Mr. Mercedes Audio Preview

CAT'S EYE: James Rebhorn Dies

With James Woods,
picture credit: yahoo.com/photos

James Rebhorn, called the man who played  people "in a suit" died Friday due to skin cancer.  He had roles in Homeland, “Meet the Parents,” “Independence Day,” “My Cousin Vinny," "Cold Mountain," and "Cat's Eye."

He was also one of the readers on From A Buick 8.

Interview With Kevin Quigley: What's Up With Frank Muller's Reading Of THE MIST

I am a fan of The Mist.  I think it's a great story.  It's also been adapted many,  many times.  By far, one of the things I've gotten the most  questions about over  the years of blogging is about the Frank Muller reading of the Mist.  Where is it?  Curious myself, I went to the best source I know of, Kevin Quigley.  Quigley is the keeper of the King website Charnel House and a contributor to fearnet.

Okay, let's talk about the Mist and all things Stephen King!

Talk Stephen King: Hey, I’m really excited to talk about the Mist with you. I loved your book, Blood In Your Ears, in which you discuss the audio version of The Mist. What do you think of the story itself?

Kevin Quigley: “The Mist” is one of my favorite King stories.  Quite a lot of King’s novella work stands as his strongest material – see also “Secret Window, Secret Garden,” “Apt Pupil,” “The Body,” “A Good Marriage,” “The Langoliers.”  It’s got the punchiness of a short story but you get character development and multiple show sequences like in a novel.  I also really loved the open ending.  King returned to that stylistic concept later in his career – with From a Buick 8, Cell, and The Colorado Kid – which pissed a lot of people off, for some reason.  I love ambiguity.

TSK: I loved the movie. It seemed to successfully capture the tone of the novella. What did you think of the film?

KQ: Most of the movie is terrific.  You’re right about the tone – it perfectly captures the 50s monster-movie feel, while also delivering on contemporary characters and scares. 

TSK: The novella left the story open ended. The movie, however, chose an ending scene that was rather controversial. King said he liked it. I hate it. Which of us is right?

KQ: King and I often disagree about movies.  The ending of The Mist is atrocious.  It’s going for shock value and succeeding at that, but it doesn’t do much for the film itself.  It’s a complete shift in tone and intent, one that feels incongruous with the rest of the movie. 

TSK: The audio 3D version of the Mist was awesome. It seems to have been commercially successful. Do you think that format will be utilized for King stories again?

KQ: Well, there have been other King dramatizations.  There’s one for Misery and Pet Sematary, one for ’Salem’s Lot.  Most are unsuccessful, I think in part because they’re unable to reimagine the work from the ground up.  King’s cinematic sequences in his novels work because he’s terrific at describing scenes with punch, but much of that works on the page, where exposition and imagination holds sway.  It’s the reason why so much of King’s filmed adaptations work less often than they should. 

I also think, though, that a number of King’s more plot- and situation-driven work could benefit. I’d love to hear an adaptation of “The Langoliers,” for instance.  I think “The Breathing Method” would work very well, and maybe “Big Driver” and “The House on Maple Street.”  For novels, I think they could really kill The Regulators. 

TSK: One of the things people ask me about is the Recorded Books 3 tape set read by Frank Muller. In your book, Blood In Your Ears, you pointed out that this was out of print. What exactly does that mean? That seems crazy in the King world! Nothing goes out of print. Is there a copyright problem or something that you know of?

KQ: King’s novels don’t go out of print, but versions sometimes do.  For example, when was the last time you saw a copy of The Dead Zone with the movie cover?  Same with audio books.  Sometimes they make a new version that they deem is “better,” and the old one goes away. 

Skeleton Crew is a frustrating instance, because a perfectly terrific version of Skeleton Crew on audio simply doesn’t exist anymore.  The collection Skeleton Crew: Selections is the only version available on audio, which is insane.  Sure, the narrators are fine – King reads “The Raft,” and it’s awesome – but there are only four stories.  Why let the terrific Frank Muller version rot in purgatory?

TSK: One fan emailed to tell me that Recorded Books told them that they no longer held the copyright, that it had gone to Muller’s estate. Any way to verify that? Do readers actually own the work?

KQ: As far as I can tell, readers do not own the work at all.  From what I understand, the author of the work retains all copyrights to the book.  An audiobook is one way of “copying” the book, so a person can’t replicate the work without permission from the author.  It’s not that different from a publisher doing a limited edition work; the limited edition doesn’t become that publisher’s book just because they manufactured it.

TSK: Do you think that with everything going digital that there is a chance a publisher like Audible might pick it up?

KQ: Well, Audible doesn’t generally publish professional books themselves – they’re more a distributor for established publishers’ audio arms, or publishers like Recorded Books – but they do have a healthy business in amateur recording.  But I get your point, and I hope they’ll do right by Skeleton Crew.  In 2010, there was an audio onslaught of King books that had only previously been available as Library of Congress recordings.  Penguin brought out new, professional recordings of Christine, Firestarter, Cujo, Danse Macabre, The Eyes of the Dragon, It, and all the early Bachman novels except Rage: The Long Walk, Roadwork, and The Running Man.  Soon after, Random House released the mammoth recording of The Stand – over 47 hours! – read by Grover Gardner. 

