I must AGREE with you as wellAgreed.I started reading King because of IT.... but I do not feel a connection to the characters in IT like I do in the Dark Tower.... I am sorry but IT is a great book but is no where near the Dark Tower.... I can't even remember all the characters in IT other than Bev and Richie.... (of course Pennywise)... But I remember the Ka-tet VERY well.... DT all the WAY!!!
You do have a point. I know that I was reading SK for a long time before I decided to read The Dark Tower books. I didn't associate him with TDT. I associated him with his more well known stories. Even though I had been reading his books for at least 10 years, TDT was unknown territory for me.I always thought King was known for both The Stand and It. Those are his big two that you always hear people talking about. Maybe I'm wrong but I would bet that aside from here there are many King fans that have not even read The Dark Tower books. I always wonder if you took a poll of your average King fan where The Dark Tower would rank.
But, once I read The Dark Tower, it affected me unlike anything I had ever read.
(To be fair though, the ka-tet probably altered any future chance I may have had with having a healthy relationship with a fictional group of characters. This is my doom) Because, after TDT, nothing compared to the attachment I had to Roland, Jake, Eddie, etc.
But, I'm assuming that IT is that way for you?