Customer Reviews

The Dark Tower VI: Song of Susannah

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4 star:		(112)
3 star:		(65)
2 star:		(42)
1 star:		(46)

 

 

If you thought that the previous five Dark Tower books were departures for King, just wait until you read this one. At some point around the 11th Stanza ("The Writer"), "Song of Susannah" is, like the song says, guaranteed to blow your mind.

Picking up right where "Wolves of the Calla" left off, our heroes Roland, Eddie, Jake, and the relative newcomer Father Callahan prepare for yet another sojourn out of Roland's world and into ours. Right off the bat, though, things do not go quite as planned. A Beamquake shakes the foundations of all the worlds, and we learn that the Tower is in much greater jeopardy than we may have previously suspected. And as always, wherever Roland goes, gunplay is sure to follow, but this time, it's waiting for him...

King's further explorations into the rich world of the Dark Tower are as rewarding as they ever were. The characters, by now, have become as comfortable as old friends. Still, there are new facets to be seen yet, and we get a closer look at each of them as the story goes on.

It's very difficult to write about this latest installment without giving what makes it so different away completely. The events and revelations found in "Song of Susannah" are so central to the themes of the overall story, and yet revealing them here would entirely ruin the fun of discovering them as King has presented it. Some readers will doubtless dislike the road King has begun to travel as the story approaches its conclusion, but I am convinced that many more will absolutely love it. It is a credit to King's growth as a writer that he can even attempt this ambitious sort of storytelling, and more, that he can do it successfully... at least, so far.

One thing is certain: love it or hate it, "Song of Susannah" is King's riskiest and most surprising work yet. One the one hand, he is taking one of the most overused plot elements in fiction -- the baby of uncertain parentage -- and making something original and interesting out of it. On the other, he is attempting something seen in modern fiction only rarely... a self-relexive work that engages the reader on multiple levels. By the end of "Song of Susannah" you may find yourself thinking about the realities that fiction creates, and the fictions that "real" life presents us with every day. And if you do, I believe that is entirely the point. King seems to be angling not only toward a conclusion to Roland's quest, but also toward a deeply personal statement about what it is to be a writer. It is an ambitious road to travel, but so far, King has not let us down. In fact, what he has begun with this book has the potential to exceed all the expectations I had for it.

'Ware, Constant Reader: "Song of Susannah," like "The Waste Lands," ends with a cliffhanger. In fact, there is not only one cliffhanger here, but two. The last pages of "Song of Susannah" should leave many readers, as it left me, powerfully hungry for the final book in the series. What lies in wait on the final page is, to say the least, quite a shock. It leaves the fate of Roland and his companions, as well as that of the Tower itself, enshrouded in doubt.

"One more turn of the path, and then we reach the clearing."

I, for one, can't wait to get there.

Dear reader, if you've lived through the other 5 installments you must read this one. Period. How could you not?

That said, it is sad to think that this epic journey seems separated into Books 1-4, and Books 5-7 (or at least 5-6, one hopes King jumps back on the right track in 7). Where the first four books were engaging, suspenseful, moving and heroic, Books 5 and 6 seem unimportant and done with much less care.

It's still our favorite crew--Roland at the mast, Eddie and Susannah behind with Jake quickly growing to match them--but they don't have the same spirit. Time has muted their shine. When Roland used to speak, he demanded our attention. I find him withering in these latest books, and not because of his arthritis. What a shame.

Overall 5 and 6 are enjoyable, in and of themselves. As a lover of these worlds, with their strange similarities and inconsistencies, it was great to once again spend a little time with the ka-tet. Yet the Tower's unfolding mystery seems too easily unraveled since the end of Book 4, and without much imagination. King is a gifted writer, to be sure, and occasionally we are flashed with his signature wit and intellect. What we miss are the high stakes that arose from this being an honest tale, with fantastical elements.

Instead we are treated to some gunfire for arbitrary reasons (ka, I guess?) with stock antagonists--and not terribly charismatic ones at that (Andy the Robot? Jack Andolini returns in two more installments?--Stephen, come on, the Lobstrosities had more personality). Most of `Wolves' was a diversion from the tale, detouring to reconnect with Peter Callahan. Slight frustration aside I was fine with that, thinking King was laying some subtle groundwork. Yet in `Song' he continues to wander, and this time THROUGH time (and, apparently, the Northeast).

