was my favorite of the series. After experiencing this book for the second time I can confirm that recollection. Although, I would say that it's just a wee bit better than The Drawing of the Three
. All three books, up to this point, are enthralling so it is conceivable that any one of them could be a favorite. I, though, like the way The Waste Lands goes more in depth towards describing the bizarre world that is home to Roland Deschain. Stephen King's imaginary world would be enough to create dozens of novels and I'm willing to bet that is part of what inspired him to write a new, recent edition to the series, The Wind Through the Keyhole. I know that I speak for thousands of fans when I say, "If he keeps writing them, I'll keep reading them.".I love the way The Waste Lands ends and can understand the frustration of those who read this book when it first came out. Reading the afterword, I thought it was funny how Stephen King offered somewhat of an apology to those readers. Fortunately for those that are new to The Dark Tower series, they won't have that same problem as they can easily jump to The Wizard and the Glass; provided they've already bought it. If you are still thinking of reading The Dark Tower, I recommend starting here
so you won't have the same frustrations as those who had purchased the first copies of these books. That being said, I am interested in starting the Wizard and the Glass
myself so I'm going to keep my summary of The Waste Lands more general. It was easier to describe in more detail the first two books because they were relatively short compared to The Dark Tower III-VII. There will, however, still be some spoilers so I, once again, recommend that you experience The Waste Lands first before reading the rest of this blog post and commenting on this part of the adventure. Now, here's the summary.The Dark Tower III, The Waste Lands, starts about two months after the ending of The Drawing of the Three. Roland and his band are still in the forest and they have been resting and healing. Roland is also showing Eddie and Susannah Dean the ways of the Gunslinger by teaching them how to shoot and live off of the land. It is also revealed that Eddie loves to carve things out of wood, but is tormented as his brother's voice keeps appearing in his head, taunting him as he whittles. Little does the ka-tet know that their presence in the forest has woken the great bear Shardik (also known as Mir) who is the guardian of the wood. This King Kong sized bear ends up attacking the campers but is defeated. Roland realizes that this great beast is half bear, half robot and is one of twelve legendary guardians of the beam.
While at camp, after the battle with Shardik, Roland explains his world to Eddie and Susannah as he knows hit. In the ground, the Gunslinger draws twelve dots in the form of a circle, each dot connected by a line (beam) to the dot on the opposite side of the circle. The six beams meet together at one point in the center of the circle, and that is where the Dark Tower is said to be. Each of the twelve dots, or portals, is said to be guarded by a legendary beast built by the ancient ones. There's the bear, a lion, a fish, and one of particular interest, the turtle, among others. Roland's theory is that if they find the origination point of the bear, Shardik, then they can follow that beam, of the bear and turtle, to the Dark Tower. The journey now begins as they follow the path of destruction that Shardik left behind in order to find his lair.
They find the lair of Shardik and can see the beam as all things that are within its path point towards the southeast as if by some magnification. The group makes its way along the path of the beam. Roland, however, is beginning to go insane. His ability to stop Jack Mort, from The Drawing of the Three, from pushing Jake into the street, thus sending Jake to the way station has created two realities in the Gunslinger's mind. One believes that Jake never existed and the other says that Jake was for real. Eddie is able to bring some sanity to the situation as he has had dreams of Jake and believes that Jake is going to try to come back to Roland's world. In anticipation of this, Eddie is called upon to carve a key out of a piece of wood in order to make this happen. They key is able to temporarily help Roland with the conflicting voices in his head.
The story cuts to Jake's world, New Your City circa 1977'ish, and find that he too is having conflicting voices in his head. One voice says that he's died, and another that tries to discount that delusion. Jake finds that he is constantly opening doors with the hope of finding a man vague in his memory, Roland, on the other side. The voice calls him to a deserted lot where he finds a rose that gives him an intense feeling of peace, harmony, and to a certain degree, horror. Jake feels that he must protect the rose (as it represents the tower) and that he must find that door to the other world. That abandoned lot has major significance to the story as it appears in Eddie Dean's dream and was often visited by Susannah (Detta) while she lived in New York. Jake meets a young version of Eddie Dean in his dreams and is instructed to follow him to the door that opens to Roland's world.
Meanwhile, back in Roland's world, the group makes its way out of the forest and is now on a great road in the middle of a vast prairie. As they make their way to the top of a rise, they can see the great Send River and the great city of Lud way out in the distance. They also notice a circle of stones just a few miles away and that is the place where Eddie believes for the drawing of Jake to take place. Roland feels this too and they make their way towards the circle of stones (which looks like Stonehenge) in order to face down the demon and the monster that guards the door between the worlds.
