Teacher Training, Time and Stephen King

I have been rather busy of late. I am into my third week of teacher training and I am enjoying every minute of it. Even the planning and the work I have to bring home. I love anticipating what the children are going to get from my lessons and what their reactions will be. Consequently, I have had far less time to read but don't get me wrong, I am still reading

I also have to confess I am re-reading some of The Dark Tower as I fell in love with it the first time and sometimes you just need something that you love. I have consummed The Drawing of the Three and have nearly finished The Wastelands. Here are my thoughts on the second reading:

I still love it. I have still ploughed through and read far too late into the night. The language is still fabulous and yet easy to read and the plot as gripping as it was the first time. This time however, I have the benefit of being able to read a bit slower as I know what is going to happen. I can savour the action scenes without reading at a break-neck pace to see who lives and who dies. My goodness they are wonderful! The metaphor and similies are enough to make the English fanatic in me die a bit (in happiness) and yet, it isn't overpowering or obnoxious.

I also noticed how creepy one of the characters in The Wastelands is the one pictured above. Blaine makes the above novel look more like a horror than a fantasy novel. The mental train verges onto the point of being terrifying and the warnings written by Jake at the start of the novel should be heeded. I won't say too much but I will lament my complete imeptitude at riddles. I'm just glad I wasn't on that mono!

That said, I should get back to these lesson plans, they won't complete themselves! I hope I can keep reading when I can.

The Gunslinger (again) - Stephen King

Yes, I know, I have already read and reviewed this book. Don't despair, I will read something different next, I promise. I loved it the first time and when this was the only book near me when my kindle decided to die (it just needs a recharge) I was overjoyed.

I've never re-read a book before and been as impressed the second time around than I have with this one. On the first reading you're all blown away with the tension building and then the release, the whirlwind of story and darkness of character sweep you off on an adventure that is like no other you'll ever have. I knew what I was getting myself in for when I picked it up this time, however, with this reading, it is the small details that stand out. There are concepts and ideas mentioned in the novel that are not explained until several novels down the line. It is a real credit to King's skills as a writer that this happens. These details make a lot more sense on a second reading and as a whole, make the story that much more enjoyable.

On the second reading, I no longer had to worry whether I liked the protagonist. This time, I understand his reasons for doing what he does and cannot hate him for it either. Yes, he is still the dark brooding antihero he was before but my perception of him has altered through gained knowledge and this enhances the whole experience. I also didn't feel the same about Jake, the young boy in the story, there was no sympathy for him on his 'experiences' (I won't say what it is, some of you may not have read his yet) as I knew what was ahead. What I didn't reckon on was there being the first chapter of The Drawing of the Three at the end, which has just made me want to read on. I will be disappointed once more when I open my next book and find Roland Deschain isn't in it!

The setting, language and mood of the novel are all as captivating as they were the first time around and I strongly advice those of you who have not read this novel/series yet to stop what you are doing, find a copy and read it. Why are you still reading this drivel? Go!

Master and Commander - Patrick O'Brian

I have been wanting to read this book for some time and I have finally managed to sit down and do so, between the craziness that is preparing for World Book Day (7th March) and the other tasks that have been assigned to me. Here are my thoughts:

If I could have sat down and read this book from cover to cover without interruption from the real world, I would have. I instantly liked the hero - Jack Aubrey. Many of you will know him as played by Russell Crowe in the 2003 film. He seems to have two states of emotion to begin with, super happy or super angry. Fortunately he gravitates to happy and its so easy to get caught up with his fervor and passion for all things, from his love of music to the enthusiasm for his newest command. He is a simple enough character and easily likeable. I was quick to sympathize with his confusion part way through the novel when one of his lieutenants was forced to make a tough decision without his knowledge and then took his frustration out on Jack. The hero was much like a wounded puppy for a long while and it certainly earned my sympathy. In fact, it became rather hard to remember at points that this kind-hearted character had bite, but he does and wasn't afraid to use it either. His simplicity was delightful, especially after reading some novels with characters that are tough to like or get to know, Roland Deschain for example!

As a complete foil for Jack, is the ships doctor Stephen Maturin. He is a rich character but taken to dark moods and thoughtful contemplation rather than action. The two become fast friends and they work so well together. He is not always serious and there is an air of mischief about Maturin at times which I found delightful, like him putting in foul tasting additions with his medicine to make sure the crew know they are being physicked and when he falls overboard and the rest of the crew jump in to save him. The dynamic is a credit to O'Brian's skills as a writer and one of the reasons I was so hooked on the novel as a whole. The rest of the supporting cast are all individuals and you know who is speaking without it being tagged with a name - perfectly written and well balanced.
 

The story itself is relatively easy to follow for the most part. The sea battles are well written and kept me glued to my kindle. If not for work constraints I would have been reading well into the early hours. The battles were exciting and concise, I had no trouble following the action, nor the thoughts and feelings of the crew involved. I was routing for the crew and the Sophie all throughout their trials. Even the 'duller' aspects of sea life were interesting and well written. However, it was not always easy to tell where the crew were and there were some parts that jumped around. I found from one scene to the next drastic changes had happened. They may be aboard ship one moment and roaming around on shore the next with not much clue as to when that change occurred. This made parts of the novel hard to follow.

