The Dark Tower 4.5: The Wind Through The Keyhole Review

The Wind Through The Keyhole:
The Dark Tower book #4.5

The Wind Through the Keyhole is a surprise entry into the Dark Tower series. Why? Because that series was thought to be complete and finished with seven hefty volumes. I greeted this book with mixed feelings. I love the Dark Tower world and characters so I was happy to be able to spend some more time with them and perhaps go on a new adventure or two. But I was also wary... with the series already done, what could this new book have to say that would be of value? There's also the risk of continuity flubs or adding new story elements that lessen events in the other books in some way.

On the dedication page Stephen King dedicates this book to "The Folks at Marvel Comics." It appears that Marvel's adaptations of his Dark Tower works into a chronological storyline told with graphic novels have spurred Mr. King's imagination with these characters ago.

This book, story-wise, takes place between books 4 and 5 of the Dark Tower. The structure of the novel is actually quite interesting. It's a bit like Russian Nestings Dolls... there are actually three stories in this book but one sits inside another and all of the stories have similar elements added to them. I'm pleased to report that on all fronts Stephen King avoided the outcomes that I feared and instead delivered one of his best written works in years.

The first story is, of course, about Roland has his Ka-Tet. They are on the road, traveling toward the Dark Tower and following the path of the Beam when a superstorm called a Starkblast, comes upon them and forces them to find hasty shelter. None of this is terribly interesting (as we know, having read book 5, that Jake, for example, doesn't die frozen to death in the storm, it lessens the suspense) and really it only serves the purpose of getting the characters together and still so Roland can tell a very long story - the second story.

So while the first story pauses, Roland tells his Ka-Tet (including us, the reader) the story of his youth when he investigated a cannibalistic Skin Man (a shapeshifter) in Debaria (which is where his mother once went on a healing retreat of sorts). Along the way, Roland makes the acquaintance of a young man who just lost his father. To comfort the boy, Roland tells the boy a long story about a boy named Tim.

So starts the third story-inside-the-story while both the first and second stories have been put on hold. The story of Tim is actually called The Wind Through the Keyhole, giving the entire book its name. Tim has a chance encounter with Martin Broadcloak / Roland Flagg that send him on an foolish errand to heal  his injured mother. I don't want to spoil it for anyone but Tim turns out to be quite a bit more than a foolish young boy. Along the way Tim finds himself in a truly magical place. In many regards, his story mirrors Roland's own including an encounter with the Starkblast storm. Tim's story is written as a fairy tale (as it is, in fact, a story that mothers tell their children) even though in the Dark Tower world the story is actually an historical account. Stephen King tells the best fairy tales (don't believe me? Read The Eye of the Dragon!). The story of Tim comes to a very satisfying ending. I would have been happy had the entire book ended there. But, no.

Once Tim's story is completed the reader is brought back to the story of the Skin Man. Roland solves that particular mystery and we get to see him grow as a character along the way. This Roland is young and makes careless mistakes. Once again, this story mirrors Tim's story. At one point the Skin Man changes into a large snake very similar to the one in Tim's story. Once again, the tale is brought to a very satisfying conclusion. But the satisfaction has almost nothing to do with the mystery of the Skin Man or the action at the end of it. Really all of that is just an excuse to get Roland to Debaria so he can receive his mother's last gift (Roland killed his own mother and this gift comes to him posthumously). I won't ruin it but let's just say that it's a very tender moment.

But then that tale wraps up and we're brought back to the "present" (between books 4 and book 5 of the Dark Tower series). The Ka-Tet react to Roland's story and there is perhaps the most emotionally-charged moment of the entire Dark Tower series. It brought tears to my eyes. Very powerful stuff and the entire ride is worth it for that one moment.

So along the way the reader is treated to three nestled stories, one inside the other, with parallels and echoes throughout all three. It's a very complex book with not one but three wonderful payoffs. I'd consider it in the top three or perhaps two Dark Tower books. Well done, Mr. King. Well done.

1LR REVIEW - 17 out of 20! It's a Solid Hit!

Stephen King Has Road Rage


Yes, Stephen King has Road Rage and I'm happy about it! I can't wait to read the comic book adaptation of Stephen King and his son, Joe Hill's (AKA Joseph King) story, Road Rage coming out next month by IDW! Previously this story was only available on audiobook and it is the first collaboration between King and Hill. Apparently there is gooing to be four issues (a SMALL King limited series for a change!).

Rage on!

