When I read the last line, I thought it was just right. It pissed me off for a few seconds and then I started to think it fitted the story perfectly and no other ending would have been right the way this one is.
5 - completely satisfied
4 - satisfied, but have some minor problems with the ending
3 - satisfied, but have some major problems with the ending
2 - not satisfied, although there are things I liked about the ending
1 - completely dissatisfied
When I read the last line, I thought it was just right. It pissed me off for a few seconds and then I started to think it fitted the story perfectly and no other ending would have been right the way this one is.
It's pretty true that "Nothing is perfect," but I chose to vote for "It was impossible but King should have found a better ending.""...Ain’t no livin’ in a perfect world. There ain’t no perfect world anyway.
Ain’t no livin’ in a perfect world, but we’ll keep on dreamin’ of livin’ in a perfect world..."~ Huey Lewis & The News
After long consideration, I think that what he was trying to do with the DT ending was to elevate certain aspects of Roland's character while condemning others, and by analogy to do the same for his own work as a writer.
However, the ending is terribly vague, and it's too easy for people to mistake the good for the evil; to throw out the baby instead of the bath water.
Is Gan punishing Roland for taking Him too seriously?You can't redeem art by trying to justify entertainment, says me.
All of this is forgivable, though, most certainly. King doesn't have to turn into an essayist, or to be held to standards beyond his form. (He should have just known that!) His novels imply great things, raise many good questions for people, and altogether really do work fairly well as true art. It's an okay ending. However, I still wish that he had not rushed it, like he apparently did, for I do believe honestly that he could have made it truly epic.
Well...how many people were dissatisfied with the way The Lord of the Rings ended? I've never heard anyone complain. So, apparently, it is possible to please almost everyone with the ending of an epic story.
But...
Could it have happened with THIS story? No. This series of books took what? 20 years to complete? Too much anticipation. Too much expectation. No, King could not have pleased everyone with it.
I loved the ending. I couldn't imagine a better ending. I could imagine a better way to wind down the story to that oh so perfect ending. I think that those of us that were disappointed with the last few books would say the same. But top the ending? No way.
Originally Posted by pathoftheturtle
i think path's point is a valid one and somewhat addresses coz's question. tolkien's story had a much clearer delineation of good and evil.
one of the things i love about roland is that he is not your white-hat only do good cowboy. he is every bit the anti-hero. he does terrible things but we still root for him to succeed (even if some of us are appalled by some of his choices).
would aragorn have dropped jake?
consider gandalf's advice to frodo about not being too quick to deal out death and judgment.
roland would have shot smeagol in the face on sight.
as i've said before, i am content (though perhaps not altogether satisfied) with the looping aspect of the ending as it fits nicely into several different mythological interpretations i enjoy superimposing onto the series. i didn't need king to answer all my metaphysical questions about how the multiverse works and i suspect i'd actually have been rather disappointed if he'd tried.
but, i am not altogether thrilled with the "final showdown" scene at the tower itself between roland (and patrick) and the CK. i found that extremely anti-climatic and i consider it part of "the ending."
so yeah, i guess i am saying the "perfect" ending is perhaps not possible in this case, but i think he could have done a bit better.
I agree with R_of_G. He said it nicely.
Man, it's been a while since I read this particular thread...I may have to backtrack to see if I had posted previously.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH that is so damn true too.
"It's his eyes, Roland thought. They were wide and terrible, the eyes of a dragon in human form" - Roland seeing the Crimson King for the first time.
"When the King comes and the Tower falls, sai, all such pretty things as yours will be broken. Then there will be darkness and nothing but the howl of Discordia and the cries of the can toi" - From Song of Susannah
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH that is so damn true too.Without any hesitation.
How could it have been a bit better for you? Details please if you don't mind.
Roland would have understood.
Who did you think was going to end up at the tower? (Spoilers)
Honestly I was a bit suprised be the ending. I was still suprised my second time through the ending. I thought coming back to the start was an awesome way to end. But what really got me was that none of the ka-tet reached the tower. Not complaining, I agree with king. When a character is no longer needed, they are better off dead. Which he was nice enough to at least give the ka-tet a happy ending while telling Roland exactly where he could go.
I had two different ideas on who was going to reach the tower. My first one was on the basses of something Eddie and Roland though was going to happen. An all out war at the tower. I though the tet would arrive there heavily injured but still strong enough for one last stand. Where they would die but save the tower.
My other idea was that Roland was going to die and it would have been Eddie to enter the tower. I honestly did not think Roland was ever even going to see his tower. I though Eddie would reach the last room of the tower and find gan insane and have to battle him.
What did you think was going to happen?
You may want to mention in the title that there's spoilers, for anyone who hasn't read the end yet.
I'm not sure I remember what I thought in regards to who would make it to the Tower. I try not to think about those kinds of things, and let them come with reading the story.