At current, the only full Stephen King books you can’t get on audio are Pet Sematary and Skeleton Crew.  I am assuming that Sematary is tied up in rights issues, but I don’t know about Skeleton Crew.  And unfortunately, while there are terrific unabridged versions of The Regulators read by Frank Muller and Desperation read by King himself, those were only available to libraries.  The commercial versions – not-bad recordings by Kate Nelligan and Kathy Bates – are fine, but horribly abridged. 

TSK: Have you heard the Muller reading? What did you think?

KQ: I have, and it’s terrific!  As assured and sonorous as his later recordings.

TSK: Any new projects we can be expecting?

KQ: Well, we can reasonably expect new audiobooks of Mr. Mercedes and Revival coming this year, but King has also been pretty liberal with audiobooks of his short stories lately, so we might see more of those popping up.  I’d love to see the unabridged recordings of Desperation and The Regulators, and of course Pet Sematary make it to Audible soon.  I’ve been on a King audio kick lately – The Dark Half, Misery, and Christine in rapid succession – and I want more.

TSK: Okay, some quick fire questions while I have you here. Answer like it’s gunfire. . .

TSK: What did you think of:. . . 

–Carrie remake?  Not bad, but too close to the original.

–Doctor Sleep?  Pretty good, but I was far more involved in the characters than the plot, and wanted more of Danny and Abra than the True Knot.

 –Joyland? One of King’s best books of the last decade.

 –Under The Dome television?  I watched the first half of the season, then lost the thread. That might have more to my schedule than the show, though.

TSK: Which is better,  

--Joyland or Doctor Sleep? Joyland!

–Carrie or Carrie 2013?  Original!

 –Doctor Sleep or The Shining? The Shining!

 –Wetware or Blood In Your Ears?  My babies!  I took a little longer with Blood in Your Ears and I like the finished product a little better.

 –Ink in the Veins or Chart Of Darkness? Chart of Darkness. I love Ink in the Veins, but Chart of Darkness was a passion project, AND my first book for Cemetery Dance.

 –Haven or Under The Dome?  Under the Dome!

TSK: Do you have a novel?

 KQ: Yes! Cemetery Dance is releasing I’m On Fire this year as an ebook.  But I also have 18 other novels waiting in the wings.  Most aren’t horror, which is why I’ve had some issue with placing them, but you might be seeing more of them sooner rather than later.  The book I’m working on now is a coming of age story called Roller Disco Saturday Night!

TSK: Thanks Kevin.

KQ: Thanks!

 -- 

Kevin Quigley is author of I'm On Fire, Stephen King Limited, and Roller Disco Saturday Night

Producer and Host of Johnny D's Comedy.  He is a Columnist at FEARnet.com

Still No Audio

reposted from 2012

 

Here are 3 books that still have not found their way to the world of audio books:

1. The Dead Zone
2. Pet Sematary
3. Rage
. . . of course, I'd even listen to The Cannibals on audio, if it existed. I was enjoying that book!

4 books that are endangered species:
(That means they are hard to find, almost disappearing off the face of earth)

1. The Mist, read by Frank Muller. Muller did a recording of The Mist unabridged, and it was great! However, there seems to be copyright problems with the recording, and who knows if it will ever be seen available to the public again.

2. The 1978 edition of The Stand read by Grover Gardner. I think these only existed as tapes.

3. The original King readings of the Dark Tower 1-2. These were great! King's reading was a joy, even though it was obvious he was nervous.

4. An actual physical CD copy of The Stand. It's available on audio through audible, but difficult to find as a CD.

Regarding audio books, I think the happiest I have been was when Needful Things came out.  I bought each set of tapes and spent hours in my room listening while I played solitary monopoly.  (Yes, I'll tell you the rules if you ask).

Doctor Sleep Journal 2: The Overlooks Long Reach

Audio Immersion:

Complaining last night that my teenager swiped my ipod -- AGAIN -- so I can't listen to Doctor Sleep.  Of course, I can go get the ipod, but I choose  sulking over parenting at that moment.  Judge  me at your own peril.

My wife said, "You could just listen to it on Kindle."

I patiently explained that: 1. Stephen King books usually disable  the audio feature on Kindle.  2. The Kindle text-speech feature sounds like a robot.  She said, "No, it's called audio immersion."  So I don't know how this happened -- if it is because we had already ordred an audible version, or if Kindle just comes with this,  but the real audio version began pouring from the Kindle. It was Craig Wasson, reading away with Doctor Sleep!  So, in Californian, "Totally awesome, dude.  Rock on."

Dreams:

King moves us to the books real starting point by marching a parade of presidents by us.  I kinda like it.  No need to be date specific, we get the era that each of these guys oversaw.  There's the Peanut Farmer president, followed by the Actor president (that can't be trusted, in King's words).  The Actor is followed by the Elvis president.  Humm, not George Bush.  Anyway, the Elvis president (speaking of trust!) is followed by the Cowboy president.

