The Dark Tower Ending - I HATED IT! **SPOILERS**

[soxfan]

I believe it was an amazing ending. My only criticism is that it was spoiled by an explanation from King. It seemed like he knew he would get destroyed by some fans and had to defend it.

I will tell you why it is such an amazing ending. The ending is amazing not because it is "good" or "happy" but because it is just. Roland as he is depicted throughout the seven volumes does not deserve a better fate. I think his ending is a commentary on the protaganist and on life in general.

[jeffk]

I admit the ending of the Dark tower is tough to swallow.
On the other hand, how can you expect it to end, with death and disappointment being a theme from the first book.
Mr. King wrote that it was the only ending that was honest(or something to that effect) and I accept it.
A happily ever after ending would would have been out of step with the series and would have been worse.

[netta]

I understand how some fans have hated the end of this series.

For me, it was profound and it was perfect. One of the things I like so much about Sai King's work is the fact it feels real. I know these people, I relate to them, I love them. It's difficult to see bad things happen to the people we love.

Life is not perfect. Life is not easy. Not everything is tied up in a neat, tidy bow. King doesn't bullsh!t his way around this.

One of the other things I love about King's work is he trusts his readers. I can employ my own imagination, I can think for myself, I can picture things in my own mind.

The end of The Dark Tower was totally unexpected (although in hindsight, how dumb is that?) but even in the extreme sadness (and I cried buckets, so I did), there is a ray of hope that was very satisfying, to me.

It was a perfect ending, and it makes more and more sense with every reading.

[jallred350]

Initially I had the same reaction as many to the ending. After a few weeks it softened and after a few months I went back to re-read the entire series. I am currently about 100 pages into Drawing. There are a few clues in The Gunslinger about the ending. Things that just didn't make sense the first time through, but after having read the ending do make sense. I'm speaking particularly of chapter 5 in the re-written version,

Show Spoiler

when Roland is palavering with the MIB.

Noticing these made me even less angry with the ending. It didn't feel like it was so "out of left field." And as others have said, I don't know how else he could have ended the series. It had almost gotten to be too big. Any ending after that big of a build up would feel like a let down, especially after investing so much time in the story.

[fanasyworld]

I also hated the ending in the seventh book. After finding out that Roland has to cross the desert again chasing the man in black when he finally reached the top of the Tower, I think Stephen King should write one more book to his Dark Tower series about things that he could potentially change (like the loss of his adopted son Jake). I have been a fan of Stephen King for 20+ years and I do realize life sometimes does not have happy endings but his books let me forget about life for those moments while I am reading. I guess I just expected more.

The last book of the series should be about Roland's quest...again, meeting his ka-tet, and remembering bits of his previous quest, so different adventures can happen and the whole ka-tet gets rid of the crimson king and then leaves the tower to stand alone.

If you could continue on with the story as the ending stands now, what would your ending be? I am just very curious!

[plgordon]

"Of The Dark Tower And Walter"

"it is in this malicious lair, this dark and powerful magician, who holds the true key to End-World and the Dark Tower for thoes courageous enough to grasp it. And for those who are left.
SK

[plgordon]

He warned you that you might want to stop, you may be dissapointed

[Father Callahan]

I read the first 6 volumes and was about a quarter of the way through the Final volume when i found out what the ending was online ( i dont recall exactly where but not here) and it really upset me cos i thought there was no way it could end with susanah, eddie and espesially Jake dead, so i put it away and i dont think i am ever going to read it now.
I dont regret reading the 1st 6 but the 7th for me is now a big no no.

[EricMint]

Just finished the 7th book last weekend. I bought the last two books when they came out but I've held out on reading them because I just didn't want it to end, but then I started thinking about my own mortality and how my biggest regret in life would be not finishing the books (seriously), but that's besides the point. That ending was possibly the most heartbreaking thing I've ever read. It was 3 am when I finished it and I could hear Roland as clear as life screaming, "Please, not again! Have pity! Have mercy!" God, that just kills me. It destroys me. The toughest man alive, my hero since I read the first book as a scared freshman in highschool, and he's begging for mercy. It was really tough.

But I felt immediately that it was the right ending. It's kind of like what King said about the riddles. Even if you don't have the answers in front of you, once you hear the right answer it's self-evident. I'm not sure there could be any other ending that would feel this right, dare I say perfect. Heh heh, one of my thoughts after finishing the book was just "He did it. He really did it."

The ending actually affected me on a more personal level in that I think like Roland I've been living for just for the end-goal or reading just for the ending. I really stopped and thought about the actual journey I'm on in life and discovered that I could be enjoying it a lot more if I stopped thinking about my Dark Tower.

I'm so sad that the series is over, but it was a hell of a ride. Say thankya indeed

[Brett Johnston]

In the ages that examine our exploitation the writer that can do this is a greater friend than the animator that adds magic dust to a twirling end. Final purpose for an individual has massively been removed by the process of our modern socially devouring control environment. Striking against the foe of an individual has lost meaning! Roland is other time beyond us and is the conclusion of the ultimate errand but it is the intention for him to driven this way repeatedly. Personally Stephen King ranked highly in my regard in 1989 and therefore to me he has also been driven since! He mentions the idea of an artist driven to greater perfection as though he (King) knows it with authority; I beleive he does.