Was this book too long or too short for you?

[Letti]

It's my favourite book so far (you know I haven't finished the last book yet :p ) but somehow I feel it will be my favourite ever because of plenty of reasons.
I wouldn't mind at all if Kind had written this story in 2200 pages.
It would be great amazing if it was even longer.

But I know there are others who think it was too long. (For me it sounds impossible.)

Was it too short or too long for you?
Or was it good as it was?

[MonteGss]

It was a good length I thought. I liked the book a lot, I'm currently listening to that one on audiobook. Perhaps the non-flashback scenes could have been longer though.

[fernandito]

I really think you should edit the title, just a little :lol:

[Letti]

I really think you should edit the title, just a little :lol:

Why? Give me a good reason.

[MonteGss]

He was being funny Letti, that's all.
If you just read the top of your browser (at least on mine), it just says:
Was it too long or too short for you?

:)

[fernandito]

Yeah, since most users use the New Posts button as opposed to searching by sub-forums, when they read that they'll probably react like I did. It just cuts down on the innuendo factor.

[Letti]

Done. :D

[Jean]

way too long

[Matt]

I thought it was perfect. Its also my favorite and I really believe that the length was necessary to give us the insight into Rolands quest that we needed

[Letti]

way too long

Are you serious Jean?
You wouldn't mind if it was shorter? Uhh, it's new to me.

[Jean]

way too long

Are you serious Jean?
You wouldn't mind if it was shorter? Uhh, it's new to me.
I think I could actually love it if it was shorter, or differently focused.

[Letti]

way too long

Are you serious Jean?
You wouldn't mind if it was shorter? Uhh, it's new to me.
I think I could actually love it if it was shorter, or differently focused.

I am absolutely shocked.
But okay I can understand it. You can still amaze me, Jean.

[Jean]

Nikolett, darling, I am sorry I shocked you - I am a little surprized I did, because I expressed this opinion countless times at TDT.net. The Mejis part (I am not talking about the very beginning and the very end of the volume) is like one big wasteland, where only two events stand out: the scene at the Romp and the final battle. The rest is banal, commonplace, and that is what King usually is not. By the rest I mean the whole love story, the entourage, the main characters (with the only possible exception of Jonas) and, most of all, everything connected with both Susan and Rhea, the most cliched of all character King ever created.

[Letti]

Nikolett, darling, I am sorry I shocked you - I am a little surprized I did, because I expressed this opinion countless times at TDT.net.

Nevernever mind, dear. I love to be shocked by great men. ;)
Anyway it's understandable. And I should have knows.

[pol]

I'll admit it was long, but like Matt said it was necessary and key....the long story telling and palaver over that single night was the one event that for me drew the ka-tet very closely together, particularly when you look at the events near the very end of the story. Overall a long, but excellent read.

[Aaron]

I like it at the length that it was. I'm still deciding if I think this or The Waste Lands is my favorite. I'll have to read both of them again before I decide, if even then.

[OchrisO]

I could have done with it being a little longer actually. The comics should get to some of the stuff that I wish had been addressed, though.

[ManOfWesternesse]

None of these books were long enough for me, including this one. I could read any amount of detail that Sai King could write on this tale.

[Brice]

It could have never ended and I'd have been thrilled.

[Wuducynn]

Good as it was. Same as the others for me.

[Letti]

It could have never ended and I'd have been thrilled.

You are my man! :D

[sarajean]

i declined to vote. it's my least favourite of all the dark tower stories.

[VolsToTheWall]

I think the book is fine just as it is.

[Jean]

it's my least favourite of all the dark tower stories.

::sigh of relief::
I was beginning to think something was deeply wrong with me...

[Letti]

it's my least favourite of all the dark tower stories.

::sigh of relief::
I was beginning to think something was deeply wrong with me...

Why didn't you ask me dear Jean?
I would tell you there was nothing wrong with you. :rose:

[Rjeso]

I like it as-is. I enjoy character backstory a lot, so there's no way it was too long for me. Had King gone much farther than he did, it would have seemed forced, though.

[funky dredd]

I liked it the way it was.

[BlakeMP]

I'm always reluctant to second-guess the length of a book.

The perfect length for any book is exactly as long as it takes to tell the story, no more, no less. I trust King's judgment on that point.