What we discover when the book finally finds a resting place is a broken Dan who uses the same coping mechanisms his father did to limp through life.  However, unlike his father, Dan has different reasons to need to cope.  For one, his father tried to kill  him in the Overlook. That'll mess you up.  Worse, his ability to Shine  has some pretty bad consequences (think, "I see dead people") and it seems drinking numbs his senses.  Dan bops from job to job, always focused on getting to the next place and never seeming to realize what's really going on is he is running from the bad stuff in his past.

The past Dan is running from is not only made by his father, but one he has actively worked at as well.  A particular theft haunts him, and an abused child he elected  not to help.  Dan uses  alcohol to do what his lock box won't.  "Maybe you can put the things from the Overlook away in lockboxes, but not memories. Never those. They’re the real ghosts."

King once again takes us into the depths of addiction, but with new, deeper, insights than ever before.  The feelings of self loathing, struggle and small victories mixed with big defeats are all very real to the reader.

I found this line haunting:

As the moon rose over Wilmington, North Carolina, Dan Torrance lapsed into unconsciousness. There were dreams of the Overlook, but he would not remember them upon waking.

It seems the Overlook has a long reach, even from the grave.

Running With NOS4A2

While running recently I read several chapters of Joe Hill's new book, NOS4a2.  I liked it a lot! 

I listen to audio books when I run at night.  In fact, an ipod is just about my favorite  bit of exercise equipment.  Listening to horror novels as I run through our small, dark town is great!  (A coyote and I stared each other down tonight.)

I've put off reading Joe Hill because I'm usually pretty busying reading King fore scares.  When I want to read someone other than King, the pool seems too big to just hover near one section.  I've been reading Swan Song off  and on and also enjoy Bradbury, Richard Laymon and Dean Koontz. 

It's hard to just ignore a writer who is getting as much positive attention as Joe Hill.  So, I decided Joe could go running with me for a few nights.

I started out with a little speech to myself as I did a warm up walk.  "Now self," (this is the best way to address yourself) "try to forget that this is Stephen King's son.  Don't expect anything too super-duper.  Writing is an art, everyone should get a fair shot and no one wants to be compared to their famous father.  Just read it for fun."

So I tried hard to forget that it was Stephen King's son.  Try not to think about an elephant.  But the story drew me in.  From a killer who suddenly jolts awake and knows about the nurses son to a flashback about a girl whose bike seems to do an interesting magic trick -- I was engrossed.  Breathing hard (because I was running) I began to wonder exactly how Stephen King had thought of a particular bad guy. As King always does, he took me right inside the guys head.  It's a frightening thing to find yourself identifying and understanding the mind  of the deranged.  And then I realized something really startling -- "HEY SELF!" I hollered in my head, "YOU'RE NOT READING STEPHEN KING!"

The writing really is so similar that it could pass for Stephen King on a good day.  We're not talking Thinner good -- we're talking IT good.  yeah, having taken a few long runs with Joe Hill, I'm pretty sure he could have written IT.  Or, in turn, I'm pretty sure Stephen King could have written NoS4A2. 

There is a charming little girl, a bike and even a bit of magic involved.  And then there are some scary -- I mean really scary -- folk in this thing!  We're talking guys messed up enough to wander through a Thomas Harris book. 

No spoilers or heavy review from me -- just a short note on how much I've enjoyed this book.

Will Paton giving voice to Doctor Sleep

Simon & Schuster Audio has announced Will Patton is the narrator for the audiobook version of DOCTOR SLEEP. Patton is a beloved audiobook narrator who currently stars in the TNT series Falling Skies.

King Makes MSN's Choice For Great Commute Audobook's

Shannan Rouss at msn has an article titled, "LISTEN UP! 10 best audio books for your commute." (Rouss lists more  than ten.)  King makes the list twice. I think he is the only author to be mentioned more than once.

The first choice is an obvious choice, but you better have a long commute!  It's the unabridged version of The Stand.  Rouss writes:

Clocking in at just under 48 hours, this Stephen King thriller is by far the longest on the list. When you finish it, you'll realize that you've spent the equivalent of two full days driving, probably over the span of a few weeks. That's a lot of time, but this book makes for good company. It begins with a super-flu that wipes out roughly 98 percent of the population. The survivors converge and attempt to rebuild society, but first they must contend with the Dark Man, who haunts their dreams. 

 The second choice is another classic King story, Salem's Lot.

Before Stephenie Meyer's lovesick vampires sucked the menace out of the genre, there was Stephen King's contemporary classic about a small town in Maine and the terrifying vampires who haunt it. (Sorry, no Edward Cullen here.) Salem's Lot is an ominous story with relatable characters that will draw you in and keep you reading long after the sun has set. 

The full article, and many other great suggestions, is at  msn.com

What's your favorite Stephen King audiobook?

I have two.  Dolores Claiborne is a great one to listen to, since it is told in first person like a confession.  You really feel like you're in the room with her as she tells her dark tale.  Chatty, wise, observant -- this is one of my all time favorite novels.  A story of revenge with a great twist!

