Wizard and Glass is my favorite Stephen King book. The first three books, Roland remains mostly mystified. We don’t have a good understanding of his motivations or why he possesses certain characteristics. The book is beautifully written with tons a plot and well rounded characters. It also shows us how bad ass gunslingers really are - teenage boys outsmarting and outgunning dozens of grown men. Plus we get a great love story - forbidden love between two teenagers - what’s not to love? Last thing, the book is perfectly placed in the series because until then, Eddie and Susannah didn’t know Roland’s story, therefore how could they go further in trusting him?, and eventually learning to love him?
Thank you for this post! I fell in love with wizard and Glass and you absolutely nailed the reasons why! I’ll never understand booktubers that rank this book so low. It’s incredible and a masterpiece of writing in my humble opinion. Again, thank you for articulating the reasons why I loved this book…
insomnia starts very very slow... but it starts ramping up and ends with a motherhugging crescendo.... you really need to finish it... and once you've gone through it there's a good chance you might agree with me on this.. wizard and glass, i agree took me out of the DT series for a bit but i think it was totally worth it.. because young roland's journey was fascinating... alain and cuthbert were great characters and i remember i really enjoyed reading it...
"The Colorado Kid" was a murder victim, not a serial killer, but yes it was horrible. "Wizard and Glass" is near the top of Stephen King books for me personally, if you don't like a bunch of exposition, you probably don't like a bunch of Stephen King. And since "Rose Madder", "Gerald's Game", and "Dolores Claiborne" aren't in your bottom five, you must not have read those yet.
Wizard and glass if the best book I think..I cared a lot more about Roland Cuhtberg and Alain`s journey then Eddie and Susan honestly...But right now I`m at book number 6 so yeah...
With Elevation, I agree that it's a strange book but it's a book that I think about from time to time. I think that writers will often write an homage to a particular writer or book they enjoyed or found interesting and compelling. Elevation, I think, is an homage to Tolstoy and his book The Death of Ivan Ilyich. The protagonist in elevation, Scott Carey, much like Ivan Ilyich in Tolstoy's book, is confronted with death in the form of a strange illness. Once he's accepted that this illness will more than likely result in death, he decides to live more meaningfully. He works hard to repair a broken relationship with someone who he wouldn't have otherwise if not for this confrontation with death. This confrontation changes him and makes him a better person. It's a work best understood as philosophy and not necessarily as entertainment, though it is entertaining. I believe king wanted to introduce this concept of Tolstoy's to a modern audience, since it's unlikely that they'd pick up and read the original story. In this way, I love elevation and I'm thankful to king for writing it.
Interesting, and this could very well be the case. Though, in addition to 'The Death of Ivan Ilyich,' there's another book King was almost certainly inspired by/wanted to pay homage to: 'The Shrinking Man' by Richard Matheson (which was later made into a movie back in--I think--the 50's called 'The Incredible Shrinking Man'). The story is almost exactly what you described above, only in that book/film the protag, Scott Carey (if that's not a huge red flag then it's the world's biggest coincidence, lol) is hit by a cloud of radiation, and his death sentence comes in the form of slowly shrinking away to nothing (funnily enough, his wife Tabitha has apparently also written a book that deals with similar subject matter, though it's out of print and therefore a little hard to find a copy of). Not only does the protag in King's novella share the same name, but in his book on horror media, 'Danse Macabre,' King dedicates a significant section to discussing 'TSM,' calling it a great adventure story and a story about "taking back one's power," something both Scotts do when they at last accept their fates. For what it's worth I didn't hate 'Elevation'--hell, it's one of the few King books that have made me cry--but I do understand some of the valid criticisms people have made regarding the story and characters.
I've never been scared of a book until my reread of desperation. My body is rotting since my reread when I have convulsions I start speaking on the language of the dead. At first I just did it because I was drunk now I can't control it
The regulators is even better the same characters just he puts them in a different scenario that was his idea about that book and those books he's never done before but once again you got to listen to the audiobook by Frank Miller
The Regulators is surprisingly better in my opinion than Desperation - You're really supposed to read Regulators first before Desperation to get the book before desperation happens. Really Great book but for people who don't like really weird creepy suburban towns and gore probably not the best.
Regulators is awesome it is confusing but if you listen to it the audiobook version with Frank Muller one of the best books ever heard I listen to it five times cuz I love it so much
I loved Desperation. The Regulators is interesting but I feel like it had too many "journal entries" that fill in the story gaps and too many characters who were only added to get killed off.
the regulars wasn't really confusing, per se, it was really just Weird wtf Stephen king moments in the first half of it, but it really picks up in the second half and (poop aside lol) has a really strong ending, which surprised me.
Insomnia is one of King’s books that most everyone either doesn’t like it or loves it, not much of a middle of the road reaction for most people similar to The Talisman or Wizard&Glass.
My least favorites are 5. Revival (I really liked it but then there was the ending) 4. Gwendy’s Botton Box (not what I expected and didn’t see the point) 3. The Dark Half (great concept but not very effectively executed) 2. Fire starter (found it pretty boring and drug out. Really didn’t care for the main villain John) 1. Eyes of the Dragon (the only book by King that I’ve read that I can say I hated. Didn’t like anything about it.)
My least favorite King books: The Talisman (1.5 stars) and Black House (DNF, the only King book I haven't read). I also really don't like Rage, Danse Macabre, Elevation, Nightmares and Dreamscapes, End of Watch. Those are all 2 star books for me. Even though King is my 2nd favorite author behind GRRM, he has a lot of duds. But that's why he's so much fun to talk about, because the variety means that no one is going to have the exact same list. I love Wizard and Glass lol My least favorite DT book is Wolves of the Calla, but that's still a 3 star book.
Again once again the audiobooks are done by Frank Miller of the black house and talisman listen to them they're fantastic it all has to do with how the narrator tells a story a post reading it yourself makes it less confusing
Funny thing, I actually feel the complete opposite about the Regulators and Desperation, lol. I really liked Regulators, but did not care for Desperation at all.
