Coda or no Coda?

[Lily-sai]

The Coda is really, REALLY annoying. Not because of what happens to Roland, but because of Stephen King pretty much writing just before it something along the lines of, "Trust me guys, you are SO not going to like this. Stop reading. Please. I may be the author but you are STILL not going to like this ending."

To be frank, i'm actually amazed someone DID stop. I mean when you tell someone not to read something because it'll ruin it for them, 99 times out of a hundred they're BOUND to read it anyway. It's like 19 for Allie.

If i'm really honest though, I absolutely loved the Coda part. When i read the final line, i couldn't help but be reminded of my favourite Maximo Park song:

"What happens when you lose everything?
You just start again, you start all over again!"

Also encouraged me to read the series all over again! Although i do believe that things would turn out different for Roland on his next (and final?) journey, the journey we all read was fucking incredible!

Yeah, I was the one who stopped.. for two months. But that was just because I wanted to be with my sai when I'd read it. Now I'm starting to appreciate the ending. I really do. I only needed to share it with someone next to me, to discuss about it and express our feelings. I'm that kind of person. And who would be a better choice than my soulmate, who loves All-World as much as I do. I'm a strange creature.

[pr0k]

I actually didn't want to read the Coda. I had stopped.. put the book down.. and walked away from it. And I was happy with not knowing.

But soon it ate at me, like rust does. I couldn't keep myself from picking the book up later, and speeding through it like some kind of fiend.

It crushed me. At first, anyway. But I don't regret it.

[Matt]

I did almost the exact same thing the first time through--welcome to the site pr0k.

Great to meet you.

[fernandito]

I love the Coda because it perfectly outlines the fact that we have come too far in our respective journeys to simply stop and return whence we came, just like Roland.

[turtlex]

I love the Coda because it perfectly outlines the fact that we have come too far in our respective journeys to simply stop and return whence we came, just like Roland.

QFT.

Well said, Feev, very well said.

[Woofer]

Coda for sure. To me it is the only ending that made sense under the circumstances set forth in the previous books.

[Letti]

I actually didn't want to read the Coda. I had stopped.. put the book down.. and walked away from it. And I was happy with not knowing.

But soon it ate at me, like rust does. I couldn't keep myself from picking the book up later, and speeding through it like some kind of fiend.

It crushed me. At first, anyway. But I don't regret it.

I did almost the exact same thing the first time through--welcome to the site pr0k.

Great to meet you.

I respect you, guys. I couldn't have stopped. Not even for a minute.

[AlChron77]

The ending was great! No, that's not right...it was phenomenal. Instead of wrapping everything up in a nice and neat package and spoon feeding the reader a definitive and undeniable ending (either a happy one or a heart-wrenching one), it allowed for our imaginations to take over and endless debates between Tower enthusiasts to begin. It did what a perfect ending to a great story should do: it wrapped itself around our minds so tightly that our thoughts will never be far from Roland and his quest again. We can tell ourselves that he is destined to repeat this loop forever or that the horn he now carries will free him from this purgatory. We can insist that he went back in time or we can assert that he is simply on a new level of the Tower. There is really no limit to what we can imagine about the gunslinger's continual journey and that's all because of this brilliantly executed final (?) chapter.

Not only am I in favor of Coda, I personally believe it was the most important part of this incredible and expansive story. I loved the Dark Tower epic before reading Coda, but I did not fully appreciate how amazing it truly is until after reading it. I mentioned in another thread that after finishing DT-7 I immediately picked up DT-1 and started the journey all over again. I doubt I would have done that if I had decided to heed King's "warning" and not follow the gunslinger into the Dark Tower. Now I find that I cannot seem to escape Roland's world, and that's just fine by me.

The only thing I would have changed is Epilogue - I would have removed it entirely. Although it warmed my heart to see Susannah, Eddie and Jake reunited, it felt out of place and forced. I can't fully explain it but just didn't feel right. I know that Eddie and Jake were probably not the Eddie and Jake that were part of the ka-tet - that they were from a different world - but seeing them again...well...kind of sucked. I know they are fictional characters,

Spoiler:

but when they died I felt a small amount of grief and by the end of DT-7 I had come to terms with their deaths. Then, seeing them back again in a nice, cozy scene kind of pissed me off. Why did I feel that sadness when they died? What was the point if they can just simply be there at the end?

So I guess in summary, the happy ending made me feel bad and the bad ending made me feel happy. Does that make me crazy?

(Sorry for the long winded post.)

[Kidd Ikarus]

I respect you, guys. I couldn't have stopped. Not even for a minute.

I agree with you 100%. There was no way I was going to stop reading. If there were 100 more pages after the Epilogue, I would have kept going without a second thought about it.

[mowque]

well, doesn't he say NOT to read it anyway?

[Matt]

He told us to stop knowing we wouldn't.

[Riostar]

I was so mad after I finish actually threw my book. But once I calmed down I realized that I really liked the Coda. It wasn't just the twist in the last sentence but I liked seeing all the things Roland saw on his way up the stairs. The cedar clip &ribbon thing from his birth and seeing the eyeballs of the Crimson king just hanging out. I liked it cause seeing that and finding those things was all part of the tower journey as well, I had to see what happened once he got there.

