Rereading Diary - where are you? *spoilers*

[Weirdmonger]

I didn't link to the review as I didn't want to be pushy. You can google my name, though.
But the specialist nature of my real-time reviews - many of which I've done on old books and new - becomes clear, I hope, if anyone wants to read them.
Thanks for your thoughts.
df lewis

[Weirdmonger]

Variation upon a theme from the real-time review of W-and-G's sequel:



VI. The Way of the Eld

“And of course they have to be watched more or less constant, for if they get something they like, they’ll eat it until they bust.”

Readers of ‘The Dark Tower’ series? Or is it this series with its own gauche giantism: as a result of abduction by readers and their (or its) later giantism? The permutations of creativity or “tough bubbles“? So who abducted whom?

[Weirdmonger]

Re Mia's farrowing in my terminology - 'farrowing': giving birth to a litter of pigs. Cf: the pig roast in the nightmare. (4 Apr 11)

[Weirdmonger]

I have now reached SoS in my real-time review of the Dark Tower series:
http://nullimmortalis.wordpress.com/...he-dark-tower/

Excerpt:

Trudy and Mia – 3rd Stanza

A truly memorable (if I can return here to check one day how memorable) scene in NY near the vacant lot (cf: the vacant lot of books before you read them?) in NY amid humming and chiming, of Susannah-straining-but-failing-to-dislodge-Mia’s arrival like a religious Annunciation vision (a vision for bystander-hard-nosed-businesswoman Trudy): a vision of a black woman whose limbs visibly grow to fit some future child-bearing cross of pain and who’s wielding sharp-edged dish’cus-plates (plates of meat = slang for feet) worried about shoes for those feet: shoe-sizes: Trudy’s shoes: reminding us of those by-chance ready-to-wear red shoes that appeared in earlier memories now almost half-forgotten… (9 Apr 11)

[Weirdmonger]

I think, having now reached the Susannah-Mio, Divided Girl of Mine – 10th Stanza chapter in 'SoS', that the Mia Farrowing theory HERE is now connected with the Prim and Mia also being seen in her twenties during that chapter.

[Weirdmonger]

‘Hile, Mia, Hile, Mother’ – 13th Stanza

“Too late now. / Too late to do anything but go through with it.”

From the ‘Land of Ago’ / Dogan / Dagon / Dharma / Positronics / Sombra tow-dash, tower-dash of Susannah’s youthful past in the 1960s, those wild, fulfilling, tragedy-sown years now a busker’s-show for Mia – (“It’s Odetta Holmes at the apotheosis of her life, and Mia is there!”) – then the Dogan Positronics blow a Whovian fuse in a ‘Flash of Gordon’ – as I do - with the book’s extremely powerful writing ensuing – in the Dixie Pig – including an initial Detta-force then quelled – as Susannah and Mia enter what I can only call a blend of the major ‘gathering’ scenes in ‘Eyes Wide Shut’ and ‘Rosemary’s Baby’ coupled with rat / bug horror images &c - the Hellish labour towards the child, Roland’s Childe, and even more dread! When reading it, I tried to think of other things – forspecial plates, even sharp dish’cus plates – but I kept coming back to this essentially nightmarish Long Pig of the Night. A Long Time a-Farrowing. Has to be read, because, if I could do justice to it here, I would have written it first. But King was good enough to be the one to carry it, as the story-sitter. I read it, and by reading it created it for real. My eye doth fill, but it doth not spill. “Nothing opens the eye of memory like a song,” or a commala-mahler of a das lied von der erde. (13 Apr 11 – another 2 hours later)

[Weirdmonger]

I've now reached The Dark Tower VII in my Real-Time Review:
http://nullimmortalis.wordpress.com/...he-dark-tower/

Here is a force called 'the White'. The BBC are currently showing an excellent dark Victorian drama serial entitled; The Crimson Petal and the White. That sounds relevant to the DT in more ways than one!

df lewis

[Jean]

dear Weirdmonger: this thread will shortly be merged with that one

[Weirdmonger]

I don't mind, other than the major point of the RTR is that it is a personal virgin first reading extrapolation, not a re-reading.
df lewis

[Jean]

yes, but it's the place where individual reading progress is discussed. Otherwise, please start threads with clearly definied topics.

[Weirdmonger]

V. In the Jungle, the Mighty Jungle

“To his intense horror, something had crawled inside his head. Something like a mental hand. He thought it was probably the low man who had spoken to him through the door. The low man’s hand had found dials in some kind of Jake Chambers Dogam, and was fiddling with them.” [Sic: Dogam]

Dogma, God Ma, Go Mad…

My virgin fiirst-reading real-time-review extrapolation of the whole series of novels linked from here:
http://nullimmortalis.wordpress.com/...ark-tower-etc/

Mia Farrowing theory here: http://www.thedarktower.org/palaver/...-Mia-Farrowing
df lewis

[sullivan19]

Just met Joe Collins for the third time. Whilst reading the series for a third time, I've decided Book 7 is the weakest.

[Merlin1958]

Again, with all due respect to you, why would you come to a Dark Tower fan site, years after the volumes have been published and presume that anyone would be interested in your particular journey through the story, seperate and aside from the dozen's of existing threads already hosting ongoing discussions?

I mean no disrespect at all, but we've all been discussing the story in one way shape or form for quite some time now. It might be better to start a Book Club type discussion thread for virgins or re-readers alike, no? I might get involved in that.