Much of the story focuses on Susannah's wrestling with her other personality, Mia, hence the title. These two take row after row with one another, battling over her unborn chap. This offers little to no suspense, and the story unfolds in literal fashion, each scene working into the next in an ordinary manner. King connects the dots in lackluster numerical order, quite unlike him, and we miss the Mid-world shocks and specificity he once graced us with. His larger themes are drawing closer together, and--surprise!--we're not in the least surprised by his answers, and nod in polite acknowledgement.

When time and worlds begin to break loose, it's just accepted by the gunslingers--always fascinating that they seem to know both nothing and everything at the same time. Rather than the author spending the time to find complex ways to tie together these loose elements, we are given a premise that is lacking, at best. Readers started to see it at the end of `Wizard,' with his other book references and the like, but it culminates with a trip to Maine where we meet Mr. King himself, one--if not THE--apparent creator of all worlds [while I have a personal (and literary) objection to the author choosing himself as the epicenter of this journey, I must concede it was cleverly crafted, and one of the stronger portions of this book].

Also, King has fallen back to silly pronunciations and syllogisms in this installment, as in `Wolves.' The people speak with stilted and forced language, as if trying too hard to be the characters they once were. There is little ease or subtlety here, and very few surprises that won't make a fan shake his head and say, "No, no, please don't do that, Stephen you're off the Beam." He is successful in providing a cliffhanger ending, and King is always his best when he's in the midst of action. Yet such contrived storytelling on top of the numerous missteps in the last two volumes can leave one fearing the Dark Tower is little more than a mirage at the end of this tale, nothing more than gun smoke and mirrors.

I hold out hope that he is able to return to some of his earlier brilliance, as in `Drawing' or `Waste Lands' for his finale, but even if he continues along this skewed path, it will still have been one heck of a journey. King knows the face of his father, and his work is always worth devouring. This volume, if for nothing more than nail-biting curiosity, is no exception. 5 and 6 are (to me) lesser works in the series, yet it's a good sign that `Song' proved more exciting and a better read than `Wolves.' You might optimistically feel he is wading in the water, keeping you treading just long enough to overwhelm you with one last somersault from under the surface. Ignore the obvious foreshadowing, and you'll find reason enough to keep you looking towards the fall, when (for good or bad) Roland finally ends his journey.

As a last note, the illustrations by Darrel Anderson were mysterious and haunting, a great departure from the uninspired artwork of the last book. Each one delighted, surprised and struck me. Here's hoping `The Dark Tower' does the same, with the striking force of the Gunslinger.

I have never read so many mixed reviews for a DT book as with this one, and I was at the point where I didn't know what to think about it. Then I read it, or rather FLEW through it, and I think this book is great.
I was never incredibly compelled by Susannah/Detta/Odetta in the previous books but this one changed my opinion of her. Susannah is incredibly strong, and her struggle with Mia is haunting. Mia is actually a very interesting character. I don't fear her, I don't really like her, but I pity her. However, I felt that the Mia's story and the truth of her "chap" was a bit contrived. Especially his name and his purpose (no spoilers here, but if you read it, you may roll your eyes like I did.)
I also love the pairing of Eddie and Roland. I think Eddie makes Roland feel as if he is still a part of his old ka-tet of long ago, and they bring out the strength in each other.
Jake, Callahan, and Oy's mini-tet was also interesting, and I wish there had been more of them in this novel, but I have a feeling they'll hold an incredibly important role in the next book. The change in Jake is fascinating. He knows his purpose now, and he is no longer a boy. He has been to war and seen death and he is hardened but not emotionless. Also, I am incredibly attached to Oy at this point and there is a scene where he starts to cry when he thinks Jake is going to leave him behind and I felt a little tear trickling...then felt a bit silly. And Callahan has been well developed in the short time we've known him.
I think that King's inclusion of himself in this book was brilliant. I can't wait to see what role he'll play in the last novel. A little self-indulgent? Of course! He's a WRITER, after all, and we're an indulgent folk!
I also enjoyed the poetry at the end of each chapter. Kind of summed things up.
Over all, this prelude to the final battle is full of suspense and intrigue. I found it haunting and intriguing. Bring on the final battle! I can hardly wait.

Though that doesn't say much, this series has been quite incredible thus far.

