The ultimate guide to Stephen King's The Dark Tower! All the books & the best order to read them!
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- čas přidán 31. 07. 2024
- Something a little different this time; in this video, I've put together the ultimate guide to getting the very best experience of reading The Dark Tower - Stephen King's magnum opus. I run through the 26 books and stories that have connections to the Tower and take you through what I think is is the best and most sensible order in which to read them.
Enjoy! And let me know what you think in the comments!
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Dave's Suggested Reading Order:
'Salem's Lot
The Stand
The Gunslinger (Revised, if possible)
The Drawing of the Three
The Eyes of the Dragon
The Talisman
The Little Sisters of Eluria (Located in Everything's Eventual)
Black House
The Waste Lands
Wizard and Glass
Insomnia
Bag of Bones
The Wind Through the Keyhole
The Wolves of the Calla (Read 'Salems Lot beforehand, if you didn't already)
Song of Susannah
Everything's Eventual (Eponymous story of Everything's Eventual)
Low Men in Yellow Coats (Located in Hearts in Atlantis, though the entire book is suggested)
It
The Dark Tower
Weaning books:
Rose Madder
Desperation
The Regulators
From a Buick 8
The Mist
The Dark Man (Poem)
Charlie the Choo Choo
Thank you! 🙏🏻🥰❤️
Do i really need to read all of these if i want to read the series
@@stickyy_fingaas Nope, the story stands on its own. It's a lot cooler, however, if you understand all of the references to the other works. You'll miss some context here and there, but you should be fine.
@@LunarEgo im okay with missing a few stuff. I guess its like reading lovecraft. if you haven't read call of cthulhu you wont be lost in another story that he is mentioned in but you get more insight on what he is
Is The Shining not part of the Dark Tower universe?
I am reading Salem's Lot in this moment and is absolutley fantastic. And scary. And the list was helpful. Thanks!
Ah yes, Salem's Lot is excellent! Glad the list was useful, thanks for sharing!
Salem's Lot is such a fun read. A scary, fun, streamlined narrative in that spunky early King voice! I may need to reread that one this autumn.
@@uptown3636 I think is my second favourie after IT
Yeah, I will be scared by it. The Shining is starting to scare me now. Favourite book
Isnt that same as netflix midnight mass
I just turned 31 and didn’t really find a love for reading until the last year and a half, and thank my Father I have! The Gunslinger was one of the first books I took on because The Dark Tower always just seemed like a necessary epic, in every sense of the phrase. I took a decent break after Wizard and Glass and am now in the midst of Wind Through the Keyhole. Out of sheer love of the World King has built, I’ve been doing some additional searching and it seems serendipitous that I have JUST found your video. Although, your suggestions have greatly increased my necessary reading, I couldn’t be happier. As someone who hasn’t read much King, but have been a huge fan of film adaptations since a kid, I can tell your passion for the series is deep and I think you’ve made an excellent companion video. And seeing as this is my first time stumbling onto your channel, you have just earned a new subscriber (for what it’s worth). Thankee, Sai! Hope all is well on your end of the world!
Thank you so much! Really appreciate you taking the time to share something so positive, and glad you're hooked on reading - you're in safe hands with Sai King!
I'm right there with you, buddy! Late bloomer to reading and I'm making my way through The Dark Tower now and was thinking on taking a break at the same point you did. I had a list of books I wanted to read but I ended up picking up an entire series before reading those stand alone books. I don't regret it as TDT has been amazing so far.
I'm in a similar boat I've always been so wired in with technology and discovering reading as a world of wonder and whimsy and not just a school assignment has been a near religious experience
Just finished it all there tonight. Loved the ending.
It was all spectacular.
Thanks for putting the extended list together. I dont know what to do with myself now 😂
😂 sorry/you’re welcome! 😂
Amazing. Not only are your videos fun, I also learn a fair bit too. Really love how you cover the connections and offer extra little nuggets!