I also like the most recent recording of The Stand quite a bit.  I didn't blog much about my most recent trip through it, since there's not a lot new to say.   But it is wonderful, and Grover Gardner makes it a great journey.

OH!  A third. .  . I also cherish King's own reading on Needful Things.  I forget to list the King recordings, because they stand out as something else; something other than just a recording of the book.  Something special happens when King reads this story.  You can feel it the moment he starts with "you've been here before."  His accent is right and his narration is quite energetic.  Of course, he know how to play each line, since he wrote the book!

My favorite non-King audio book is Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett.

So, do tell -- favorite King audiobook.  (or  non-King if you want.)

The Box At The Bottom Of The Closet

shhhh. . . quiet. . . my wife can't hear us talking about this.  See, we were discussing how full our bedroom closet is.  I might have said that none of the junk in the closet was mine, because I don't have a need to keep everything.   (EVERYTHING!)

So, when I came home from work yesterday,  there was a large  box sitting on the bed.  My beloved informed me it was MY  box.  Strange, I don't seem to remember owning a box.

"So what do you think was inside your box?" My wife asked.
I dunno.  Books?
"Well, you do have a box f duplicate Stephen King books.   But this box is full of Stephen King books on tape."
"CDs?"
"TAPES.  So you want me to throw them away,  or ebay them?"

I  didn't think much of it until I started going through the box.  Strange how things can cause of to  be sentimental, right?  I LOVE these tapes!  I've listened to them over and over and over!

So, here is what was in the box:

• 2 books on CD.  (HA!)  
• The Drawing of the Three, read by Stephen King.  My favorite of the Dark Tower covers is this one.  I almost bought this set on ebay recently, but didn't because I reasoned it would just end up at the bottom of a box somewhere.  
• Secret Window, Secret Garden, from Four Past Midnight.  I bought this in High School, then found myself incredibly "sick" the next day -- requiring I miss school and listen to my book while I played video games.   It was a tough life.  I didn't like the ending at all.  I was intrigued by the idea of two writers writing exactly the same book. But it seemed to easy for him to just be having a mental breakup.  Besides, wasn't that the Dark Half?  Also,  I couldn't figure out where the Window and Garden were?!  So there was no secret garden, no real duplicate book -- just a crazy writer.  But, it was a good day off school.
• The three volume edition of Needful Things on tape.  I got this for my 18th birthday.  (I think 18.)  Each time someone would give me birthday money, I'd go  to the store and buy the next volume. I absolutely fell in love with that book!  Loved King's reading, loved the story and even loved the boxes they came in.  I lined the boxes up neatly on my bookshelf, thinking how cool they looked.
• Dolores Claiborne.  Once again, this is a great book!  And, once  I've read many times. In particular, I remember listening to it on a rainy day at my Grandma's house when I was in college.  I was alone in the house, and there was serious storming going on.  I took the tape recorder from room to room with me to keep me company.  (That house was scary in thunder storms.  So, naturally -- the thing to do was listen to a Stephen King book.  So wise.)
• The Shining.  I listened to this a few years ago, right before tapes went bye-bye.  
• Some books I never finished.  From A Buick 8, which I still can't get through.  And Dreamcatcher, which my wife and I listened to together for a long time -- until it jumped characters and became about a Men In Black military general who's insane.  

So what will I do with the box of tapes?  I actually don't know.  Probably haul them down to the shed.  But then my wife will find them and tell me I can't say ALL the stuff down there is hers.  But it is.  Because the Christmas stuff counts at hers.

Mrs. Todds Shortcut on tape

The Skeleton Crew stories  are  some of my favorites -- and some of the hardest for find on audio.  Here's one for $4.99 at ebay.

notice the typo on the inside write-up below (Steven King)

Who's Your Favorite Reader?

Got a favorite narrator? . . .

• Kathy Bates
• Lindsay Crouse
• Jeffrey DeMunn
• Raul Esparza 
• Grover Gardner
• George Guidall
• Jessica Hecht
• Kirby Heyborne
• Stephen King
• Stephen Lang
• Joe Mantegna
• Frank Muller
• Bronson Pinchot
• Campbell Scott
• Joe Slattery
• Sissy Spacek
• Frances Sternahagen
• G. Valmont Thomas
• Eli Wallach
• Craig Wasson
• Steven Weber
• James Woods

My favorites are:

Grover Gardner, Stephen King, and Frank Muller.  I am learning to like George Guidall as I listen to The Dark Tower series.

Books Read By Stephen King

Who is your favorite reader of the Stephen King audio books?  I have two non-King favorites.  First Frank Muller is great.  His pacing is fast, which I like!  Also, I have come to appreciate Mr. Grover Gardner.  At first I really struggled with what some said was a "dry" reading style.  But I came to see that Gardner is precise and clear in his reading, giving power to the words themselves to tell the story.

I also think Craig Wasson is an excellent reader.  He takes almost the opposite approach of Gardner.  If Gardner wants the words to speak for themselves, Wasson wants to bring them to life!  He reads with energy, passion and sometimes his passion becomes distraction.