[Baradin]

I thought it actually was of a perfect length for the story it had to tell. Not too much detail, yet more than enough to fully allow the mind's eye to picture and encompass the scene that King was trying to portray.

Not my favorite of the books, but pretty damned close.

[MaraJShakespeare]

I would've been happier with an even longer book, but I wanted all of them to be longer.

[B Rag]

I voted "too long". I found it boring, but then again, I was in a hurry to get to the part where Tick Tock Man returned (Which proved to be disappointing as well).

Then again, it obviously wasn't too long, or else I just wouldn't have read it. But it was much longer than I would have prefered.

[ZoNeSeeK]

Book 4 wasn't one of my favourites either, but then I didn't dislike it.

Obviously, by the polarised reactions of fans to the 4th book, its probably a matter of what specific readers tend to get out of epic stories, and although the backstory was a wonderful tale and completely essential for the entire series to work, it broke the forward momentum that was built up during DT2 & DT3, and this annoyed me a little but I'm probably just impatient :)

[Bethany]

For me, WaG was "meh". I just don't see the whole, undying, faithful love to shake the foundations of the world out of a few weeks of hot groping between two teens.

[Letti]

For me, WaG was "meh".

Meh??? :blink:



:D

[Bethany]

Don't get me wrong, as a whole I enjoyed the book. However, I am mystified about the hoopla surrounding Roland and Susan's relationship.

[Glam Princess]

This book could NEVER be too long!!
It could have gone on forever and I would have been happy!!
(I love Sheemie!!)

[Ruki]

For me, WaG was "meh". I just don't see the whole, undying, faithful love to shake the foundations of the world out of a few weeks of hot groping between two teens.

this is why i say it's too short (that and because i don't ever want any of sk's books to end). i feel like roland and susan needed more interaction, they barely got to know each other.

[Frunobulax]

I think that WaG was the perfect length. It got everything it needed to in a book that was neither too short nor too long.

[maerlyns_rainbow]

This is also my least favorite. It's not because of the writing or anything like that, because I think it is excellent in that regard. I just get very emotionally attached to all the characters in SK's books, but most especially TDT. I hate how King took all this time to show you these kids in love that ultimately lose each other. Young love wasn't so long ago for me and I can remember all those extreme emotions. I get very attached to the story and I just have to put it down because I know what's going to happen and I hate it. Waaay too sad for me :lol: I'm a sissy.

I also disliked how Roland, supposedly the only gunslinger of their trio (in experience), was the one who broke their ka-tet or at least damaged it. While it showed him as a totally different person than the Roland we have come to know at this point, I didn't like how it detracted from his character.

[OchrisO]

I think the idea there was that he was indeed a lot different that the "modern" roland because his journey has changed him so much.

[alinda]

:cowboy: I loved every page dear. I voted it was just right.
of course if it had been shorter or longer I'd still
be saying the same dont ya know...

[MonteGss]

I'm currently listening to this one again in my re-read. I am bored already with the Susan-Roland crap...those parts are too long.

[Storyslinger]

I can never get enough Roland back story, to short

[Jean]

I'm currently listening to this one again in my re-read. I am bored already with the Susan-Roland crap...those parts are too long.
I hardly understand how you can stand it at all. I could barely make it through when reading, and I read real fast; if I had to listen, I would be bored to death.

[MonteGss]

Well Jean, Frank Muller does make it entertaining with his different voices. :)

[Letti]

*shrug* And I did enjoy those parts.
We are different.

[MonteGss]

I miss my ka-tet. I really, really wish there was more storyline about them instead of the flashbacks. On audio format, this book is really long.

[Daghain]

Don't tell me that, Monte. I haven't listened to it yet. :D

[Matt]

I personally loved it because it was outside the loop, that is the same reason I feel that the first katet was noteworthy.

What we get in Wizard and Glass is a true story of Roland before the damnation. Which I really like

[Wuducynn]

I personally loved it because it was outside the loop, that is the same reason I feel that the first katet was noteworthy.

What we get in Wizard and Glass is a true story of Roland before the damnation. Which I really like

I never thought of it that way before. Interesting.

[Matt]

It does make it special for me.

I realized what I said was an end of book spoiler so I put on tags and edited your quote for same Matthew.

[Storyslinger]

I like that thinking Matt, and I agree with you

[_Sphynx_]

it's my least favourite of all the dark tower stories.

