To Mr. Bev Vincent....

BevVincent

Hello,this is my first post here (I hope it's not gonna be the last)!



I've allways enjoyed reading King's works.There's just something in his works that works with me 100 %.I guess I like the horror and mistery stuff.



I come from Croatia so It's difficult to get your hands on a SK book,so we have only a few of his works translated like:Bag of Bones,Dreamcatcher,Insomnia (my fav) and others....



I'll have to be honest now.I didn't read (drumroll....) Dark Tower series.But I have to say I've enjoyed in the stuff you've posted here.It's awesome to see how one book comes to life from nothing.It's fascinating.I've allways enjoyed Behind The Scenes suff in any form.



So this is my question.I'm 17.5 years old and I would like to start reading The Gunslinger (in english).I don't want to brag but I'm really good in reading in english (not so much in writting as you can see .... ;D ).So what do you think should do? Start reading it,or maybe wait until (and if) they translate it to Croatian?



Thank you Bev for this website and Message Board!!

BevVincent

RF: Welcome!



If you wait for the series to be translated into Croatian, you might have a long, long, wait. The number of languages the Dark Tower series is published in is small compared to the rest of his books.



Since you've read Insomnia, you actually have already been indoctrinated into the Dark Tower series -- it is a book with profound Dark Tower implications, especially the scene near the end with the little boy drawing with crayons at the Civic Center.



Your written English is just fine and if you feel up to it, I'd highly recommend you get your hands on the English editions and give the series a try. If you find that the first book doesn't intrigue you, carry on at least to the second book before deciding whether or not you want to continue. Some people find the first book hard going, but at least it's short. For me, though, it's one of my favorites of the DT series.

Randall_Flagg

Bev_Vincent wrote: RF: Welcome!



If you wait for the series to be translated into Croatian, you might have a long, long, wait. The number of languages the Dark Tower series is published in is small compared to the rest of his books.



Since you've read Insomnia, you actually have already been indoctrinated into the Dark Tower series -- it is a book with profound Dark Tower implications, especially the scene near the end with the little boy drawing with crayons at the Civic Center.



Your written English is just fine and if you feel up to it, I'd highly recommend you get your hands on the English editions and give the series a try. If you find that the first book doesn't intrigue you, carry on at least to the second book before deciding whether or not you want to continue. Some people find the first book hard going, but at least it's short. For me, though, it's one of my favorites of the DT series.

Thank you a lot man,I'll give it a try.Watch o



Yeah I know that Insomina is related to the Dark Tower as Crimson King appears there.Thanks for replying,I'll hang around this Message Board to see what's new in SK and Bev V. world !!

IT

Hi RF and Welcome to Bev's board!! Go over to The Free For All...lots happening over there. The Dark Tower series is super!! You'll enjoy it!

sunny99

Yeah welcome to our humble abode RF!



Now if we can get a Roland in here... ;D

Jazzrat

Randall_Flagg wrote:

Yeah I know that Insomina is related to the Dark Tower as Crimson King appears there.

Ratty had told me there was a connection between Insomnia and the Dark Tower series. He has already read Insomnia but so far I have nearly finished reading The Wastelands. When would you guys say is the best time to read Insomnia - before in between or after reading the Dark Tower series? (obviously I can't read it before now - but wanted to know if it's a good idea to read it before I move onto Wizard and Glass?).



Kxx

BevVincent

Insomnia would best be read before DT4 since it introduces a character who is mentioned in Wizard and Glass and you'll appreciate the mention better if you already have some notion of who this character is.



Similarly, if you can manage it, read Low Men in Yellow Coats from Hearts in Atlantis before DT5. (And Black House, too, if you can manage it). Parts of the Dark Tower mythology are laid out in these books and somehow become part of the ka-tet's acquired knowledge in the subsequent DT books.

newinside

Bev_Vincent wrote: Parts of the Dark Tower mythology are laid out in these books and somehow become part of the ka-tet's acquired knowledge in the subsequent DT books.

Yeah, I was wondering about that. Roland just suddenly seemed to know stuff (trying to keep this vague to avoid spoilers) that I wouldn't have known without some of those other books.

BevVincent

Jazzy, I'm re-reading Black House right now, and I think it gets better with each reading. Insomnia is one of my favourite books, and includes one of my favourite King characters overall.



You have a lot of great reading ahead of you! Part of my personal enjoyment of the Dark Tower series is the crossovers to books I've read already.



Lin

PS -- have you read The Talisman (the prequel to Black House)?

Ford_Prefect

what does that thumb mean??

newinside

What thumb are you asking about?

BevVincent

new, on the left side of the thread title there's a "thumb's up"... I guess that's it. There must be a way to caption the thread, but I'm not sure what it means. Something good I would think, cause the thumb is up, not down!



Ford, is that what you mean?



Lin

newinside

Makes sense.



I see it now. There is a message icon thing just under the subject when you post.



Thumb up.