I really like it when Stephen King reads his own stories.  I'm not sure I would want to listen to him read Ken Follett novels!  But he's a great Stephen King narrator.

1. The Gunslinger.  I recently bought the audio tape of Stephen King reading The Gunslinger.  I love it!  King is awkward at first, but gains confidence as he goes.  He starts with a short introduction, pointing out that he is not a professional reader, but he thinks there is value for a writer to read his own work.  I generally agree -- if the writer is a good reader!  Some writers should stick to writing.  Frank Peretti comes to mind!  The author of the Christian classic, "This Present Darkness" has the frustrating habit of breaking into falsetto.
By the way, the photo of a young Stephen King with a mustache is great.
2. The Drawing Of The Three.  I like the cover of this audio book a lot,  by the way.  I can't find the artwork  anywhere else, but it is great.
3. The Wastelands.  I've never seen this, but according to King's site (Ms. Mod), he read the first three books of the Dark Tower series.
4. Bag of Bones
5. On Writing (nonfiction)
6. Building Bridges.  (Speech)
7. Blood and Smoke (Lunch at the Gotham Cafe, 1408, In The Deathroom)
8. It Grows on You (story)
9. Needful Things.  This is my favorite Stephen King reading.
10. Harvey’s Dream (story)
11. Hearts in Atlantis (w/ William Hurt)
12.  LT’s Theory of Pets (live reading)
13. Head Down (essay)
14. The Wavedancer Benefit
15. Rose Madder (the part of Norman Daniels)  (?)
16. The Wind Through The Keyhole
17. Home Delivery (story)

The Gunslinger Journal #4

I have finished my first small leg of the Dark Tower journey; completing book 1, The Gunslinger.  It is a difficult journey for me.  First, it is quite different than I remember it.  Is that because I first read it via Stephen King’s audio version?  This time I read the revises with George Guidall.

Not Love At First Sight:

I still find the story hard to follow, confusing and at times down right frustrating.  It is not love at first sight.  I think I will buy the old tapes of King reading the story.  It would seem that with the major clean up King did to this story, it would be smoother.  But still, it is such a strange novel.  The action is slow, the characters are mostly unlikeable (I’m sorry) and the ideas seem incomplete.

Bev Vincent said the novel had a “dry, dark tone” that turned many away.  He also notes, “King’s revisions createa more internally consistent series of books for newcomers to the series.”

But just because it is not love at first sight does not mean I do not like the novel.  I do.  First, I know the series gets better!  Second, there is a flavor to both the book and the character Roland that is kind of fun.  He may not be immedately likeable – in the sense that I identify deeply with him – but he does possess traits that are fun.  Roland is stoic, strong, determined and pretty mean.  If he needs to take down the entire town of Tull to accomplish his mission, down they will go!   But he is charming, in a Clint Eastwood sort of way.  You don’t want to be on Roland’s bad side – or, get in his path to the tower.  Roland is a man driven by a single passion, to reach the Dark Tower.

There is another reason I find this book difficult – it requires scholarship.  This is not a novel to be read and enjoyed and tossed aside.  It has to be thought about, mulled over, studied.  For me that sometimes feels like work!  I spend my day as a preacher studying implications and meanings of Scripture.  Stephen King is not Scripture – he’s literature – but in this instance, literature meant to be taken at a deeper level.  A surface reading will miss a lot of what King is setting up.  So, my laziness in just wanting to read a good novel makes me a little shy when approaching this book.

Spiritual Symbolism:

Sin and Redemption: Here’s what I realized reading this time, Roland is a hero in search of redemption.  Not a new theme at all, but something I had somehow missed.  We’re not really supposed to identify or like Roland when we first meet him.  He is a man on a noble mission, but he is personally broken.

As the first segment in a redemption story, The Gunslinger goes to some pains to reveal Roland’s imperfections.  I’m working to avoid the word “sinner” – but there it is!  Roland is the sinner.  The Tower story runs like a long version of Pilgrims Progress.  He is a man bearing a great burden (very great burden!).

I’m not sure this analogy should be pressed hard, since I don’t think it was not in King’s minds eye when he wrote the book.  Is it fair to apply imagery beyond the authors intent?  I’m not sure.  But I can’t unsee some of this.

Themes from Christianity in particular play throughout the first novel, and become stronger toward the end.  It starts with evil being chased through the desert – the bad guy wears black!  Who is this man in black?  Flagg?  A servant of Flagg?  Walter O’Dim is. . . ?  Actually, it’s unclear in this novel.  

LEGION:
The man in black claims to serve a leader named “Legion.”  Not a reference to ancient Rome, but to the Biblical demoniac Jesus encountered.  Christ was confronted by the demon posessed man and demanded his name.  “Legon, because we are many.”  The demons begged Christ not to bring them into judgment before the appointed time (Judgment day).  Jesus honors the demons request, exorcizing the man – but instead of setting the demons lose on the earth, he sends them into a herd of nearby pigs.