I love Wizard & Glass. Like many other Dark Tower fans it is my favorite. I think it fits nicely as the fourth book because it is important to know why Roland is on the quest. The Gunslinger is an introductory book, laying out Roland, The Man in Black and Jake. Drawing of the Three is Eddie and Susannah's story. Wastelands in Jake's story and the formation of the Ka-Tet. We know why Eddie, Sue and Jake are on the quest but we don't really know why Roland is hell bent on reaching the tower. That's why Wizard and Glass is so important because once we reach Wolves of Callah and beyond things are moving a break neck speed. W&G also shows how Roland has sort of become so cold in his younger years in the Gunslinger, which makes his love for Eddie, Sue and Jake some much sweeter in the later books.
I was the same with insomnia I got so far into it then got rid of it I just couldn’t enjoy it I might try again I’m not sure yet as I do know it’s meant to get good My least favs so far: Insomnia Everything’s eventual (good stories but didn’t grip me) Fire starter (again might try again) Elevation To an extent revival although the ending was good and I changed my mind about selling it on Geralds game (I was so bored I didn’t even make it half way)
I read Wind Through the Keyhole after finishing the 7 main books. I loved it, maybe it's better to be read after you finish the main numbered books in the series. Maybe I wouldn't have enjoyed it as much reading it between books 4 and 5. I can see the frustration it could cause of wanting to just return to the main quest/journey.
I was staying over at someone's house once, and there was no internet, only basic TV and books on business, finance and Stephen King's Insomnia. I pounced on Insomnia so quick. Hahaha. I did actually like the book though.
I have only read the Colorado kid from him because of the show I mentioned before Haven based off of it. It seriously so much better, because you get answers plus it 5 seasons while the book was under 200 pages. Its sci fi and the oy things from the book that make it to the show are the 2 men who work at the newspaper, the name of the bar, and the mystery that is the Colorado kid, which is introduced in the 2nd episode. Then maybe you could do a video of best/worst King book/movie/TV show adaptations
I didn't mind the fact there were no answers in the book, I just wasn't expecting it to kind of flip the script when it's being published by a company that floods itself in classic mystery/noir novels lol. I think when I reread it with his new intro in mind I was able to appreciate how he took the myth of this murder and showed how it worked itself into the lives of others in town.
Colorado Kid is just awful. I read Wizard and Glass when it was released and I didn’t really enjoy it. But after finishing The Dark Tower, I listened to the audiobook versions of all of the books. And it is now one of my favorite books. Same with Insomnia. I love Wind Through The Keyhole.
Lol. Insomnia does have some good Dark Tower stuff in it. I actually did enjoy the book, but it was a bit of a slow start. I recently started a little personal quest to read all Stephen King from old to new (including the Bachman stuff). Anyways, I was amused to see Regulators on your list, because it's actually my next read following Desperation. 🙈🙈🙈🙈
Don’t let my rank ruin the read, I made the mistake in reading The Regulators before Desperation. It doesn’t make the biggest difference which you start with, but there’s more backstory on the antagonist in Regulators that’s explained in Desperation. Happy reading!
@@ZacksBooks No worries. I'll finish it either tomorrow or the next day. Different strokes for different folks, so I wasn't at all worried that it was listed on a bottom 5 worst list. Honestly haven't even considered trying to list out my 5 least favorites. Regulators is around 30. Although I'm not sure it's bottom 5 for me, I can say it's in the bottom half. I don't hate it, but it's definitely not a favorite. I do prefer Desperation, and I see what you mean about the antagonist.
I TOTALLY get what you're saying about both insomnia: took me two years (maybe more ?!) of going back to it before I finally finished it. What's interesting is you mention maybe needing to push through because of its ST connections...but then miss how great the stories in DT4 & TWTTKH both are: as a constant reader since 1976...they are, imho, among his best storytelling ever... Yes, neither move the quest along but I think you might be confusing the quest FOR the Tower with what the series is actually about: Rolands quest...and those two tales are far more critical to that than anything that happens in insomnia. ...which is also why, for me, DT5, 6 & 7 fail: King, to appease those that wanted the quest to end (because of the accident), forgot the face of his father and wrote to finish a story not continue the quest Don't know if you know this but DT4 was never supposed to have anything in it that related to DT3...not Blaine...not the Ka-tet: it was originally entirely only the backstory... That beginning ? ...and ending ? ...tacked on to appease. Ah, well. I, too, am not a fan of TCK or Regulators even tho both are, in their own way, every bit as much DT related as insomnia... And, for the record, both Joyland and Later are far more normal King-style storytelling with Joyland being one really great read (haven't got to Later tho it is in the short TBR pile) All in all, greatly appreciate your thoughts on these...it's clear you've given a lot of thought into this...keep up the solid work.
I agree. What pissed me off about the final DT books is the way King inserted himself into the stories just as a big F you to the fans that wrote him after the accident worrying more about the series than him. It was petty... It was clearly his way of punishing the fans by using the accident to hurt us.
@@LN-Lifer huh...never thought of it that way but it's entirely possible: I remember reading interviews with him around that time where he seems to indicate he would finish it off...then waffle around as to why: sometimes it was because the accident scared him and he thought he should finish it...sometimes he made it clear he was pushing to finish it because fans were hounding him... "Finish the dark tower or the bear gets it" I personally get the feeling out of those 3 books that he's writing just to get the task done: I saw the character of King more as a shortcut to circumvent what might've been more creative storytelling. Either way...it was like breaking that mythical 4th wall and the story was no longer about Roland and his quest but King and his.
@@peterconlon8234 spoiler to all who haven't read it: In a prologue he seemed really pissed(understandably) about all the people freaking out about the story instead of asking about his well being. So he used that van to kill Jake. You can tell SK HATES the driver and I think he wanted us to hate him as well. The truth is it just made me lose respect for King. Especially when he wouldn't own it and instead said "I don't write the story, it writes itself" Jake should have been safe. I expected Roland's "I won't drop you again" to play a key part in the end In fact I predicted that in the end Roland would forsake the tower to save Jake.... And by doing so he would actually save the world. That sounds pretty generic and cliche today but I still suspect that's closer to what SK had planned before he went petty.
