What to read after Wolves of the Call if haven't read other supporting books yet?

[relativistic]

Hi,

I'm new to Stephen King, DT being the first books of his I read. I didn't realize just how related everything is!

Anyways, I'm about halfway through Wlves of the Calla. Clearly I should have read Salem's lot first. Too late. Looking on the net, it seems I should have also read IT, The Stand, and a few others...

I would like to avoid missing out on other (major) connections, or having any other good books spoiled, like I feel Salem's Lot slightly was. However, I also don't want to loose more momentum than I need to at this point. With those (admittedly vague) goals, does anyone have any recommendations on what I really should read before continuing the series.

I guess I'm most interested in story threads that are introduced outside DT but are resolved inside it. Callahan is the obvious example to this. I feel like with him I'm reading the end of a story before reading the begining.

Thankya very much!

[John_and_Yoko]

Hi,

I'm new to Stephen King, DT being the first books of his I read. I didn't realize just how related everything is!

Anyways, I'm about halfway through Wlves of the Calla. Clearly I should have read Salem's lot first. Too late. Looking on the net, it seems I should have also read IT, The Stand, and a few others...

I would like to avoid missing out on other (major) connections, or having any other good books spoiled, like I feel Salem's Lot slightly was. However, I also don't want to loose more momentum than I need to at this point. With those (admittedly vague) goals, does anyone have any recommendations on what I really should read before continuing the series.

I guess I'm most interested in story threads that are introduced outside DT but are resolved inside it. Callahan is the obvious example to this. I feel like with him I'm reading the end of a story before reading the begining.

Thankya very much!

Insomnia definitely, before the last Dark Tower volume. Probably you should have read Hearts in Atlantis before you started Wolves of the Calla--at least "Low Men In Yellow Coats," which is the first story in Hearts in Atlantis. You should also probably read Black House before the next volume, Song of Susannah (and maybe The Talisman before that, since Black House is a sequel to The Talisman, although I don't THINK The Talisman is necessary, plus Jack Sawyer's story is NOT resolved in The Dark Tower series). Of the three major stories I mentioned, they should really be read in chronological order--at the very least, read "Low Men In Yellow Coats" BEFORE Black House. But those two and Insomnia definitely.

Maybe also "Everything's Eventual" from the collection of the same name, before the last volume of the series, but that again is less important than Insomnia, "Low Men In Yellow Coats," and Black House, in that order, and before Song of Susannah.

Other than that, I think that's more or less the minimum (that and what you've already mentioned).



(By the way, if you had to look online for the other connections, they're not AS crucial as those you know from the series itself, right?)

[relativistic]

Thanks for the info! I know these posts aren't the most interesting for those of you who've already read it all, but I do appreciate the advice.

Okay... I think I'll give up on "keeping up the momentum". People had to wait years between these originally, right? Okay, so maybe for the next half year or year I should take a break from Dark Tower, and read some other books, not rush, and enjoy it. I of course don't want to just read SK, so this might take awhile...

I'm currently leaning on doing this order.


Finishing Wolves
Insomnia
Hearts in Atlantis (Low Men included...)
The Talisman
Black House
Song of Sussanna
The Stand
Everything's Eventual
The Dark Tower


From what I hear IT isn't that important. I'm not clear on how important The Stand is, but its supposed to be really good, so what the heck. Since Salem's lot is probably already spoiled, I doubt it helps to read it now, and I'll just get to it later... hopefully after I forget Callahan's story a bit.

[John_and_Yoko]

Thanks for the info! I know these posts aren't the most interesting for those of you who've already read it all, but I do appreciate the advice.

Okay... I think I'll give up on "keeping up the momentum". People had to wait years between these originally, right? Okay, so maybe for the next half year or year I should take a break from Dark Tower, and read some other books, not rush, and enjoy it. I of course don't want to just read SK, so this might take awhile...

I'm currently leaning on doing this order.


Finishing Wolves
Insomnia
Hearts in Atlantis (Low Men included...)
The Talisman
Black House
Song of Sussanna
The Stand
Everything's Eventual
The Dark Tower


From what I hear IT isn't that important. I'm not clear on how important The Stand is, but its supposed to be really good, so what the heck. Since Salem's lot is probably already spoiled, I doubt it helps to read it now, and I'll just get to it later... hopefully after I forget Callahan's story a bit.

IT really only relates to one narrative sentence in the last DT volume--otherwise you probably won't know you're missing anything.

The Stand has related to The Waste Lands and especially Wizard and Glass, so you don't really need to read it where you've chosen to (it's LONG anyway).

Otherwise, the order you've got is fine--as I said, The Talisman and even "Everything's Eventual" aren't as important, but you read what you want. :)

[Sam]

Thanks for the info! I know these posts aren't the most interesting for those of you who've already read it all, but I do appreciate the advice.

Okay... I think I'll give up on "keeping up the momentum". People had to wait years between these originally, right? Okay, so maybe for the next half year or year I should take a break from Dark Tower, and read some other books, not rush, and enjoy it. I of course don't want to just read SK, so this might take awhile...

I'm currently leaning on doing this order.


Finishing Wolves
Insomnia
Hearts in Atlantis (Low Men included...)
The Talisman
Black House
Song of Sussanna
The Stand
Everything's Eventual
The Dark Tower


From what I hear IT isn't that important. I'm not clear on how important The Stand is, but its supposed to be really good, so what the heck. Since Salem's lot is probably already spoiled, I doubt it helps to read it now, and I'll just get to it later... hopefully after I forget Callahan's story a bit.

I am going to add to your list just a bit relativistic.


Finishing Wolves
Salem's Lot ****
Insomnia
Hearts in Atlantis (Low Men included...)
The Talisman
Black House
Song of Sussanna
The Stand
Everything's Eventual
The Dark Tower


As you can see, I have added Salem's Lot to your list. There is little new information that you will learn that will be of direct use to you, BUT you will learn more about the character of Father Callahan and get to read a very good story. In fact, Salem's Lot is the story that "made" King a horror writer, and it's a damn fine tale.

I also recommend reading Eyes of the Dragon, but you could read it after The Dark Tower and not miss anything.

[arrawyn]

IT really only relates to one narrative sentence in the last DT volume--otherwise you probably won't know you're missing anything.


i'm just curious - i've never read IT (though it is one of the only 2 SK books my husband actually has and has read, so i can read it) but what is the one narrative sentence you refer to? (you can spoiler it, or PM me). it's obviously something that really stands out if you've read TDT.

[John_and_Yoko]

IT really only relates to one narrative sentence in the last DT volume--otherwise you probably won't know you're missing anything.


i'm just curious - i've never read IT (though it is one of the only 2 SK books my husband actually has and has read, so i can read it) but what is the one narrative sentence you refer to? (you can spoiler it, or PM me). it's obviously something that really stands out if you've read TDT.

I don't think it's exactly spoileriffic, but anyway, here it is:

Early on in The Dark Tower VII: The Dark Tower, Jake, Oy, and Father Callahan lose the skjolpadda, the scrimshaw Turtle. At that point the narrator says that, like a certain paper boat some of the readers may remember, that Turtle is now going out of the story forever.

That paper boat being referred to is at the beginning of IT, the one that Georgie Denbrough follows into the sewer when he encounters Pennywise for the first time, and early in IT, the narration says that the paper boat is going out of the story forever.

[arrawyn]

oh okay. i've seen IT the movie, so i remember the boat in the sewer scene at the beginning...

i'll have to read IT the book now and then read the part in DT VII again when they lose the skjolpadda.