::sigh of relief::
I was beginning to think something was deeply wrong with me...Nah, I'm with you two. I adore the series, but whenever I re-read it, I always hate reading WaG.

[Matt]

I used to feel that way about it, until the series was over. Now it has a very special place in my heart and I can't wait to read the new comic series. :excited:

[Spencer]

I thought it was too short. Thankfully, the parts I thought should have been covered more are now being filled in by the comics.

[Steve]

Too short. Each book should have been at least 2,000 pages. This coming from the guy who thinks The Stand was about 10,000 pages too short.

[Frunobulax]

Lest we forget the discussion of Steve's version of The Stand in 29 volumes. :P

[TerribleT]

I think this is my favorite book, because it tells the story of Roland, Alain, Cuthbert and Jamie. It tells about Roland's boyhood, and alot about where he came from. I love the Story of Roland and Susan. I'm interested in Roland's world before it moved on, and I really enjoy all of the stories of Roland's youth.

[Matt]

I agree 100%--that is why W&G is now my favorite.

[Spencer]

I would have liked to have seen MUCH more of how Roland and Susan's relationship evolved.

[Dud-a-chum?]

By far the best of all the series, and absolutely not long enough!

[blackrose22]

I was disappointed at first with it when I realized it was going to nearly all about their time in Mejis but once I got into it I loved it. Without it we wouldn't know so much about Farson and never heard of the Big Coffin Hunters. The length of the book should be in-material any way as the story it contains is good and with W&G I thought it was brilliant.

Not sure if spoilers were needed but included them any way.

I'm amazed by some comments saying they didn't like W&G as the amount of people on the site who say its their fave of the series is pretty high.

[MonteGss]

The flashback scenes needed to be shorter and the tet, present-tense scenes needed to be longer. Overall the length of the book was good though. :)

[Jean]

The flashback scenes needed to be shorter and the tet, present-tense scenes needed to be longer.
Much shorter and much longer, respectively.

[Woofer]

Jean has summed up my feelings here very well. I could restate everything he has, but it's like he has taken the words from my head and posted them.

Why mess with perfection?

[Ka-tet]

WAG is my favorite book in the serise. I enjoyed it all the way through, i think it would have been annoyed me if it was any longer than it was(it was a long book, no?).

[jayson]

The flashback scenes needed to be shorter and the tet, present-tense scenes needed to be longer. Overall the length of the book was good though. :)

i try not to think of it as a flashback per se, but that the vast majority of the story is simply in Roland's past. i have no issue with the length of it as i think of Hambry/Mejis as the main story and the rest with the new Tet as the continuity blocks which bring it together. i could do with more about the "present" events in the story, sure, but not at the expense of any story about Roland's world as it was. I don't mind that it's a "love" story. It's a gripping story with great characters. There are three other books of "present" after it, so I don't care that it's "too much past"

[Dud-a-chum?]

I don't really get it: I knew the whole book was gonna be in flashback before I even picked it up, and I was looking forward to the backstory of the main character. I'm very shocked to see so,e people who think it was all a waste of time.

[sarah]

I just don't think any Dark Tower book or related book can be too long. I was upset when I picked up Song of Susannah because I thought it was too short. It all worked out in the end for me because the story got told and Stephen King finally finished it.

[Woofer]

I don't really get it: I knew the whole book was gonna be in flashback before I even picked it up, and I was looking forward to the backstory of the main character. I'm very shocked to see so,e people who think it was all a waste of time.

I don't think anyone has said it was a waste of time, but we have said that we didn't like the way it was executed. Most of the flashback sections were a whole lot of nothing: boy meets girl, boy wants girl, girl wants boy, they do it everywhere and every way. There was way too much of that and too little real character development.

On the other hand, the parts with Cuthbert and Alain, Sheemie parts, Eldred Jonas and Big Coffin Hunters, and the present tense sections, all rocked.

Susan is microscopically less annoying each read, but I have yet to move from dislike to like of her.

[Samanthita]

it's my least favourite of all the dark tower stories.

::sigh of relief::
I was beginning to think something was deeply wrong with me...Nah, I'm with you two. I adore the series, but whenever I re-read it, I always hate reading WaG.

