Just Finished the Dark Tower: Clues?

[SamForsyth]

I did a search for this topic and didn't find anything. So I apologize in advance if i missed it.

My question. I loved the books, but can't imagine i'd ever find the time to re-read them all. Is there a list anywhere that shows all of the ways King foreshadowed the ending, or the nature of Roland's tower, or maybe even lists clues as to how the saga would end?

I'm curious, because after reading the books, and the ending, I wasn't surprised by it. I didn't predict it, but it made sense right away to me. My theory is that King knew the whole time what would happen to Roland at the end, and that he left little clues and hints throughout the series to build the case for his conclusion.

I was just wondering if anyone had ever bothered to put a list together of those clues, or to start one that can be added to over time.

[BlackThorn]

Ummm... well...

Depends on how you look at things. One clue might be how The Dark Tower slammed it's doors shut forever, after Roland entered.

Another, is that he mentions, in 'Book I - The Gunslinger', how things might have been different, if Roland had taken the three seconds to snatch up the horn that fell from Cuthbert's dying hand. It was the Horn of Deschain, but it was in Cuthbert's possession as he lay dying.

I'm pretty sure King was pointing out something powerful, about the Horn of Deschain. I think it would be enough of a simple conscious reminder of Roland's humanity, to help him understand how The Dark Tower was just a means to an end. Not the contrary, which is all he seems to remember.

Also, another clue might be how before reaching the tower, Jake dies finally in the key world, in the stead of Roland... but how this time at least, Roland had planned to jump in his stead. This act, together with the Horn of Deschain for him to unconsciously touch to remember the ultimate importance of his own humanity, might have helped Roland to... not cry off the tower. But to understand why, he needed to reach it to begin with. And to help him heal the true damage to the universe he was honestly sent to rectify and repair.

[Lencho_of_the_Apes]

I've only read DT once myself, and I'm not yet tempted to go back for seconds... It would be interesting to see if a thread springs up with people bringing forward the information you asked for.

There is a little bit of that info in this thread: http://stephenking.com/forums/showthread.php?t=13539 but I haven't seen anything else that corresponds to what you're looking for.

We all float down here...

[Bryan James]

No. That's probably the first word we all learned, in whatever language we learned it.

There's some sort of "crosslinkage compendium" in print, but most of it is coincidence, synchronicity, or an unused vapor of thought finally escaping from his fingers that causes one or the other.

King is not the king of the story...the story is the king of King.

BJS

[Bluey Lunger]

seems like sk said in that piece that accompanied most of the stories, maybe all of the, 'on being nineteen' i think it is called, that he didn't know how it was going to end. makes sense to me. don't know of any list though i imagine there could be more than one floating around somewhere. i suspect that sk knew at some point before the words met the page what would take place, but how far in advance that was is anyone's guess.

[Mary Strickland]

If you read the "Forward" and "Author's Note" for each book, SK explains that most of the time the story just flows through him and onto the keyboard--genius!!

[md10pc]

I can't exactly remember the 4 words which are listed in the beginning of Dark Tower, but they begin with "R" and the last word is Resumption. After I finished the book and was glancing through it again, I interpreted that as a huge clue in how it was going to end--that Roland was going to resume his quest after he reached the Tower.

[JohnDalglish]

I can't exactly remember the 4 words which are listed in the beginning of Dark Tower, but they begin with "R" and the last word is Resumption. After I finished the book and was glancing through it again, I interpreted that as a huge clue in how it was going to end--that Roland was going to resume his quest after he reached the Tower.

Hi,

Couldn't agree more, it's about thirty years since I've seen a copy of the original Gunslinger, but I believe DT comprise eight books, starting with The Gunslinger and finishing with The Gunslinger (revised).

Bit of a giveaway on the very first page, 'Resumption', I think, the greatest piece of foreshadowing ever IMO

Long days and pleasant nights

[Bryan James]

My biggest letdown, and please tell me if I'm errant..."Cuthbert" (that doofus trickster--and I have a huge turtle skull on my monitor) is pronounced QUEth-bert. I always thought it almost rhymed with "custard" with a lithp.

BJS

[K4driver]

IN the Gunslinger, It said "cry off your quest and Go west, There is still need for men who live by the Gun" I think that he may do that eventually, Or at least until Jake is older and Then they both will Go after Walter, as he thought about, That might be the last one

[DogMom]

I read somewhere that when King was writing the final 3 books he decided to make changes to the Gunslinger to make them all fit. I don't think he knew how it was going to end until then.

[Patricia A]

I can't exactly remember the 4 words which are listed in the beginning of Dark Tower, but they begin with "R" and the last word is Resumption. After I finished the book and was glancing through it again, I interpreted that as a huge clue in how it was going to end--that Roland was going to resume his quest after he reached the Tower.


Hi,

Couldn't agree more, it's about thirty years since I've seen a copy of the original Gunslinger, but I believe DT comprise eight books, starting with The Gunslinger and finishing with The Gunslinger (revised).

Bit of a giveaway on the very first page, 'Resumption', I think, the greatest piece of foreshadowing ever IMO

Long days and pleasant nights

Here's a really great review of "The Gunslinger" I've borrowed from Bev Vincent's excellent website.
There's a lot of interesting Gunslinger history in it.
http://www.bevvincent.com/onyx/king-gunslinger.html