Stephen King's The Dark Tower: A Concordance, Vol. 1 (Paperback)

by Robin Furth (Author), Stephen King (Introduction)

Editorial Reviews

Review
'Furth's concordance anticipates and answers virtually every question the Constant Reader might come up with' -- Locus on VOLUME I 'I found this overview of In-World, Mid-World, and End-World both entertaining and invaluable. So, I am convinced, will you' -- Stephen King, from the foreword to A CONCORDANCE, --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Description

"I found this overview of In-World, Mid-World, and End-World both entertaining and invaluable. So, I am convinced, will you." -- from the foreword by Stephen King

The Dark Tower is the backbone of Stephen King's legendary career. Inspired more than thirty years ago by works as diverse as J. R. R. Tolkien's epics, Robert Browning's poetry, and Sergio Leone's Westerns, this is the tale that Stephen King has never abandoned. When he typed the first sentence in 1970, King feared the telling might take several lifetimes, but two thousand pages and four books later, the end is in sight.

Published in anticipation of The Dark Tower V: Wolves of the Calla, A Concordance, Volume I is the definitive guide to the first four books in Stephen King's bestselling epic fantasy series, The Dark Tower. With the hundreds of characters, Mid-World geography, and the High Speech lexicon, this comprehensive handbook is one no Dark Tower fan will want to be without. It is the perfect way in for readers new to the series, or the perfect way back in for longtime fans who read the first four books years ago.

Characters and Genealogies
Mid-World and Our World Places
High Speech, Low Speech, and Mid-World Argot
Mid-World Maps
Political and Cultural References
Roland Deschain and His Ka-tet
Portals and Magical Places
Mid-World Miscellany
Gilead Fair-Days and Mid-World Moons
The Dark Tower and the Quest

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Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Scribner (July 29, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0743252071
• ISBN-13: 978-0743252072
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.3 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (27 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #532,452 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

96 of 98 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Complete and Easy To Use Dark Tower Reference, August 20, 2003

By	turtlex "turtlex" (PA USA) - See all my reviews

Welcome to the world of Roland and the Dark Tower.

This concordance was actually put together as a reference for Stephen King himself, as he explains in the beginning of this very excellent and detailed document.

Here within lies the Dark Tower and all its mysteries, names, characters, locations, mythology, etc.

This is an ideal book for the Dark Tower fan, or fanatic. The details refer back to actual page numbers of the original novels, and the format is easy to use. Ideally, finding answers to your questions is the key to a well put together reference book - and this book has been researched and put together expertly.

I would strongly suggest this book for an accompanyment to the Dark Tower Series.

56 of 57 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Worthwhile Reference for Fans Only, July 16, 2003

By	Lonnie Easterling (Memphis, TN USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Like many Dark Tower fans, I was excited to see this book published. The stories are so rich with characters and exotic locales that it's easy to lose track of every little nuance found in the series. With that being said, the author does an excellent (and thorough) job of compiling the information.
Everything is up to date, including entries regarding the recently revised novel THE GUNSLINGER and the short story LITTLE SISTERS OF ELURIA. There are even hints as to what to expect in the next 3 books yet to be published. The maps located in the back are extremely helpful, as there's been some contention over the years as to where things were located in Mid-World. This finally solves the arguments (at least in my opinion).
My only gripe is that the book doesn't really delve into the other related novels such as THE STAND, INSOMNIA, or especially THE TALISMAN and BLACK HOUSE. Of course, if it did, it would make for a much larger volume.
If you haven't read any of the Dark Tower books, then this concordance will make no sense to you. If you're a hard core fan, like me, get it!

41 of 42 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A very nice companion to The Dark Tower Series!, July 17, 2003

By	Mykal Banta (Boynton Beach, FL USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

My girlfriend and I are reading and loving the Dark Tower series (I am new to it, she is reading for the second time). We were in a bookstore recently, and she saw me looking at this Dark Tower Concordance and shot me a look that said "Jesus, don't be a geek. What's next? Repeating dialogue from star trek episodes?"....

Anyway, this is actually a very useful reference tool, well organized and well written, and it has enhanced my already sizable pleasure of reading The Dark Tower books. Every time I have wanted to know a character's background, or the details of a particular place mentioned in the books, this book has given me a very nice and concise explanation.

I'm not sure if you do this, but when I am reading a book and suddenly a character or place pops up that I only half-remember, I have to go all back through the book until I find the first, explanatory reference to the character/place. This concordance lets me look up a character or place very quickly without breaking the flow of the novels.

Hey, it even has maps!