I'm the same. I enjoyed the story, I guess. The history lesson was nice. But I really didn't like the artwork, so that just kind of ruined it for me. I know it seems weird to not like the book because of a few images, that's just how I am.

[Jean]

Woofer: now it's my turn to second every word you said in your latest post... withouth trying to amend a perfection. http://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k291/mishemplushem/Facilitation/0134-bear.gif

[Letti]

I don't really get it: I knew the whole book was gonna be in flashback before I even picked it up, and I was looking forward to the backstory of the main character. I'm very shocked to see so,e people who think it was all a waste of time.

I don't think anyone has said it was a waste of time, but we have said that we didn't like the way it was executed. Most of the flashback sections were a whole lot of nothing: boy meets girl, boy wants girl, girl wants boy, they do it everywhere and every way. There was way too much of that and too little real character development.

We read different books.
Okay I know we didn't but the way you talk about it gives me this feeling.
There is no problem with it. We are different.

(Real character development? The characters did change so much. Some of them went to hell - for example Cordelia - others found the way to their souls - for example Susan -. That's how I saw it. The character developement amazed me.)

[MonteGss]

I also agree with Woofer. She said what I feel about the book. I might add that Susan was a terribly annoying character, imo. I really love all the "flashback" scenes involving the first ka-tet and the Big Coffin Hunters but whenever Susan came into the picture, I lost interest.

[Letti]

It means you lost the interest quite often, Monte.
Didn't she do or say anything that was okay to you?

[MonteGss]

It was cool when she died. :D

Seriously though, I did like that she stood up for herself (eventually) to Aunt Cord. Cordelia was a despicable character that I enjoyed and loved to hate and it was good when Little Miss finally stood up to her. I can also appreciate her saving Roland and his tet...busting them out of jail. Other than that....she was just plain annoying.

I really try to like her, I do. I like the idea of a "Roland's past" story, I do, but making that story a high school love story is not what I had in mind. *shrugs*

[Letti]

Maybe you will never be able to love her. It's possible my opinion would be very different as well if I hadn't met her at such a young age. You know I was about 13 or less when I read this book.
But it's good to love and respect her. And the more I read this story the more I like it, thank God.

[MonteGss]

That may be the reason I like this book the least. It was (finally!) released after I finished high school and the idea of a younger love story was not the type of reading I was looking forward to at that age. I grew up quite a bit in the wait between The Waste Lands and Wizard and Glass...and I admit, I probably grew more cynical.

[obscurejude]

I found Susan a lot more annoying when I read it recently (age 25) then the first time (13).

[Woofer]

It was cool when she died. :D

Seriously though, I did like that she stood up for herself (eventually) to Aunt Cord. Cordelia was a despicable character that I enjoyed and loved to hate and it was good when Little Miss finally stood up to her. I can also appreciate her saving Roland and his tet...busting them out of jail. Other than that....she was just plain annoying.

I really try to like her, I do. I like the idea of a "Roland's past" story, I do, but making that story a high school love story is not what I had in mind. *shrugs*

Now Monte is saying what I'm thinking! :panic:

[Storyslinger]

I still wish that the book would have spent just a little more time in Roland's past so we could have touched on the Battle of Jericho. But, seeing as that didn't happen, I'm still hoping that somewhere down the line, A story will be written on the battle and the fall of Gilead

[MonteGss]

Yes, thank goodness we have the comics to cover that story for us. :cool:

[Storyslinger]

Yes, thank goodness we have the comics to cover that story for us. :cool:

Yep, thank goodness

[Woofer]

Perhaps I should clarify: The book wasn't too long, but it spent too much time on the parts that were emphasized. As I've said before, I wanted to like Susan and that part of Roland's story, much as you might wish to like your best friend's new significant other. I, too, want to know more about Roland and his past. I, too, crave the stories of the Battle of Jericho, the fall of Gilead, the moments of Cuthbert's and Alain's death. But I didn't want a couple of horny teens playing hide the salami.

*sigh* I need to buy the comics - both the ones already out and the ones coming out. I read them, but I only have the first issue. Since W&G is my least favorite, I was a bit miffed about that being the story told.

[MonteGss]

But I didn't want a couple of horny teens playing hide the salami.
:rofl:


*sigh* I need to buy the comics - both the ones already out and the ones coming out. I read them, but I only have the first issue. Since W&G is my least favorite, I was a bit miffed about that being the story told.