Blaze (Richard Bachman/Stephen King) Book Review

I've read every single Stephen King book published. But somehow I missed Blaze, a book written under his pen name, Richard Bachman. How, I'll never know. But I found it looking through used books recently and I said to myself, "Wait... I've never read this!" So, I picked it up and I read it.

By King's own admission in the book's intro he never meant for this novel to see the light of day. He calls it a "trunk novel," and, for many years, it actually sat in a trunk. It was written in 1972 but wasn't published until 2007! This supports my theory that we'll have new Stephen King novels 20 years after the man is dead.

Anyway, I actually thought Blaze was an okay book. It was certainly a quick read and the plot moved forward quickly. Essentially, Blaze is the name of a man who is mentally retarded. He was taken under the wing of a con-man and used in the con-man's schemes but then the con-man dies, leaving Blaze all alone in the world. Blaze's only hope for a happy ending is to successfully kidnap a rich family's young baby and ask for a ransom. He does this, but everything doesn't go as he planned...

The novel is told in alternating chapters - one in modern day (that is, 1972 modern day), the next in Blaze's formative years. While I didn't mind this, I sometimes wanted to skip over the childhood stuff, especially since most of the time it didn't directly impact what was happening in the modern story.

King does a good job of making Blaze a sympathetic character. This novel isn't so much a story as it is a character study. What makes a man do something do desperate?

I also liked that it remained a realistic fiction story, not fantasy like so many of King's novels. Sure, Blaze hears his dead friend's voice in his head but that's all he remains - a voice in Blaze's head. No ghosts or zombies in this novel!

Overall, it's an enjoyable, quick read that kept me turning the pages to see if Blaze would blindly stumble upon success or the inevitable failure.

1LR Rating - 16 out of 20 - It's a Hit!

Full Dark, No Stars - Book Review - Summary

To summarize the reviews of Full Dark, No Stars, Stephen King's latest collection of short stories...

Overall, this book is worth reading, especially if you're a Stephen King fan. It's has been rare that he produces something truly worth reading lately.

Of the four stories, Fair Extension is the best but A Good Marriage is a close second. It's a shame that A Good Marriage is so similar to the prior story, Big Driver, because Big Driver is inferior. 1922 only stands out because it is the only story without a "happy ending. What's with all of the happy endings in this book? King, give me good old fashioned univeral justice! When somebody does something bad, bad things happen to them - that's how the world works!

Full Dark, No Stars - Overall Rating
1LR Review - 14 out of 20 - It's a Hit!

Full Dark, No Stars - Book Review - #4 - A Good Marriage

The final story in Stephen King's short story collection, Full Dark, No Stars is, "A Good Marriage." Spoilers, so beware!

The biggest problem I have with this story is how similar it is to the second story in the book, Big Driver. A woman, when wronged, decides to take justice in her own hands. I would have enjoyed A Good Marriage much more if it had been before Big Driver or if Big Driver would have been in another book.

That being said, A Good Marriage is a good story. Darcellen finds out her husband is secretly a serial killer and then decides to take care of the problem herself. A pesky investigator arrives, understands what Darcellen has done, but lets her go.

Once again, I actually wish that King had taken a different angle with this story. There's a period of time in the story where Darcellen appears to go along with her husband's strange... hobby. I think that actually would have been an interesting angle to run with. A wife who is so desperate to maintain the status quo that she is willing to support her husband as a serial killer.

What's nice about this story is the characterization is so rich. The serial killer comes across as so... normal. He's a coin collector and King connects his chance finding of a very random 1955 double-die penny directly into Darcellen's scheme to kill him. The investator that comes around sniffing for clues after Bob dies is a true Columbo or Matlock - as old as the hills but still mentally sharp. It's touches like this that elevate this story above average.

1LR Review: 16 out of 20 - It's a Hit!

Full Dark, No Stars - Book Review - #3 - Fair Extension

The third story in Full Dark, No Stars, Stephen King's latest short story collection, is Fair Extension. Warning! Spoiler Alert!

I've got to admit - when I was thinking of doing these reviews, I couldn't remember a thing about Fair Extension. I clearly remember the other three stories, but not this one. Which is odd because, after I looked over the story again, I realized this was my favorite story in the book.

The story is as old as the hills - a man makes a deal with the devil, literally, to extend his life. This devil just happens to set up a stand alongside the road. To get an extension on his life, he screws over his best friend.

I liked the depiction of the devil in this story. He was... cool, for the lack of a better word. He was depicted as having a, "Seen-it-all, done-it-all," kinda attitude. He knew everything that Streeter, the main character, was going to ask, do, and say before he did it. He knew just how to manipulate Streeter.