@@LN-Lifer some deep DT truths, there: I think the very obvious " the story writes itself" mentality can literally be FELT throughout most of 2-4...quite a bit in 1... But it's mostly gone in 5...and becomes a memory throughout 6 & 7. It was all jarring where before it was lyrical.
@@peterconlon8234 yep As excited as I was to get those last books after so many years following the story I would definitely trade it out now for a longer wait and something true to the story.
Dude you’re killing me lol! Wind through the keyhole was just beautiful! Good god man, what makes the story so good?! Being immersed in the world of Midworld. Why even bother reading DT without the wonderful weaving in the tapestry of this world. Both WTKH and W n G do that beautifully.
I agree with your take on Elevation. I kept waiting for a punch line that never showed up. Also, most fans love the Stand and It. While i enjoyed them, I thought they were overblown.
Nice video, I absolutely loved watching this. Hearing your comments, Elevation sounds like such a weird book! I am actually interested to read it now, lol. 😅
what really helped me with his hard case crime stories is looking more at the characters than the conclusion of the mystery. SPOILERS FOR COLORADO KID the fact it never got solved initially bothered me, but when I took into account his new introduction where he mentions the myth of the story being told being more important than whether or not her murder is solved was super interesting; it allowed me to focus on the characters and how this mystery woman's death impacted the people within the community...and that was fascinating. I'll admit I read joyland first and was disappointed by the obvious twist, but now that I have a better understanding of how his HCC stories play out, I want to go back and focus less on the structure and more on the mystery impacting the cast of characters. also, Later was honestly excellent and I loved the inclusion of some other kingverse staples...even if the core concept wasnt super memorable lol.
I absolutely HATE Roadwork. What a shitty book that was. Why did the protagonist do all that stupid shit? He ruined his life and the ones of those around him and for what? All for nothing!
I hate to admit this but Elevation is what got me into King. I saw the book and loved the cover so I bought it (I’m shallow, I know) and now I have an entire bookcase of nothing but King. Although Elevation isn’t anywhere near his greatest works and I definitely agree it could’ve been in a short story collection instead, there’s something wholesome about it that I love.
The last portion of Wizard and Glass doesn’t really need to be there. I mean, the whole Wizard of Oz narrative is such a cliche. The book should have just ended with the reaping. That creates quite a cliffhanger for the next novel. In which there is no resurrection of the Tick Tock Man. No need to sprinkle those scenes in with little consequence. The book should have been shortened by 100 pages or so.
I love Wizard and Glass but you're right about the series just getting going then we get this. like its such a side track from all the momentum built up from book three.
Wizard and Glass was like if the show Lost, instead of doing flashbacks every episode, just devoted an entire season to the characters' backstories. Like, where's the island???
I completely agree with your views on Elevation , Insomnia and the Regulators. I like Wizard and Glass but you had me laughing out loud at your reaction. It does seem out of order in the series.
I loved the Regulators essentially because of the child and the relationship with his aunt ( I think it was his aunt but been awhile since I read it)… it was beautiful… not sure if you have children or not but if you did, you might see the beauty of this story
Wizard and Glass and Wind Through the Keyhole are my least favorite Dark Tower books. I skip them upon re reads. I read the Blaine conclusion and then jump to Wolves of the Calla. Say thankee.
Its funny how everyone (or almost everyone) shits on wizard and glass because for me i loved that backstory. i was so tired of jake, eddie, and susannah after the waste lands that all that stuff with rhea, susan, coffin hunters, alain, cuthbert and everyone in mejis was enjoyable to me
Wizard and glass was really hard for me to get into after I started it. I put it down for 15 years then picked it back up and it ended up being my favorite book in the series.
I loved Regulators on my first read (when I was about 14) but on a reread (at 38) I felt it a bit weaker. Really weird but still enjoyable. Desperation is great though, loved my reread of that
Excellent choices 👌 Regulators... I can't get past the street shootings. Elevation... I've never read, but I will try one day. Wizard and glass... just doesn't fit into the dark tower.. should have been 500 shorter Wind through the keyhole... only good thing is my dads photo is in the tiny photo cover page Colorado kid... just couldn't gel with it..
I liked wind through the keyhole, but it was an unnecessary waste if time, plus there is an added sting that he release a new dsrk tower book and didnt confirm or affirm the ending with it.
The bottom 5....off the top of my head? Lisey's story...hated it when it first came out about 15 years ago, Any DT novel past #4....It seems like he was just trying to complete the novel, The Institute, Just rehashed old stuff
Wind Through the Keyhole is meat to be read after the series. I find the hardcase crime books to be kind of boring. Like, how many crime thrillers are already out there? Do we really need another Patterson-esque story in a market already saturated?
I have read Carrie, the body, and I'm about to finish the Colorado kid. I'm very happy to here tons of people say that Colorado kid is one of his worst. Reading misery next.
Colorado Kid is a betrayal of the unspoken agreement between reader and writer: Tell a complete story. It's a murder concept King came up with and couldn't write his way out of. The Sopranos ending was like this. A copout. Sure, people pretend to love it for intellectual currency, but no one really does. Hahahah.
I'm going to steal this intellectual currency line. So useful. The amount of things some people pretend to love because it's associated with intellectuals is insane. 👍👍👍 There should be a definitive list of those things.
just like everyone else, i gotta disagree with you on wizard and glass. definitely my favorite king book of all time. resolves the blain cliffhanger right off the bat... huge easter egg to the stand after that... AMAZING story of young roland and susan delgato... then RIGHT AFTER the trippy wizard of oz palace, the tick tock man AND randal flagg show up?? it was everything i couldve hoped for and more. very important for character development. im guessing you want to be hooked from beginning to end with action all the time... i used to never want to read any of kings stuff when i was a kid because he would go on and on about random shit that characters were doing and it bored me to death. as an adult i SERIOUSLY appreciate it so much more because again... very important for character development. obviously my opinion. i have met one person who doesn't like it of all the people who read the dark tower... and he never read any of kings stuff before hand so he was set up for failure.