[Ageless Stranger]

I personally think the coda gives information that has bearing on the entire rest of the story (up to it). Besides, I re-read the first subchapter of The Gunslinger once I finished, and saw it in a whole new light after that.

Me too! That was really enjoyable to do, since you had read it so long ago, and it had no special meaning at that time.

[WeDealInLead]

I personally think the coda gives information that has bearing on the entire rest of the story (up to it). Besides, I re-read the first subchapter of The Gunslinger once I finished, and saw it in a whole new light after that.

Me too! That was really enjoyable to do, since you had read it so long ago, and it had no special meaning at that time.

Exactly. I know many folks don't like the revised version but on my first re-read I noticed so many things that were just sort of there and didn't really mean anything the first time. I mean, that Taheen that was lost and was trying to get back to Algul Siento is genius stuff.

More on topic.. Coda doesn't give us just a new ending, it gives a whole new meaning to the books. I'm a fan of it although I personally would've set Roland free. A "happy ending" once in a while wouldn't kill you Sai King, OK?

[stone, rose, unfound door]

It took me about 2 seconds to decide whether to read the Coda or not. I was so hooked on the story and I had waited for so long to know the end that I had to read it. I was expecting something disappointing but it wasn't and it still isn't, is it?

[brightmidnight71]

I was so mad after I finish actually threw my book. But once I calmed down I realized that I really liked the Coda.

I totally agree. I was infuriated at first, but upon reflection, I realized it really shouldn't have ended any other way. And a previous poster said something about how the ending opened up so many possibilities for the imagination to wander around and wonder about. My wife and I still talk about the "what if's" all the time. Is the horn the only thing that was missing? What were Roland's other "mistakes" in previous journeys? SPOILER Was dropping Jake his greatest mistake? SPOILER Was making it to the tower itself something that isn't supposed to happen, at least for Roland?
The conversations are endless just like the possibilities and that's a wonderful thing, as are the alternate possibilities that occur to you when you're re-reading the series.

The story as a whole is so grand and is so unencumbered by space and time, that it shouldn't have had a definitive END. Because it's so grounded in a reality that actually feels real, I think many people feel it should have a real ending, but in truth, what stories ever truly end?

And to the OP, deaths are not very final in this series. Jake, Callahan...many others. In fact, in the ending before the coda, one could argue that all kinds of things were negated when Susannah made her trip through the door and met up with her "new" friends.

[JacobChambers]

Long days and plesent nights to you all,

just finished the series again for the 2nd time and i loved it even more the second time around.

would love to discuss CODA at the end. I don't understand why the Horn is important? does it mean that Roland picked up at the battle of Jericoh or that for whatever reason he just has it now. Is that alone enough to end his journy this time? As Roland continues to to repeat his Journey, does he repeat his drawing of the ka-tet that we have grown to love? i have so many more questions that i would to discuss (not get answers to obviously)
but this seems like a fair enough start.

I hope we are well met.

[turtlex]

Welcome to the site, JC.

We have a couple of existing threads that I think you'll find really interesting.

The Official End Thread

That Thing You Can Only Talk About If You've Finished The Series

Coda or No Coda

Also, since you're new here - stop by the Introduce Yourself thread and say hello!

[Merlin1958]

Long days and plesent nights to you all,

just finished the series again for the 2nd time and i loved it even more the second time around.

would love to discuss CODA at the end. I don't understand why the Horn is important? does it mean that Roland picked up at the battle of Jericoh or that for whatever reason he just has it now. Is that alone enough to end his journy this time? As Roland continues to to repeat his Journey, does he repeat his drawing of the ka-tet that we have grown to love? i have so many more questions that i would to discuss (not get answers to obviously)
but this seems like a fair enough start.

I hope we are well met.

Welcome to the site!!!


I believe that Roland retaining the "Horn" on his next (20th) loop symbolizes his personal growth and a significant next step on his (and mankind's) "Road to Redemption". Hopefully, his presumably, final loop will see him ascend to the Tower.

Yeah, it was my take that he will basically follow the storyline from the series, drawing the three, riding Blaine, etc, but will still be able to make different choices along the way that can alter it accordingly. Much as he did in the preceding 19 loops.

[haunted.lunchbox]

I'm new here too! I found that Towerpedia was a good source of information on things I missed, or forgot. You will find it somewhere under Palaver.

[pathoftheturtle]

So the Horn... hey, let's stop for a sec

Welcome. Thanks for posting.

[turtlex]

So the Horn... hey, let's stop for a sec

Welcome. Thanks for posting.

Thank you!

[Merlin1958]

Pam,

Can you possibly hook me up with a date with your avatar? I'm a perfect gentleman!!!

Dinner and a Movie, have her home by 12am?

[JacobChambers]

Thanks for the warm reception! Well met indeed

[LovesSweetExile]

Yo man, welcome, the horn I suppose is a step foward into Rolands redemption and his feelings, eventually he will complete his quest and do everything the way he is supposed to do, like with compassion and love to full of his ka tet, then again, the ending still didn't make sense to me haha.