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Review Summaries
"The Drawing of the Three
Viking, Jul 2003, 35.00, 406 pp.
ISBN: 0670032557
The “confrontation' with the Man in Black finally occurred (see THE GUNSLINGER), but left Roland unfulfilled. Roland is on a beach assaulted by a sea monstrosity ripping off two fingers and a toe. After killing this creature, he begins the second part of his journey to the Dark Tower.
Roland enters a door on the beach labeled “The Prisoner” and realizes he sees an eerie world through the eyes of Eddie Dean, American heroin addict flying to the USA with cocaine in 1987. Eddie's employer Balazar brings him to The Leaning Tower where a gunfight breaks out before the duo returns to Roland's realm. They reach beach door two and meet schizophrenic wheel chair bound Odetta Holmes and her darker half Detta Walker in 1964. Now Detta is a killing machine trying to get out who could easily end Roland's quest before he attains the third and final beach door of drug pusher of death Jack Mort if he is not careful. Roland has drawn the trio that is apparently his companions for this trek.
Book Two of the Dark Tower is a great continuation of Stephen King's epic fantasy. The story line continues Roland's quest bit does not feel like a middle book filler tale. With the reprint of the entire series, fans will have quite a treat as these 1980s novels hold up quite nicely as some of Mr. King's best works, at least this one and the first tale that this reviewer recently re-read. This is Mr. King at his darkest and strongest yet seems to leave the audience with a flicker of hope.
Harriet Klausner
"
Harriet Klausner, Resident Stephen King Scholar
"An unmissable story of a lone wolf looking to save his planet from destruction by a tyrannous 'king'. In this installment (the 2nd), the last gunslinger, Roland of Gilead, is looking for three doors into current-time New York. He needs these doors to find three more members to add to his KA-TET (group joined together by fate), because he has told that he can't survive and win on his own. This book and series is a must-read for absolutely anybody."
, Resident Stephen King Scholar
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Overall Review
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Plot
Composition of Book Descript. of chases or violence - 10% planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 35% Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 30% Descript. of society, phenomena (tech), places - 25%
Tone of book
- suspenseful (sophisticated fear)
FANTASY or SCIENCE FICTION?
- fantasy world/fantasy past
- fantasy story on current Earth
Explore/1st contact/ enviro story
Yes
Plotlets:
- exploring a wondrous planet or phenomena
- on a parallel earth in another dimension
Is this an adult or child's book?
- Adult or Young Adult Book
Main Character
Identity:
- Male
Profession/status:
- police/lawman
- champion of justice
Age:
- 20's-30's
- long lived adults
How sensitive is this character?
- sensitive to others' feelings
- hard edged
Sense of humor
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence
- Smarter than most other characters
Physique
- bulging muscles
- very athletic
Main Adversary
Identity:
- magical being
Age:
- long-lived adults
Profession/status:
- mastermind
Has magical powers?
Yes
Magical/mental powers of main antagonist:
- can change shapes
- mind reading
Eccentric:
Yes
- obsessed
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in:
- a little/some
- a moderate amount
How sensitive is this character?
- mean, arrogant
Sense of humor
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence
- Smarter than most other characters
Physique
- very athletic
- average physique
Setting
Terrain
- Water
- Mountains
- Forests
Earth setting:
- 20th century
- current (early 21st century)
A substantial portion of this book takes place on a non-Earth planetary body:
- humans in a primitive/fantasy society
- empty, or nearly empty world
Takes place on Earth?
Yes
Planet outside solar system?
Yes
Style
Person?
- mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death?
- generic/vague references to death/punishment
scientific jargon? (SF only)
- none/very little science jargon needed
Sex in book?
Yes
What kind of sex:
- descript of kissing
How much dialogue?
- significantly more dialog than descript
- roughly even amounts of descript and dialog
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