OK, so I finally finished the extended Dark Tower reading list. It has taken me an age (over two years
). I won't keep offering excuses for my reading speed, but I will point out that the tiredness that came with new fatherhood did force an eight-month break on my reading habit.
I'm mainly glad I have finished because I've been desperate to Google stuff about it, but have been petrified of spoilers.
There's no question in my mind that the series tails off towards the end: the
Stephen King as a character stuff is strawberry floating mental, and I found the stuff with the
book store guy/contractual negotiations over the ownership of the land with the rose on to be tedious in the extreme. I'm prepared to overlook that as, as a series, it was largely very good.
I know the internet loves an order, so I'd go (titles from memory so may be imprecise):
Wizard and Glass > Gunslinger > Breath of the Wind > Wastelands > Wolves of the Calla > Drawing of the Three > Dark Tower > Song of Susannah
Other brief questions/observations:
Do we think Roland deals with the same people/ka-tet every time he repeats his cycle, or does he draw other gunslingers on the next route through?
I can't believe the demise that was given to Walter/Flagg. After all we'd been through, I felt we were due a showdown.
I would definitely read more 'prequel' books. Roland being a kickass gunslinger is clearly where this series peaks, IMO.I have more thoughts, will try to post later.