W&G is my least favorite too but the comics really are fantastic Woofer. Obviously a lot of the story told in the book was not realized in The Gunslinger Born but the artwork and side stories alone are enough to purchase them. I can't wait to see The Long Road Home!

[Woofer]

I have dropped a hint to Mr. Woofer re: the comics.

[zemegauser]

Man, if I had a choice in how long all his Dark Tower books should have been; I would have definitely chose over 5k pages...

It just gets so sad when you near the end, and you know that you are that much closer to completing the stories...

:angry:

[Doc_Gamecock]

I think King could make an entire series chronicling the life and adventures of Roland prior to his beginning in the desert. I really liked the ka-tet with Alains Johns and Cuthbert Allgood.
Cuthbert is my boy and I'm really interested in finding out more about their youth and the travels that end at Jericho Hill.
I don't think the book needs to be longer but an off-shoot story about the above mentioned would be great.
I think it would also be interesting to hear about how the Big Coffin Hunters got kicked out from gunslinging.

[Wuducynn]

I think King could make an entire series chronicling the life and adventures of Roland prior to his beginning in the desert. I really liked the ka-tet with Alains Johns and Cuthbert Allgood.
Cuthbert is my boy and I'm really interested in finding out more about their youth and the travels that end at Jericho Hill.
I don't think the book needs to be longer but an off-shoot story about the above mentioned would be great.
I think it would also be interesting to hear about how the Big Coffin Hunters got kicked out from gunslinging.

The graphic novel series details what happens between when they leave Hambry up to (WOTC spoiler) the events of Jericho Hill, you should check them out, they're (for the most part) very well done and more than worth it.

[Sam]

It was too short. There are things that I wanted to know that I never got to learn. Things like what happened to the belt Roland's mother gave him (you know the belt I mean). There was a story there, but it was never told. I would have loved to have learned that. I would have liked to know more about the Battle of Jericho Hill and Roland's first ka-tet. Stuff like that is the sort of thing that actually keeps me awake some nights.

[Savoury]

I thought Wizard and Glass was the best book in the series. The characters and the interaction, the setting, the detail. The fact that the Roland we know was actually once a boy, with friends whom he loved and a lover. I thought it was really great character insight (and all this only fueled by the detail of everything that happens). The impending climax gave me a feeling of some inevitable doom and in the back of my mind I kind of knew what was going to happen but refused to believe it, because I was enthralled.

I voted it was just the right size, but I certainly wouldn't have minded if it was longer and even more detailed. I would even love it for the happenings in Mejis to be chronicled separately.

[Ste Letto]

For me W+G was predominantly boring and irrelevant.

I had no desire to read about his lost love and callow youthfulness.

I disliked young Roland.

I liked Alain and Cuthbert, they made reading the back story tolerable.

Mostly I found it trite and cliched.

The book was wayyyyyyyyyyyyyyy to long.

Cut out the mushy stuff and it is a much better length, and far more vibrant and readable.

[EdwardDean1999]

Not that I hated WaG, but it is my least favorite of the series. Upon my first read-through of the series I found this one sort of jarring. I wanted it to end sooner so I could get on with the quest for the tower. It's still my least favorite, but I can certainly appreciate it now.

What I did like about it was that it explained a lot about Roland's humanity. I think about how I saw Roalnd in the first three books versus Roland in the last three and I see him as much more human suddenly when I get to WotC. I have WaG for turning him from killing machine(:shoot:), to killing machine with feelings (:fairy:).

[BROWNINGS CHILDE]

This was my favorite of the series, I felt it was an optimum length. And, I enjoyed the commonplace, slow feel of the book. I felt that slow pace of the book was meant to reflect that stage in Rolands life, the only time that he EVER stops to smell the roses....instead of just blindly pursuing the rose.

[BROWNINGS CHILDE]

Roland is a completely different character if the W and G story is removed from the series.
Without this story, Roland is simply a callous, anhedonic, emotionless man in blind pursuit of his goal, while foresaking all that loved him.

[MonteGss]

For me W+G was predominantly boring and irrelevant.

I had no desire to read about his lost love and callow youthfulness.

I disliked young Roland.

I liked Alain and Cuthbert, they made reading the back story tolerable.

Mostly I found it trite and cliched.