I'm just about to read TDT series all through in one go! 👌
Thank you! Enjoy your journey to the Tower!
hey! just wanted to thank u for the list, this was very helpful! just finished salem's lot and im going to start the stand tomorrow. its really great for the community that u made this video, ill be following your order but with a little twitches i got from the comments, like the eyes of the dragon after the stand and it before insomnia! really, thank u!
So I've come back to say thank you for this recommendation. Outright the best fanatasy reading experience I've had. I started Salem's Lot in December and just finished DT7. What incredible world building and story telliing.
Hearts in Atlantis, DT5, 6 and 7 were an absolute wild ride for me. I've never laughed and cried so much through a story.
Long days and pleasant nights to ya, Sai 🤝
Excellent stuff - and may you have twice the number 🤘
This was so helpful and exactly what I was looking for, thank you x
I highly recommend the Dark Tower graphic novel series released by Marvel. Specifically the volumes covering Roland’s younger years. They are: The Gunslinger Born; The Long Road Home; Treachery; The Fall of Gilead; and The Battle of Jericho Hill. Not only are they great stories but they aren’t covered in King’s main novels(save for The Gunslinger Born which covers the flashback of Wizard and Glass but with a much better pace). You can also find the first 2 books in graphic novel format but they are not as necessary. The graphic novels I have recommended have incredible art and tell exciting stories. They feel like genuine Dark Tower stories(which they are) and are the perfect companion pieces to the series, filling in the gaps between Roland leaving Mejis and Roland following the man in black. I know it’s mentioned in the video but I have to declare my love for The Talisman but in audiobook format. The late Frank Muller is an amazing talent and reads King books like no one else. He also narrated The Dark Tower audiobooks 2-4 and Black House which are also amazing experiences (read the books yourself first). These are some dives into the Dark Tower universe in other media that really expand your enjoyment and understanding of this amazing series. I hope you get as much from these
Thank you so much for this - I definitely plan to get into the comics at some point!
I really enjoyed talisman and black house actually, as far as the extended reading went they were some of my favorites to break with. Sure they aren’t “the stand” or “hearts in Atlantis” but they were great reads and lots of fun for me. Hail the tower, Ka mates
Absolutely fair - I know plenty of constant readers love those two, they’re just not for me
100%
Talisman was the first King book I read that mentioned the other dimensions.
Talisman is one of my favorite books. Something about it just hits. I am not sure about black house. I need to read it again, but it just seemed off somehow.
There 2 of my favorite stories up there with Dark Tower IT and the Mist
I haven't read any Stephen King books (yet) but I really like watching and listening to you talk about them. You're so passionate about his work and it's so nice to see!! Also, your voice is super calming.
Thank you, I appreciate that a lot! When you *do* get onto reading his work, you've got lots of amazing books to choose from!
You won't be disappointed. Although your comment was a year ago, I'm sure you've probably started at least one by now. I envy you, I wish I could go back to those first times.
First video of yours I'm watching in over a year I think. And I'm revisiting this one. I got hit with a wave of nostalgia from 2 years ago just hearing the intro again
👋 welcome back! 😊
Nicely done. I’m a long time King reader that has loved Dark Tower for decades. The suggestion I’d make to change the order is to read It before Insomnia. But great list and a well thought out order.
Thanks!
Oh that’s the video I requested from you the other day ! Thank you so much it is very useful !
You're most welcome, it was fun to put together! And I think you're being very kind to me there - it was more like a few *months* ago you asked...still, better late than never, right?
Thanks for your work Dave. Constant Reader for many years, but just recently stumbled on your channel. I read IT at 12 years old and have been an avid reader ever since. Now, at 48 years old, you've motivated me to restart my Dark Tower journey. I bailed on it back in the late 90's. I am going to follow your suggestions (*aside from a re-read of The Stand...once was enough for that one!) and get going on Salem's Lot soon. I'm guessing it will take 1.5-2 years to finish the journey all the way through The Mist. Should be a fun ride! Cheers
That’s so cool to read! Enjoy…and come back when you’re done and tell me how it was!
I've been getting into The Dark Tower recently. i've been meaning to get into it for a while but finally got to it when i found the first 5 volumes (Revised version) in excellent condition for 20 USD (equivalent).