I hoped they would all make it, but as soon as Eddie kicked it, I gave up the notion of any of them actually getting there except Roland. But that was because I felt it wouldn't be right for an incomplete tet to reach the Tower. It was Roland's quest, so it was everyone or just him, to me.
Random PM's are loved!
Call me Can.
Discord Tag: Can*/Tommy (They/Them pronouns)#5588
Hi, Malicewelcome to the site! Can's absolutely right, this is a great idea for a thread but Whoa, I have to agree that a spoiler tag should be added to the title. Already in only two posts spoilers are rampidjejejejejeeje!
In answer to this question, I actually did think at the end it might just be him (Roland)
I honestly thought that there were "things" that he had to face alone, given the hard lessons he was learning on being with others. Does that make any sense? *shrug*
It's a close as I can get to off the top o'my head.
The answer is within
all matter is energy, all energy is GOD
I get what you're trying to say. Like he was building up the needing to learn to work as a part of a team thing so much that it would have to be only him in the end. Right?
Random PM's are loved!
Call me Can.
Discord Tag: Can*/Tommy (They/Them pronouns)#5588
Yeah, you know all that finding out how to love, figuring out
just what the cost was , and having to go it without them after all.
The answer is within
I wonder how many other people thought that?
Random PM's are loved!
Call me Can.
Discord Tag: Can*/Tommy (They/Them pronouns)#5588
Ka is a wheel.....
The answer is within
Sorry for not posting a spolier tag. I honestly figuered anyone who would read this post would have already finished the book. I think the lessons for Roland started presenting them selves in the book right at Tull. The rooms in the tower also kind of serve as a lesson Roland must learn to complete his quest. And the voice at the top of the tower (be that of gan or Morgan Freeman...he lends his voice to everything else) tells him some of the mistakes he must learn from.
I thought all the Tet would make it because they had one last stand to make against the Crimson King and Mordred. When Eddie died I figured it would be Roland alone who would have to go and face the tower or i hoped Roland and Jake as father and son
Actually for this section no spoilers should be necessary.
Personally I didn't really try to figure out what would happen. I just cherished what did.
I thought all of them would make it, but then when Eddie died I thought only Jake and Oy, then when Jake kicked it, I thought only Roland and Oy, I assumed something would happen to Suze, possibly Mordred killing her.
I didn't like Patrick and wish he never saw the Tower.
2:45 am- 11th February 2008- I Finished The Dark Tower
Well... I like to think that they all made it.
Roland's Call At The Tower :
Roland's Call
The Man In Black Fled Across The Desert...
...And The Gunslinger Followed.
“I’m always on the Batman rule, sir.” - Kate Kane / Detective Comics 857
"It is the story, not he who tells it." Except to us collectors who have to put limits somewhere. - jhanic
Remember, Remember, The Fifth of November, The Gunpowder, Treason, and Plot.
I never doubted that Roland would make it to the Tower. I also thought that the rest of the ka-tet would be killed off en route except for one. I thought Jake would make it to the end. And, before the last book, I fully expected Flagg to be at the Tower waiting for them.
Aww, Pam, it feels great to think that way.
This may sound a little heartless but I expected Roland to reach the Tower alone.
To me, all characters were like dinamic particles of the story, except Roland, Man in Black(because of that obvious sentence in the beginning and in the end), and Crimson King which are stabile.
I expected Roland to make it alongside Eddie. During the whole "ka-shume" section before the battle of Algul Siento, I was so afraid for Jake. I started crying anytime they mentioned it because he was my favorite character. Because of that fear, I just assumed Jake wouldn't make it. I knew if Jake didn't, then neither would Oy, nor would Susannah. I figured at the end, it would be Roland and Eddie. I actually entertained the idea that Roland might have to sacrifice himself for the Tower while Eddie mounted the stairs to the top.Spoiler:
That is how I figured things would go.
"Your Man Jesus seems to me a bit of a son of a b!$#h when it comes to women," Roland said, "Was He ever married?"
The corners of his mouth quirked. "No," he said, "but His girlfriend was a whore."
"Well," Roland said, "that's a start."
More Stories
Ok, finished DT7, cant wait for 8, WitKeyhole. Ive been hearing about The little sisters, Everything Eventual is the only short story book of king i dont have, Im going to get the HC, but I heard Little Sisters is sold seperate as well in HC, true>? if so, how long is it? , and how much?.
Also, ive heard theres another story of Roland and Cuthbert chasing a werewolf, true?, unrealised?,
Are there more than this,
Are there more officially planned, eg. STated by King ?
I thought Jake would probably make it if all the others didn't. At one point I thought Eddie would too as he seemed the closest to Roland (bar Jake), almost Roland's spiritual successor, albeit he's a very different person. However little hint by King in Song of Susannah that 'death would come between them' made me question that. (Although it could have been Roland who died instead.)
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