[Books] Theory: I Stephen King the best troll ever?

[taheen74]

Okay- obviously people are getting the wrong impression here. I have been a devoted King fan since my Mom first handed me Pet Semetary when I was 12 (so for a good 30 years now). I have read the DT series close to 40 times since he ended it. I'm not trying to come off as a troll- this is just something I started thinking about a little earlier and how I think this is completely brilliant as a troll- even though I know it wasn't his intention.


So, i have been thinking on something for the last 45 minutes: The Dark Tower series. Is this the best troll ever?

Think about it (without any spoilers):

1. It took him over 30 years to finish the series and how does he end it?
2. Think about all the build up we have had over the years on the Crimson King.
3. Randall Flagg- think about it (and the what happens to him in the last DT book).
4. Who else was obsessed with the number 19 for months on end?
5. The fact that he went and redid the original novel to be more "in line" with the last books.

And finally:

6. His letter to the Constant readers at the very, very end of the last novel.

Now, personally, I liked the ending, it suited the series well. But at the same time, I've found myself rereading EVERYTHING DT related and rereading the DT series itself many, many times since.

I'm beginning to think that King has got to be the best troll ever though.

[Dasffion]

I don't have any idea what you're talking about. I mean I know the books and everything I just have no idea why you would think he's a troll, unless you're just trolling yourself?

EDIT: On the rewrite of Gunslinger. Gunslinger was one of the first things he ever wrote. He hadn't developed as a writer yet and as good as it is, he's definitely improved his writing style by leaps and bounds since then. He didn't change the plot when he rewrote it, he didn't change the way the characters acted, nor did he add new characters. He just revised the way it was written. I don't really see anything wrong with this.

[IsoLovesYou]

The Stand, his best book ever. Just sayin'

[Deleted]

He is not a troll, he is one of the best selling authors of all time that knows how to make money, you call it trolling he calls it making billions.

[slime]

Don't read to much into Stephen King's endings. Probably one of the greatest authors of all time - that could not end a story to save his life. Dreadful, horribly written endings that usually make you sorry you spent anytime reading his story at all....
Now his short stories - wowers from start to finish, his novels.. wow always end just fucking bad.

[taheen74]

I don't have any idea what you're talking about. I mean I know the books and everything I just have no idea why you would think he's a troll, unless you're just trolling yourself?

EDIT: On the rewrite of Gunslinger. Gunslinger was one of the first things he ever wrote. He hadn't developed as a writer yet and as good as it is, he's definitely improved his writing style by leaps and bounds since then. He didn't change the plot when he rewrote it, he didn't change the way the characters acted, nor did he add new characters. He just revised the way it was written. I don't really see anything wrong with this.

No, I'm not trolling. He's my favorite author by the way. Just a weird theory that got into my head. Seriously, just think about the way the ending of the series was received by a lot of his fans.

Point one: He ends it where it begins. I remember a ton of people having so many issues with him for doing that. For a lot of folks, it made them end up going back and rereading the entire series because they felt they missed something.

Point two: The 19 references. Once you started obsessing with that number, you started seeing it in almost everything he's written (whether it was an obvious 19 or not).

Randall Flagg: His death was pretty anti-climatic. Especially for someone so prominent in King's other novels.

The CK: EEEEEEEIIIIIEEE!!!! That's all I've got to say on that.


I don't know. Just something that started sticking in my head about an hour ago. I'm sure it wasn't intentional, but in a way, if you really think outside the box on this- it's one of the most brilliant trolls I've seen.

[Dasffion]

Point One: I don't see how any of that makes him a troll. He ended it the way he thought that it should end. I thought it was pretty great, but I prefer endings that are a little open ended.

Point Two: You can do this with anything. Again, not sure how this makes him a troll.

Flagg: I thought his death was a little anti-climactic as well but again, how does this make him a troll?

Maybe the problem is you don't really know what a troll is?

[Anjerith]

First off, I was there when the series started and had to go MANY years at a time waiting on each new book. The first book was just a bunch of short stories divided up in a scifi magazine at the time too.

Second, it is pretty obvious you must have just finished this series recently. I will say this; reread it every so often. It gets better each time and there are ALWAYS new little things you can find in them. Really brilliantly done.

