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The Drawing of the Three (The Dark Tower, Book 2)

The Drawing of the Three (The Dark Tower, Book 2)

List Price: $7.99
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Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A masterful addition to the series
Review: This book is a fitting sequel to the first of the spell-binding series- The Gunslinger. It's a definite page-turner and in the end will leave you begging for more. Although personally I thought The Gunslinger left more to be desired, The Drawing of the Three more than makes up for its minor flaws and leads you ever closer to the climax of Roland's epic quest.

One of the Dark Tower Series' greatest strengths is Stephen King's remarkable description. It makes you not only see but feel the sorroundings. King definetely showcased this talent in this book, and put you through one heck of a ride. From the moment you begin the book you are taken to a a different world, Roland's world, a desolate beach full of terrible "lobstrosities" that King takes great pains to describe. King also describes New York City in depth through Roland's eyes, a truly monumental challenge considering Roland is oblivious to the technological marvels of our world.

But the greatest feat the book has accomplished is, without question, the whimsical ensemble of characters King creates. The cast is full of interesting stories, an odd group of crusaders bound by the same "ka". Eddie Dean is perhaps the most memorable, a heroin addict fighting his addiction and the New York Underworld, reluctantly "drawn" by Roland to quest for the great tower. But Odetta Homes can't be overshadowed- as well as her secret evil double- Detta Walker. She's a skitzophrenic, fighting her dark half which threatens to rule her, the makes of a brilliant story. The third character who is drawn also fits suprisingly into the storyline and sets the stage for a thrilling climax.

And in the middle of it all, lies Roland, the lone gunslinger. Haunted by his past and obsessively bound by his duty to search for the Dark Tower, he is the central character, the pinnacle of the books. He is perhaps King's greatest creation, his struggle is inspiring, he is the nail that holds the fantastic story together. You can't help but wait for the final climax, the next installment- it'll leave you begging for more.

King has worked wonders with this book. It was an awesome read!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Drawing the Reader into the Dark Tower
Review: The second book of the Dark Tower series, "The Drawing of the Three" begins with Roland on a beach being attacked by the lobstrocities, giant lobsters with a taste for flesh and poison in their claws. We know from "The Gunslinger" that Roland caught up with the man in black and after a very long palaver, continues his quest for the Dark Tower.

He is told by the man in black, Walter, that he will draw three into his ka-tet. The three are The Prisoner (Eddie), The Lady of Shadows (Odetta/Detta), and Death (but not for you, Gunslinger).

The rest is difficult to explain in a simple review. One must read the book for that. This second edition to King's fantasy/sci-fi series is essential for any constant reader that wants to understand the tie-ins and relations of all of Kings work.

This is the book where we get to know and understand, if not love, Roland and 2 of the other characters on the quest for the nebulous Dark Tower.

Eddie's character leaves you feeling sorry for him and angry at Roland, though we learn later more of Roland's history and why he does what he does. We also learn that Roland saves Eddie by bringing him into his world. This is a drawing that is meant to be. It is ka.

We grow to love Odetta but fear her alter-ego, Detta. When we see Odetta, we wonder if she really does belong to this world, she's so sweet and carries herself, though by wheelchair, with elegance. Detta, on the other hand, is crude and vicious. Detta has the heart of a gunslinger but lacks the conscience. It can only be through the merging of Odetta/Detta that the woman hosting both can survive, as well as Roland and Eddie, for their lives depend on her.

This book prepares us for the long arduous journey ahead, where Roland draws at least one more gunslinger and meets characters from other King works not previously related to the Dark Tower series.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Roland draws his "ka-tet"
Review: The Drawing of the Three continues the adventure of Roland's quest to reach the dark tower. At the end of the previous volume, Roland learned his future through a deck of tarot cards. Three cards, one showing a man called "The Prisoner", another a woman called "The Lady of Shadows", and one a mysterious shape simply entitled "Death" were revealed as prophecies that would enable Roland to continue his quest for the tower. In order to "draw" these three (who all reside in New York City) Roland must march further along a seemingly endless beach and find 3 separate doors that are portals out of his world and into our own.

Unlike the Gunslinger where the reader was thrust into a variety of landscapes, the entirety of this second novel of the dark tower series takes place in only two distinct settings: The beach in Roland's world and the grimy streets of New York City in our own. The Beach parts of the novel were my favourite, it is an atmospheric place where King does a masterful job of making the reader feel like we are there; he describes in fantastic detail the crashing of waves, the endless stretch of sand, the burning sun and packs his beach with villainous creatures named "lobstrosities", large lobsters that crawl out of the water and attempt to take a bite out of Roland and his fellow travellers. When the action shifts to NYC, it's quite a hoot to read about the awkwardness of Roland trying to integrate himself into the fast-paced street life of the big apple.

