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Just finished the last one of these in the week and wanted to start a thread on the whole story, rather than stick it on the book thread. First off, thanks to Andrew for encouraging me to stick with them after the (what I then saw as) turgid opening of The Gunslinger. I thought it was an inaccessible and pretty dull start and would have ditched the series there and then if he hadn't told me that the story improves exponentially. The story is classic Stephen King in terms of the characterisation and dialogue where you really feel that you know them as people. It's also a genuine page turner - right up to the seventh and final volume. I loved the fact that it's such a multi-genre story, too; there are elements of SF, horror, thriller, fantasy and, of course, western all in the mix and it makes for a really original tale - despite the fact that it wears its influences so obviously on its sleeve. I found the self-referrential bits weird to start with, but by the end I realised what a deeply personal work the entire series was for King and came to appreciate it both in terms of the story but also in the wider sense of him almost giving an account of his own relationship with story making. I certainly now want to read the books he mentions in it, with Salem's Lot (despite the fact that it's horror and I'm not into horror), Insomnia and (mental block) the other one he mentions a lot - is it Everything's Eventual? - top of the list. I also now want to re-read The Stand and The Gunslinger in the context of the entire Dark Tower story. In terms of the story, the only things that disappointed me a bit were the showdown with Mordred (what happened to Mordred's ability to get inside his victims' minds and paralyse them? I thought that would be a real life and death battle for Roland, but it was over within seconds) and the secret of the Tower itself. The whole cyclical/Ka thing was fine; what irked was the fact that the keystone world was apparently immune to time reversals and then he contradicts himself at the end. I also don't get why the Tower is so personal to Roland. OK, I could see that it might be personal for anyone who ascends it, but surely only Roland could as it's only Roland who can save it. Despite those minor gripes, this is now almost up there with His Dark Materials for me as a truly great tale.

... are ace.