Dark Tower

[magze]

It's a few years since I read The Stand,but was'nt Flagg, Walter in the Dark Tower?

 

[Shayna]

I don't believe so...maybe playing similar characters(I am meaning the bad persona in the book) but not the same!!

 

[Erfael]

I don't believe so...maybe playing similar characters(I am meaning the bad persona in the book) but not the same!!

Answer spoilerified:

Spoiler

Actually, yes, Flagg is Walter is Marten.....they're all the same fellow.

 

[saintjon]

Yeah, it just seemed like even Walter wasn't so nasty as he was in The Stand, but the King didn't seem to have too much personal power I suppose is what I'm driving at. I mean, he had a lot going on, but in and of himself, I dunno I was expecting more I guess.

 

[Quagmire]

Whew, finally finished the series last night. About the ending, man, I didn't see that one coming although it sort of makes sense. It's just I think it's so open for different interpretations and we're all going to be debating about this over the years.

So what was it really all about then?

Spoiler

Try and try until you succeed? (This is if you believe he keeps attempting to achieve the same goal over and over again.)

Your life doesn't end if you achieve your goal? You will be faced with more new quests. (This is if you believe that this incarnation represents a different goal.)

Are goals pointless then? It's the means to achieve it that really matter.

I'd like to hear what else you guys think.

And erfael, your interpretation is really depressing.

Has anyone else read The Road to the Dark Tower: Exploring Stephen King's Magnum Opus?

 

[Quagmire]

Whew, finally finished the series last night. About the ending, man, I didn't see that one coming although it sort of makes sense. It's just I think it's so open for different interpretations and we're all going to be debating about this over the years.

So what was it really all about then?

Spoiler

Try and try until you succeed? (This is if you believe he keeps attempting to achieve the same goal over and over again.)

Your life doesn't end if you achieve your goal? You will be faced with more new quests. (This is if you believe that this incarnation represents a different goal.)

Are goals pointless then? It's the means to achieve it that really matter.

I'd like to hear what else you guys think.

And erfael, your interpretation is really depressing.

Has anyone else read The Road to the Dark Tower: Exploring Stephen King's Magnum Opus?

EDIT: how do you make the spoiler tags work?!?!

 

[Erfael]

In the closing tag, you need to use a forward slash "/" instead of a back slash "\". That should do it.

Any why is my idea so depressing. That concept shows up in many world views, whether it be purgatory or reincarnation. The person continues to grow and learn things until they are mature enough to move to the next level of existance. In various comments, King seems to make clear that Roland is pretty flawed in his single-minded determination to get to the top. The top of the tower isn't what's important. Saving the world is. People are. The room at the top is nothing, especially at the cost of people.

 

[magze]

I liked Erfael's interpretation, and he did hit the nail on the head it was when you think about it the only possible outcome.

 

[Quagmire]

In the closing tag, you need to use a forward slash "/" instead of a back slash "\". That should do it.

Any why is my idea so depressing. That concept shows up in many world views, whether it be purgatory or reincarnation. The person continues to grow and learn things until they are mature enough to move to the next level of existance. In various comments, King seems to make clear that Roland is pretty flawed in his single-minded determination to get to the top. The top of the tower isn't what's important. Saving the world is. People are. The room at the top is nothing, especially at the cost of people.

Nothing wrong with your post. It's just a personal feeling.

It's like I work hard all my life to buy that 500,000 sports car, and then when I do achieve it, some schmuck steals it from me and I have no insurance. So now I gotta start saving up again.

 

[Rob B]

Nothing wrong with your post. It's just a personal feeling.

It's like I work hard all my life to buy that 500,000 sports car, and then when I do achieve it, some schmuck steals it from me and I have no insurance. So now I gotta start saving up again.

Spoiler

But after a few moments, you will forget you went through the saving up part and having the schmuck steal it.

 

[saintjon]

Why do you guys suppose the situation was different at the end? (trying to be very vague here)

 

[Erfael]

Perhaps too vague. I have no idea what you mean...

 

[Greyseagull]

I actually avoided reading newer posts as I haven't read the last book yet, just finished "Song Of Susannah", and a point was raised in a review that made me start thinking.


When King wrote "Wizard and Glass", he wrote that before his accident that he had. From then on, through "Wolves", "Susannah" and "Dark Tower"(I'm assuming)his whole writing style seemed to change completely between Glass and Wolves, and as was raised, I do wonder if the accident had anything to do with it, that if he HADNT had the accident, would the story have gone a different path to a different clearing(to use King's words). Like I said if someone responds, I HAVENT read the 7th book yet, so I don't know how the whole thing ends, but whatever the ending, I wonder if it would have been different if he hadn't had the accident.

 

[magze]

Properly keeping it vague,because like me hasnt got the hang of using the spoiler tag.

 

[Rob B]

Why do you guys suppose the situation was different at the end? (trying to be very vague here)

Spoiler

I think to give hope that maybe, just maybe Roland will really find what he is looking for and not be so single minded and allow his friends to die

 

[Quagmire]

Why do you guys suppose the situation was different at the end? (trying to be very vague here)

I guess it's my fault. I had thought this was an epic story of grand proportions so naturally, I expected a Tolkien-like feel good ending.

I shoulda read Gunslinger again before tackling Wolves. There's a lot of subtle hints there at how it was going to turn out.

Funny though, that I never really thought of Roland as ruthless and uncaring. I empathized with him throughout the whole journey.

Spoiler

Like he had no real power on his friends' outcome though, so why should he pay the penalty? He was able to free the breakers, save Stephen King, save the Rose, defeat the Crimson King. And despite all that, he still fails and has to try again? What more does he have to do?

 

[Rob B]

Spoiler

A couple of things. One of Roland's diatribes was that all things serve the beam. Maybe all things DON'T serve the beam. Yes, Roland and the ka-tet accomplished many good things along the way, but to Roland, the way I read it, those things were secondary to his ultimate goal of getting to the Tower.

Another thing King has always said, is the journey is more important than the destination. Perhaps a bit of a cop-out, but there it is.

 

[Erfael]

Quag,

Spoiler

I get the impression that all he really has to do to not repeat it would be to not climb the tower. Of course if he is able to set aside that desire at the actual tower, he could set it aside earlier than that to find other ways through his obstacles other than the ones that will get him to the top.

 

[saintjon]

Greyseagull, absolutely it would've been a much different story because the accident figures so prominently, hell if he hadn't had the accident he may never have gotten up the motivation to finish the story at all!




***********KICKIN IT WITH THE OLD SCHOOL SPOILER WARNING!******


I meant why do you guys think that on the particular do-over we read about he actually gets the horn, which indicates that when he reaches the tower the next time he'll finally be able to rest. My best guess would be that he let susannah go.

Also, Roland is clearly tied to the Tower in some fundamental way, since ultimately he can enter it and the King can't. Do you think that the central fact of Roland's endless struggle and unflagging determination sustains the Tower in some way? Like the time-frame doesn't matter since the Tower exists at a junction of everything anyways, so maybe in a similar way to how King is a sort of beam, maybe Roland's endeavours provide a whole other kind of support. Just a thought.

In that light, I don't think Roland ever would "learn his lesson", I think if anything Gan would take pity on him for his contribution and choice to be an instrument and finally give him reprieve.

 

[magze]

Spoiler

I think it's more to do with the fact that Roland put his quest for the Tower above all else there were other ways for his quest to be completed,he allowed his obession to come before the safety of his Ka-tet and anyone else who they came across.Roland's one goal is to reach the Tower nothing ele matters.I think it was because he let Susannah go that he was giving the horn this time round.

Finally got spoiler to work.