The book was wayyyyyyyyyyyyyyy to long.

Cut out the mushy stuff and it is a much better length, and far more vibrant and readable.

YES! :thumbsup:

[Jean]

Roland is a completely different character if the W and G story is removed from the series.
Without this story, Roland is simply a callous, anhedonic, emotionless man in blind pursuit of his goal, while foresaking all that loved him.
Look, do you really think so? He strikes me as someone absolutely opposite to your description throughout the series (except the Gunslinger), and I don't even take W&G into consideration (as pointless and irrelevant).

[BROWNINGS CHILDE]

Yes, I do.

[BROWNINGS CHILDE]

Though, I dont find Roland to fit my description, and I think that the reason he doesnt fit my description is because he shows a little emotion in W and G.

[Brice]

No SK book can ever be too long. :D

[BROWNINGS CHILDE]

Forced to choose between his precious tower, or ANYTHING else, I think its quite obvious what his choice would be. This is callous. He would not find happiness in ANYTHING but acheiving his goal. This is anhedonic. And he would do it without grimace or tears. This is emotionless. I dont hate the guy. He is what he is. I just enjoyed the glimpse of Roland's vulnerable side that we get to see in W and G.

[Brice]

I think we see it a bit more than just there.

[Jean]

I think we see it a bit more than just there.
a bit, yes... understatement intended, as far as bears can see...

[BROWNINGS CHILDE]

*sigh*

[EdwardDean1999]

I agree that Roland was completely different after the W + G read. The largest bulk of his character development occurs in that book. I think without the book, I would think Roland was "Callous" like Browning's said.

[EdwardDean1999]

Like I said before, WaG adds emotion to the emotionless. Before SK just told the audience that Roland possessed human emotions like sorrow over dropping Jake. I didn't necessarily buy into any of these statements until I kinew about what happened at Mejis and then later at Gilead.

[Anastasia]

That's my favorite book so far. It was perfectly fine, not short not long. However, I really wanted it to be longer and tell us more about Roland's past. Before WaG I wasn't quite sure who Roland was, his intentions, true thoughts and feelings. And after that book we got so much background that Roland's character became at least less dim and more understandable.
Yes, he was different then but he was young and it was many many years ago. However, sometimes while reading the latter books you can get a glimpse of that Roland from WaG.

[Letti]

It's strange because he is different and so similar at the same time.. I mean you notice the seeds in his heart his later personality and his destiny grew out from.

[Delacroix]

It was long, yes but the ending of the falshback is so stunning that even if you're prepared...you get shocked the way I was. :scared:

[stone, rose, unfound door]

The book was good as it was, although I would have liked to know more about his former ka-tet.
I have to admit I did like the emotionless gunslinger better than the teenage one we see in W&G.

[Letti]

The book was good as it was, although I would have liked to know more about his former ka-tet.
I have to admit I did like the emotionless gunslinger better than the teenage one we see in W&G.

And which one do you like more if we add the Roland who was strong but definitely not emotionless at the end of the series?

[Jean]

::a little off topic -::
I wonder where everyone has seen that emotionless gunslinger... In TDotT he is bursting with emotions, and then it's only escalating.

[Sickrose]

I would have to liked to read more about his old Ka-tet but I lhave enjoyed W&G more second time round. I think the book is the right length and his story needed telling.

I dont' think he is emotionless he was just used to being alone when he first meets his Ka-tet in Drawing.

[LadyHitchhiker]

What I disliked most about W&G was timing for if I had known about young Roland at the beginning and read in a continuation it would be a completely different story, but slapping it into almost the ending of the series, and not spending enough time with it, I felt I was cheated a little bit, that instead of illuminating Roland's character - who I already loved - that it took away a lot of the mystery. I liked Roland being mysterious. That's how I felt initially. I'll let you know when I reread it how my opinion has changed. That is the one I have not reread more than twice.

I did not like Susan. I thought she lacked substance. The whole romance lacked substance and believability. I understood what it was trying to achieve but it did not touch that chord in me. In that instance, it was too rushed and therefore unbelievabale.

In fact, to be truly honest, I really just rushed through the whole flashback because I truly wanted to just get on with the story. I wanted to know what would happen next, I didn't think upon starting the book "oh well how did Roland get here?" If there had been something that would drive me into thinking that question, maybe I wouldn't have felt so annoyed that we were stuck in a flashback.