As to your questions;
1. It took him over 30 years to finish the series and how does he end it?
- He ended it like he felt he should end it.
2. Think about all the build up we have had over the years on the Crimson King.
- In order to really understand why the Crimson King is like he is, I suggest you read Insomnia.
3. Randall Flagg- think about it (and the what happens to him in the last DT book).
- Yes, what happens to him sucks.
4. Who else was obsessed with the number 19 for months on end?
- Try being obsessed with it for over a decade.
5. The fact that he went and redid the original novel to be more "in line" with the last books.
- The original novel was still mostly the same as the newer version, the language was just really *really* obnoxious.
6. His letter to the Constant readers at the very, very end of the last novel.
- Every word of that letter was true.

[taheen74]

First off, I was there when the series started and had to go MANY years at a time waiting on each new book. The first book was just a bunch of short stories divided up in a scifi magazine at the time too.

Second, it is pretty obvious you must have just finished this series recently. I will say this; reread it every so often. It gets better each time and there are ALWAYS new little things you can find in them. Really brilliantly done.

As to your questions;
1. It took him over 30 years to finish the series and how does he end it?
- He ended it like he felt he should end it.
2. Think about all the build up we have had over the years on the Crimson King.
- In order to really understand why the Crimson King is like he is, I suggest you read Insomnia.
3. Randall Flagg- think about it (and the what happens to him in the last DT book).
- Yes, what happens to him sucks.
4. Who else was obsessed with the number 19 for months on end?
- Try being obsessed with it for over a decade.
5. The fact that he went and redid the original novel to be more "in line" with the last books.
- The original novel was still mostly the same as the newer version, the language was just really *really* obnoxious.
6. His letter to the Constant readers at the very, very end of the last novel.
- Every word of that letter was true.

Okay- obviously people are getting the wrong impression here. I have been a devoted King fan since my Mom first handed me Pet Semetary when I was 12 (so for a good 30 years now). I have read the DT series close to 40 times since he ended it and almost every other book he has written just about as many times. I'm not trying to come off as a troll- this is just something I started thinking about a little earlier and how I think this would be a completely brilliant troll- even though I know it wasn't his intention.

Just really think on it. In this- the age of internet trolling- this would be the best trolling attempt by anyone ever.

[smelltheglove]

i dont know why he would be a troll. i do know the man needs a damned editor. his "unedited" shit is some of the worst ive ever read

[Feral Camel]

I've only read through the series once. So forgive me if my memory is a tad off.

1. It took him over 30 years to finish the series and how does he end it?
I wouldn't say the ending was a troll. I interpreted the book at the end as the rebuilding of Rolands humanity. IMO the biggest fault with the ending was that King wanted to justify it to the reader. I felt he didn't have faith in the ending.

2. Think about all the build up we have had over the years on the Crimson King
It was pretty anti-climatic. The last book really did suffer from some major issues.

3. Randall Flagg- think about it (and the what happens to him in the last DT book).
Same. Although I didn't mind elements of Mordred.

4. Who else was obsessed with the number 19 for months on end?
I can't comment on this. I know 19 was a motif of the series but it didn't really interest me that much.

5. The fact that he went and redid the original novel to be more "in line" with the last books.
I think he just wanted to clean it up a little.

All in all it was a pretty good series with some major floors. He created a great world though and I hope to one day seen it as an adaptation.

My major gripe was that he wrote himself into the series. That really pissed me off. On the other hand King always had an odd connection with the series.

Off topic - I had a really odd notion a few months back about who I'd get to play Roland and for some reason it just stuck in my head as a good idea. Most people would shoot this down and I can understand why, some people would think of this as a drastic change but I think Idris Elba would make a fantastic Roland.

[Attackrabbit]

Don't read to much into Stephen King's endings. Probably one of the greatest authors of all time - that could not end a story to save his life. Dreadful, horribly written endings that usually make you sorry you spent anytime reading his story at all....
Now his short stories - wowers from start to finish, his novels.. wow always end just fucking bad.

Have to agree with this so much...I'm pretty much always disappointed by the endings to his books, newer ones in particular

[eschatological]

Book 6 was bizarre. A lot of his stuff right after his accident (The Dreamcatcher, anyone?) was kind of that way. What happened in the books is literally what happened in real life - if his head didn't turn to the side of the road, he would have been hit/fallen differently and probably snapped his neck and died, that's what his doctors told him. He's said he can't recall the moments before the accident, but he was curious as to what got his attention the second before the accident.

Usually I find meta-fiction with the author writing himself in somewhat contrived, but I can see how an imaginative man like him might have felt the DT story was calling to him across the universes, and the Rose wasn't ready to let him die yet. I'm fairly sure I would have felt my life continuing would have resulted in me thinking I had some unfinished business myself. It was more catharsis than anything else I believe.