The Dark Tower (The Dark Tower, Book 7) (First Edition)

King, Stephen

ISBN 10: 1880418622 / ISBN 13: 9781880418628

Published by Donald M. Grant/Scribner, 2004

About this Item

New York: Donald M. Grant/Scribner (2004). First edition. First Printing. Fine/Fine. A clean, tight copy. Comes with mylar dust jacket cover. Shipped in well-padded box. Smoke-free shop. The Dark Tower series spans eight books written between 1982 and 2012, blending fantasy, horror, and western genres in a sprawling multiverse centered on Roland Deschain s quest for the Tower; the series was loosely adapted into a 2017 feature film starring Idris Elba and Matthew McConaughey and more faithfully reimagined in a shelved Amazon pilot directed by Stephen Hopkins. GW/stacks.

Seller Inventory # GW-506

Bibliographic Details

• Title: The Dark Tower (The Dark Tower, Book 7) (First Edition)
• Publisher: Donald M. Grant/Scribner
• Publication Date: 2004
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1880418622
• ISBN 13: 9781880418628
• Binding: Hardcover
• Illustrator: Whelan, Michael
• Edition: 1st Edition
• Condition: Fine
• Dust Jacket Condition: Fine

About this title

Synopsis

A much-anticipated final installment in the epic series that began thirty-three years ago with The Gunslinger completes the quest of Roland Deschain, who works to outmaneuver the increasingly desperate acts of his adversaries and confronts losses within his circle of companions. 750,000 first printing.

Review

The Dark Tower is the final volume in Stephen King’s 34 years in the writing septet with which it shares its title. Not only does the book complete the 3000-plus page quest, but also weaves together much of King’s fiction from his entire career. It is, as King notes in his afterword, as much the summation of his own journey as it is of the last gunslinger, Roland Deschain.

The story continues directly from the end of Song of Susannah, but this time is much more of an epic fantasy than a surreal metafiction (a word King tells us he hates, but is stuck with). Roland finally reaches The Dark Tower, but getting there is a wonder in itself, a bleak and often tragic tale with King pulling no punches as the small band of warriors find their destinies. There is more action and excitement, suspense and adventure than in the two proceeding volumes--from desperate chases to battles with a giant spider--while the tone is often melancholy with the remorseless of fate. King works within the patterns of the great fantasy epics, from the Arthurian legends to The Lord of the Rings and his writing is as beautiful as it is unsparingly graphic. The final 100 pages are simply breathtaking in their perfect dark beauty. Doubtless the meaning of it all will be debated for decades to come, with some loving the ending, others feeling let down. But the result is an immensely bold piece of work which avoids the clichés of stock heroic fantasy while completely fulfilling the series’ atavistic promise. One thing is certain, the final pages will make many readers head straight back to the first volume, The Gunslinger to make the journey all over again.--Gary Dalkin