JUDAS?: At first the sacrifice of Jake seems to be something like Abraham’s preparation to sacrifice his son Isaac.  Both know it will happen, yet like Abraham and Isaac they journey on. But Jake is not an Isaac at all.  He is not a willing sacrifice for Roland's tower!  Anything but.

Roland assures Jake of his protection, but later fails to save him.  Roland falls into the realm of betrayer in this novel.  Is he like a Judas then?  Not really.  Because what happens is unplanned.  Roland is aware things might go that way, but works to avoid a situation where he might have to sacrifice the boy.  When he is confronted with the options – boy or tower – he isn’t given time to think this through.  He acts on instinct, not deliberation.  This act will be something he is given opportunity to redeem later in the series.

GOLGOTHA: The man in black brings Roland to a place of bones – Golgotha.  This is the name of the place where Christ was crucified.  It is here that the man in black hopes to convince Roland to turn away from the dark tower.

The Gunslinger and the man in black have a final conversation that rambles into total confusion – Our universe could be nothing but a blade of grass, cut away and now dying.  What would you find if you came to the end of the universe, drilled a hole in the wall of the universe. . . what is on the other side?  This kind of talk goes on and on – stuff you expect to hear being tossed about in a dorm room full of seminary students.

Creation:
When Roland falls into a trance, the Biblical metaphors return.  He sees the man in black as the creator, and experiences creation as the man in black calls forth light and planets.

“The universe was void.  Nothing moved.   Nothing was.”
Compare to Genesis 1:2, “Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep” only, instead of the Spirit of God hovering, Roland and the man in black are hovering.  It is not God who will call forth creation, but the man in black.

“Let us have light,” the voice of the man in black said nonchalantly, and there was light.   The gunslinger thought in a detached way that the light was good. (p.283, unrevised)
“God said, "Let there be light," and there was light. 4 God saw that the light was good,” Gen. 1:3-4

So what is the vision?   It is meant to scare Roland off his quest.   (I’m not sure why the man in black doesn’t just kill Roland – but I’m sure that’s just a very primitive thought, right?)  The man in black wants Roland to be aware that there are things taking place beyond his understanding – things he cannot grasp.  Roland is unworthy to carry out the mission of the dark tower.

When Roland invokes the Name – seemingly as a curse – the man in black pulls away.
“Jesus no more no more no more–”
“The voice of the man in black whispered silkily in his ear: “Then renege.  Cast away all thoughts of the Tower.  Go your way, gunslinger, and save your soul.”

Bev Vincent argues, “At one point, the narration seems to expand beyond Wlater to some greater being, never identified, perhaps the Voice of the Turtle.  Later, in the presence of Black Thirteen, Roland will understand that he was sent todash by the residual effects of that Wizard’s orb, which was recently in Walter’s hands.” (The Road To The Dark Tower, p.44)

BEAST:
The man in black speaks of a “Beast” who guards the dark tower.  The idea of a “beast” who stands guarding a mighty tower (like tower of Babel) which connects all civilization is a Biblical one.  Does King intend this?  I think he does.  Revelation centers on an end time war between the Beast and the Lamb.

The Beast is the Crimson King.  This was a change King made when he revised.  (See the portion below on “intentional” as to why he might use “beast” for the first draft.)

Flagg:
Is Walter O’Dim really Randall Flagg?  Yes.  But there are problems with this!  In the original version, it seems pretty clear that after the long conversation and the passage of ten years, the man in black is nothing but a pile of bones.

“The remains of the wood he had carried had turned to ironwood, and the man in black was a laughing skeleton in a rotting black robe, more bones in this place of bones, one more skull in golgotha.”

The question in the first edition of the novel would have been: How did the man in black die?  Roland shot at him several times, but he seemed to be unharmed.  Unless he died, and it was Walter’s ghost.  King revises this to make it clear that this is nothing but a trick by the man in black.

INTENTIONAL?

So, does King intend to make all these Biblical references?  I think so.

Though the gunslinger bears the marks of a young writer – it also shows the workings of a young man who still possesses a working knowledge of Scripture.  Or, to put it this way: The Stephen King who wrote the Gunslinger had been to church and listened to sermons more recently than the Stephen King who finished the Gunslinger.  The Gunslinger sports the knowledge of a person who has been churched.

Take for instance the title “Beast” which is later changed to Crimson King.  The younger King is more familiar with the idea of a great Beast, because it is a symbol from Christianity.  Later he uses Crimson King, as this more directly ties things to the great evil in his novels.

I think (think) he is throwing everything he has at the reader, hoping some of the symbolism will stick.  And some of it does.  Why the strange creation sequence?  I’m not completely sure.   Does Roland carrying wood to the place of bones supposed to be symbolic? – like Isaac carrying wood, or Christ carrying a cross?  Probably not.  But maybe!