Jake, still in New York, finds the kid versions of Eddie and Henry Dean and is able to inconspicuously follow them to a haunted mansion. After Eddie and Henry leave the area, Jake enters the mansion and is attacked by a horrible monster as he finds the door he is looking for. In Roland's world, Eddie draws a door in the ground at the circle of stones as they are attacked by a demon. As both battles in both worlds conclude, Roland is able to reach through the door and bring Jake back into his world from New York and they are reunited almost as if they are father and son. Roland introduces Jake to Eddie and Susannah and they continue their trek along the beam towards the city of Lud.
Shortly after the incident at the circle of stones, Jake is woken one morning by a creature known as a billy bumbler. Roland explains to Jake what he knows about billy bumblers and how they were once animals that walked with men the same way dogs do. Billy bumblers are loyal, highly intelligent and some have a limited ability of speech. Jake finds that this bumbler, which he names Oy, is the talking kind and they become very good friends in short order. The ka-tet of Roland, Eddie, Susannah, Jake, and Oy is now complete.
On their way to the city of Lud, Jake has a foresight of the one that they seek. While Jake was still in New York, he had purchased two books. One was a book of riddles, and the other was a book called Charlie the Choo-Choo. He was able to bring these two books into Roland's world and explains their significance to the ka-tet. They are to go to Lud and find a machine that Jake calls Blaine the Train, but they must be careful because he is very dangerous. He goes on to explain that the book of riddles might play an important part. Roland talks about how riddles were an important part of his society and they were often the subject of many a festival. They get into a game of riddles as they continue their journey.
Their first encounter doesn't happen in the city of Lud, but in a little town called River Crossing that once served as a merchant center along the Send River. Although the town looks deserted and creepy, there are elderly residents that live in hiding. When the townsfolk realize that their visitors are Gunslingers, they are eagerly greeted and welcomed in. Roland and his gang are treated to a delicious meal and are given the low-down on the city of Lud by their hosts. They are given a brief history of Lud and are made aware of the two warring factions, the Grays and the Pubes. As Jake had feared, there is also the talk of the train named Blaine the Mono and how the ka-tet should steer clear of him because he's dangerous. After the brief, but appreciated encounter, the group continues on to Lud.
After a few more days' journey, they eventually reach a giant bridge that crosses the Send River and is the gateway to Lud. The group finds that the bridge is overly worn and doesn't look too much longer for the world as there are gaps on the main road. They do find a little catwalk along one side of the bridge that looks sturdy enough to cross but will for sure test their courage against heights. The wind is blowing especially hard and they can hear and see the fraying of the steel cables as they cross. At one point, Oy almost slips off of the side and falls, but is rescued by Jake and Eddie. As the ka-tet is occupied with this situation, a disgusting looking Gray by the name of Gasher sneaks up on them and is holding a grenade. Gasher is able to kidnap Jake as he threatens to blow everyone up and takes him into the depths of Lud to his boss, the Tick-Tock Man.
Once Jake is taken, Roland and the rest are able to cross the bridge and regroup. It is decided that Roland will take Oy and track down Jake, while Eddie and Susannah are given the task of finding Blain the Mono. They all enter the town of Lud under grim circumstances.
Although it takes some time and a little bit of luck, Roland is able to figure out the location of Jake thanks to the acute nose and loving devotion of Oy. They are led to a locked door with the lair of the Tick-Tock Man being on the other side. Thanks to Gasher, Jake has taken a terrible beating and is now in the clutches of the egomaniacal Tick-Tock Man. What the Tick-Tock man wants is something that Jake really can't provide so it is evident that Jake is going to be beaten to death. Fortunately, Roland is able to devise a plan where Oy is able to crawl through a vent and into Tick-Tock's silo to wreak havoc. The Gunslinger is to then, with his mind (khef), will Jake into unlocking the door. Things don't go exactly as planned, but result are what matter as Roland is able to get inside and rescue Jake. As they get away, the Tick-Tock Man is severely injured but still alive.
Meanwhile, Eddie and Susannah make their way through the deserted streets of Lud. They are creeped out by the amazing amount of dead bodies that are hung up along the road on which they pass. They reach a square that has a statue of the Turtle Guardian. There, Eddie and Susannah see a group of Pubes getting ready to kill their own in some bizarre sacrificial ritual. The Deans aren't able to get by unnoticed much longer and are attacked by an angry mob of Pubes. Eddie and Susannah are able to use their Gunslinger training and decimate their ranks and force the Pubes into submission. They negotiate a truce whereby Eddie and Susannah will stop the killing and leave in exchange for being led to the cradle of Blaine the Mono. The Pubes agree and lead our heroes to the building where Blaine the Mono is waiting for them.