Buddy....BUDDY!!!! I know you uploaded this about a year ago and hoping you finished Insomnia. I dont want to knock anyones opinion but if you constantly say "I just dont get it" then you have to do some deeper thinking into the multiverse. Wizard & Glass is by far and away SK best book EVER! This shows so much talent of SK and that he is not just a horror writer. The Colorado Kid is such an amazing quick read that lets you fit in what book in the multiverse connects with it. Id recommend you dive deeper into the multiverse and youll find that your dislike of the books you reviewed will become your favorites.
I read elevation and also didn’t think it was a sensational read..was mediocre at best...but dude u don’t need to spoil literally the complete plot / ending 😅
Unghhhh… dude seriously?… wizard and glass is sublime.. it’s by far the best in the series..: my god, it’s so good on so many levels, I can’t begin to even touch upon the genius of this installment… it’s absolutely perfect and made Midworld so accessible…
Noooooo!! Wizard and Glass is such a beautiful, charming book!! But I get it. I heard E's side of it before, so I understand the argument... but damn, lol
Holy shit it's Flagg in the Emerald city from Oz.......now let's get into 4 thousand pages of boredom with a depressing payoff. My dad loves that shit like the "getting the power back on" in the stand.....except that's where my reread's die a sudden death
Could not agree more about Wizard And Glass. I finished it last night and dear god what a drag of a book. The beginning and end when it’s the main group was just fine, but the entire backstory I just never wanted to pick the book up to keep going through. It was a struggle. Kind of have me worried now for Wind Through The Keyhole but I’m already this far, not stopping now lol
there is always one part in every king book that is just stupid dose not need to be there its mostly one child talking to another or a kid thinking about something in a serious way and its always in a house lol..but its worth getting through it because that's just his style and the style is the same when its good. the lame shit is only a page or two at most
I can't agree with you on "Elevation". I really liked this book. I can't judge other books you mentioned because I've not read them yet, but I will share with you my personal list of books written by Stephen King that i didn't like. 1. "It". 2. "Joyland" 3. "Dead Zone" These three books were so boring. King tends to write about things that don't matter to the main plot of the book and books I mentioned are a perfect example of this. While reading "It" I had a feeling that King was doing everything in his power to avoid the main plot of the book.
@@Ytnzy250 I love Stephen King and character development, but he, infamously, goes too much into it... Frequently. Just ask him. He admits repeatedly that he overwrites. Obviously, to each their own opinion, but there is a reason why his books are consistently much longer than more artistically respected authors.
Wizard and Glass is a favorite for most people. But I agree. It was the worst book in the series for me. I was a slog to get through. Wolves of the Calla is way better. I know it’s not a popular opinion but I agree with you.
Wizard and Glass is my favorite Stephen King book. The first three books, Roland remains mostly mystified. We don’t have a good understanding of his motivations or why he possesses certain characteristics. The book is beautifully written with tons a plot and well rounded characters. It also shows us how bad ass gunslingers really are - teenage boys outsmarting and outgunning dozens of grown men. Plus we get a great love story - forbidden love between two teenagers - what’s not to love? Last thing, the book is perfectly placed in the series because until then, Eddie and Susannah didn’t know Roland’s story, therefore how could they go further in trusting him?, and eventually learning to love him?
My favorite part of the entire Dark Tower series? He's quick, smart, and cute.
Yep, I'm talking about Oy, of course
While I love this book because it is part of the Tower series, I am infinitely impatient with it because Roland and Susan were SO STUPID
I like wind through the keyhole. But it's kind of pointless at the end of the day, so I would cut if way bef9re wizard in glass.
Thank you for this post! I fell in love with wizard and Glass and you absolutely nailed the reasons why! I’ll never understand booktubers that rank this book so low. It’s incredible and a masterpiece of writing in my humble opinion. Again, thank you for articulating the reasons why I loved this book…
insomnia starts very very slow... but it starts ramping up and ends with a motherhugging crescendo.... you really need to finish it... and once you've gone through it there's a good chance you might agree with me on this..
wizard and glass, i agree took me out of the DT series for a bit but i think it was totally worth it.. because young roland's journey was fascinating... alain and cuthbert were great characters and i remember i really enjoyed reading it...
Agree on Insomnia. I actually enjoyed it, but yeah it's a bit of a slow start.
Insomnia took me a few tries... it starts so slow but once you get into it it is damn good
Dude you weren't supposed to read WTTK before Wolves. You're supposed to read that after the last Dark Tower. King even said that.
Wasn't crazy about Colorado Kid but thought Joyland was great. I think you'll like it.
I'm planning to do a video with Joyland once the new book comes out in March so hopefully I do like it!
"The Colorado Kid" was a murder victim, not a serial killer, but yes it was horrible. "Wizard and Glass" is near the top of Stephen King books for me personally, if you don't like a bunch of exposition, you probably don't like a bunch of Stephen King. And since "Rose Madder", "Gerald's Game", and "Dolores Claiborne" aren't in your bottom five, you must not have read those yet.
This actually made me laugh RL. Yeah, I think Gerald's Game is probably somewhere toward the bottom.
I thought Gerald's Game was really scary...near the end.
those 3 are definitely on my 5 worst list
Maybe I’m different, but I enjoyed Gerald’s Game. Reading it in bed at night scared the shit out of me. 😅
Wizard and glass if the best book I think..I cared a lot more about Roland Cuhtberg and Alain`s journey then Eddie and Susan honestly...But right now I`m at book number 6 so yeah...
Yeah I know. I absolutely loved that book of the series. I actually loved all them except the last.