I've just finished volume 1 but got instantly fascinated by the HUGE multiverse that Stephen King created around this magnum opus.
Also, i think that Randall Flag might have done cameos in more King novels than people might know.
The Long Walk for example briefly features a depiction of "The Man in Black" that is not explained, and he is not mentioned by name. But it is a perfect depiction of the man in black. As he is described in The Dark Tower and The Stand.
Great video! Subscribed.
Thank you so much, and great catch on The Long Walk - I’d never spotted that!
I would say read IT before Insomnia because Insomnia takes place in Derry about 6 years after IT and has some references to IT that are nice to catch. My order (which I’m on Everything’s Eventual):
It
The Gunslinger
The Little Sisters of Eluria
The Drawing of the Three
The Stand
Eyes of the Dragon
The Waste Lands
Wizard and Glass
‘Salem’s Lot
Hearts in Atlantis
Insomnia
Everything’s Eventual
Wolves of the Calla
Song of Susannah
The Talisman
Black House
The Dark Tower
Wind Through the Keyhole
The Gunslinger (been told to reread at the end)
That's a great point about IT, and I *love* the idea of reading The Gunslinger again at the end - thanks for sharing!
It's so interesting every person you talk to has different opinions on Kings books, I love the talisman and black house.
Totally! There’s something for everyone in King’s bibliography
So I just started and finished The Gunslinger for the first time, after The Talisman and Black House; thanks your 19 reasons to read Black House video.
This list excites me!
There are some I have read long ago, like IT and Insomnia.
I've known of the Dark Tower series but not being a western fan, I overlooked it.
But I thoroughly enjoyed the Gunslinger!
I'm going to jump into the prereading now rather than straight on to The Drawing of the Three as planned.
Gosh I'm excited 😆
Thanks for all your awesome King content! 🙌
You're so welcome!
The gunslinger in my oppinion is the weakest of the series.. It gets amazing
Excellent video. I never read Salem's Lot, I read Stand and Eyes before DT, and I read Insomnia after DT. It's amazing how many different paths people have to the Tower. The disdain for Talisman and Black House is a bit surprising. I very much enjoy Jack Sawyer's story.
I get that on the Talisman and Black House, totally…I just did not like either book 🤷🏻♂️
Thanks for this guide! I like the little reviews too. I've been on and off with Stephen King for more than 5 years now, I've read 18 books of him so far. But own more. And I've been thinking of reading TDT for awhile now, I just don't own all the copies yet and don't know where to start, really. I've read some of those "required" novels but still got a lot more left. Again thanks! Now I know what books to read first from my stephen king shelf in preparation for TDT. 😁
You're so welcome, I hope you have a great time on your path to the Tower!
You have remembered the face of your father. Thankee, Sai. I’m very surprised not many people care about the side stuff and how it informs the DT as a whole.
Thankee! Wishing you long days and pleasant nights!
Thanks for this. Found out about tons of books to read along the way. Greatly appreciate it
You’re welcome!
Thank you for this. I followed this to the letter. I didn't much care for the ending of the DTS, but this video made it the most epic journey. Long days and pleasant nights. Cheers!
May you have twice the number!
Loved all the Dark Tower phrases woven into your video.
You have not forgotten the face of your father.
That was a really informative video. Thanks
I think reading "The Library Policeman" from Four Past Midnight would be good as a 'side reading quest'? It has a character that feeds on the emotional terror of children, like IT and that emotional feeding vampire (I won't say any more - no spoilers) in the Dark Tower.
Thankee-sai. And that's a good shout about Library Policeman for sure!
Thank you SO much for this video. I have been trying to find this exact information and it’s not been easy to find!
Great! Happy to help!
Thanks for your advice
Salems Lot - finished
The Stand - started reading this afternoon (63 pages in)
My Dark Tower box set should be arriving end of August.
Hopefully the dark tower encourages me to pick up where I left off in The Talisman (300 pages in)
I will be reading all the books you recommended and in that specific order.... