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Summary: Finally!!
Review: We have waited six long years for this book. Was it worth six years? I don't know about that, but it certainly seemed like it when I was reading it! I was far from disappointed about the way the Blaine affair was wrapped up. I -was- a little taken aback when I realized that most of the book was concentrated on Roland's past, but soon I realized that King had actually written two novels here, one inside the other. One was the direct sequel to The Waste Lands, and the other was the story that King had taken a great effort to write and his fans have been waiting so long to read: the -real- beginning of the Dark Tower saga! I don't really understand how you people can call that "filler." When it comes to the Wizard of Oz bit, I laughed and took it in stride. You people who thought it ridiculous, you have to remember that the esteemed Mr. RF (Flagg, Randall Flagg, Marten, the Dark Wizard, whatever you want to call the dude) is a twisted, evil mind. Twisted evil minds tend to think of crazy things like that. :-) Picture this you people: what if the scenario RF had set up for them were based on a folk tale from Mid-world, and Eddie, Jake and Susannah had no idea what was going on here, just as Roland was lost in the Emerald City? Would you think it less ridiculous then?
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Summary: what's happening?
Review: The rumors say that when King first started this series he had no idea where the book was going and it seems that the more books he writes the farther Roland and company grow from the Dark Tower. The Dark Tower is made out to be this wonderful thing that holds together all worlds together but what is in the Dark Tower? What is in it that binds everything? And what is this Beast that Walter talked about? If and when they finally reach the Dark Tower what will they do after? Or will they never reach the Tower and just wonder on aimlesly through End-world in the path of the beam? These qestions have yet to be answered and to me it seems like King doesn't know where he is going. Every answer King gives brings up a new qestion for us to ponder. But maybe all these qestions may be answerd with one simple answer, that there is no end and we are continuing to listen to the tale of a man with a destiny he can not reach and group of people that will not reach it with him. The qestion I want most answered is this: Is there and end or do they all just die surching? This qestion and many other have yet to be answerd by someone who doesn't know where they are going. --Micheal Corrigan
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Summary: Only Stephen King!!!
Review: I first saw the book on display and said " Hey this looks like a pretty good book." I buy the book and then i realize that i'm going to get nowhere if i don't read the first three. So i buy the three books. I read them all in one week and i must say, i was just dying to get to part IV. Once I get to Wizards and Glass, boy i wasen't that excited anymore. it took me two weeks to finish, when i expected three or four days, but i don't regret it because everyone gets a step closer to the dark tower. i was drawn in tears when i read what happened to roland and susan. i cannot wait until part V of the dark tower, i hope it doesn't take that long. i started reading the series on september 6, and finished the forth book on the 18 of that month
Rating:
Summary: Review of Kings Dark Tower IV
Review: King returns to the romantic world of Roland, the Gunslinger. This volume consists mostly of Roland's backstory. We learn of his first adventure (and in doing so re-visit some old "friends" from earlier in the series) accompanied by his orignial ka-tet, Cuthbert and Alain. King reveals the genesis of Roland's quest for the Dark Tower as well as the tragic death of Rolands mother.
The book also tells the story of Rolands first encounter with love, in the form of Susan. Susan is a woman trapped in a desparate love triangle, and her love for Roland could bring ruin not only to herself, but to Roland and his ka-tet.
The framing story tells of the advancement of the quest for the Dark Tower by Roland, Eddie, Suzanna, Jake, and Oy. They have escaped the suicide of Blaine the mono only to find themselves in the post-apocolypse of The Stand. It seems that Randall Flagg has plans for Roland and company, and this is not to their benefit.
This is possibly King's finest work. It features some of his most richly developed characters. The backstory moves along with dream-like ease to it's final destructive showdown. Fans of Roland should enjoy the peek into his past and will, by the end of the tale, be much more informed as to his nature and his future.
