Group 4: The Dark Tower III: The Waste Lands

[Jean]

The Dark Tower III: The Waste Lands, 1991

Please grade The Dark Tower III: The Waste Lands in the following three areas using the grades A, B, or C:

• Strength of Plot
• Character Development
• Quality of the Story's Ending

If you haven't read this book yet, please vote Never Read. Feel free to discuss your votes in this thread.

Please base your vote only on this book's own merits, not how it fits into the series as a whole.

IMPORTANT: Please make sure to select only one grade in each grading area. For complete instructions, see this post.

[alkanto]

All A's, again. This is, hands down, my favorite book of not only The Dark Tower series, but of all of King's works.

[Jean]

don't know about hands down, but it is, arguably, the best DT volume

the first two As are obvious to bears... don't know what to do about the third. A clifffanger can never be called a good ending - especially not if we are supposed to "vote only on this book's own merits, not how it fits into the series as a whole".

[Shannon]

I liked the cliffhanger ending. But you're right, if it were a single book, that would be a crappy place to end it. But wouldn't all the DT books' endings suck if we were just looking at them individually? Book One: Walking walking walking, no tower. Book Two: Walking walking walking, no tower. Etc.

[alkanto]

In regards to the ending (and I know we aren't supposed to be voting on the series, just the books) but anytime an ending can make me physically angry and demand to read the next book instantly, regardless of the series, I consider it a damn good ending. For those who have watched it, I'd compare it to the ending of Sherlock series 1, The Great Game. That was a killer finale...but made me very mad in the process. Doesn't mean I didn't absolutely love it!

[frik]

A-A-A

sk

[Jean]

I liked the cliffhanger ending. But you're right, if it were a single book, that would be a crappy place to end it. But wouldn't all the DT books' endings suck if we were just looking at them individually? Book One: Walking walking walking, no tower. Book Two: Walking walking walking, no tower. Etc.

That's why I want next time to try excluding the DT books from CRA, and maybe have a DT CRA separately. I'll start a thread tomorrow where we will discuss all possible variations and ways to enhance this event; I'll copy the relevant posts there.

[Heather19]

I liked the cliffhanger ending. But you're right, if it were a single book, that would be a crappy place to end it. But wouldn't all the DT books' endings suck if we were just looking at them individually? Book One: Walking walking walking, no tower. Book Two: Walking walking walking, no tower. Etc.

That's why I want next time to try excluding the DT books from CRA, and maybe have a DT CRA separately. I'll start a thread tomorrow where we will discuss all possible variations and ways to enhance this event; I'll copy the relevant posts there.

I'd actually be all for that. I know I've said it before, but I think the DT votes kinda skew things. We're on a DT site, giving those books an unfair advantage. Also it's hard to judge them on their own knowing the overall story. Personally I'd love to see a ranking without them.

[pathoftheturtle]

A clifffanger can never be called a good ending...

No? Well, I give it a B anyway.

[divemaster]

A A A

My second-favorite DT book, but perhaps the most fun of the series

[Jean]

A clifffanger can never be called a good ending...

No?<...>.

I see what you mean; I should have added, "for a lengthy novel". Given that my favorite short story is All That You Love..., the statement did sound dubious.

[pathoftheturtle]

But TDT is serious novels and at the same time, not serious novels. The cliffhanger was fun. (Although the long, long wait for v4 was not much fun.)

[Dan]

Excellent book. This is where I really started to feel like I knew the members of the Ka-tet. As far a character development, this would be an A+.

[BROWNINGS CHILDE]

I gave it all A's, but I must say, while I was waiting for DT4 to come out, I really hated the ending. But it is extremely powerful just the same.

[Jean]

Last chance to vote! The poll is closing!

[fernandito]

AAA

[mae]

The poll has closed. This round The Waste Lands has earned an OAG (overall average grade) of 2.705128205 or 90.17% in addition to its FAS (final average score), making it 7.455128205 or 93.19%.

Grade breakdown:
Strength of Plot: A - 2.692307692 (89.74%)
Character Development: A - 2.846153846 (94.87%)
Quality of the Story's Ending: A - 2.576923077 (85.90%)

[The Road Virus]

Man, I'm kinda sorry I missed so many of these polls; Wastelands was (right after I read it) my favorite DT for a brief period. I still think it is one of the best and that King blends unreality into real life- along with fantastic writing- in this book exceptionally well.

[Jean]

come here more often, Virus...