Best book of the opus
With Elevation, I agree that it's a strange book but it's a book that I think about from time to time. I think that writers will often write an homage to a particular writer or book they enjoyed or found interesting and compelling. Elevation, I think, is an homage to Tolstoy and his book The Death of Ivan Ilyich. The protagonist in elevation, Scott Carey, much like Ivan Ilyich in Tolstoy's book, is confronted with death in the form of a strange illness. Once he's accepted that this illness will more than likely result in death, he decides to live more meaningfully. He works hard to repair a broken relationship with someone who he wouldn't have otherwise if not for this confrontation with death. This confrontation changes him and makes him a better person. It's a work best understood as philosophy and not necessarily as entertainment, though it is entertaining. I believe king wanted to introduce this concept of Tolstoy's to a modern audience, since it's unlikely that they'd pick up and read the original story. In this way, I love elevation and I'm thankful to king for writing it.
Yes, I also catch myself coming back to the book mentally and think about it in some philosophical and metaphorical way 😋
Interesting, and this could very well be the case. Though, in addition to 'The Death of Ivan Ilyich,' there's another book King was almost certainly inspired by/wanted to pay homage to: 'The Shrinking Man' by Richard Matheson (which was later made into a movie back in--I think--the 50's called 'The Incredible Shrinking Man'). The story is almost exactly what you described above, only in that book/film the protag, Scott Carey (if that's not a huge red flag then it's the world's biggest coincidence, lol) is hit by a cloud of radiation, and his death sentence comes in the form of slowly shrinking away to nothing (funnily enough, his wife Tabitha has apparently also written a book that deals with similar subject matter, though it's out of print and therefore a little hard to find a copy of). Not only does the protag in King's novella share the same name, but in his book on horror media, 'Danse Macabre,' King dedicates a significant section to discussing 'TSM,' calling it a great adventure story and a story about "taking back one's power," something both Scotts do when they at last accept their fates. For what it's worth I didn't hate 'Elevation'--hell, it's one of the few King books that have made me cry--but I do understand some of the valid criticisms people have made regarding the story and characters.
Insomnia gets better farther along
Insomnia is a great book, dude is a dullard
Wizard & Glass without doubt the best book in the DT series
In your opinion.
It's my least favorite and I skip it on re reads now.
@@OrangeChrome good for you
@@juliusrandle2733 No no, good for you.
While I largely disagree personally, your delivery cracks me up.
I've never been scared of a book until my reread of desperation. My body is rotting since my reread when I have convulsions I start speaking on the language of the dead. At first I just did it because I was drunk now I can't control it
The regulators is even better the same characters just he puts them in a different scenario that was his idea about that book and those books he's never done before but once again you got to listen to the audiobook by Frank Miller
@@boidashaun Tak ah lah Tak a wan
Having read Desperation I've been wondering if I should read The Regulators. I'll take this into consideration.
The Regulators is surprisingly better in my opinion than Desperation - You're really supposed to read Regulators first before Desperation to get the book before desperation happens. Really Great book but for people who don't like really weird creepy suburban towns and gore probably not the best.
Regulators is awesome it is confusing but if you listen to it the audiobook version with Frank Muller one of the best books ever heard I listen to it five times cuz I love it so much
I loved Desperation. The Regulators is interesting but I feel like it had too many "journal entries" that fill in the story gaps and too many characters who were only added to get killed off.
the regulars wasn't really confusing, per se, it was really just Weird wtf Stephen king moments in the first half of it, but it really picks up in the second half and (poop aside lol) has a really strong ending, which surprised me.
Insomnia is one of King’s books that most everyone either doesn’t like it or loves it, not much of a middle of the road reaction for most people similar to The Talisman or Wizard&Glass.
I hated all three of those, but tried so hard to like them at the time. It was too much of an investment and to me they weren't worth it.
Love all those! Not a big it fan!
My least favorites are
5. Revival (I really liked it but then there was the ending)
4. Gwendy’s Botton Box (not what I expected and didn’t see the point)
3. The Dark Half (great concept but not very effectively executed)
2. Fire starter (found it pretty boring and drug out. Really didn’t care for the main villain John)
1. Eyes of the Dragon (the only book by King that I’ve read that I can say I hated. Didn’t like anything about it.)
My least favorite King books: The Talisman (1.5 stars) and Black House (DNF, the only King book I haven't read). I also really don't like Rage, Danse Macabre, Elevation, Nightmares and Dreamscapes, End of Watch. Those are all 2 star books for me.
Even though King is my 2nd favorite author behind GRRM, he has a lot of duds. But that's why he's so much fun to talk about, because the variety means that no one is going to have the exact same list. I love Wizard and Glass lol My least favorite DT book is Wolves of the Calla, but that's still a 3 star book.
Again once again the audiobooks are done by Frank Miller of the black house and talisman listen to them they're fantastic it all has to do with how the narrator tells a story a post reading it yourself makes it less confusing
@@boidashaun I listened to it on audio, I love Frank, but not the story or the characters lol Nice try! 😉
Funny thing, I actually feel the complete opposite about the Regulators and Desperation, lol. I really liked Regulators, but did not care for Desperation at all.
I'd give Joyland a chance. Based on your reviews it seems up your alley 😊
I love Wizard & Glass. Like many other Dark Tower fans it is my favorite. I think it fits nicely as the fourth book because it is important to know why Roland is on the quest. The Gunslinger is an introductory book, laying out Roland, The Man in Black and Jake. Drawing of the Three is Eddie and Susannah's story. Wastelands in Jake's story and the formation of the Ka-Tet. We know why Eddie, Sue and Jake are on the quest but we don't really know why Roland is hell bent on reaching the tower. That's why Wizard and Glass is so important because once we reach Wolves of Callah and beyond things are moving a break neck speed. W&G also shows how Roland has sort of become so cold in his younger years in the Gunslinger, which makes his love for Eddie, Sue and Jake some much sweeter in the later books.
Putting Wizard and Glass in here is fowl
I was the same with insomnia I got so far into it then got rid of it I just couldn’t enjoy it
I might try again I’m not sure yet as I do know it’s meant to get good
My least favs so far:
Insomnia
Everything’s eventual (good stories but didn’t grip me)
Fire starter (again might try again)
Elevation
To an extent revival although the ending was good and I changed my mind about selling it on
Geralds game (I was so bored I didn’t even make it half way)
I read Wind Through the Keyhole after finishing the 7 main books. I loved it, maybe it's better to be read after you finish the main numbered books in the series. Maybe I wouldn't have enjoyed it as much reading it between books 4 and 5. I can see the frustration it could cause of wanting to just return to the main quest/journey.