I also liked the pop culture and historical references in this story including the falling on the twin towers on 9/11 to Michael Jackson dying. That added a very real layer of believability to this story for me.

In the end, Streeter and his family prosper greatly from the deal with the devil while Streeter's friend goes through one misery after another. I would have liked to see a little more consequence to making a deal with the devil, but I think the point of the story was that even though Streeter had everything he still wanted more. He was never satisfied.

All in all, a very good story and, I believe, the shortest in the book (coincicence?).\

1LR Review - 17 out of 20 - It's a Solid Hit!

Full Dark, No Stars - Book Review - #2 - Big Driver

Continuing the reviews of the short stories from Stephen King's latest, Full Dark, No Stars... WARNING - SPOILERS

The second story is called Big Driver. Like a lot of King stories, this one features a writer, Tess. Tess is on he way back from a speaking engagement when she is raped and left for dead. She then seeks revenge by trying to kill her assailant.

The best thing about this story is the moment when she is seeking to kill the guy who raped her but accidentally kills his brother instead. When that was revealed my jaw hit the ground. SHE KILLED AN INNOCENT PERSON! Oh my goodness! What's she going to do! I felt kinda cheated when it was revealed that this guy wasn't innocent at all but knew about the rapes the whole time. It also didn't make a whole lot of sense. King had a chance to do something unique with this story but he threw it away.

King addresses the similarity to the recent Jodi Foster movie, The Brave One, in a clever way. He actually has Tess think about the movie and draw inspiration from it. That's an interesting way to confront readers who think, "This story is so similar to that Jodie Foster movie!" Pretty smart if you ask me but also a little odd considering King's story "Rage" was considered inspiration for the Columbine school shootings. Is this story admitting that killers can take inspiration from pop culture?

King gives this story a happy ending, but it seems a little... forced. Can you really kill three people in three different locations (with all kinds of mess-ups along the way) and get away with it? Very unlikely, I would say. But that's what Tess does. Moral of the story: Take justice in your own hands, kill an entire family, and live happily ever after.

Still a pretty good story. Kept my interest and I wanted to find out what happened next.

1LR Review: 14 out of 20- It's a hit!

Full Dark, No Stars - Book Review - #1 -1922

What's not to trust about this face?

The first short story in Stephen King's latest collection, Full Dark, No Stars, is "1922". This review contains spoilers which I feel okay about since the book has been out for awhile.

This story is told in the form of a written confession from a farmer who has killed his wife 8 years early, in 1922. Now, that right there requires a certain amount of suspension of disbelief. Who writes a 130 page confession? Nobody, that's who, especially a stupid hick farmer. The farmer gets his son in on the plot only to be haunted by his wife's corpose.

The story is interesting enough but it drags on too long, especially since it telegraphs early on exactly where it is going. This probably would have made a stellar 20 page story. Instead, the reader is shown every detail as everything is taken from the farmer, Job-style. His son dies, he loses the farm, etc. etc. etc. Eventually he dies and/or kills himself. You're suppose to question whether or not he was actually haunted or if it was all in his head. Since the farmer is the narrator, you're never quite sure.

The worst part is the ending. As rats (real or imaginary) are attacking him, we're suppose to believe that the farmer is sitting at the keyboard typing, "OH MAKE THEM STOP BITING M..." Who types when they're being attacked and bitten by rats? Then the newspaper articles on the next page claims he bit his own wrists open an chewed his confession to bits. If that's the case, how are we reading the confession? How could he have bitten his own wrists and still been typing? It just doesn't make any sense at all.

1LR Review: 10 out of 20 - It's a miss!

Full Dark, No Stars - Book Review (Intro)

Stephen King's latest collection of short stories, Full Dark, No Stars follows in a long line of fantastic short story collections put out by King. But everybody knows that modern King is full of disappointment. I should know - I've dutifully read every single book the man has ever written.

Full Dark, No Stars has four short stories in roughly 360 pages. This right there is a red flag for me. Kings best work is often short - the shorter the better! It's when he goes off the rails and produces a thousand page tome like Under the Dome that he falls into needless repetitions and unsatisfying endings.

Just don't ask me about the cover image. Besides the main character being female in a few of the stories, I have no idea what that means. Is that a nine? Perhaps this is his ninth book of short stories? I don't know.

Since these stories are so different from one another (and there's only four of them) I figured I would review each one seperately over the next few weeks and then summarize my thoughts.