Hey guys I just picked up the first book of this series yesterday. I figured since The Winds of Winter isn't coming out anytime soon I might as well occupy myself. So... those of you who have read, what are your impressions... is it worth the time and effort to read through? And remember, spoilers.

Aw, Stephen King...

Everyone in the book besides the main characters will be [censored]s and prepare for stereotypes beyond your wildest dreams.

I really liked it. It touches on practically every other book King has written so you will get more out of it if you are a regular reader of his, but still should be enjoyable.

I've actually never read King before... but I love the movie adaptions of The Shawshank Redemption and The Shining if that counts for anything (which being an adaption it probably doesn't).

It's a typical Stephen King story: absolutely outstanding until right near the end, when it just nosedives. He just can't write endings. He even admits that it's not a very good ending, but just says that he couldn't think of a better one.

The first five books are amazing - I particularly love the third one and the flashback stuff. The sixth was, I felt, just starting to get a bit silly - stretching the bounds of credibility and introducing too many elements.


The last book just isn't particularly good. It's like he completely ran out of ideas and was just trying to wrap everything up, but in spite of some hamfisted attempts at drama it doesn't engage emotionally and the ending is just rubbish - especially the totally lame and pointless final confrontation. Also, way too many characters that don't really do anything and don't need to be there. He really could give Tolkein a run for his money.

I'll stand (or should that be Stand?) by the first five books, though. I'm sure I'll re-read them at some point, and the first book is great.

I'm currently reading 11/22/63: A Novel. And wow is it time consuming. I have it on my kindle and I read a chapter here and there and I'm only halfway through after reading it on and off since February! Usually I fly through books but this one, at times, has too much detail. It's not bad, but it does relate to his other works. He has "his" world and he seems to always right in it. So, for example, he alluded to his book It and killer clowns. I was a little weirded out by it at first but I'm getting used to it. This is my first King book, but I guarantee it won't be my last.

I borrowed the entire Dark Tower series from my sister and I'll read it once I get the chance.

Up to and including the fourth it only gets better and better as you continue. Then it slowly goes downhill. The fifth was still lots of fun, there were some bits about the sixth that I didn't like and lots of stuff about the last one I didn't like. Though I had no problems with the actual ending, as so many other people have. I can't say for sure what I disliked about the last two books though, as they have kind of blurred together in my mind. Only read them once, while I've read all the others at least three times.

You should definitely read the first four though, Wizard and Glass especially is really amazing.

Whaaaaaaaaaaaat? o_O

that ending was the best ive ever read

My favourite book series, although I totally get what people are saying above about the last couple of books. It felt like the series switched gear between the forth and fifth books - King even remarks in some of his forewords that he really wanted to get the series finished, and it shows - the last three books are good, but there's a lot of potential there that isn't really followed through on in the race to the ending. The writing style changes as well, which is probably unavoidable due to the many years that have passed since the first books came out, but I preferred the more dry and descriptive style of the first three or four books.

I enjoyed the actual ending, although the final battle before it was strange and very anticlimactic.

The world is fantastic and haunts me to this day. The characters are a perfect mix of archetypes and real human beings - the brief touches of humanity occasionally displayed by Roland really brings the badass cowboy-knight to life.

I grew up with these books and they feel like a part of me, so my recommendation is definitely nostalgia-tinted, but READ THEM NOW!!!!

They're pretty good until (like Princess Stomper said) book 6 and after. Felt like he was just writing those for a paycheck. I know there are a few short stories he wrote that tie in to the Dark Tower series. Little Sisters of Eluria comes to mind. Insomnia & Salem's Lot also features heavily into the story.

I've heard speculation that his experience with a car crash may have affected his writing, in a negative way.

its pretty good! the first one is a little hard to get into imo, from the second one on is where it really shines. Although the sixth one is alittle meh, and the last one...well it ends...sorta. Well worth the read though,

he can't write for as long periods of time because of back pain. but other than that, besides the weird and unnecessary inclusion of that in the dark tower series i don't know of any other impacts.