I'm reading the regulators now and it's so confusing. What book is first. The Regulators or Desperation?
I was confused too. It’s a companion novel so I feel there is no true order, but IMO I’d read Desperation first if I were to do it again
You really don’t like character studies, do you?
I was staying over at someone's house once, and there was no internet, only basic TV and books on business, finance and Stephen King's Insomnia. I pounced on Insomnia so quick. Hahaha. I did actually like the book though.
I have only read the Colorado kid from him because of the show I mentioned before Haven based off of it. It seriously so much better, because you get answers plus it 5 seasons while the book was under 200 pages. Its sci fi and the oy things from the book that make it to the show are the 2 men who work at the newspaper, the name of the bar, and the mystery that is the Colorado kid, which is introduced in the 2nd episode. Then maybe you could do a video of best/worst King book/movie/TV show adaptations
I actually have that video on my to-do list. Will probably be working towards it my next vacation week in Janurary!
I loved Haven.
I didn't mind the fact there were no answers in the book, I just wasn't expecting it to kind of flip the script when it's being published by a company that floods itself in classic mystery/noir novels lol. I think when I reread it with his new intro in mind I was able to appreciate how he took the myth of this murder and showed how it worked itself into the lives of others in town.
Colorado Kid is just awful.
I read Wizard and Glass when it was released and I didn’t really enjoy it. But after finishing The Dark Tower, I listened to the audiobook versions of all of the books. And it is now one of my favorite books. Same with Insomnia.
I love Wind Through The Keyhole.
Lol. Insomnia does have some good Dark Tower stuff in it. I actually did enjoy the book, but it was a bit of a slow start.
I recently started a little personal quest to read all Stephen King from old to new (including the Bachman stuff). Anyways, I was amused to see Regulators on your list, because it's actually my next read following Desperation. 🙈🙈🙈🙈
Don’t let my rank ruin the read, I made the mistake in reading The Regulators before Desperation. It doesn’t make the biggest difference which you start with, but there’s more backstory on the antagonist in Regulators that’s explained in Desperation.
Happy reading!
@@ZacksBooks No worries. I'll finish it either tomorrow or the next day. Different strokes for different folks, so I wasn't at all worried that it was listed on a bottom 5 worst list.
Honestly haven't even considered trying to list out my 5 least favorites. Regulators is around 30. Although I'm not sure it's bottom 5 for me, I can say it's in the bottom half. I don't hate it, but it's definitely not a favorite. I do prefer Desperation, and I see what you mean about the antagonist.
I love Stephen King, but The Colorado Kid was one of the most boring books I've ever read in my life.
I TOTALLY get what you're saying about both insomnia: took me two years (maybe more ?!) of going back to it before I finally finished it.
What's interesting is you mention maybe needing to push through because of its ST connections...but then miss how great the stories in DT4 & TWTTKH both are: as a constant reader since 1976...they are, imho, among his best storytelling ever...
Yes, neither move the quest along but I think you might be confusing the quest FOR the Tower with what the series is actually about: Rolands quest...and those two tales are far more critical to that than anything that happens in insomnia.
...which is also why, for me, DT5, 6 & 7 fail: King, to appease those that wanted the quest to end (because of the accident), forgot the face of his father and wrote to finish a story not continue the quest
Don't know if you know this but DT4 was never supposed to have anything in it that related to DT3...not Blaine...not the Ka-tet: it was originally entirely only the backstory...
That beginning ?
...and ending ?
...tacked on to appease.
Ah, well.
I, too, am not a fan of TCK or Regulators even tho both are, in their own way, every bit as much DT related as insomnia...
And, for the record, both Joyland and Later are far more normal King-style storytelling with Joyland being one really great read (haven't got to Later tho it is in the short TBR pile)
All in all, greatly appreciate your thoughts on these...it's clear you've given a lot of thought into this...keep up the solid work.
I agree. What pissed me off about the final DT books is the way King inserted himself into the stories just as a big F you to the fans that wrote him after the accident worrying more about the series than him.
It was petty... It was clearly his way of punishing the fans by using the accident to hurt us.
@@LN-Lifer huh...never thought of it that way but it's entirely possible: I remember reading interviews with him around that time where he seems to indicate he would finish it off...then waffle around as to why: sometimes it was because the accident scared him and he thought he should finish it...sometimes he made it clear he was pushing to finish it because fans were hounding him...
"Finish the dark tower or the bear gets it"
I personally get the feeling out of those 3 books that he's writing just to get the task done: I saw the character of King more as a shortcut to circumvent what might've been more creative storytelling.
Either way...it was like breaking that mythical 4th wall and the story was no longer about Roland and his quest but King and his.
@@peterconlon8234 spoiler to all who haven't read it:
In a prologue he seemed really pissed(understandably) about all the people freaking out about the story instead of asking about his well being.
So he used that van to kill Jake. You can tell SK HATES the driver and I think he wanted us to hate him as well.
The truth is it just made me lose respect for King. Especially when he wouldn't own it and instead said "I don't write the story, it writes itself"
Jake should have been safe. I expected Roland's "I won't drop you again" to play a key part in the end
In fact I predicted that in the end Roland would forsake the tower to save Jake.... And by doing so he would actually save the world. That sounds pretty generic and cliche today but I still suspect that's closer to what SK had planned before he went petty.
@@LN-Lifer some deep DT truths, there: I think the very obvious " the story writes itself" mentality can literally be FELT throughout most of 2-4...quite a bit in 1...
But it's mostly gone in 5...and becomes a memory throughout 6 & 7.
It was all jarring where before it was lyrical.
@@peterconlon8234 yep
As excited as I was to get those last books after so many years following the story I would definitely trade it out now for a longer wait and something true to the story.
