How dare you have a different opinion than mine.
How dare you have a different opinion than mine.
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Originally Posted by Girlystevedave
it may be considered the same, with opposite sign
Ask not what bears can do for you, but what you can do for bears. (razz)
When one is in agreement with bears one is always correct. (mae)
bears are back!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Interesting topic. For me, I avoided Dark Tower books for most of my King reading and collecting years - read everything else but never the DT books until a few years ago. I don't particularly like fantasy or western genres (though over the years I gained an appreciation for some western movies when I did a seminar on them in university and watching them with my Dad). I just could never get into The Gunslinger for years and years - I'd try and by chapter 2 or 3, it just made me bored really, I just couldn't get the "feel" of it. It was only a couple of hundred pages but I struggled with them when I finally read it more than I did with reading all 1,000 pages of IT - I'd fly through IT over and over, but struggle with The Gunslinger. As someone else mentioned, I felt the pacing of it was off. I did re-read it recently and I've gained an appreciation for it slowly, but DT books 2 to 5 are still my favourite - the 1st and last 2 are the ones I have issues with. I found DT 7 almost impossible to finish weirdly...
bears can repeat every word above, except the "years and years" part: luckily, a friend brought to me The Gunslinger when I was in hospital and there was no way around finishing it before he brought The Drawing.
Ask not what bears can do for you, but what you can do for bears. (razz)
When one is in agreement with bears one is always correct. (mae)
bears are back!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I don't mind western/fantasy/sci-fi/post apocalyptic genres, so I was expecting something a little more... less dull, at least.. from the first DT book. I remember endless streams of dialogue between characters I knew nothing about at that time, I skipped maybe 20 pages or so completely. I'm glad I did that because it got me onto book 2 which was much better. Would I enjoy the first one going back to it? Yep, probably..
The only other time I skipped some dialogue was in the last DT book at the, in fact I thought the first 300 pages of that were very poor compared to the rest of the novel/series..spoiler
Dialog is the only thing bears never skip. I agree, however, that the whole thing you put inside that spoiler was boring; can't remember any boring dialog in DT1, though (even though I dislike that book)
Ask not what bears can do for you, but what you can do for bears. (razz)
When one is in agreement with bears one is always correct. (mae)
bears are back!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I didn't have any problem with it but I know people who have. My co-worker who's an avid reader (fantasy, horror, S.F.) gave up on it. I kept begging him to try a chapter a day. He's bummed out about it not being able to read it. Another co-worker and I keep praising the books but he says he just can't get through it.
I've also had friends that have trouble starting with The Gunslinger. I recommend that they start with book two--The Drawing of the Three--and then go back to The Gunslinger. This always works.
John
Or you can tell them to do as bears did - leaf through The Gunslinger, yawning, but never forgetting that there's light at the end of that tunnel, and the light is TDotT! Their perseverance will be rewarded.
Ask not what bears can do for you, but what you can do for bears. (razz)
When one is in agreement with bears one is always correct. (mae)
bears are back!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I never had any trouble reading The Gunslinger. I was hooked from the opening sentence. It also helped that I like the fantasy and Western genres.
I've always loved this book and have never found it boring at all. The world created and time spent with Roland has always been interesting to me on every re-read. I get slowed down with a few of the other books but not this one.
I loved the gunslinger and it's honestly what brought me to read the whole series. It will always be my favorite because If I hadn't picked up that book I would never have fallen in love
The gun abortion is definitely off-putting to some.
yes, but one there are tons of similar things to be encountered in books of this genre. Like, if one chooses a horror book, one should expect something horrible to be described. Also, unpleasant and, probably, no less off-putting things happen in all King books (at least all of his good books)
Ask not what bears can do for you, but what you can do for bears. (razz)
When one is in agreement with bears one is always correct. (mae)
bears are back!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Still my favorite of the series.
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When I was younger, I did not know much about the GS saga. I was a King fan for many years before I discovered it. And by mistake, I actually tried what you suggested. I did not know I was part of a larger story. I saw Drawing of the three and started to read it. But t made no sense because I felt like I was in the middle of a story that already started so I put it down. I never read "the original" GS book. I started with the LSOE GS book. And I really liked it. The I moved onto Drawing of the three and it made a lot more sense. Even King admits that the original GS book was hard to get through. That's why he did LSOE. He felt it made it an easier read for people who were just starting out. For me, so far Wizard and Glass was the hardest with the flashbacks. I am really liking Wolves though. I think this will be a much easier read.
Wolves is one of my favorite King novels ever. The best of the series to me
WANTED 1st/1st:
Carrie
The Shining
Salem's Lot
The Gunslinger
Signed EOTD
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