Thursday, March 10, 2011

Brain Freeze and ... ummm ... I forgot ...

Hi all. I haven't been around blogland for awhile. The demands on my time have been quite extensive, leaving me with little time for my own pursuits. I've also been suffering multiple episodes of brain freeze and this has meant no-brain-cells-left for reading or blogging (or commenting -- I apologize if you were kind enough to leave me comments to which I never responded).

Actually, I've done some reading but it has mostly consisted of culinary mysteries (yay, Diane Mott Davidson!) and Stephen King's Dark Tower series. Have any of you read this King series? I was skeptical after reading volume one. It wasn't bad, but I rolled my eyes a lot and wondered "What. Is. The. Point"??? I was encouraged, by another reader, to be forgiving of King's youthful writing and carry on with volume two. I am so glad I did. I'm almost done with volume three and I count myself as one of the fans of this series.

King has created a mythic hero in Roland of Gilead (yes, there is a connection to the Browning poem). He is a gunslinger and he is cool and mysterious. Think ... Clint Eastwood. Think ... Sergio Leone. Roland is on a quest for the Dark Tower. But what IS the Dark Tower? And why the heck do North, South, East and West get a bit confused? Why is "Blaine a pain"? I still don't know the answers to the first two.

This book is a blend of many genres. I can see the influence that science fiction has had on King. Then there are the mystery elements. And of course adventure. It is an epic quest. What an interesting blend he has created. There are seven volumes in all, so it is not an endless commitment. And you must, if nothing else, read Stephen King's new introduction to the series. Even he is amused by his young self's grandiosity and chutzpah!

Interesting tidbits:

Link to more about The Dark Tower.

Author web site.

Possible eighth book "Wind in the Key Hole" coming 2012.

7 comments:

  1. Diane: Thanks! It is nice to be missed :o)

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  2. What Diane said. :)

    I've been meaning to read this series for, like, EVER. I'm sometimes on the fence with King, but based on what I've heard I think I'll likely enjoy these ones.

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  3. It's great to hear from you, Terri! Like Memory I've been meaning to read the series for ages, but I'm somehow intimidated by its length :P Someday, someday.

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  4. No, I haven't read this King series. I didn't even know it existed! oh my, more to add to my list. Just when I'm thinking I'm making progress on whittling it down... ahahaha.
    I have been overwhelmed with wanting to read lately. Not sure why. I have to start getting more audiobooks so I can walk and listen. Cuz I gotta get outdoors more. Between a desk job, writing and reading, my winter self needs to stretch!

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  5. What IS it this year with all of us being deprived of reading and blogging!? Doesn't life and health understand how important all of this is? ;)

    Isn't it funny how an author's writing can change so much throughout their lives? It sounds like King's introduction is great; I love when an author can poke fun at themselves!

    P.S. I always miss you when you go on a blogging break! :D

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  6. All: Thanks for missing me!

    Memory: I think you would enjoy this series. I'm not a huge King fan, but I sure do like this series. I'll look forward to your comments if you ever read it.

    Nymeth: It is a bit daunting - 7 volumes and most are chunksters - but I've found I get so wrapped up in them that I don't really think about the commitment I've made! May want to wait until you're not taking classes though. I'll look forward to what you think someday :o)

    Oh: Sorry! I know how that goes - whittle down the collection and then add to it because of book blogs! I've been enjoying some walks lately too. So nice to have a little more daylight at the end of the day so I can get out and move around some.

    Eva: I know! I keep hearing from people that are struggling to get in reading and blogging. I get kinda cranky when health issues and busyness keep me from reading much. And I really miss my blog friends when not blogging. I'm certainly glad to see you back again :o) I'm with you, I like to see how authors develop over time. I've noticed that you like to read an author's backlist and read older books first when possible; I'm with you on that.

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