Dude you’re killing me lol! Wind through the keyhole was just beautiful! Good god man, what makes the story so good?! Being immersed in the world of Midworld. Why even bother reading DT without the wonderful weaving in the tapestry of this world. Both WTKH and W n G do that beautifully.
I agree with your take on Elevation. I kept waiting for a punch line that never showed up. Also, most fans love the Stand and It. While i enjoyed them, I thought they were overblown.
Nice video, I absolutely loved watching this. Hearing your comments, Elevation sounds like such a weird book! I am actually interested to read it now, lol. 😅
Thanks! Hope you enjoy it! It's a book many people enjoy so I wouldn't be surprised if you did like it!
I agree with you about "Insomnia" and "Colorado Kid." I didn't finish "Bag of Bones" or "Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon."
I really enjoyed Tom Gordon and I haven't gotten to Bag of Bones yet so we'll see!
LOVED The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon. I remember watching Bag of Bones mini series.
what really helped me with his hard case crime stories is looking more at the characters than the conclusion of the mystery.
SPOILERS FOR COLORADO KID
the fact it never got solved initially bothered me, but when I took into account his new introduction where he mentions the myth of the story being told being more important than whether or not her murder is solved was super interesting; it allowed me to focus on the characters and how this mystery woman's death impacted the people within the community...and that was fascinating.
I'll admit I read joyland first and was disappointed by the obvious twist, but now that I have a better understanding of how his HCC stories play out, I want to go back and focus less on the structure and more on the mystery impacting the cast of characters.
also, Later was honestly excellent and I loved the inclusion of some other kingverse staples...even if the core concept wasnt super memorable lol.
I absolutely HATE Roadwork. What a shitty book that was. Why did the protagonist do all that stupid shit? He ruined his life and the ones of those around him and for what? All for nothing!
I hate to admit this but Elevation is what got me into King. I saw the book and loved the cover so I bought it (I’m shallow, I know) and now I have an entire bookcase of nothing but King. Although Elevation isn’t anywhere near his greatest works and I definitely agree it could’ve been in a short story collection instead, there’s something wholesome about it that I love.
The last portion of Wizard and Glass doesn’t really need to be there. I mean, the whole Wizard of Oz narrative is such a cliche. The book should have just ended with the reaping. That creates quite a cliffhanger for the next novel. In which there is no resurrection of the Tick Tock Man. No need to sprinkle those scenes in with little consequence. The book should have been shortened by 100 pages or so.
I love Wizard and Glass but you're right about the series just getting going then we get this. like its such a side track from all the momentum built up from book three.
Wizard and Glass was like if the show Lost, instead of doing flashbacks every episode, just devoted an entire season to the characters' backstories. Like, where's the island???
I completely agree with your views on Elevation , Insomnia and the Regulators. I like Wizard and Glass but you had me laughing out loud at your reaction. It does seem out of order in the series.
Joyland is far better than the Colorado Kid
100% agree about the Colorado Kid and other crime novels. King doesn't know the genre. He should read John D. McDonald if he wants to learn how.
I loved the Regulators essentially because of the child and the relationship with his aunt ( I think it was his aunt but been awhile since I read it)… it was beautiful… not sure if you have children or not but if you did, you might see the beauty of this story
Wizard and Glass and Wind Through the Keyhole are my least favorite Dark Tower books. I skip them upon re reads. I read the Blaine conclusion and then jump to Wolves of the Calla. Say thankee.
Its funny how everyone (or almost everyone) shits on wizard and glass because for me i loved that backstory. i was so tired of jake, eddie, and susannah after the waste lands that all that stuff with rhea, susan, coffin hunters, alain, cuthbert and everyone in mejis was enjoyable to me
Lisey's Story, Bag Of Bones, Dreamcatcher, Elevation and Tommyknockers might be my bottom five off the top of my head.
Wizard and glass was really hard for me to get into after I started it. I put it down for 15 years then picked it back up and it ended up being my favorite book in the series.
BTW why does no one like The Colorado Kid......Is it because it doesn't have an ending
Regulators best book ive ever LISTEN TOO NARRATOR frank muller. Makes its visible for slow readers WITH NO IMAGINE
I loved Regulators on my first read (when I was about 14) but on a reread (at 38) I felt it a bit weaker. Really weird but still enjoyable. Desperation is great though, loved my reread of that
Excellent choices 👌
Regulators... I can't get past the street shootings.
Elevation... I've never read, but I will try one day.
Wizard and glass... just doesn't fit into the dark tower.. should have been 500 shorter
Wind through the keyhole... only good thing is my dads photo is in the tiny photo cover page
Colorado kid... just couldn't gel with it..
I liked wind through the keyhole, but it was an unnecessary waste if time, plus there is an added sting that he release a new dsrk tower book and didnt confirm or affirm the ending with it.
The bottom 5....off the top of my head? Lisey's story...hated it when it first came out about 15 years ago, Any DT novel past #4....It seems like he was just trying to complete the novel, The Institute, Just rehashed old stuff
Wind Through the Keyhole is meat to be read after the series.
I find the hardcase crime books to be kind of boring. Like, how many crime thrillers are already out there? Do we really need another Patterson-esque story in a market already saturated?
Should've chucked a spoiler alert at the beginning, mate.
I have read Carrie, the body, and I'm about to finish the Colorado kid. I'm very happy to here tons of people say that Colorado kid is one of his worst. Reading misery next.
Colorado Kid is a betrayal of the unspoken agreement between reader and writer: Tell a complete story. It's a murder concept King came up with and couldn't write his way out of. The Sopranos ending was like this. A copout. Sure, people pretend to love it for intellectual currency, but no one really does. Hahahah.
I'm going to steal this intellectual currency line. So useful. The amount of things some people pretend to love because it's associated with intellectuals is insane. 👍👍👍 There should be a definitive list of those things.
Joyland and Later are extremely good. Supernatural elements throughout and totally drive Later’s storyline.
Wizard and glass was awesome imo.