 The other aspect of the novel which was difficult to grasp was the terminology. I've studied 19th century sailing ships a little for a book I am working on so know a little bit about the parts of a ship, however I struggled with some of the names. If you don't know your forecastle from your mizzen and your foretopgallant from your mainroyalstay, you're going to have an issue. I'd advise you to keep a dictionary - or smartphone - close by while you give the book a read just to keep which sail is which clear in your head.

Don't let that put you off reading about two of the best characters I have met so far this year. There are 20 books dedicated to them and I'm going to go download the next one onto my kindle now. It's just too much fun not to.

The Wind Through the Keyhole - Stephen King

I got the latest Gunslinger book for my birthday, which made me a very happy person I can tell you. I've been meaning to get my grubby little paws on it for a while and it was well worth the wait.

It was delightful to open a book and find Roland and Co in it. Something that has been disappointing me when I have opened other books lately. King seems to have ruined a lot of things for me by having awesome characters I want to read about. Not a bad thing, this new book was ace. King uses the story within a story frame set for this novel and does so masterfully. The flow of the stories are perfect and fit together seamlessly proving once again that he is a master author.

I was a bit concerned that this novel would turn out to be a cash in on a complete series, that the tone of this book wouldn't fit in with what I've come to know and love. I couldn't have been more wrong, all the flavours from the original novels are in the book and yet we still manage to learn new things about the characters. The themes that permeate theother books are present, although its more subtle as the majority of the novel is set in Roland's past.

The use of language is such a high standard in the novel that I don't even know where to begin, it is easy to see why King has built himself an empire! The same can be said for the world building More detail is added to Mid-World that we didn't know about and although the place is dying, you can really see the place with deep colour.

I could praise this book all day and then go some more but really, it speaks for itself, go and read it. You don't need to have read the other Gunslinger novels to follow the story which makes it a wonderful introduction to the series. However, it has also made an old fan like me very happy once more.

The Dark Tower - Stephen King

It's been one hell of a ride but today I came to the end of Roland's journey. I finally finished Stephen King's epic fantasy tale and what can I say? I loved it.

The writing has been fantastic throughout and the story has kept me guessing too. It twists and turns in directions that you don't expect, as it has done all through the long series. The characters develop through the story, never staying the same but learning from their journey.

I will touch on the ending of the book. I was warned by my partner that it was infuriating and it made him fall out with the series. I thought the exact opposite of this; the ending is subtly explained through the book if one knows where to look. Let's be honest, if you've come this far, you know that King puts subtle hints about the coming plot in his writing. It's just a case of being awake enough to spot them. I'd rave about it endlessly but I don't want to give it away so I'll stop there!

My only regret about this series is reading it in one massive session, I would advise future readers to have a break around book four, not because the next books are rubbish (far from it) but spending that much time with the same characters will drive you a bit bonkers. Just like spending an extended amount of time with the same people will drive you mad.

Either way, go and read these books, you won't be disappointed.

Song of Susannah - Stephen King

I have one major major issue with this book.

What author, in their right mind, puts themself as a pivotal figure, in thier own book? Seriously! This is the biggest ego trip I have ever had the displeasure to read. The longer the story went on, the more I was outraged. I can't believe King had the audacity to stick himself in one of his own books. I write myself, as some of you will know, and feel that King broke on of the cardinal rules of writing. Who knows themself so well that they are able to portray themself accuratly in fiction without making themself look vain-glorious and self obsessed? Although King writes himself as a normal average guy, it still verges on ridiculous and it most definitely did not sit well with me.

This major flaw aside, I once again enjoyed reading the story of the gunslinger and his pals. The pace, which was a bit slack in Wolves picks up again, returning to the break-neck speed I so enjoyed about the last four novels. The companions draw closer to the tower and thier end goal and the sense of threat is present throughout the novel. We learn more about the characters as we read through the novel and I am under no illusion that there is still much to be learned. The journey is by no means over.

I only have one left in the Dark Tower series and I am very much looking forward to finding out how it all ends. I have been forewarned by those I live with that I won't be happy with it so am also a little anxious. It may well be I have to be alone when I read it but rest assured, there will be a post about it, for better or worse!

Wolves of the Calla - Stephen King

Now, where to start with this one?

Not so good as the other four but still better than some of the dross I have read this year. The problem here, I think, is the pacing. The last four books have raced ahead at break neck speed and this is what I have come to expect from King's fantasy series. This book is a definate change of pace, this book was rather less brisk. It was not welcome. I found that parts of the novel dragged out. It seemed like a big sidestep from the Ka-tet's actual mission.

I understand that Roland and his gunslingers need to go to the aid of anyone who asks for it, as this is essencially what they are - like knight errants from Malory - but I don't yet see how this side tracking helps ith thier overall quest. I hope I learn this in the next book as six hundred plus pages is a lot to invest for a sidestep.

Maybe I am being unfair on this book. You do learn a lot more about our four heroes, specifically one of them - who I won't name as I don't want to spoil any of the plot for you. There are some very heartwarming parts of the story too, I laughed out loud at the part where Roland dances and I will admit the tune I fit the words into stuck in my head for a good many days as well, which is a real credit to King's writing skills.