Fantasy mirrors the Biblical genre of Apocalyptic.  Used in Daniel, Isaiah, Ezekiel and Revelation, it is quite different from the novel form of the genre such as “the Stand” or “The Road.”  Biblical Apocalyptic uses symbolism to paint pictures of the future.  It draws on previously used symbols, sometimes reinterpreting them, to tell the story of redemption.  In many ways, the gunslinger falls into this genre.  It is not just an end of the world book – but a highly symbolic book.  The problem with such a thing is the same one that Bible students encounter; knowing which elements the writer intended as symbol and which he intends to be read at a simple surface level reading.

What Is The Tower?

When Roland catches the man in black he shoots at him.  The man in black suggests that it is not a good idea to kill the person who has the answers he seeks.  They go to a campfire, where the man in black cooks a rabbit – Roland eats jerky.

If the end is supposed to provide answers, it does not.  What is the dark tower?  The axis of many universes – endless worlds.  The tower is the “nexus of time.”  It’s a good answer to stave off the reader.  Truth is, the reader (me) is a little suspect that at this point Stephen King has no idea what the dark tower is!  Saying is the “nexus of time” or “the nexus of size” make it worth pursuing without a lot further explanation of exactly what in the world is going on.

Here’s the thing: The Dark Tower itself, at least in this novel, is nothing more than what Alfred  Hitchcock would call a “McGuffin.”  A McGuffin is a devise that simply moves the plot forward, it doesn’t matter what it is.  If it’s a spy story, the McGuffin is the needed papers.  In this case, it is the mysterious tower.

I think The Dark Tower itself is a mystery to both writer and reader in this first installment of The Dark Tower.  The writer is driven by the concept, not fully aware of what it is or why Roland must reach it.

The Dark Tower Project

With the announcement that both Doctor Sleep and Joyland will be released in 2013, I have decided it is time for me to return to The Dark Tower.

I have read the first three books several times (the first two many, many times).  I have not read Wizard and Glass or The Wind Through The Keyhole.  I also skipped and dipped through the last book.  The arrival of Wind Through The keyhole actually peaked my interest: I want to retrace the steps of Roland and his journey to the tower.

My favorite books previously were: Drawing of the Three, Wastelands, Wolves of the Calla and parts of Song of Susannah.  My least favorite is the first.

So here’s the plan:
1. I’ll do most of the reading by audio book.
2. I choose the original version of the first book, as opposed to King’s revised edition.
3. I will read the books in chronological book order.
4. I will stay with the primary 8 books; skipping Little Sisters and other short Dark Tower related works.

When I first came to The Dark Tower, I was brand new to Stephen King.  I only made it through the first few pages, then jumped ship and went to The Stand.  I later read The Dark Tower, and though confused, went on to The Drawing of the Three.  That book was awesome!

There are things I still don’t totally understand, the primary one is simply this: How does Roland getting to the tower change anything?

There are several good Dark Tower books to guide me on the journey.  My intention is to stay primarily with The Road To The Dark Tower, by Bev Vincent.

Ebay Audio: Drawing of the three

Here is a copy of The Drawing Of The Three that we discussed  recently.  These are tapes.  What's neat about this recording is that it was done by Stephen King.

Quigley Review Of Audio WTTKH

Hey,  I loved Kevin Quigley's review of the audio edition of The Wind Through The Keyhole at fearnet (HERE)   It is titled, “Listening to the Wind: Stephen King, the Dark Tower, and 'The Wind Through the Keyhole' on Audio.”

Quigley offers a teriffic “history” of the Gunslinger as a book – an audio book in particular.  He also reviews King as a reader,  and in particular his reading of the Dark Tower novels.   I really enjoyed this portion.  Those of you complaining that King should have given the floor to professionals who have previously recorded the Dark Tower audio books, would do well to note that Stephen King is the first true audio reader of The Dark Tower.

Quigley gives us one big helpful tip: There is a preview, only available on the audio edition of WTTKH, of Doctor Sleep.  SWEET! Quigley writes, “While there's no word on whether King will read the entire novel on audio, his take here is spooky and unsettling. If this excerpt is any judge, Doctor Sleep is going to be one scary book.”

The full article is here at fearnet.com.

Salem's Lot Radio Drama

In 1995 BBC did a 7 part radio drama of Salem's Lot.  You can get it as an MP3 at SFFaudio. I do not know  if they got permission from BBC or not.

wikipedia lists  the differences between the radio drama and the novel:

• Ralphie Glick's role is reduced (and his vampiric activities are left vague)
• Dud Rogers and the junkyard see only cursory mention (much of the Barlow/Dud Rogers dialogue having been rescripted into the Barlow/Larry Crockett death scene)
• Danny Glick's rise from the grave (and the death of Mike Ryerson) are now enabled/supervised by Barlow, who mesmerizes Ryerson and calls Danny forth
• Father Callahan and Dr. Cody become quick/willing vampire-hunters, with virtually no complaint or skepticism
• Mark Petrie uses shards of broken glass (rather than contortionist rope-tricks) to free himself from Straker's knots
• The entire narrative is framed by Ben Mears' confession to a Mexican priest (who periodically interrupts the retelling with specific questions)

The wikipedia article is HERE.

Photo: King Narrates Wind Through The Keyhole

THIS IS COOL!

