Song of Susannah

Coincindentally, I recieved a package from the Stephen King Library Club on the same day I started packing for the big move to the upstairs apartment. To me, this would be like having Lucy Liu personally invite you to watch her mud wrestle Jennifer Garner on the same day you had an appointment with your dentist for a triple root canal. But, alas, I did the responsible thing and waited three days until I was moved into apartment #186 before opening the precious cargo: the long awaited Song of Susannah.

In many ways, this second to last novel in King's epic saga, The Dark Tower is much more daring than the preceding 5 books. Perhaps the most immediately obvious is the complex, multiple story lines which are delicately related both in space and time. Irritatingly, King choses to spin these lines until they snap at the end of the story, without any resolving any of final issues. This is oddly reminiscent of the "ending" to the third book, The Waste Lands, which also leaves the reader, mid-climax, to wonder what the hell is going to happen next.

Perhaps the most bold move of all was King's decision to include HIMSELF as a pivotal character. By incorporating his life's work, and actual events, King's humble self portrayal once again demonstrates his ability to blur the line between reality and fantasy.

This book is an excellent read, and I cannot wait to find someone else who has read it. In the meantime, I'll just have to stick to my entomology books and hope they release the 7th book soon...