Bracket #10: The Dark Tower VII: The Dark Tower (2004)

[Hannah]

3.

I love everything about this book right up until the ending. If I'm being a bit honest, the ending soured the series for me a bit, I absolutely hated it and it's the chief reason I'm always hesitant to give the series a reread.

Same here. I gave it a 3. I strongly disliked the ending along with several of the villain's demises. I strongly feel like good books leave you with a feeling of resolution. Without a resolution the entire journey feels meaningless...

Spoiler:

Crimson King. Flagg (he went out like a chump) and let's not forget that somehow Flagg couldn't kill baby Mordred but Oy was able to take him out.

[Jean]

Spoiler:

let's not forget that somehow Flagg couldn't kill baby Mordred but Oy was able to take him out.

Spoiler:

Oy was a gunslinger, and Flagg a mere manipulator

[pathoftheturtle]

... Without a resolution the entire journey feels meaningless. ...

Sure. Who wants hear tales full of sound and fury that signify nothing? That's just a horror. ;-)

[fernandito]

3.

I love everything about this book right up until the ending. If I'm being a bit honest, the ending soured the series for me a bit, I absolutely hated it and it's the chief reason I'm always hesitant to give the series a reread.

Same here. I gave it a 3. I strongly disliked the ending along with several of the villain's demises. I strongly feel like good books leave you with a feeling of resolution. Without a resolution the entire journey feels meaningless...

Spoiler:

Crimson King. Flagg (he went out like a chump) and let's not forget that somehow Flagg couldn't kill baby Mordred but Oy was able to take him out.

Yeah, same here. And it sucks because like I said, I want to reread the series, but as I'm going through the novels the only thought permeating my mind is

Spoiler:

This might all be for nothing. This might all be for nothing. This might all be for nothing.

[fernandito]

Same here. I gave it a 3. I strongly disliked the ending along with several of the villain's demises. I strongly feel like good books leave you with a feeling of resolution. Without a resolution the entire journey feels meaningless...

Yeah, same here. And it sucks because like I said, I want to reread the series, but as I'm going through the novels the only thought permeating my mind is

Spoiler:

This might all be for nothing. This might all be for nothing. This might all be for nothing.

[DoctorDodge]

Hmm, question regarding your view on the ending, feev:

Spoiler:

All for nothing? Why do you say that, feev? The fact that the loop's different for Roland this time sorta implies that, at the very least, Roland has not only redeemed himself through some vital actions on this journey, it doesn't necessarily mean that it'll be the same loop for him, and we are given resolution on Susannah's story, too.

[fernandito]

Hmm, question regarding your view on the ending, feev:

Spoiler:

All for nothing? Why do you say that, feev? The fact that the loop's different for Roland this time sorta implies that, at the very least, Roland has not only redeemed himself through some vital actions on this journey, it doesn't necessarily mean that it'll be the same loop for him, and we are given resolution on Susannah's story, too.

Spoiler:

True, it does imply that he did redeem an aspect of his journeythis time, but what's to say that he won't commit a different vital error this time and go back a square , negating the progress he made? The ending is a joke without a punchline, and not a very funny one at that

[DoctorDodge]

Spoiler:

True, it does imply that he did redeem an aspect of his journeythis time, but what's to say that he won't commit a different vital error this time and go back a square , negating the progress he made? The ending is a joke without a punchline, and not a very funny one at that

Spoiler:

But he does have the horn, something that (for whatever reason) seemed actually vital to getting into the tower.

But then again, I'm reminded of what my dad said when I asked him what he thought of the ending: "Well, it couldn't have ended any other way, could it?" Exactly my view, too: any other ending would've been considered a massive dissapointment compared to the one we got. What would've Roland have found at the top of the tower? God? His mother? Susan welcoming him with open arms? (Ergh, the worst thing, I can actually imagine that in a Hollywood version, too.) This way, some mystery as to the top of the tower is left, which I think is a key thing I enjoyed about the series. Like Lost, it didn't answer all questions, but it at least had an ending that fitted both the characters and the tone of the story.

[divemaster]

To follow up on what DoctorDodge said, the ending is not only perfect but there's no concievable way the saga could have ended otherwise. At least not without serious limitations. I mean, Roland could have defeated the ultimate evil with a kiddie gang-bang, but that's already been done.

King's cachet with me went up a couple of notches after the ending of DT VII hit me.

[fernandito]

I'm always amazed when people claim that there is 'no other way it could have ended'. Yes there is, there are a million ways it could have ended. Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, the Harry Potter , these are all epic sagas that sprawl multiple characters and contain deveastating losses, and all manage to give their respective series a fairly resolute ending. If you liked the Dark Tower ending, fantastic, more power to you ... but to say that there is absolutely no other way it could have ended strikes me as complacent.

[DoctorDodge]

To follow up on what DoctorDodge said, the ending is not only perfect but there's no concievable way the saga could have ended otherwise. At least not without serious limitations. I mean, Roland could have defeated the ultimate evil with a kiddie gang-bang, but that's already been done.

King's cachet with me went up a couple of notches after the ending of DT VII hit me.

I'm always amazed when people claim that there is 'no other way it could have ended'. Yes there is, there are a million ways it could have ended. Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, the Harry Potter , these are all epic sagas that sprawl multiple characters and contain deveastating losses, and all manage to give their respective series a fairly resolute ending. If you liked the Dark Tower ending, fantastic, more power to you ... but to say that there is absolutely no other way it could have ended strikes me as complacent.

One thing, though: those stories didn't massively build their endings up beyond reasonable expectations.

Spoiler:

The main focus on the ending, in this case, wasn't Roland defeating the prime antagonist in some crucial way. We had that, but it wasn't the main focus, like the main ending of the Lord of the Rings was defeating Sauron, or the main focus of Harry Potter was the defeat of Voldemort. What was unpredictable was who would live or die by the time those endings happened, but those endings were satisfying because they met audience expectations easily. The Dark Tower? The focus the entire time was Roland reaching it and discovering what was at the top, a Tower that was at the centre of every possible universe, and a top room that was shrouded in mystery, but it was something big. Massive. HUGE. How was anything - and I mean anything - going to match that?

There probably would've been a million other ways to end it, true, but none as satisfying as the one we got.

[fernandito]

I would have been exponentially satisfied with just about any other ending. Preferably one that didn't sound like what it seemed to me, him fumbling the ball on his own magnum opus. He should have taken more time in between novels.

[blavigne]

Interesting...the ending is the reason I feel like I have to reread it immediately....

Me Too!!

[divemaster]

Maybe he could have found a genie in a lamp and gotten three wishes. He could get Susan back, and Jake back, and a million dollars!

There's one ending. 999,999 to go...

[fernandito]

[DoctorDodge]

At the top of the tower, he opens the door, sees a blinding light, and he's sees the ghosts of his loved ones standing there before him...he falls down to his knees...and they offer him...

Spoiler:

999,998 to go...

[pixiedark76]

I gave it a five.

[pathoftheturtle]

... to say that there is absolutely no other way it could have ended strikes me as complacent.

Yes, that's true.

[Jean]

Last chance to vote! The poll is closing!

[mae]

The poll has closed. The Dark Tower has earned a FAS (final average score) of 4.428571429 or 88.57%, placing 2nd (runner-up) in this bracket. It will be moving on to Round 2.