This is from my favorite Stephen King website, Lilja's Library.  (With permission)

"Here's a photo of King in the studio narrating Wind Through the Keyhole."
-- Lilja's Library

Salem's Lot Journal #1

I started the dark journey through Salem's Lot this Saturday.  I will keep a journal of notes and things that interest me as I read.  These are not reviews -- Lilja writes some wonderful reviews, so check his out.  I'm just creating a notebook.

I have not previously read this novel cover to cover, though I am familiar with concepts.  I tried to read it one summer -- but alas, when the latest King book was hit the market and I stopped reading to plow through the latest super-duper that everyone was excited about.

As usual, the audio version is my chosen format.  I had this on CD, but lost some of the CD's!  Audible to the rescue.

I promised a friend that when I finished this I would read Talisman, since that is also on my list of "never read it -- couldn't make it."  In a way I am glad there is not a new novel this fall -- as I can catch up on some classic King.


Introduction

King read a delightful introduction in the audio version.  He discusses his mother, his childhood, and Dracula.  His mother called most horror books "trash" -- but Dracula and the like were not "bad trash."  Save that for D.H. Lawrence!  He shares the roots of the novel, and his original title "Second Coming."


Bigness

I am struck right off the bat by what a "large" novel this is.  It has a lot of scope, characters.  King backed out of some projects earlier in his career because they were just too big (Cannibals, which became Under The Dome, comes to mind.)  Salem's lot is a big novel -- not so much in length but in cast.  Interesting how young Mr. King says that no large novel is created by the author alone. . . written by a man who just didn't know how large his novels would get!  I guess sitting next to Carrie, it is long.

Salem's Lot is not just the story of Ben or Susan -- it is, as the title implies, the story of a town.  King wastes little time with introducing main characters before he gets busy allowing us to peak in the windows and listen in on the phone lines of this little town.  In fact, characters are being introduced so quickly at points that I feel the need to write down names.

Why a large cast?  Well, I suspect because a lot of people are going to get killed.  Just my guess here.

The large cast of characters in a small town reminds me of Needful Things.  The naughty boys even move to town to open up a shop.

I love how King describes the chatter crossing phone-lines, and the low hum the telephone lines make when the weather is just right.

The novel has a slight 70's feel to it.  No cell phone's here, gang!  We've still got party lines, newspapers and typewriters.  But it is an endearing feel to me.  King says he has always been more a writer of his time, and that's something I really appreciate.  I don't need to feel like it's happening "today" in order to enjoy it.  In fact, it's perhaps all the more creepy because it happened "back then" ya know!

The Writing:

Kings writing is crisp, energetic and quite fun.  He is moving at a pretty fast pace from scene to scene, giving the feeling that he is definitely "going" somewhere with this.  You can sense that a young man wrote this, and that is fine.  It is his view of the world, and it is a nice view.

King's love for Shirley Jackson's work appears not only with the inside quotes, but in the novel itself.  Ben directly discusses The Haunting Of Hill House (whatever walked there walked alone!)

One of the early scenes does give me a laugh --  "YOU WISH!" I want to say to King.  Ben goes to the park, only to discover a beautiful unmarried young woman reading his book.  Hummm, might this be the start of a relationship?  Oh yeah!  I like this scene very much, because I want to like it, not because it strikes me as true to life.  It does make me wonder what well known authors must feel when they spy someone reading their work.

Since Ben is a writer, a lot of Salem's Lot is about writing.  King lets us into the head of a young writer.  "But he does that all the time," someone might object.  True, but this is the first time -- and in that sense, it is special.

King Will Narrate WIND THROUGH THE KEYHOLE

Bryant Burnette shared with me that Stephen King will be reading the new Dark Tower novel, Wind Through The Keyhole.

Lilja's Library posted several quotes from King's site (which are not currently appearing on stephenking.com).  This is directly formhttp://www.liljas-library.com:

“I’ve spent a lot of time with the character of Roland Deschain and the Dark Tower universe over
the years. Now that I am revisiting that world, it felt like a fine time to lend it my voice,” said King. 

The Wind Through the Keyhole audiobook will also offer an exclusive audio preview of King’s upcoming novel, Doctor Sleep, the eagerly-awaited sequel to his classic, The Shinin, to be published in 2013. Stephen King will also read the excerpt from Doctor Sleep. 

“We’re thrilled that Steve wanted to return to the studio for THE WIND THROUGH THE KEYHOLE. As his audio fans know, he is a terrific narrator,” says Chris Lynch, Executive Vice President & Publisher of Simon & Schuster Audio. “His choice to preview his follow up to THE SHINING exclusively on audio speaks volumes about his support for the format. We couldn’t be happier.”

I really enjoyed the earlier Dark Tower novels King read.  He gave his voice to The Gunslinger, which was the first audio book he did.  It was great, if not a bit awkward at first.  King quickly found a rhythm.  The Drawing of the Three (a favorite of mine) was wonderful.  I think King's best reading is of Needful Things.

In the audio edition of The Gunslinger, King offers a short introduction and explains why he thinks it is beneficial for an author to read their own work.