[Delacroix]

At the beginnig I thought the same. I was actually so bothered I started reading the Road to have a break. But then, when I got sipped in, I really enjoyed it. It's really weird to come back to reality after all this teenage adventure.

[stone, rose, unfound door]

::a little off topic -::
I wonder where everyone has seen that emotionless gunslinger... In TDotT he is bursting with emotions, and then it's only escalating.

Before Roland meets Jake :)
That was part of the reason why I was hooked on the Gunslinger from the start. I agree that he has a lot more emotions from the moment he lets Jake fall until the end and I do like the strong Roland we see at the end of the series. I still prefer the almost inhuman one from the very start.

[Jean]

I see... you know, if he went on that way for two more pages, I would have dropped the book forever...

[stone, rose, unfound door]

I can see why. I don't usually like the closest to reality characters.
Anyway, back to the topic :)
I still would have liked to see more of what the old Ka-tet have been through together on the road back to Gilead but then the book would have become some sort of tourist guide :(

[daemon]

Well I just finished reading it. In Greek it is 813 pages. I find it ok. But I feel somehow tired. I've read about 2300 pages and I am almost in the middle of the road. Anyway, it is a great book.

[RolandLover]

Don't get me wrong, as a whole I enjoyed the book. However, I am mystified about the hoopla surrounding Roland and Susan's relationship.

Agreed!!! As Jean stated, Susan was such a cliche character.

[RolandLover]

I also agree with Woofer. She said what I feel about the book. I might add that Susan was a terribly annoying character, imo. I really love all the "flashback" scenes involving the first ka-tet and the Big Coffin Hunters but whenever Susan came into the picture, I lost interest.

This is how I feel and too agree with Woofer! After reading the BoT issue 2 with the mention of Susan just does something to me. I don't know why I don't like that character.

[noal]

The book could have been 500 pages longer and I wouldn't have minded.

When it first turned to the flashback I was frustrated because I wanted to continue with the story but when I was coming to the end of the flashback I was praying for it not to end!

I almost feel like we could have had a whole back story series which would have filled in some of the gaps, but not all, I think the Lord of the Rings is all the better for the patchy history, which makes you yearn for the missing pieces.

[Letti]

Wow, someone who wouldn't have minded a longer WaG. Good to see you noal. Welcome to the site. You might be surprised but there aren't so many people out there like you. But I am on your side. Well, WaG was perfect as it was but because I loved it but I wouldn't mind if it was longer (but many many people would so for your sake let it be as it is). :)

[Bad Karma]

Wow, someone who wouldn't have minded a longer WaG. Good to see you noal. Welcome to the site. You might be surprised but there aren't so many people out there like you. But I am on your side. Well, WaG was perfect as it was but because I loved it but I wouldn't mind if it was longer (but many many people would so for your sake let it be as it is). :)

You are not alone. There's nothing more which I can say to add to this conversation, other than letting you know that I feel as you do.

Well bargained and done!

[noal]

Wow, someone who wouldn't have minded a longer WaG. Good to see you noal. Welcome to the site. You might be surprised but there aren't so many people out there like you. But I am on your side. Well, WaG was perfect as it was but because I loved it but I wouldn't mind if it was longer (but many many people would so for your sake let it be as it is). :)

I suppose I just like an epic story that is fleshed out.

The Lord Of The Rings, for me, is so much more rewarding because there are back stories and history. Some, like The Children Of Hurin, are told in more detail, whereas the Quenta Silmarillion is quite short but more mythical which always left me wanting more.

I don't really get on with comics so that part will be kind of lost to me. I wish Mr King had wrote a whole 1000 page back-story book about the history of Gilead rather than The Wind Through The Keyhole, which, by the sounds of it, will just fill in a gap through the main quest. (Although I AM really looking forward to it!)

I suppose in the end I am just being greedy and although Mr King was influenced by Tolkien and LOTR I don't know if he intended to turn The Dark Tower into an exact replica.

Sorry if I have gone slightly off topic but I just wanted people to know why i think so highly of Wizard and Glass.:redface:

Thank you.