Although to me this book seems like a side step in the series, I won't even go into how I feel about King's role in the book (it infuriates me), it is still well worth a read. I'm not giving up on our Heroes just yet and nor should you!

Wizard and Glass - Stephen King

Again, another outstanding read from Mr King.

In this novel we learn about the early experiences of our delicious 'hero'. Essentially, this is a book of back story that usually would turn me off totally to a series. I like my back story drip fed and intertwined in the main body of story but after having hints and whispers throughout the last three books, I couldn't wait to hear what Roland had to say about it.

So this book fixes up the unfinished parts of the last book with the usual heart pounding white knuckle pace. Once this danger has paced and our companions are sat safe(ish) and comfortable, Roland begins to talk. I really felt as though I was sat with the rest of the companions as his tale was told as too. The book is as engaging as the others have been which is to King's credit.

Roland and his companions are sent to the Mid World town of Hambry and what takes place there is a tragic tale of friendship, love and loss. The telling of the tale had me laughing to myself, once again to odd looks from those around me, and at one point, tears. It has been a long time since a book has made me cry. The words left me with the desire to hug Roland and tell him it will all be OK in the end, of course, it probably won't. The sense of foreboding for the future is never left alone for long and the events that happened in the past echo through the the events that happen at the end of this novel.

I look forward to the next novel, however, this book ended in a comfortable place so I don't feel the burning need to grab the book of the shelf right now. I am considering having a break from King's series but I suspect this won't be the case!

The Wastelands - Stephen King

I have to admit, these reviews are probably going to be a bit repetitive for the next few books. I have chewed my way through the third volume of The Dark Tower and I don't seem to be showing any signs of stopping yet. It is as good as the others and well worth the three days I spent doing nothing else but reading it. Instead of giving away copious amounts of plot details, I do hope you will go and read this book and I don't want to spoil it for anyone. Not will I  spend another blog worshipping the pants off Roland (Although....). I will focus this blog post on the world building skills found within the novel.

The old saying is true: The Devil is in the Detail and King has this down to a fine art. The world in which the story is set is a post apocalyptic danger zone, no too dissimilar to our own. The points of reference and objects that are easily recognisable can be a little discomforting too. At one point our troupe of adventurers are forced  to cross a decaying suspension bridge, this is made scarier for myself as I live near one and had a perfect image of what was happening. The crossover from our world to theirs is highlighted fully when a downed Nazi plane is found and explored. This would seem a bit ludicrous in a fantasy story, had not 2 of the main characters already crossed over.

The explanation of the plane is left out, due to Roland not being aware of how it arrived there in the first place. Both him and those they encounter are fond of explaining these things with the simple adage: 'The world has moved on.' This also gives reason for why most, if not all, the technology in the world no longer works. The world has simply left these things behind, no longer finding a use for them.

The more you read, the more you come to realise that it is not just the physical things the world has moved on from. Time and distance also seem a bit slippery in Roland's world and this can leave you feeling a bit disconnected, there is no point of reference, for example, we don't really know how old Roland is, maybe he doesn't either (Or I am yet to find this out of course).

Either way, the little details like this, makes Roland's world an interesting, if not altogether pleasant, place to spend your time.

Next comes: Wizard and Glass (it's good, I am half way through it) in a few days time.

The Drawing of the Three - Stephen King

 I have to admit, when I read the blurb of this book, I was a bit apprehensive. I was unsure how King was going to get Roland, our 'hero' (I'll come back to this conundrum in a moment), from his world into 1980's New York. What he did, was not what I expected and expertly done. The world construction is once again superb, the details are often omitted. However, what is left behind is a whisper of information, the reader's mind fills in the rest, making this a book you can really engage with.

The story itself is interesting and very exciting in many places, the pacing is wonderful and I felt my heart pounding in more than one place while reading. I even found myself laughing out loud at times as well, which earned me some well deserved strange looks in the staffroom at work. The undercurrents of tension build to the climax of the story so subtly that its not noticible until it bursts in the final chapter.

For me, a good book is in the characters. The story can be mundane so long as I have good characters I can interact with.The hero, and I use this term loosely, is exactly that. The story continues to build on the knowledge we learnt in the last book. Roland gets screwed in this novel, physically at least. The gunslinger, the one who did a number on a town in the last book without really blinking an eye, who did some rather unpleasant things to those he claimed to love, gets some comeuppance. I don't want to give much away because I want you to go and enjoy these wonderful books for yourself but believe me when I say Roland will leave you wondering, most of all, why?



But Roland isn't the only character in the book, he is joined by a junkie, a schizophrenic and a murderer, all of which make this a most compelling story. Despite their many faults flaws, you do what them to conquer their demons and survive.

You learn very little about the tower, only that Roland wants to get to it, and that everything is at stake. The book has left me wanting to know what's so good about it, this man would sacrifice everything, everyone he loves, everyone who aides him, everything, to get to it. This is what I don't understand yet and I don't think I will be any closer if I read the next one, but that's what I'm going to do!