There are spoilers to the series within this review, so read ahead only if you've read the previous books.

As the title indicates, the bulk of the plot within this novel revolves around Susannah, along with Mia and her chap. That isn't to say they get the most written about them, but nearly everything that happens is regarding the two.

It is quite a change from The Wolves, however. The Wolves covered a great deal of time and material, here the events take place within the same day. You also get little party interaction, as the characters are all paired off.

In the end you get the feeling not much has happened, not even the addition of more back story.

The western themes disappear as the characters are brought into the world of the reader. Stephen King himself appears, in a twist I'm still uncertain of. The book has a drastically different feel for this, though, as it no longer feels like a world you're traveling to. Even when Eddie was pulled from NYC and Roland himself wandered into it you got the feeling of an epic Western, here it all seems more... normal, I suppose. Then again, King either kills himself off or mocks the news carried when he was struck by the van, so possibly it isn't exactly our world, though it's greatly hinted at as being so.

Do not start the series here, it would be an awful place to begin. If you're in the series, however, you have no choice. Read, and read away. Just don't expect it to have nearly the depth, satisfaction, and epic feel of The Wolves or Wizard & The Glass.

Unsatisfying, is what I suppose I'm getting at. It's unfair to call it that, however, as King is clearly at the top of his game with character control, descriptions and allusions. It's just that, plot-wise, not much happens, and it's painful to realize how little has occured and that there's a mere novel left after this.

Good luck to Mr. King in tying the ends as he finishes the series. It's a shame he's truncated it down to 7, as opposed to the 12-16 he once predicted. This is a story that he and his wife may feel has ended, but readers surely clamor for more. Only he knows when it's done, I just hope he does a good job educating us that it has, indeed, concluded.

I had the impression, while reading Song of Susannah, that King rushed through the book as though it were a tedious task. It lacked substance. There seemed to be a lack of cohesiveness to it as the thread of the story appeared lost at times. Song of Susannah weakened the premise behind Roland's quest for The Dark Tower, not strengthened it, by raising the philosophical question: "Do we truly exist or are we simply figments of someone's imagination?"

I had difficulty buying into the Mia character when she was introduced in Wolves of the Calla. I completely did not buy into this character in Song of Susannah. I felt that King invented Mia as a means to get around the sticky problem of how to handle a wheelchair-dependent, pregnant woman who must travel through other worlds in often rugged terrain. Specifically, it seems Mia was invented to answer the reader's question: "Is King really going to have Eddie or Roland carrying a *pregnant* Susannah on his hip or on his back (in the harness)?" We already know that the wheelchair is not always a feasible method of travel for Susannah. Enter Mia. 

The entire premise behind Susannah's/Mia's baby/chap lacked originality; and, unless King has a twist in store for us ahead, has rendered the outcome of the last book too predictable.

King inserting himself into the story was a complete turn-off. By doing so, he not only minimized Roland's character but also the point of the entire quest. To make it worse, in an apparent attempt to allay any fears that his readers might think he was acting self-absorbed, King portrayed himself in an unflattering light and as a partly fictitious character (existing in parallel USAs, which explains how the Dark Tower series will be finished, even though he 'died' in USA version 19.1999 before starting Wolves of the Calla). The tactic backfired. 

To conclude, although I am still a big fan of Stephen King and have been following the Dark Tower series for *years,* I believe Song of Susannah is the weakest link of the six books. It seems that after The Wastelands King had lost his passion for continuing this epic. I fervently hope that the last book, The Dark Tower, was written with as much zeal and inspiration as when King first began his story of Roland's quest.

Anyone who is reading the DT series and is truly committed to it can't not read Song of Susannah (SOS -- interesting, given Susannah's predicament at the novel's end...), so I don't know that any reviews have any impact on whether we read it or not -- we're gonna read it people, you know I say true. But it is interesting to read others' thoughts about it.

Here's my quick review:

Overall, I think it's too short (probably because it's time frame is so brief), too Susannah/Mia/Chap focused (but what do you expect from a book called Song of Susannah, right?), recycles old baddies (Andolini and crew), overly convenient helpful people (the little savior and Calvin Tower's partner)and lacks further character development (most probably because it takes place over a period of just a day or so. It's basically a ride over the bridge to the climax, the knob on the next door. It's not the best train ride -- more like a transfer ticket to the final waystation that is the final novel. But King makes it necessary by revealing more and more bits of information that I am sure will become key in the last installment.

