Dark Tower V: Wolves of the Calla

[Head Mutant]

Any other Dark Tower fans out there? Book five finally came out (after an agonizing six-year wait), and it's just pure bliss going back to that world. Pretty good stuff so far, too.

[Head Mutant]

Just kind of a strange revelation I wanted to share. Maybe it's stupid, but here goes.

I was chewing into Wolves of the Calla when I decided to flip through the book and look at the illustrations they had. A number of them featured Roland, the main character, but nothing like I knew most people would envision him as.

And as I was looking at those pictures, I was wondering why I wasn't disturbed that the picture presentation of Roland was different than the one in my head, angry that some illustrator is trying to force my mind's eye to change. That's when the revelation came, one that I've known for some time but never put into words.

I never, ever put a face on the main characters of any books I read. They're people, they can be very real to me, and I see what they're doing, but no faces, no features. And I asked myself, why is that? It's because since we mostly read a story from a particular character's perspective, I put myself behind their eyes as if I'm tagging along in their body. I suspect many people do this, but I'm not sure. It's like being in a dream, where you're doing something but you can't get outside of your body in the dream to see you doing it in person.

Anyway, as I said, probably nothing. Just interesting to me that I've been reading for 20+ years and only now realize that none of my main characters (or many of the other characters, for that matter) have ever had outward faces to me; just inward thoughts, emotions, feelings, desires, and actions.

[PoolMan]

And in Justin's dreams, a faceless man RIPS off all his clothes!

_{Sorry bud... don't mean to cheapen it, but the gag just wouldn't lay quiet.}

[gregslagel]

Interesting. I'm trying to think...
I never have specifics about a character, but I do have a vague overall impression of him. And I have definitely seen artwork that did not work for me at all. In fact, most of it doesn't. Yeah.

[PoolMan]

Actually, I do worse. I have the most atrocious tendency to put the faces of celebrities on the characters I read. I keep picturing Shadow from American Gods as looking like Vin Diesel, for some damn reason. I'm not really happy about this.

[Kitsune]

I can't get the book until it comes out in paperback.

Who did the illustrations? The Gunslinger has a few illustrations, and in them I can see Roland's lower face [nose and down]. That's more or less the image I have of him.

And if anyone spoils this novel by god I'll go to their houses and rip their throats out.

[Head Mutant]

Yeah yeah, calm down foxy.

[Head Mutant]

Just finished. Ahh. Wonderful book. And leaving me thirsty for the next one (happily out in Spring).

But for anyone who reads them, just notice something. This isn't a spoiler of any big sort, trust me. They never even really make any mention of it in the book, except in suggestion. What you want to notice is this: a particular header font that is oh-so-familiar, and yet took me till the end of the book to place it.

[Kitsune]

Hrm. Fair enough.

Makes me want to ask my sisters up in Tennessee for the hardcovers as a gift. I still don't have the revised edition of The Gunslinger... it never showed up down here. *sniff*

[Al]

Sorry I'm late to the conversation, but, damnit, I was the Gunslinger for 90% of my time at the Mutant Cafe`and I feel obliged to ramble. Actually, rambling takes too long, so I feel obliged to sum up.

*ahem*

-Huzzah for the Dark Tower! I slipped right back into the world despite that pesky six year absence.

-It was much more of a stand-alone story than the others, which I liked a good deal. The Magnificent Seven-ishness of it scored major points with me too.

-One of my all-time favorite King characters finally gets some recognition

-I was slightly put off by the closing chapters after the battle, but since the next volume is right around the corner, I don't feel quite so bad about it.

-I really want that rose/gun emblem on the cover as my icon, but I can't find it anywhere. Bummer.

Ok, that's all folks. Sorrry for ressurecting a two-week-old thread, but I felt obligated. Thankee big big for your time.

Al

[PoolMan]

Al said:

-I really want that rose/gun emblem on the cover as my icon, but I can't find it anywhere. Bummer.

No access to a scanner, I take it?

[Head Mutant]

Thought I saw it on the official Dark Tower website.

[Al]

Our scanner has been broken for a little over a year (and, really, no one uses it enough to want to pony up the cash to fix it) and I couldn't find what I was looking for on the official web site, but maybe I ought to give it a finer looking-over in the future. My 'Dark Tower Sunset' will have to do for now.

Al

[Veltoby]

Head said:

I was chewing into Wolves of the Calla when I decided to flip through the book and look at the illustrations they had. A number of them featured Roland, the main character, but nothing like I knew most people would envision him as.

Incidentally, my little brother said he looked like a really skinny Bruce Campbell.

But he kinda thinks everyone should be Bruce Campbell.

It's been a month or so since I read it, but I as well enjoyed it. Looking forward to number 6 (and more importantly, being paid by then! woo-hoo! )

(For some reason, I picked up a reprint of DC's old Crisis on Infinite Earths the other day, and aspects kept reminding me of the Dark Tower series to some degree.)

(Parenthetical tangent #2. Am I the only one that wants to play Walter in the movie? 'Cause that'd make auditions great if I am hehe).

[caramelchaos]

I just finished the book, and thought it wonderful...

I also wondered a bit about the font, and when I saw the reference at the end, I laughed for at least 5 minutes....

Anyway, I can't wait for the next one!!!