Disappointed

**TEDG65** · January 17th, 2013

Maybe I am more of a King horror fan, but I just finished reading all 8 volumes of the Dark Tower and while I found it very enjoyable at times, I thought a lot of it was bloated and took
too long to get to the interesting parts....I thought the whole story was just ok and Wolves Of The Calla was a pretty good section but Song Of Susannah and other parts just seemed to go on about nothing and were hard to get through....

**Lily Sawyer** · January 17th, 2013

Okay. I can't jump on this bandwagon because I *ahem* haven't read the Tower series in its entirety.

-That said, I *will* say that I found The Gunslinger difficult to get through. I've been encouraged to continue reading, and I will.

I'm thinking that when I pick up the Tower series again, I'll re-read The Gunslinger so that I'm flush with the entire experience and have a second perspective on it.
Maybe that will be your experience as well if you decide to re-read the series.

**blunthead** · January 17th, 2013

Originally Posted by TEDG65

Maybe I am more of a King horror fan, but I just finished reading all 8 volumes of the Dark Tower and while I found it very enjoyable at times, I thought a lot of it was bloated and took
too long to get to the interesting parts....I thought the whole story was just ok and Wolves Of The Calla was a pretty good section but Song Of Susannah and other parts just seemed to go on about nothing and were hard to get through....

There are different types of sK works and different types of fans (and the DT series is definitely different). I know that an artist who isn't appealing to someone today can be appealing tomorrow. Maybe you can take the adventure again someday and like it better.

**TEDG65** · January 17th, 2013

I don't know if I'll ever revisit, I started listening to the audio versions just before Summer and I just finished Wind Through The Keyhole yesterday........it was a loooong haul...

**carrie's younger brother** · January 17th, 2013

Originally Posted by TEDG65

I don't know if I'll ever revisit, I started listening to the audio versions just before Summer and I just finished Wind Through The Keyhole yesterday........it was a loooong haul...

I'd be interested to know if you read all of them back to back. That could be why you are thinking it was "a loooong haul." I read them as they came out over the years and love them because I had time in between to digest each one. By the time the next volume came out, I was champing at the bit to read it. Just a thought.

**Robert Gray** · January 17th, 2013

Originally Posted by TEDG65

Maybe I am more of a King horror fan, but I just finished reading all 8 volumes of the Dark Tower and while I found it very enjoyable at times, I thought a lot of it was bloated and took
too long to get to the interesting parts....I thought the whole story was just ok and Wolves Of The Calla was a pretty good section but Song Of Susannah and other parts just seemed to go on about nothing and were hard to get through....

I notice it lists you as a "Junior Member," which I assume means you are fairly young (or at least younger than me by a good span). Come back and read them again in ten years. Whenever I hear someone say something like, "it took too long to get to the good parts" I cringe just a little bit because I can usually guess what you mean by the good parts. My reaction, for example, is entirely the opposite of yours. I thought the books were entirely too short. That is, by the way, Tolkien's critique of his own work too. I'm not saying (by any means) that you are too young to understand the books. I'm saying you are too young to appreciate them.

**not_nadine** · January 17th, 2013

Originally Posted by Robert Gray

I notice it lists you as a "Junior Member," which I assume means you are fairly young (or at least younger than me by a good span). Come back and read them again in ten years. Whenever I hear someone say something like, "it took too long to get to the good parts" I cringe just a little bit because I can usually guess what you mean by the good parts. My reaction, for example, is entirely the opposite of yours. I thought the books were entirely too short. That is, by the way, Tolkien's critique of his own work too. I'm not saying (by any means) that you are too young to understand the books. I'm saying you are too young to appreciate them.

Sorry if someone else pointed this out, Robert Gray but member status reflects the number of posts that that was made by the member. That said we sure have a lot of "Senior Members" here! Poor GNT is "Uber"

what's that mean?

You can delete, Marsha if you or anyone else said what I said.

**GNTLGNT** · January 18th, 2013

Poor GNT is "Uber" what's that mean?

...diarreah of the keyboard...

**Robert Gray** · January 18th, 2013

Originally Posted by not_nadine

Sorry if someone else pointed this out, Robert Gray but member status reflects the number of posts that that was made by the member. That said we sure have a lot of "Senior Members" here! Poor GNT is "Uber"

what's that mean?

<laughs> I never knew that. I just thought it was the board's nice way of warning us to be gentle with the younger set. I never noticed it on myself then until I was already a Senior.

I still suspect, given the comments, that the person in question is younger than myself. There is an age (and certainly a mindset) that values only certain things in stories. My "red flag" for this mindset is when I hear people talk about the "good parts."

All that being said, if the poster is as old and jaded as me, my apologies. I still think you are missing the forest for the trees with that mindset.

**blunthead** · January 18th, 2013

Originally Posted by Robert Gray

<laughs> I never knew that. I just thought it was the board's nice way of warning us to be gentle with the younger set. I never noticed it on myself then until I was already a Senior.

I still suspect, given the comments, that the person in question is younger than myself. There is an age (and certainly a mindset) that values only certain things in stories. My "red flag" for this mindset is when I hear people talk about the "good parts."

All that being said, if the poster is as old and jaded as me, my apologies. I still think you are missing the forest for the trees with that mindset.

Hi, Robert Gray. Imho, in terms of sK appreciation the territory sK covers is the greater determinant. In fact logic might dictate an older person prefer the earlier works. I guess what I'm saying is anyone assuming he can absorb and keep up with sK will be disappointed. That person has the wrong goal. I think the matured sK CR has learned when they get on the ride to cast assumptions aside or else they might miss it.