has anyone else read Stephen King's "Wolves of the Calla"?

[Spider Jerusalem]

And did anyone else have a kind of "what the fuck???" feeling at the end? Seems like King's characters are going to find out that they're in the literary equivalent of the Matrix. For some reason, I feel a little let down. Not quite what I was expecting.

[Cat Atomic]

1. I haven't read it yet, but

I've always thought that the world of The Gunslinger was going to turn out to be SK's mind or something. You know how characters from other King books are always making little cameo appearances, and there are offhanded mentions of events in other books...

Then there are weird statements like, 'what's true today may or not be true tomorrow', and that sort of thing.

Anyway- is it that sort of Matrix deal, or is it something else? I'm sure I won't get to read it for a few months at least, and I don't mind spoilers. :P

[Spider Jerusalem]

2. Basically, yes...

It seems like the characters in the novel are going to find out that that's what they are...and, I guess, that Roland's world (and all the others) are "moving on" because King is getting older...one of the characters actually sees a King novel brouight back through one of those mysterious portals between our world and Roland's in which he appears as a character. Like I said, not QUITE what I expected. (Interesting conceit, though.)

[Cat Atomic]

3. Hmm.

Well, that's cool, I guess.

My favorite books in the series are The Gunslinger and Wizard and Glass. Honestly, I could do without the Wizard of Oz theme and characters from our own world going to Roland's.

I remember being totally taken in by the first book when I read it. The imagery and feel of the book was just so unique... a really weird blend of spaghetti western and Camelot. Cowboys with castles and wizards.

I'd have been happy if the storyline never left the Gunslinger's world at all.

[ZenLefty]

4. Yes (spoilers)

I can't say I was disappointed, because I saw this theme building for a long time now. Every time he talks about the Tower, whether it be in his writing or in an interview or whatever, it seems like a grand focal point of alternate universes (stories and tales) wherein all of SK's previous stories exist and can touch each other from there. In other words, it's Stephen King's brain. Is the room at the top of the tower empty? (Yeah, probably.)

It was interesting enough to bring in characters from other books, or let the Dark Tower stuff bleed into other tales out there (Hearts in Atlantis, Insomnia, etc.). And kind of like Eddie already mentioned - walking into Bryn Calla was like walking into your archetypical western plot (troubled town hires gunmen to save them); I was glad that SK mentioned Kurusawa in the end of the book. But now Roland of Gilead finds a copy of Salem's Lot, and that really adds to the whatthefuckity of the whole thing. Perhaps he's setting us up now for a big let-down at the very end? Hope not.

But, if you think about it, the tale is in the telling, not the ending. It's been a good series to read so far. If the end sucks, at least the ride was good.

[Occulus]

5. Somehow I doubt it.

The one thing I've noticed more than anything else about the Dark Tower series is its weirdness. I very highly doubt that what we'll see at the end is something we've all seen over and over before; I read somewhere in an interview with him that he's not quite certain what's going to happen in this series, as the characters are basically writing themselves. I guess we'll just have to wait and see.

I haven't read wolves yet. Right now I'm picking apart Goodkind's world; I'll pick up Wolves sometime soon.

[PVnRT]

6. Aye

Somehow, I have the feeling Stu and Frannie will pop in, especially given the stopover in post-Captain Trips Topeka. And I think that the character Thomas from "Eyes of the Dragon," who was hunting Flagg on another world (or is it the same?) will pop in too.

I know some people probably think it's hokey, but I like him weaving other characters from other stories in there. I had wondered what happened to the priest after running of in "Salem's Lot," anyway.

But, dammit, I want to know more about the "breakers" and about what happened to Roland's world. I have my guesses, but I would hear the answer, do ya very fine.