What Year Does the Jack Mort's Story Take Place?

[cujoboo11]

Hi, I'm new to this site as I've decided to finally tackle The Dark Tower series and I just finished the 2nd volume.

Reading through some of the threads, it seems there are some continuity errors that the editors didn't pick up (and I do blame the editors for those mistakes because that's their job to ferret those out). Anyway, the one thing that bugs me is the year the Jack Mort story take place. I read in the office DT website and on Wiki that it takes place in 1977. I don't think 1977 is specifically mentioned but the milieu King described is certainly more modern than the 60's. However, In The Pusher section, Chapter 4 "The Drawing" at the end of Part 9, it says, "Mort's right hand moved the lever by the wheel again and they rolled toward the Christopher Street station where that fabled A-train had cut off the legs of a woman named Odetta Holmes some three years before." Odetta's accident happened in 1959 which is clearly established in the her section in the beginning of Chapter 2, "Ringing the Changes," so wouldn't that place the Jack Mort's story in 1962? Something is amissed. Did I mixed up some dates or details?

[pathoftheturtle]

I think you're right. Jack Mort's story takes place around the same time as Jake Chambers's story. His death (/non-death) is as firmly placed as Odetta's accident is, so if the narration says "...some three years before," that is an error.

[mattgreenbean]

Then again, it may have been three years earlier for Jack Mort but several years for the real world. Some sort of time travel explanation?

[Bev Vincent]

Mort's story definitely takes place in 1977, the year that Jake dies/doesn't die. Roland sees Jake through Mort's eyes. This book wasn't copy-edited, so it is full of continuity errors. One character's name changes back and forth over the course of a few pages. Rather than invoke parallel universes or time travel, I consider this reference to "three years" an error and nothing more.

[pathoftheturtle]

Although... that would be twenty-one in "dog years." :orely: :lol:

[cujoboo11]

Thanks for all your input. Much appreciated. Deep into the 3rd volume now. So good...