The Dangers Of Storytelling: Witches And Grapefruits And Thinnies, Oh My!

This week’s reading doesn’t just demonstrate the healing properties of storytelling; it also shows us how destructive and dangerous stories can be…

I Kill With My Heart: The Hypocrisy Of the Gunslinger’s Creed

In this week’s chapters, we finally witness Roland’s very first kill and it turns out that Roland has always been an emotionless sociopath… He’s never been bothered by killing…

“I have Been True”: Susan Delgado’s Happy Ending

Susan has the worst death of any character in the book, burnt at the stake by her own Auntie stuffy-guy style. But despite her horribly painful death, I now think she might actually have the happiest ending of anyone…

Roland’s Terrible Mistake(s)

Of all of Roland’s many talents, perhaps the skill I’m most impressed by is his ability to recognize his own mistakes, admit them, and then go and make the same mistake all over again. This week’s chapters are a perfect example of him doing this, and this time it ends up costing him the love of his life…

Act Your Age: How The Dark Tower Can Help Us Live In The Present

Now, as the two young lovers come of age (pun definitely intended) and enter the second half of the book, no longer children but adults, we see a role reversal begin to take place…

Is Ka Just Code For Cowardice?

this week we have watched Susan do just that. She sees the cyclone of ka coming a mile away and can either evacuate the area, or take shelter in the cellar and batten down the hatches. But she can’t make a decision, standing there dumbstruck as the cyclone bears down on her…

The Power Of Stories: Tall Tales & Private Passions

It seems like Ka that this week, our nineteenth week of reading, the chapters have provided two iconic scenes, each one illustrating the different ways a story’s magic can manifest: publicly or privately…

Calling Stephen King’s Bluff In Wizard &Glass

On this reading, however, as Roland has just begun telling his story and Susan has proved honest, I find myself asking a question that I honestly can’t believe I’ve never considered: is Roland a reliable narrator? What if the whole story of Susan and Mejis is made up?