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

[BidDaddyJxn]

You must remember that even King reflects to himself at the end of the book that "The joy is in the journey, not the destination". Basically, you should have had a wonderful time getting to the end, but once your there, regardless of how it happens, it's still the end. Your memories are going to come from the Journey itself. Just keep that in mind. I have never thought that King was a great finisher, but I still love all of his books!

[kono]

I hated it at first, like many, but now I find it perfect.

This is how I see it:

Show Spoiler

Each time Roland encounters his quest he becomes more man than beast. The journey we read about was like reaching the top of a mountain. After all of his travails he finally reached the top and learned to love. Love is redemption. Getting to the top of a mountain is only half the battle though. The descent is after Roland has found redemption for his sins for the first time, and for his troubles to get to the top and how he learned to love he is rewarded with the Horn of Eld from Gan. The way down the mountain may be one more journey, or multiple, or many, but the one we encountered was the most significant because Roland encountered love and redemption for the first time.

I may be coming into this discussion a little late, so I don't know what all has been said, but I think this was the point from the beginning. King explains ka as a wheel where it goes around in a circle as it moves forward. We don't know if things happened exactly the same way at all. We don't even know if Roland will meet the same people in his journey each time. Because he has the horn this time we do know that there is a difference between the next journey and the one he just completed. Understanding the end of this series can take going through the series a second time just as it takes Roland more than once to complete the journey.

[PLx81]

I sympathize with you, I really do. I too hated the ending at first, but after further reflection, the ending came to mean something more to me, something very deep. I don't think I'd be overstating things if I were to say it came to mean something life-changing for me.

same here i was highly p!$$ed, but now i think it was the only way that story could have ended. plus not all things where the same at the end

[WykydR]

The ending was the only one that fit. It was perfect. To me, it was karma--Roland was doomed to continue his quest until he could learn the lessons of this life. I think the lesson was that he was always putting his relationships with those who loved him second to the single-minded pursuit of the Tower.

I thought there was hope in this ending because Roland had finally taken the time to retrieve the horn, which he had failed to do perhaps many times before. So, in my mind, this would be the final quest, and Roland would finally be able to rest both his tortured body and mind.

[jgmagic95]

Ah! But you don't see! What you said and what I'm talking about is in the spoilers, but here it is. HE MIGHT NOT MEET THEM AGAIN!

Show Spoiler

Now that Susannah and Eddie and Jake are together in one world, things may be different in another, and with Roland having the Horn of Eld, it could all change. He could in up dying, as bad as that may be.

I loved the ending after thinking about it for awhile.

No, Ms. Mod, I didn't get the chance to press the "Post" button, it got deleted before I could. That was just a small part of it that I decided to repost, still kind of peeved about the other post getting deleted.

Moderator's Reply:
	Just taking a guess that it may be that you weren't logged in with the Remember Me option and it timed out before you finished the post, but the deleting wasn't done as part of moderation.

[RJK1981]

I personally thought it was a great ending, and like others, don't see any other way it could have that would be better. I bought this book hearing that a lot of people hated the ending, along with King's own warning, but I had to know.

I was extremely surprised, and I also felt emotion reading that final book in the series (which really is longer than just 7 books if you include everything else that ties in, which I think is great as well). One emotion I did not feel though was anger over the ending.

I remember finishing the book and when I read the last words I just sat there and said Wow. Didn't even close the book at first, just say there and absorbed the ending, loved the ending. I can understand why people would hate the ending, maybe feel cheated even, but I never had those negative feelings about it.

Like was said before, even if you hated the ending, if it made you mad, then ponder just how much well of a story it was, from beginning to end, if it puts those emotions in you in the first place. Hate is a form of love, after all, in a weird way. It's the opposite of Love obviously, but the emotions can be just as strong and very similar, and you don't feel those emotions for things you could care less about. Have you ever hated someone, or something only to realize eventually that you loved it or them? I personally have not, but I know those who have. Not sure if anyone else sees it that way

[jenifer]

I also just finished the Dark Tower books. It took me 3 weeks, and I am rereading it again. I was pretty sure by the end of book five how the book was going to end, and I was hoping, hoping, hoping, not. (Also, it seemed that it was always going to end that way-from book one) Anyhow, I actually loved the ending, because Roland was carrying the horn that he had not bothered to pick up the last time around. I like to think Roland eventually gets everything right, but what would happen when Roland reaches the tower then?

This book is not about the ending though, really. It is the most incredible journey ever! Best story ever written!!! I enjoyed each and every page. Thank you, Sai King! You gave me the best read ever!

[BlackThorn]

I swear, I can't look at this topic title without thinking of the 'In Living Color' skit, with the two gay guys... you know, 'Men on Books', or 'Men on Film'...

HATED IT!

But 'The Long Road Home' comics, with that young version of Roland... That gets two snaps up in a circle!

Men On Books skit...

[kisun]

I may be coming into this discussion a little late, so I don't know what all has been said, but I think this was the point from the beginning. King explains ka as a wheel where it goes around in a circle as it moves forward. We don't know if things happened exactly the same way at all. We don't even know if Roland will meet the same people in his journey each time. Because he has the horn this time we do know that there is a difference between the next journey and the one he just completed. Understanding the end of this series can take going through the series a second time just as it takes Roland more than once to complete the journey.

Why did you quote me? Were you trying to prove me wrong or agree with me, for the words in your post don't lean towards either.

[kono]

Why did you quote me? Were you trying to prove me wrong or agree with me, for the words in your post don't lean towards either.

Just trying to expand on it a little bit.