Quote :

"In The Wind Through the Keyhole, Stephen King returns to the rich landscape of Mid-World, the spectacular territory of the Dark Tower fantasy saga that stands as his most beguiling achievement. Roland Deschain and his ka-tet—Jake, Susannah, Eddie, and Oy, the billy-bumbler—encounter a ferocious storm just after crossing the River Whye on their way to the Outer Baronies. As they shelter from the howling gale, Roland tells his friends not just one strange story but two . . . and in so doing, casts new light on his own troubled past. In his early days as a gunslinger, in the guilt-ridden year following his mother’s death, Roland is sent by his father to investigate evidence of a murderous shape-shifter, a “skin-man” preying upon the population around Debaria. Roland takes charge of Bill Streeter, the brave but terrified boy who is the sole surviving witness to the beast’s most recent slaughter. Only a teenager himself, Roland calms the boy and prepares him for the following day’s trials by reciting a story from the Magic Tales of the Eld that his mother often read to him at bedtime. “A person’s never too old for stories,” Roland says to Bill. “Man and boy, girl and woman, never too old. We live for them.” And indeed, the tale that Roland unfolds, the legend of Tim Stoutheart, is a timeless treasure for all ages, a story that lives for us."

Just released on Tuesday. It's being described as a stand-alone novel (i.e. you don't need to be familiar with the rest of the series to read it, but there's benefit to doing so). I'm planning to start it today. Cash grab or legitimate edition to the series?

4/30/2012 4:39:39 PM

When are they gonna finally come out with the movie series? Finished the books a while ago.

Can't say if its a cash grab or not, however he's making plenty of bank on 11/22/63, so he doesn't need the cash.

4/30/2012 5:32:15 PM

He certainly doesn't need the money, and The Dark Tower series was his baby. So I'm gonna give it a preemptive legit.

4/30/2012 5:51:20 PM

I figured. I'm about 40 pages in. I love the framing of the story (within a story...within a story). It's more of a novella at 228pages, which is short for King, but I'm eager to see where it goes.

4/30/2012 6:13:02 PM

He hasn't dicked around with The Dark Tower yet and it doesn't seem he is now. I like to think of King as a pretty honest dude with him and his work--he doesn't think too highly of himself, but he realizes he's not just a pop-writer.

Anyway, I didn't even realize this was out now and I'm a huge Dark Tower fan, so I'm going to run and pick it up. Been looking forward to it. Will report back in... like probably a couple days if I set into it like the others.

4/30/2012 6:27:08 PM

^ditto to the second part. Downloading on my kindle now.

5/2/2012 7:17:51 AM

I'm about half way through. Pretty cool so far.

5/2/2012 7:27:18 AM

I love how King depicts children on the cusp of adulthood, the conflicting natures and the hard truths. I'm a little over 2/3 through it, and I'm really loving it.

5/3/2012 10:27:14 AM

I don't aim to hijack this thread, but it seems you folks have some experience with "horror" novels. Are there any recommendations for good "scary" books? I know that's highly subjective, but I'm looking to see if I can read something and go "Damn, I'm not sleeping now!". Haha.

5/3/2012 4:04:27 PM

Quote :

"he doesn't think too highly of himself"

i mean.. he wrote himself into the dark tower. i know with the multiple universes and being the one who created roland it kinda makes sense, but i dunno that it was necessary.

anyways, so this would be after book 2 or 3, but after the events of book 4? if that makes sense.

5/3/2012 4:41:15 PM

the story it tells takes place before any of the dark tower events.

The book itself, I believe, takes place after Roland recounts his adventures in Maejis in Wizard and Glass (book 4). So kind of like a book 4 extension.

I mean, he wrote himself in after a near death experience. Those kind of events can have a big impact on people.

5/3/2012 5:22:46 PM

When you say "dark tower events" you mean the events at the tower or in the novels? My understanding is that it follows book four but precedes five. Never mind, you say that.

Spoilers/Question -->Eddie specifically mentions the events with Blane the Train and Roland references his time with Susan Delgado. My biggest wonder is whether the comic canon matches up. When reading the comics, I got the feeling that the return from Hambry, his mother's death, and the fall of Gilead were all rather consecutive with little time between them.

[Edited on May 3, 2012 at 5:58 PM. Reason : .]

5/3/2012 5:57:11 PM

Dark Tower events I mean everything that happens in the books that isnt a flashback to Roland's childhood.

I am unsure as to if the story Roland is telling in the book happens before or after Rolands time in Mejis as I have not started reading it yet.

5/3/2012 6:01:28 PM

Finished! It was really enjoyable. I found myself wanting to know more about the other protagonist though.

5/4/2012 9:56:48 AM

Officially checking out of this thread until I can read it

5/4/2012 10:08:49 AM

It was ok. Not nearly long enough for me. The best part of the Dark Tower series for me has always been the story from Mejis, and this was good but pales in comparison. I may re-judge when I eventually reread the series and place this book in its proper order.

6/1/2012 8:51:03 PM

I am on my second trip through this book.

I think it is good storytelling, but it just doesn't feel like Dark Tower.

Probably because the majority of it has nothing to do with Roland or his ka-tet; but I understand that that story has already been told.

I don't think it hurts the series, just adds a nice little detour for a few pages.

8/2/2012 10:29:50 AM

Starting to go through King's novels at the moment. I am on the Dark Tower now, at the Drawing of Three. Thought the first book was pretty good, and love the beginning of this one so far.

Gotta admit, I am hooked on King right now. Have plowed through a lot of his more well-known books over the last couple of months. Has anyone read Duma Key? Might be the one I was most engrossed in so far(maybe The Stand)

8/3/2012 10:00:48 PM

^ If you haven't already, read Bag of Bones

8/3/2012 10:34:57 PM

I just finished the Podcast reading of the Gunslinger.

Looking forward to next one.

8/3/2012 11:08:00 PM

^^^ Duma Key was alright. King has a way of drawing you in so well that you don't realize that 800 pages of pretty mediocre plot has just passed. Even his crap is awfully damn good.
Favorites:
Wizard and Glass
Misery
It
The Talisman

8/3/2012 11:20:42 PM

8/3/2012 11:59:40 PM

Drawing of the Three is an amazing book.

I really liked Black House and Hearts in Atlantis was interesting. Enjoyed Insomnia a lot as well.

8/4/2012 1:48:16 AM