My longer thoughts about it:

My biggest problem with this installment is really a personal preference issue -- I've never been able to fully engage in Susannah/Detta's story. In the other novels her story was the slowest moving for me and of least interest, so to have a novel mainly focused on her was a bit tedious for me. I thought King took a lot of license with what Mia was able to "hear" and not "hear" wrt Susannah's thoughts. It seemed Susannah was able to sit back a lot, have private thoughts and go to the Dogan without Mia really cluing in -- a little too convenient. And the last chapters with the Sayre and Low Men and the Dixie Pig seemed to go on for an interminable length. Have that damn baby for the love of the Man Jesus! And I am a little irritated about the baby's father -- King Arthur's been done, please give me something different. Even the baby's name seems trite. I think I heard my eyeballs roll in my head when I read it. (Don't want to spoil it by revealing too much).

WRT to King inserting himself in his novel, initially I wasn't as disturbed as other reviewers here seem to be by this. I certainly never thought he did it out of arrogance or pomposity. As a writing tool, I thought he did it cleverly, sharing his 1977 behavior through Eddie and Rolands' observations and making it believable because of what we know about King now (the drinking problems, the chain smoking, etc). But now that I've thought about it some, I think it takes away from the believablity of the Ka-Tet: To think that King was visited by Roland and Eddie and that's what brought forth the continuation of the story diminishes it for me. ("Dark Half" II??) Funny that I would find Mid-World and Gilead and the story of Roland and his ka-tet believable, but won't buy King being visited by them.

I also thought that Jake seemed suddenly VERY different than in WOTC. I recognize that he's just been through this huge battle, his friend killed before his eyes, but he seems to have aged years in just a few hours. There's a scene where he goes ape at a cab driver -- it seemed overblown. And Callahan seems to have shriveled within himself. Jake is the dinh of their mini ka-tet (Jake, Callahan, Oy) and that does makes some sense. I have this horrible fear that Oy will get killed in the last book. Please, no "Where the Red Fern Grows" ending for Oy!!!

As I said earlier, SOS is a must read for DT fans -- you can't not read it, but I found it to be disappointing, perhaps in part because I am sooooo eager to see what happens. It will all come together, I am sure, in the last novel, but it feels like he could have just skipped the whole Susannah/Mia/Chap thing. And now that I've said THAT, I know it will play some huge, crucial part in The Dark Tower.

The scariest part of the book? King's journal entry reference to his dream regarding the date 6/19/1999. That gave me more chills than anything in the entire book.

Given the rather venomous reaction criticism of the rather un-poetic nature of this particular book have received from certain members among us of the writing community, I'll try to avoid making any such comparisons. Frankly, I'm not sure why you'd want to read anything that sounds like Stephen King writing poetry--the two that he has published were absolutely terrible, and a testament to the fact that he should never write anything other than prose.

That said, you'll notice, if you're a dedicated reader of the series, that this book is very similar to the fifth and not so much to any of the other books in the series. This is new for this particular series of books, primarily because these last three were released in the course of a year and a half and the previous four took over twenty. Let's take a look at the good and the bad, shall we?

I'll start with the bad, because I'm better at that. For one thing, I think that this book (in light of the events of Wolves of the Calla and The Dark Tower) is terribly patched together. And I mean that literally. It comes up to only a little over four hundred pages, and there's a couple of hundred that could easily have been lifted out of the next book in the series and dropped in here without so much as a ripple. On the whole, I think that would have been better for everybody, and it kind of bothers me the way that this particular book seems to rush along when compared to its neighboring titles. It also does a lot of introducing of plot elements that it makes absolutely no attempt to resolve, which is just lazy writing and what some would call a shameless argument to get people to buy the final book.

The writing itself is pretty much as it was in the fifth story, which is to say that it's much like Stephen King's usual storytelling voice, only with a little bit of manufactured dialectic thrown in for good measure. It lags in places and trips along quickly in others, but on the whole the story is still not as fast paced as, say, The Waste Lands--after four hundred pages, there's still only perhaps one or two action scenes of any note or moment. Most of the story is again spent in conversation and internal monologue, which is fine by me, but if readers are expecting a return to the past for the series, they had best think again.