The Drawing of the Three succeeds as a novel based on the strength of its characters. In fact, the entire novel could be described as a character study. These characters all become very likeable and despite all of them having major fundamental flaws (one's a junkie, one's a wheelchair-bound schizophrenic, another a psychopathic murderer) they prove to be essential to Roland's never-ending quest. King really displays a sharp wit here as he packs this novel with tons of clever jokes and memorable one-liners especially through the character of "The Prisoner" a street-wise Junkie trying to kick the habit.

I have often heard many people mention The Drawing of the Three as being the weakest entry in the Dark Tower series. I have met even more who have decided to abandon the series after being disappointed with this novel. I can kind of imagine some of the reasons why that may be. The whole novel really focuses solely on the 3 characters Roland is trying to draw. At no point in the novel do we get the feeling that Roland is getting physically closer to reaching the tower. Really, this novel feels more like a footnote to the series whereas The Gunslinger was a novel that stood extremely well on its own. But this novel is a great one nonetheless and obviously King already had grandiose plans as far as the length of the series when he wrote this book. I thought this book was extremely entertaining and if The Drawing of the Three really is to be the low point of the Dark Tower series then I know I'm going to be in for quite a ride.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: An instant classic.
Review: This is simply one of the best books Ive ever read by any author.The characters are great.My favorite is definitely Eddie.He has some real attitude and gets has great lines.He practically steals the show even though Roland is the star.Its a great book.Purchase it today!

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: It sucked
Review: This is clearly the low point of the series, with an inane plot. It seems to be shoehorned in there.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Excellent Job
Review: The second book in The Dark Tower is better than the first by alittle, and accomplishes many things. If you are a fan of Sci-Fi, Fantasy, or Horror, I reccomend this series of books to you.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: An Incredible Surprise
Review: This second volume of the Dark Tower series is masterfully plotted and a real tour de force for Stephen King. I was amazed at how he deftly took so many disparate settings and characters and brought them all together. I won't comment on anything specific, because I don't want to spoil anything for the reader. It's best to come to this series with no knowledge of what is going to occur. Only one gripe: schizophrenia and multiple personality disorder are two different things. Schizophrenics do NOT have more than one personality, but rather have one that is fragmented. King deserves 50 lashes with a wet noodle for this big-time mistake. However, all is forgiven due to a tale that grabs you by the throat and never lets go.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: The One That Got Me Hooked
Review: This is the book that actually got me hooked on the Dark Tower series. Never being a great fan of the Gunslinger (although the revised edition is somewhat better), I picked up this book with some trepidation -- and I'm glad I did! King was really in top form with this book. The characters are well-developed and the story is interesting. By the time you get done, you can't wait for the next book in the series. Of all the characters, Odetta/Susannah, the Lady of Shadows, is the most interesting and the most haunting. Long after the book is finished, it's her character that remains with you. The Dark Tower is one of those series that leaves you anxiously waiting for the next one to appear, which is why it's so frustrating when King was taking his sweet time writing each book in the series. It will also be sad once it finally comes to an end, unlike Jordan's "Wheel of Time" series.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Better than "Gunslinger"
Review: I think that while the first of the Dark Tower books (Gunslinger) was a good read, The Drawing of the Three gives a much wider range of characters. We come to regard the gunslinger as "Roland" a much more intimate and revealing name than the mysterious and cold name "the Gunslinger". I think that many will agree when I say that The Drawing of the Three is an excellent read for those that have read the first of the Dark Tower books. In my experience, it is best read in quick succession of the first. I hope to all of you that do end up reading it that you get as caught up in the story and the personality of the characters as I was. Happy Reading!

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Not as good as the first
Review: The Drawing or the three is the second book in Steven King's Dark Tower series. This was a very enjoyable novel, yet I felt this book did not quite live up to the first. King seemed to take a different approach to this novel than the last. He kept the adventure, but he added much more dialogue and went deeper into the mental aspect of the characters. Having many more characters in the book also added to its excitement.
During this book Roland travels back and forth between New York and his deserted beach through doorways. From each doorway he draws a person to accompany him on his journey to the Dark Tower. Since Roland is severely injured early off in the book the doors hold the key to saving his life, but they also produce a character that has the ability to do great harm to him.
All of the characters were very interesting and well described. I liked both of the characters of Eddie Dean and Jack Mort. I didn't like the character of Odetta Holmes/Detta Walker. I know she will hold some contributing factor to the series, but just really got on my nerves. I felt that she was a really annoying character and took away from the book. It would have been as good as the first, if not better if she was different. I'm sure many people will disagree with me on this, but that is were I stand.
With the crew Roland has acquired for the journey to the tower you know the following novels will keep your interest alive. The ending sets up a following novel perfectly, but also puts a strong finish to this one. There is not a doubt in my mind that I will read the next one.


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