so I might have to go back and re-read, but my memory of them being a bit sluggish and pointless is putting me off. I remember being really reluctant to read it whenever I picked it up, but at the same time I wanted to find out what happened at the end.

[warofthebees]

I personally liked the first one best.  The gunslinger was a bad ass, Mad Max-style wandering sone of a bitch who had no problems dropping whatever stood in his way to the tower.  Still bits of that in Part II and III, but once he starts being the father figure, it kind of loses me.  I liked the other books (even the ending of 7...I'd say something about it, but I'd hate to spoil it for people still reading), though it annoyed me how every book after The Wizard and Glass had to tie into each other.  Hopefully the series gets at least one extra book (hell, a pamphlet would make me happy), and no, I don't count the comic book series:  I don't care where Roland was, I care about where he's going.