Extended character development is mostly not a factor in this book, but that's probably more due to the fact that these characters should already be familiar to readers than anything else. The characters, at this point, are what they are, although I will admit that there was an apparent glaring flaw in Eddie's conduct halfway through the book (where his primary concern suddenly does a complete 180) that I don't think is explained anywhere near adequately. I'll also say right now that I hate it when authors try to write books that know they're books. You'll know what I'm talking about when I read the series, but ever since Illuminatus! it's been nothing more than gimmicky noise to me (as it was then). I don't have much taste for it, but I believe most readers will find it a novel concept.

As a Dark Tower book, I'd put this one near the bottom, if only because so little of any import actually HAPPENS in this volume. As a book in general, I'd say it's about what you'd expect from a Stephen King book. The writing will keep your attention and keep you turning the pages, the plot will be interesting enough to keep you involved but nothing that will leave you gaping in amazement, and the language and character backstory will again be some of the best elements.

For Dark Tower fans, it goes without saying that this book goes in their collections. For others, I'd recommend that you try out the first two or three books and then make your decisions--by the time you get to here, you'll either be sold on the series or you won't.

...and I don't mean Creation, either.

Song of Susannah contains more action and fast-paced material than any of the previous DT books, even Drawing of the Three, but at the same time it seems to move in slow-mo, and for good reason: This book takes place primarily in one day, and King goes into tremendous detail on the sequence of events leading up to the end of this epic. Would we have it any other way?

I got the feeling while reading this book (and accurately so, I have little doubt) that it is simply the first chapter of the very last Dark Tower book. That is to say, the last two books were originally written at pretty much the same time, as one, and King later separated them into two, for reasons of his own (probably for marketing and profit reasons, sure, but it also makes one hell of a cliffhanger!). The most recent example I can recall of this having been done was with the last two Matrix films (please forgive the reference).

I scoffed at first when King brought himself into the story, and regarded it as a plot-thinner, rather than just the opposite. However, I feel that this must be a vital part of the entire series, that is essential to reach the conclusion King is going for, and has been going for all along, otherwise why would he dare?? I wouldn't say King is modest about his talents as a writer, really, but I don't think he's a fool either. I applaud his courage to venture into such an unusual realm, and sincerely hope he makes it worth our while and patience.

There is a lot in this book that King answers ("What's going on inside Susannah?" being the main issue) and leaves unanswered (read the book for yourself to witness its monster ending!). I have found some of the turns he's made very curious, but not enough to decide whether they were or weren't good ideas. Like I said before, I think this book is simply a necessary prologue to the last book, and shouldn't be judged as a novel in itself (i.e. Don't expect to be satisfied!).

Right now I am going on faith in his imagination, just as I have through this entire series, and enjoying the ride.

As they say, it ain't over 'til it's over. So, for your father's sake, wait until the man finishes the story!

WARNING SPOILERS AHEAD!
In terms of the Dark Tower series I find this book to be the weakest absent 'The Waste Lands' and for the following reasons:
1) The plot moved in terms of physical distance almost nowhere. No, books don't have to move across continents to be good, but of the series, the Wolves of the Calla and Wizard and Glass are about the only ones that move almost nowhere as well. This is not the most critical factor but one of just many.
2) The endless hashing and rehashing of ka, the turtle, the beam, the number 19, and the chap. It seems as though Mr. King has a feeling that his audience cannot handle these concepts without a constant reminding every other sentence. Moreso, the ironic little nugget of truth that sparkles is a line from Susannah's darker schizophrenic half, Detta/Odetta,when she starts to discuss Sigmund Freud and how the subconcious has a tendency to cut through alot of the nonsense and see the truth of the matter. I only wished that Mr. King would have given his subconcious a little more reign and made this book far slimmer with far more action and alot less repetitive nonsense.
3) The derivative nature of this book. Here it seems that Mr. King makes no bones whatsoever as to showing the reading audience that the world in which his characters operate is no longer of his own making but rather a strange mash of: L. Frank Baum's-Oz, Tolkien's-Middle Earth, Sergio Leone's-rugged desert landscapes, and Mort d'Artur for good measure. He writes in his coda that the story is blown to him on the wind, I would contest that and argue that he simply cheated himself and us and haphazardly dashed together whatever he could find in the dark closet of his memories to fill the white space of the page. Here is where as a fan of Stephen King for many years I find the greatest disappointment.
4) The narcissim. If you have read it you know to what I refer. It began in the Wolves of the Calla and comes to full bloom here in this book where King is a character in his own story visited by his own characters. I'm sure it's been done before in some form or another that a writer places himself in his own story. At least the vast majority of them had the simple grace NOT to name themselves directly. To me it begs the question 'What were you thinking?'.
I think it proves to be nothing more than a sad and desperate device that ultimately serves a small purpose in this story. Maybe later on it will prove more useful. However, it does not forgive the vanity.
Overall, I feel that the other small bit of truth lies in what Eddie tries to relay to Susannah..and that is "Burn up the day.". Which is in reference to stalling Mia so that Jake and Rev Callahan can somehow catch up. Rather I posit this. This book was nothing but a great device for Mr. King to delay and somehow buy some time before he had to get on with things that he admits to in his own hand that he feared writing the story. What I fear is that he ultimately cheated us all.

