Comments on: Childe Roland to the Dark Tower came* http://www.robbflynn.com/2007/08/26/childe-roland-to-the-dark-tower-came/ Tue, 06 Jan 2009 03:36:28 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7 hourly 1 By: Robb http://www.robbflynn.com/2007/08/26/childe-roland-to-the-dark-tower-came/comment-page-1/#comment-17 Robb Tue, 28 Aug 2007 10:39:55 +0000 http://www.robbflynn.com/2007/08/26/childe-roland-to-the-dark-tower-came/#comment-17 <I>DT</i> is more of a Hero's Journey or Quest than it is horror or suspense. It follows the same kind of formula as Lord of the Rings... Hero on the all-important quest... enlists/recruits folks to help him along the way... and the climax is the confrontation with the final element of the hero's quest. That's the conclusion you talk about, I think. But with <i>DT</i>, I think, King pays unusual amounts of attention (for him) on specific scenes and events within the overall storyline (being 7 books long, he would have to). It is these scenes that King returns to his horror and suspense roots while he main story arc threads them all together. I thought it worked remarkably well, as did the personal journey's each of his characters takes over the course of the books. It's been a few years since I have read the entire thing, but I enjoyed it immensely when I did. I guess I was able to get sucked into the primary storyline from the very first sentence: "The man in black fled across the desert, and the Gunslinger followed." So many questions I wanted answered just from that one sentence! DT is more of a Hero’s Journey or Quest than it is horror or suspense. It follows the same kind of formula as Lord of the Rings… Hero on the all-important quest… enlists/recruits folks to help him along the way… and the climax is the confrontation with the final element of the hero’s quest.

That’s the conclusion you talk about, I think. But with DT, I think, King pays unusual amounts of attention (for him) on specific scenes and events within the overall storyline (being 7 books long, he would have to). It is these scenes that King returns to his horror and suspense roots while he main story arc threads them all together. I thought it worked remarkably well, as did the personal journey’s each of his characters takes over the course of the books.

It’s been a few years since I have read the entire thing, but I enjoyed it immensely when I did. I guess I was able to get sucked into the primary storyline from the very first sentence:

“The man in black fled across the desert, and the Gunslinger followed.”

So many questions I wanted answered just from that one sentence!

]]> By: Sangi http://www.robbflynn.com/2007/08/26/childe-roland-to-the-dark-tower-came/comment-page-1/#comment-16 Sangi Mon, 27 Aug 2007 16:21:57 +0000 http://www.robbflynn.com/2007/08/26/childe-roland-to-the-dark-tower-came/#comment-16 I have been struggling through the Dark Tower series for over a year now. I am intrigued by the story, but not thrilled by King's maturing writing style. The books don't really draw me, just the need for a conclusion. They are not fearful, nor even suspenseful. I think I just like a couple of the characters and I am curious to their experiences. King does wonderful characters, and I so agree with your observation about Nicholson. (Let's not even go into Olive Oil as the wife. Instantly pathetic.) I no longer get thrilled to see a book I've read go to screen in any form; so often does the visual media destroy my mental image. Tim Burton is the only choice and beatings to all others. I have been struggling through the Dark Tower series for over a year now. I am intrigued by the story, but not thrilled by King’s maturing writing style. The books don’t really draw me, just the need for a conclusion. They are not fearful, nor even suspenseful. I think I just like a couple of the characters and I am curious to their experiences. King does wonderful characters, and I so agree with your observation about Nicholson. (Let’s not even go into Olive Oil as the wife. Instantly pathetic.)
I no longer get thrilled to see a book I’ve read go to screen in any form; so often does the visual media destroy my mental image. Tim Burton is the only choice and beatings to all others.

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