Once inside what looks like an elaborate train station they reach the platform that holds Blaine the Mono. They successfully wake Blaine by speaking into his microphone and we quickly learn why this psychotic train is so dangerous. He threatens to electrocute Eddie in Susannah where they stand unless they ask him a question. At first, they are confused by his request, but then Susannah realizes that he wants to be asked a riddle. Blaine easily gives the answer, but the Deans find out that riddles are Blaine's Achilles' heel. Blaine hungers for more riddles and is made aware, by Eddie and Susannah, of Roland, a man who knows hundreds of mind benders.
Blaine is not only the train, but the entire computer system that runs underneath the city of Lud and he holds tremendous power. Blaine locates Roland, Jake, and Oy and helps them reunite with Eddie and Susannah. In order to enter Blaine the Mono and not be fried, they are forced to answer a riddle to start Blaine's engines. They succeed in doing so and enter Blaine the Mono's wonderful first class cabin. Upon leaving the city of Lud, Blaine informs the ka-tet of his plan to release a poison gas throughout the populace, killing everyone. Blaine releases the gas and Roland and his gang watch in horror as the end of days is set upon the Grays and the Pubes. Blaine the Mono, passengers included, leave the city of Lud and proceed into the waste lands.
Fortunately, the track carrying Blaine the Mono is a thousand feet above the nightmares that exist within the waste lands. That doesn't stop Blaine from magnifying the images below so his guests can see them and be terrified. The land and creatures down there are described as remnants of something that was worse than a nuclear war. Blaine spares them by making the walls in their cabin opaque so they can no longer see the waste lands. He then shows them an electronic map which has their final destination, Topeka, Kansas. They are to reach Topeka in about eight hours and when they get there, Blaine will blow off of the tracks at full speed killing himself and Roland's ka-tet. When asked why he is doing that, Blaine's simple answer is because he feels like it.
In the meantime, Blaine wants more riddles from his demoralized guests. Roland feels that this is his time to make a stand and forces a showdown with Blaine. The Gunslinger basically tells Blaine to pound sand, that the ka-tet will not delight him with riddles when they already know their fate. Blaine is outraged and threatens to kill them right then and there. Roland holds steady and is able to talk Blaine down and then offers his deal. Roland acknowledges Blaine's superior power and intelligence, and admits that his ka-tet wouldn't be able to answer many of Blaine's riddles. However, if in the remaining time Roland and his group can stump Blaine with one of their riddles, he is to release them unharmed when they get to Topeka. Blaine agrees to these terms and the contest begins; and that's where The Dark Tower III - The Waste Lands ends.
Talk about discipline, it took everything in me not to break my rule of writing my summary and review before continuing on with the next book. I actually had to walk away from The Dark Tower for a few days in order to stop the urge to read on. There are so many things I love about The Waste Lands that I really don't know where to start. With The Dark Tower I - The Gunslinger
, it was all about flashbacks and the chasing of the man in black. The Drawing of the Three was all about the new characters of Eddie Dean and Susannah (Detta Walker, Odetta Holmes) as well as the travelling between worlds. The Waste Lands is where things start coming together. We get to see our heroes adapt to their new lives as Gunslingers and how they use their various talents to take on some pretty cool villains. Each antagonist poses a different challenge for the ka-tet and that's what keeps the book interesting. You want to see who or what they encounter next and what they must do to overcome. I give kudos to Stephen King for being able to put the group in several precarious situations without being repetitive. From Shardik the Bear Guardian to Blain the Mono and the Tick-Tock Man in between, there is much to take in for those who love action.I would say the number one thing that intrigued me the most about The Waste Lands is the city of Lud. Its history is explained in bits and pieces, but I would be interested in seeing the whole puzzle. A series of novels could be written about the strange city of Lud alone and the battle between the Grays and Pubes. What an interesting dynamic. You have a small population of people (the Pubes) living within the confines of a technologically advanced city and they have advanced weapons of destruction. They must, however, fend off an endless horde of crafty bandits (the Grays) that are only armed with middle aged type weapons. The Grays have the advantage of overwhelming numbers and youth so they could eventually win the war of attrition by waiting on the Pubes to simply grow too old. What a great book that would make.
The Waste Lands
is a great story within an epic adventure. For those who have read this book, please comment on your thoughts and ideas. This blog is open to everyone and I would love to further discuss other aspects of this story with Dark Tower fans. Now, however, comes the best part. It's time to return to my favorite chair and re-engage in the battle of riddles with Blaine the Mono while reading the next book in The Dark Tower series, Wizard and the Glass.
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