I can only conclude from the direction this once-incredible series has gone that Stephen King wanted to wrap it up as quickly as possible so he could go on with the relief of retiring. This book is still a page turner, and quite good in its own right, but this is a dreadfully disappointing turn in a series that has had me enthralled for the last twelve years.
The Gunslinger, Roland of Gilead, last of his kind, has fully assembled his new ka-tet to undertake the quest to save the Dark Tower, a near-mythical center of the universe that is decaying and bringing reality down with it. The first few books featured a trek through a nightmarish world of the future, blasted by cataclysm and coming apart at the seams. This remarkable world bore the stamp of what might befall our unrestrained technological advancement, but maintained a heart-wrenchingly sad and familiar character. This formerly promising land of decay not only touched the heart through the hints of the world we know underneath, but also through the loss of Roland's beloved past. The Gunslinger is a last remnant of a chivalrous and romantic time that was, and is the only man left who is powerful enough to attempt to set things right.
This fascinating monster of a storyline gripped me every page and had me eagerly awaiting every forthcoming book, no matter how long the space inbetween. The characters were poignant, believable, but still heroic in a larger than life way that made them not mere mortals. King did an amazing job taking a ruthless killer, a heroin-addled criminal, a schizophrenic cripple, and a traumatized young boy and making them into the most inspiring quest protagonists this side of JRR Tolkien.
All this began to veer off course at the end of the superb "Wizard and Glass", in which King cut back on the story's widening subplots and complications in an almost St. Valentine's Day massacre fashion. The story and its backstory were brutally streamlined and left me nervous for things to come. My fears were partially allayed with Wolves of the Calla, a Seven Samurai-esque western tale, but I was still concerned as the direction of the overall quest seemed to be moving away from the chivalric/Western theme of Roland and into other strange constructs of King's literary universe.
Unfortunately, things go catastrophically bad with "Song of Susannah", which lurches the story towards its conclusion with all the subtlety of a bulldozer through a shack. Gone is the sense of otherworldly glammer and the feel of being transported to another existence and place. The romantic figure the gunslinger strikes and the real/unreal nature of the quest is set aside as we are treated to a bizarre series of worldhopping, metafiction, and soap-opera quality plot twists. Past events that had absolutely nothing to do with one another are violently mashed together to create an absurd Arthurian subplot. The unwelcome new character of Mia from book five returns and takes center stage, making an extremely tiresome business about her 'chap.' In perhaps the most ridiculous and annoying development of all, King inserts HIMSELF into the story-- as GOD, no less. In all this confusion and cringe-inducingly bad plot twisting, the Gunslinger himself is reduced to the role of a minor character, scarcely as important as Father Callahan, a refugee from Salem's Lot now inexplicably at the center of the Dark Tower tale.
To make matters worse, almost the entire story takes place in New York, a jarringly familiar and inappropriate setting to bring a grand quest to its conclusion. Stuck in New York, the reader is force-fed gobs of the clunky internal dialogue King uses when he is at his laziest. Characters talking to themselves inside their own heads is a stilted and irritating method of moving a book forward, further proof King seems to have quickly washed his hands of his literary world. There is one book left to turn things around, but it looks pretty bleak at the moment for a series that has stood at the forefront of my favorites for years.