Jazzrat

Wow, so many books to read... I think I need at least another two holidays! I will get started on Insomnia now as I've just finished The Wasteland. Ratty has Black House too though it is a thick book to get through, I may save that one till after the rest of the Dark Tower series, depending on how fast I can progress.



Thanks for all the feedback folks.



Kxx

CRinVA

Jazzy,



Try to get through Black House before DT7 if possible. It has a huge piece directly related to The Dark Tower. More so in my minds eye than Insomnia, though Insomnia does introduce a very significant DT character!



A daunting task I'm sure as both books are weighty tomes! ;D



I envy you reading all this stuff for the first time!

BevVincent

Jazzy, no pressure really!! -- I asked earlier if you had read The Talisman, it's an amazing book, but I wouldn't say you would have to read it first before Black House, would anyone else? Not for the DT connections necessarily, but it's a nice flow to have read it first.



Lin

newinside

I would think that you could read Black House without the Tailsman first, though I would only really be guessing since I haven't tried it that way.

CRinVA

Yep I believe you could read BH first! Speaking of the talisman though, I am starting to listen to it soon - I am on the last CD of On Writing right now and The Talsiman is next on my list to lsiten to. I do love that story!



Right Here, Right Now! ;D

IT

I guess maybe you could read Black House before Talisman, but personally, for me only, I wouldn't want to. There are enough references to Talisman, that I perfer reading that one first. Besides...tho I finally DID love the book, it was so slow starting off that I wanted to scream. But Talisman took off running and never slowed down!!



Crinva...How is On Writing on tape(CD)? I got it when I was in Maine, and I was debating on listening to either that or Apt Pupil next. I think I'll leave Needful Things for when I get back to work, since then I'll be listening to them every single day.



Welcome back Jazzy!!! Have a good vacation?

CRinVA

IT,



I like it plenty - King reads it himself and that is only appropriate. Needful Things - audio - on tape or CD?



I wish there were more of SK's books on CD. They cost an arm and a leg and I usually have to wait a bit till they come down in price on ebay. I still try to get shrinkwrapped copies - I just paid $20 for brand new DT6 and $18 for brand new DT5 on CD within the last month or so. Right now I am watching a few Salem's Lot on CDs auctions on ebay but the price is still over $20.



I'd also like to get the Harry Potter books on CD but they are all still going for in excess of $30 for brand new copies on ebay. The LOTR on audio CD are also on my lookout, but no luck yet. I want to get all three and The Hobbit and just start at the beginning and listen to them all in a row!



Patience is a virtue - I can wait! - for a while that is.



Oh and one more thing - I do not listen to abridged versions - they suck! SK said as much in On Wrwiting! Dramatized (ala the BBC and such) is OK but I still prefer to hear every written word!



A note of trivia - The Mist in 3D - dramatized was filmed in the Ft Edward High School auditorium. I grew up five miles from there! The credits at the end of it thank the school and the county sheriffs and at least one other company in the town. I was blown away the first time I heard that as I never knew of that filming - I think I may have been stationed in Hawaii when it happened.

Jazzrat

I haven't read Talisman yet Lin, so I will add that to my ever-growing list of must-read-soons.



Hi IT, long time no see... yes I had a wonderful holiday thanks. Not so good coming back to all the work and chores though :-/ gets in the way of reading far too much! ::)



Kxx

BevVincent

I would think that you could read Black House without the Tailsman first, though I would only really be guessing since I haven't tried it that way.

I find the Tailsman pretty interesting myself. For Jazzy's purposes I think we should embrace The Talisman. That being said, , cause of course someone would :P, did you read Black House and then The Talisman? If so, what did you think reading them that way?

I guess maybe you could read Black House before Talisman, but personally, for me only, I wouldn't want to. There are enough references to Talisman, that I perfer reading that one first. Besides...tho I finally DID love the book, it was so slow starting off that I wanted to scream. But Talisman took off running and never slowed down!!

I know Kay, it wasn't until my current (third) reading of Black House that I could read the beginning and not slowly weep (no offense Stephen and Peter!).



Kxx, The Talisman is an excellent book, but I actually liked Black House better. I'll tell you why after you read it!



Lin

Jazzrat

I've delayed reading Black House cos Ratty didn't think much of it, but it sounds like I need to read it and form my own opinion.



Kxx

BevVincent

It can be a difficult book to get into because the narrative is present tense. The first hundred pages are the most difficult, but if you get beyond that, the story really takes off.

sunny99

Kxx, The Talisman is an excellent book, but I actually liked Black House better.

Same here Linny. But maybe for different reasons.

Jazzrat

Bev_Vincent wrote: It can be a difficult book to get into because the narrative is present tense. The first hundred pages are the most difficult, but if you get beyond that, the story really takes off.

Well I've just starting reading Wizard and Glass, so I think I'll get through that one first then go onto The Black House, Talisman and Insomnia and then return to finish the DT series. The amount of time it takes me to get through a book, the final volume will probably be out before I've finished! lol



Kxx