How do you see 'The Three' ?

[THISisWHEREiMAKEmySTAND]

Roland, Eddie and Susannah (or Odetta & Detta) are all characters that in some way challenge the archetypical heroes of fable and lore in a unique way. What makes these characters so special for you ( if they are at all, but upon reading the book I would guess it would be hard not to develop feelings for them one way or the other..) ?

[wally wonder]

they're unlikely heroes, aren't they? people being acted upon rather than taking action, though they do act. guess i'm thinking more of eddie and susannah. although roland could be included w/them as far as someone or some thing determining one's fate, destination.
eddie's there with a monkey on his back. detta/odetta is confined to a wheelchair. both are limited in that way. roland's path is set. i like the use of the rail tracks under the mountain, roland and jake. i think that's a big part of what makes them special, though being bound by limitations, eddie and his habit, detta/odetta and her chair, they change.

and change is what it's all about, no? overcoming obstacles, denying fate or predestination, or whatever the town determines is your lot, they do differently and roland is an agent for their change. now if i can just get motivated when i get out of bed in the morning, i can change, too!

[Ben E Gas]

This was my favorite book of the series, I think. I loved the lobstrosities and how they were mentioned in almost all of the other books of the series. This was the book that hooked me and got me to read the rest of the series as well as making me a Stephen King fan.
I would say Roland too, has a monkey on his back, his guns and quick hands, but he is quickly forced to use others as his weapons and deal with change also.

[michal]

In many of Mr. King's books there is no such thing as Completely Evil Heroes or Completely Good ones. What I enjoy most about the three (4 or 5 if you count Roland and Odetta) is that I started liking them almost against my will. They "grew" on me, if you like, and I ended up loving them the way we love family or very close friends - even with seeing all their faults and weaknesses.

[B4victorycomestemptation]

I love all of these characters. Sussanah took the longest to grow on me. Jake and Eddie grew on my pretty quickly and Roland had me from page 1. Most Stephen King novels suck me in from the first page. I love it.

[brandon]

you know, it's kinda strange, but I often find myself much more involved and intrigued with the background characters than with the ka-tet. I guess thats a mark of a great writer using all things at his disposal to draw you into the story. As I say this the characters of Alain&Cuthbert, Jonas, Rhea, and Tick Tock jump to mind.

[DancingCorpse]

Eddie's wit and temper and the radical change he undergoes, i found myself feeling so proud of him. Eddie Dean is actually one of my favourite literary characters of all time. When we are first introduced to him, the first time i read that i just thought, man this series is something else entirely, i'd never read anything like it. And as soon as him and Roland were arguing like a father and son on that darn beach i knew this was a character i was going to love getting to know.

Detta/Odetta confused me for a long time, i just found the whole two side thing difficult to follow at times, so it was more of a relief when Susannah came along. I liked how both sides of her kept coming into play when needed, or out of nowhere. Certainly a unique character again, i wondered for a long time where this one was going or how King was going to make the plot around her. He certainly likes his challenges, that's for sure!

I always felt sorry for Jake after Roland had let him fall, so i was glad to see him back. I actually didn't guess that we would be seeing him again, so it was a nice surprise. He's a good kid and brave as they come.

At the heart of it all, he is just a kid despite all he sees and does, i don't think he ever had the capacity to follow in Roland's heavy footsteps and i like that, i think Eddie has a figure to set an example to and to learn from his bro, the Great and Eminent Sage, on how to treat a brother the right way.

[tyciol]

They appeal to me in somewhat of an antihero sense, but not totally because they are all-around good... but they're very... 'not pretty' if that's a way to put it? Not all fancy and idealized as the heroes in fantasy tend to be.

[SpencerC]

Eddie is probably my favorite character of the cycle, I think he represents the redemption that Roland could have if he ever gets his head out of his.. um, hat. The way he comes into his own in this book is nothing short of amazing storytelling.

[Nabila]

Odetta/Detta: Odetta had no spirit in the beginning. Detta was full of it but it was all self-pity. I didn't realise self-pity could be so venomous. My eyes hurt reading all the "honky ma****" I felt like screaming But I felt sorry for them both. But when Odetta embraced Detta in the end, my respect for her/them began. Since Sussanah was born out of these two, I looked forward to spending more time with this woman. And true enough, she's turned out to be amazing

Eddie Dean was a drama queen. Still is. But anyone who makes a stand against the 'Sopranos' buck naked because he had to do it at that moment, has my respect. Ole! Let's hear it for the boy! That gunfight scene was so much fun to read.

Roland Deschain: I can't say he had me at hello. I didn't know what to make of this fool while reading The Gunslinger. But amazed at the fastest gun aspect of his personality. And then he lets go of Jake!!! I thought," What, is your childhood trauma!!!" My opinion soon changed at the Drawing of the Three. And now that I've travelled as far as Wizard and Glass, I know that he did endure a traumatic experience at a very young age. Cry your pardon, Sai Roland.

I don't have a favourite character in this ka-tet. I love them all including Jake and Oy.