I have just discovered Stephen King's Dark Tower series. All 7 books, 3712 pages, give or take an introduction or two and that's why I've been missing from blogland. I made a resolution to not buy so many books this year, (ha!) so I had to be creative to get the books. I collected a box full of DVD's that we no longer watch and took them to Hasting's and traded them in for credit. I got almost exactly enough money to buy the 7 books. But hark! He has a new hardback coming out (which takes place in the middle of this series) on April 24, "The Wind Through the Keyhole" (yes, I did get into a fascinating, hour long conversation with someone at Hasting's who was a rabid Stephen King fan) and I did pre-order it. Why? Because I've spent the last three days deep in the world of Roland the Gunslinger and do not want to ever leave it and now I have something to look forward to. For what are books but our drugs, our friends, our escape from winter's dark bleakness, our lifelines, passports to imaginary worlds?
I'd never been a big Stephen King fan. My husband is, but even he had not read "The Dark Tower" series except for the graphic novels. I'd only read a few of his books. I loved "On Writing" his autobiography, which led me to his novels. I really loved the newest novel, "11/23/63". I read that one in only two days, never putting it down, even waking at 3:00 a.m to read.
But what grabbed me is that the entire dark tower series was inspired by a poem by Robert Browning, "Childe Roland to the Dark Tower Came". It's also long, but insightful if you're reading the series and you can find it all over the Internet.
So I'm itching to get right back to it. I'm on book three, "The Wastelands" and the series is picking up steam (pun intended, if you've read the books).
I'll be in and out but mostly out until I finished reading this series. Also we're picking up Mama later this week to spend a few weeks with us while her apartment is being remodeled. She's not happy about leaving her nest, but she picked us to stay with. (Tee-hee....I keep telling my sisters and brothers that I'm her favorite child and we've all known for 30 years that 'poor Ray' is her favorite son-in-law.) So she'll be cooking for Ray in spite of my protests. (When my step-father died, she bought a double headstone for the grave...his side had a deer on it because he was a hunter. Mama had them put a STOVE on her side because, and I quote: "I've spent my entire damned life behind a stove so I might as well be buried under one.") LOL! But really, she loves to cook.
So my new year has started fabulously. What bookslut would not be rolling around in pure joy at over 3,000 pages to read?
xo,
Marion
Oh, and here's a magnificent book of amazing poetry that's a must-read: "Blueshifting" by Heather Kamins. I reviewed it at Amazon. I even interruped my series to read all 16 of her luminous, amazing poems! Check her out!!
9 comments:
marion, god how i love your mother!:)
andrew listened to this series on tape (i know, i know - he should have read it) but he was absolutley enthralled with it, taken under and so while i am not a king fan either, i understand your consumption. enjoy! and we'll see you soon.
xo
erin
Marion, I envy you for having all seven Dark Tower novels in your hands at once!! I had to read them as they were published, a year apart (imagine the suspense!) -- and then had to wrestle my daughter for who would have first shot as each became available :-) And she usually won. I lived in the world of the Tower and the One Rose..... No spoilers, but when you finish the series, I'd love to know what you think of the end.
I'm still only about halfway through 11/22/63, but I'm happy with it.
King is a great writer. I understand the staying up unto the middle of the night. I think I've done that with most of his books.
I do not shoot with my hand.
He who shoots with his hand has forgotten the face of his father.
I shoot with my mind.
I do not kill with my gun.
He who kills with his gun has forgotten the face of his father.
I kill with my heart.
Erin, Mama would love you, too. After all, cajuns are descendants of Acadian exiles (French-speakers from Acadia in what are now the Canadian Maritimes). :-)Listening to books is good for kids. I read hundreds of books to my two, and it they'd had audio books back then, I'd have used those, too. xo
James, love the quote from Roland. I don't know how you did it having to wait for each book. I'm reading almost a book a day I'm so into the story...but they are getting longer and I'm trying to slow down a bit. My husband is reading behind me, so I have to stay a book ahead of him. LOL! I'll let you know what I think of the ending. Thanks for stopping by!!
Kelly, you know how it is...and we have had some awesome reading weather here...rainy, chilly and foggy. Too yucky to even go out for food. (Thank goodness for Ramen soup.) LOL! I loved "The Hunger Games" series. I read them all in like three days. I can't imagine how they're going to make those into a movie. Mama will be here by Friday. I can't wait! xo
I wondered what happened to you, too (oh, me of little faith). Love the new look, the quotes, your poems. Mr. King? Jury's still out. But when you become addicted to a book, an author, a series, there is only one thing to do. And you're doing it. Enjoy!
Your mom sounds great!
I love King...except that stupid DOME. Jeeze, was I ever bored. And you coulda killed someone with a blow to the head with that monstrous book. Haven't read the Dark Tower series...but well...now I'm interested because you like it :)
Wish I could meet Mama. Make her smoke outside Marion. I don't wan her sullying MY room! *snort*
Love you
when i read the dark tower series, i didn't want to go anywhere. i worked, and i stayed in instead of going to the bars, and when i did go out it was with a mind to read a few pages before going to bed. i have a milestone in my life while holding one of the those books in my hands. i read them all until the wolves of calla, which came out a few weeks after i caught up to that point, which was sweet. i had just quit my job and was unwinding from the daily grind, literally feeling the physical tension within me unwind. i went to a park with my dog, read in the grass with him at my side watching squirrels and occasionally chasing one. a plane flew high overhead, i put the book down on my chest and said softly, is this heaven?
(and now i'm trying to get back into the daily grind:)
i was one of those kids who read king, and if i didn't read king i wouldn't have read anything. king is a master storyteller. the stand was his leanest and meanest and best, i say. but the gunslinger series was special, too. iconic as well.
happy reading, bookslut. that's a hoot:) and have fun with mama. the stove detail is a hoot too:)
I might interrupt your series and send you my chapbook of poems ;-)
I haven't done the Dark Tower series yet but, on your recommendation, I'm going to have to! I loved 11/23/63, too, and have no doubt I'll read it again. Lord only knows what all I missed by devouring it so fast.
Have fun with your mama! She is such a doll.
xo
My ex-husband loved "The Dark Tower" series.
I haven't read any King since I loved the Green Mile. Not sure why.
I'll go to Amazon to catch "Blueshifting" and leave a comment on your review. I can't vote, natch, because I'm one of your friends there. So silly.
quid
Post a Comment