Oh and i hate mountain dew
"I hATe wiZArD aNd GLasS'"
tell me you don't understand reading is a journey,
without telling me you don't understand that
reading is a journey.
just like everyone else, i gotta disagree with you on wizard and glass. definitely my favorite king book of all time. resolves the blain cliffhanger right off the bat... huge easter egg to the stand after that... AMAZING story of young roland and susan delgato... then RIGHT AFTER the trippy wizard of oz palace, the tick tock man AND randal flagg show up?? it was everything i couldve hoped for and more. very important for character development.
im guessing you want to be hooked from beginning to end with action all the time... i used to never want to read any of kings stuff when i was a kid because he would go on and on about random shit that characters were doing and it bored me to death. as an adult i SERIOUSLY appreciate it so much more because again... very important for character development.
obviously my opinion. i have met one person who doesn't like it of all the people who read the dark tower... and he never read any of kings stuff before hand so he was set up for failure.
Funny about WIZARD and GLASS. It's probably only one of two I havent read. And I find it listed in peoples "favorite" and "not favorite". lists.
How the hell did Wizard and Glass make your worst list?
I think for the same reason Wolves of the Calla made his best list.
@@THEJEFFWORD
Now that is an excellent point!!!
Buddy....BUDDY!!!! I know you uploaded this about a year ago and hoping you finished Insomnia. I dont want to knock anyones opinion but if you constantly say "I just dont get it" then you have to do some deeper thinking into the multiverse. Wizard & Glass is by far and away SK best book EVER! This shows so much talent of SK and that he is not just a horror writer. The Colorado Kid is such an amazing quick read that lets you fit in what book in the multiverse connects with it.
Id recommend you dive deeper into the multiverse and youll find that your dislike of the books you reviewed will become your favorites.
Insomnia took me so long to read lol like years, but when you get past the first bit it gets good
I read elevation and also didn’t think it was a sensational read..was mediocre at best...but dude u don’t need to spoil literally the complete plot / ending 😅
THANK YOU! I was yelling Elevation! Before you said it. That was the last King book I ever bought and I have them all in 1st edition. Just Nope!
Sun Dog and Insomnia deserve Stephen King movie adaptations I like his movies than his books.
Unghhhh… dude seriously?… wizard and glass is sublime.. it’s by far the best in the series..: my god, it’s so good on so many levels, I can’t begin to even touch upon the genius of this installment… it’s absolutely perfect and made Midworld so accessible…
Noooooo!! Wizard and Glass is such a beautiful, charming book!! But I get it. I heard E's side of it before, so I understand the argument... but damn, lol
Interesting...I loved the Regulators. Read that in a couple of days.
I tried Insomnia three times...never got further than halfway through it. Dreadful book.
I'm sure King is really worried that this numpty doesn't "get" some of his books !
Blah blah blah
Let's get started
stock intro
blah blah blah
let's get started
Yeah, I'm fuckin waiting, let's get started. My beer is getting warm.
Holy shit it's Flagg in the Emerald city from Oz.......now let's get into 4 thousand pages of boredom with a depressing payoff. My dad loves that shit like the "getting the power back on" in the stand.....except that's where my reread's die a sudden death
Hi i love your videos ,although sometimes i don't agree i love the way you present your content .It is like joining a friend for a coffee.
Could not agree more about Wizard And Glass. I finished it last night and dear god what a drag of a book. The beginning and end when it’s the main group was just fine, but the entire backstory I just never wanted to pick the book up to keep going through. It was a struggle. Kind of have me worried now for Wind Through The Keyhole but I’m already this far, not stopping now lol
Try as might, I cannot finish any of his books.
Joyland is a good book. Please give it a try.
You should watch Stephen King's Haven TV show
There are no worst. Or bad. They are all good! Some are better than others. but still....King is the King!
I finished Elevation today and I rlly rlly liked it
Really love Insomnia. Great book.
Worst King's books classification? All.
Wow! You couldn’t understand regulators?
Wind through the keyhole was excellent
I loved insomnia
Hated Salem's Lot
Stephen king endings truly suck
there is always one part in every king book that is just stupid dose not need to be there its mostly one child talking to another or a kid thinking about something in a serious way and its always in a house lol..but its worth getting through it because that's just his style and the style is the same when its good. the lame shit is only a page or two at most
Later is an excellent story
Wizard and glass is a top 5
Joyland was excellent
Insomnia is the toughest Stephen King read for me ever. I really, really hate this book. It is just so damn heavy handed and downright boring.
Didnt like the colorado kid either
rose deloris lisey cell
I can't agree with you on "Elevation". I really liked this book. I can't judge other books you mentioned because I've not read them yet, but I will share with you my personal list of books written by Stephen King that i didn't like.
1. "It".
2. "Joyland"
3. "Dead Zone"
These three books were so boring. King tends to write about things that don't matter to the main plot of the book and books I mentioned are a perfect example of this. While reading "It" I had a feeling that King was doing everything in his power to avoid the main plot of the book.
Well what a list! It was my top book I've read so far lol that's so crazy! I haven't read the other 2 yet so
It's called character development, King is a master at this & his army of fans concur.
It's so interesting how differently we see these books. IT is one of my favorite books and Pennywise - one of the favorite characters ever 😁❤️
Kind of agree about It, I think it's a pretty mediocre book by King standards, but The Dead Zone is one of my favorites.
@@Ytnzy250 I love Stephen King and character development, but he, infamously, goes too much into it... Frequently. Just ask him. He admits repeatedly that he overwrites. Obviously, to each their own opinion, but there is a reason why his books are consistently much longer than more artistically respected authors.
Duma key was the worst. I don't even reckon he wrote that. So lame.
Joyland is muchhhhhhhh better than Colorado Kid
Later is amazing
Wizard and Glass is a favorite for most people. But I agree. It was the worst book in the series for me. I was a slog to get through. Wolves of the Calla is way better. I know it’s not a popular opinion but I agree with you.
BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA
When you said Roland was the main 'Antagonist' I knew that all of your opinions were trash.