[GranChi]

In my opinion, definitely too long. I might not mind as much if the book actually focused a lot on Roland and his friends, and clearly explained the progression of what was going on. But it didn't - a lot of the flashback was just randomly changing perspectives along all the different characters, and it made the book kind of confusing and honestly pretty tiring. It got to the point where it was like "What's this interaction between Sheemie and Coral now? Why am I supposed care?" Even when it did focus on Roland, it was mostly just bout his rather dry and apparently mostly sex-based romance with Susan. And that's another thing - did anyone notice the repetitive "every single male character creeping on Susan at some point" thing? It got kind of ridiculous. All the long descriptions every time the moon changed, all the random hard-to-remember details of the story from every point of view, and all that build-up to an ending that wasn't much more than a fight scene and Susan's creepy death... it was really a bit much for me.

That isn't to say I didn't enjoy Wizard and Glass; I did at many parts, especially the end with the emerald palace. However, it was probably my least favorite Dark Tower book so far.

[noal]

Give me a 2000 page Wizard and Glass and I die a happy man!

Letti knows what I'm talking about! :lol:

[Jean]

I could use 2000 more pages of pre- and post-Mejis parts.

[Empath of the White]

I could've taken 2000 (+) extra pages of Farson's side of the war pre and post Mejis.

[Jean]

: nods :

[Letti]

It's my favourite book so far (you know I haven't finished the last book yet :p ) but somehow I feel it will be my favourite ever because of plenty of reasons.
I wouldn't mind at all if Kind had written this story in 2200 pages.
It would be great amazing if it was even longer.

Let me quote myself. I opened this thread 6 years ago (jezzz) and I must admit I have totally changed my mind. Oh don't worry, I still love WaG to pieces but now I say it is good as it is. I don't need more pages. (That's something, isn't it?)

[Cravinsky]

I really loved Wizard & Glass, it might be my favourite but I'm trying to reserve that judgement until I have finished the series. I'm not sure I'd have liked it to be any longer, for me the pacing was well done but I could understand how it might all seem long-winded to others, it really felt like I was out in the slow-living barony of Mejis, which at times made me impatient and at other times made me feel like I could just sink into the strong imagery.

I think the best phrase to accompany Wizard & Glass is that 'time is a face on the water', sometimes the pacing was slowed to a point where we might have used our two-fingered twirling gesture, and other times great happenings were swept away in the words of but a couple of pages.

[Deaf&Dumb]

I hate to dislike anything in the series, but I absolutely cannot get through this book in less than 2 months. Its too drawn out for me, and I just cant read more than 4-5 pages at a time.

[fernandito]

I skipped this book entirely during my latest attempt at a reread.

[Girlystevedave]

I skipped this book entirely during my latest attempt at a reread.

I can't blame you. It wasn't one of my favorites from the series.

[Ricky]

Wizard and Glass needs to un-write itself. :lol:

[Jean]

I skipped this book entirely during my latest attempt at a reread.this is a wonderful idea, I wonder why it hadn't occurred to me. That book was looming like an unsurmountable obstacle on my way to rereading; now I think I'll just follow your example.

[Girlystevedave]

Wizard and Glass needs to un-write itself. :lol:

:rofl:

[fernandito]

I skipped this book entirely during my latest attempt at a reread.this is a wonderful idea, I wonder why it hadn't occurred to me. That book was looming like an unsurmountable obstacle on my way to rereading; now I think I'll just follow your example.

I had to do it, lest it derail the remainder of my journey.

[Deaf&Dumb]

I skipped this book entirely during my latest attempt at a reread.this is a wonderful idea, I wonder why it hadn't occurred to me. That book was looming like an unsurmountable obstacle on my way to rereading; now I think I'll just follow your example.

I had to do it, lest it derail the remainder of my journey.

I've been "re-reading" WaG since November. I can only get through a few pages at a time, and even then only once every few days. The book just doesn't do it for me.

[LizzyDeschain]

Overall I loved this book (just finished re-reading, now on Wolves). It wasn't horribly short, I just think that some parts should have been longer with more information presented (running into Marten/Tick-Tock again for all of two seconds, for example).

[MikeDuke]

I liked the beginning and end of Wizard and Glass. Some of the story telling really confused me in the flashback parts. I am onto Wolves and I really like that a lot.

[Garrell]

Wolves is my favorite part of DT

[Jon]

Wolves is my favorite part of DT


Agreed...but the old The Gunslinger is a close second. I think Jake is a bit different in the old version.