I hope I said that all in the proper fashion.

[Jean]

Merlin: I thought about creating a new thread like this - for first-time readers, in addition to the existing reread thread - but I am not quite clear as to its purpose. As you said, if someone has something to say, they should either choose among the many existing threads, or start their own, clearly stating the discussion topic for everyone to see whether or not they are interested and have something to add. Otherwise, there would be no way for anyone to follow any discussion consistently, and the whole idea of a structurized set of forums will be lost.

[Weirdmonger]

The Dark Tower (Novel VII)
Part Two
VIII. Notes from the Gingerbread House

"It's a place outside of time, outside of reality. I know you understand a little bit about the function of the Dark Tower; you understand its unifying purpose. Well, think of Gingerbread House as a balcony on the Tower: when we come here, we're outside the Tower but still attached to the Tower."


I have, for me, some very important information to impart on a personal level and I trust you agree. This chapter ends with the significance of the Writer - of Stephen King or 'Stephen King' - and of saving him from his becoming roadkill before the Beams are Broken, i.e. to cut a long story short into words that probably don't convey the true sense of what you would gain by reading the long story itself. In any event, tied up with that (as it has been throughout all these books) is the persistence of no. 19 in various places, and in words and names. And I've just realised that my own full name DESMOND FRANCIS LEWIS on my birth certificate is made up of 19 letters! I can't explain what a striking revelation it has been in realising this today. Also, incidentally, my definitive collection of stories is THE LAST BALCONY, perhaps replete with relevant synchronicities and still semi-aborted fruition. And, so, I must don my 'thinking cap'......

[Weirdmonger]

II. Ves’-Ka Gan

“…;his [King's] eyes were shocked zeroes.”

Cf: Mike O'Driscoll's story - in Nemonymous One (2001) - entitled DOUBLE ZERO FOR EMPTINESS which was a fictional treatment of King's real-life incident of being knocked down while walking in 1999.

[Weirdmonger]

I think some posts were inserted above after my latest two posts were written.
I was not ignoring the views others have expressed by posting them without referring to the newly inserted posts.
I shall endeavour to rationalise the position of any posts I make in future in the light of your comments.
Sorry for any broken paths or beams.
des

[Jean]

I think some posts were inserted above after my latest two posts were written.

it happened because of the merge. All posts have time stamps, so when threads are merged, posts arrange themselves in the chronological order of their publishing. It does creats some confusion sometimes, but usually nothing serious. I can't rearrange the posts, because of the time stamps, but if any clarification is needed, I can insert a comment, or delete something, or, for example, if you start a thread with clearly stated purpose, I could move the relevant posts there (only remember, the first posted will come first in any new thread, too)

[Weirdmonger]

I tiptoe in here to say that I've just completed my Real Time Review of the whole DARK TOWER series. Phew! Quite a rite of passage:
http://nullimmortalis.wordpress.com/...ark-tower-etc/

"EEEEEEEEEEEEEE! YOU! DON'T DARE MOCK ME! YOU DON'T DARE! EEEEEEEEEEEEE!"

Important to all bespoke imaginers, I'd opine.

[Weirdmonger]

According to the Paschal Cycle today is Easter Weekend and Roland of Gilead's final approach to his Dark Tower that I read yesterday on St George's Day - and the Crimson King on his last balcony there was described as a dragon in human form!

[Weirdmonger]

I just watched Citizen Kane - Xanadu = The Dark Tower. But Rosebud?

[Weirdmonger]

I suppose a 'rosebud' sled (an iconic image) on snow or ice would have been the diametrical opposite to most of the hard-pushed, friction-jolting contraptions that Susannah had to endure as transportation? (Kane's Xanadu appears like the Dark Tower itself on the editions of the books I own.)

PS: And Kane begins Ka...

PPS: And someone else has mentioned, after seeing my theory above, that 'The Horn of Eld" = Rosebud

PPPS: There seems to be a resonance between ‘roland’ and ‘rosebud’, and in fact there was a Roland Rosebud in this list of Montana Indians: http://mdenney.proboards.com/index.c...lay&thread=419

http://nullimmortalis.wordpress.com/.../citizen-kane/

[beam*seeker]

Just finished book 7 after a reread of the whole shebang. Wondering where to start with the graphic novels, comics? Any advice?

[Brainslinger]

I'd start with the first series published. The Gunslinger Born. It would probably be cheaper to get the collection, but if you would like the backstory excerpt stuff which includes some Furth penned Mid-World history/mythology stuff then you'd need to go for the individual comics.

It covers much of the stuff you've read in Wizard and Glass, but it does follow other off-stage stuff too not mentioned in the books. The later comics cover ground between WaG and The Gunslinger. Mostly new stuff.

Apparently there are omnibus collection(s) coming out too which collect the backstory stuff (I'm not sure if they're separate or with the comics. Was never clear on that) but those volumes are pricey.

[The Road Virus]

I tried to take up the task (really, pleasure) of re-reading the series again a couple months ago. I took it on a plane and finished just past the Tull massacre. However, I left the book at my g/fs house in Philly (I live in Chi-town) and it has stayed there while I moved onto new (for me) books. I am currently reading The Stand. I do plan to return to the series, after finding out about the release date of 4.5 I have decided to start reading 2 or 3 months prior to its release so I'll have just finished WAG and make it a steady progression in order