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Summary: A review of Dark Tower IV: Wizard and Glass
Review: Wizard and Glass, the fourth installment of Stephen King'sopus, the Dark Tower, is primarily a campfire story delivered byRoland to the other members of his ka-tet. Roland's tale centers around the period of time shortly after his defeat of Cort, and just prior to 'when the world moved on'. Roland, and his two childhood friends, Cuthbert and Alain, are sent by Roland's father to Mejis, a town on the eastern seafront. This town was to serve as a hideout for the boys so that they wouldn't be involved in the developing war between John Farson, aka 'the good man' and the remaining gunslingers. While in Mejis, Roland, who at the time of this story is around fifteen years old, falls in love with Susan, a girl of his age sworn to bear a child for the Mayor of the town. Their blossoming romance, which has so many things stacked against it, is one of the two focal points of Roland's narrative. Those of you faithful King fans who just winced at the mention of romance fear not. This is some of King's best writing to date. This love story made me long to be a young teen again, falling in love for the first time. The level of emotion and feeling that King delivers with Roland and Susan's relationship has been glimpsed before in "It" and "The Green Mile". You want this romance to succeed. You will skim other story lines so that you can return to events between Roland and Susan. The other focal point involves the adventures of Roland, Cuthbert, and Alain. The three pretend to be in town on punishment and are required by their fathers to count horses, fishing nets, and other supplies that might come in handy in the war against the 'good man'. While on assignment the three realize that something is not quite right in Mejis. This brings them into dispute with the 'villians' of the book, the Big Coffin Hunters. These are three men who look like gunslingers but act like outlaws. They seem to have the people of Mejis under their thumb and are not pleased to be bested by the young outsiders during a confrontation early in the book. The book really takes off once both storylines become intertwined. You know what is going to happen, but what makes the book so wonderful is the way King lets everything slowly unfold. We do learn a little more about the similarities between Roland's world and ours, and there is a confrontation with the omniprescent R.F. There is plenty of action, gunfighting, interesting characters, and foreshadowing for everyone. However, I think most readers will focus on the love story between the two kids. Those that do will be rewarded with the one thing that this series was lacking in the first three books...a reason to care for Roland and his quest. END
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Summary: Dark Tower IV: Wizard and Glass
Review: Stephen King has once again mesmerized and at the same time confounded fans of the world of Roland, the last Gunslinger. In his latest effort, he manages, too quickly, to end what should have been a much longer tale, that of Blaine the Mono, and then moves into a story from Roland's past of tragedy, bravery, love lost in the form of Susan Delgado and pain barely endurable. Along the way we receive an in depth view into Roland's motivations and his all too hidden passion. Adding to the fun, King introduces, through what appears to be Roland's continuing narrative of his past life, a new villian as well as re-introduces an all-too famliar villian from his other novels to confound the future of the Gunslinger and his companions. With unexpected trips to Kansas, "Oz" and back to "the world that has moved on" you have a story that simultaneously satisfies and creates new desire in the reader. Peppered throughout the novel are clues to the nature of the Tower as well as the relationship of the many worlds created by Mr. King over the years (an exercise that will add joy to the lives of the "connectivity" theorists.) For those who hoped this book would bring Roland, Susannah, Eddie, Jake and Oy physically much closer to the Tower, this book will be a disappointment. However, One can move closer in ways other than physical. Those hoping for deeper insight, understanding, motivation and a bitersweet tale of first love will discover this latest adventure hits the spot. Since introducing the character of Roland to hard cover in 1982 in what is known as "The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger", fans have been clamoring for more. King has made us wait for each installment in this tale - first 5 years, then 4 years and now this longest wait of 7 years. Was it worth it? In a word, yes. If you missed the August 15th hardcover release I heartily recommend getting the paperback when it is finally available November 4th.
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Summary: For all the "Fans".
Review: Hello fellow Stephen King fans. I was just stumbling through the internet looking for some King material and I found this page. After reading a few reviews by a few so called fans, I must admit that I was quite put off. The true fans of this writer would not focus on the flashback into Rolands past as "filler" and he most definately didn't write this to "cash in". If you go back and read the forwords and afterwords of the previous Dark Tower books you will see that the character of Roland has "haunted" King for sometime. On many occasions in his writings of this series he says that he doesn't know the past of the gunslinger and said that it must be included to complete the story. It is as important to the story as the Tower itself. Would the series be as effective if we finally got to the end of it and had no idea why Roland searched for the Tower and what drove him on? I think not. So this new volume of The Dark Tower series is our link to Rolands past and motivations. A definate turning point in the story. As we wait for the next book (patience is a virtue) we have much to ponder about our hero Roland. The Tower is ever much nearer.
Rating:
Summary: Almost a ten but a weak ending pulled it down
Review: King did a great job in resolving the Blaine issue. " How did the baby cross the road, it was stapled to the chicken" was the great joke used to bring down Blaine. King did another great job in creating Roland's first great and tragic romance. I almost cried at the end of the romance part of the novel. The action in this part was fast and furious. The gunslinger was definitely in prime form.
The last part of this book, "All God's chillin got Shoes" was a dissappointment. I don't understand why King even brought the glass house into the story. I also don't understand why Flagg brought Tick-Tock man back to be the wizard. It was a very poor plan to stop Roland. The whole Wizard of Oz idea was nonsense and unneeded. But I did like the part that described how Roland's Mother died. I really felt for Roland.
All together I liked the book, but the ending made no sense. It was like King's imagination took a wrong turn at the end.
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Summary: Wizzard and Glass
Review: This book was well worth its weight in gold out of all I have read from King (and i have read all of it) the gunslinge series was the best and if you are a true fan you know what i say is true.
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Summary: WONDERFUL!!
Review: MR.KING, THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU! I thought I would die riding Blain the pain.This book was every thing I've been waiting(and waiting..)for. I enjoyed learning about Rolands past,and it helps to complete the entire story. However,Rolands' comment to his ka-tet in the end(you know the one) stopped my heart. WOW! Great book. Now please write the next one,I have nothing to read.
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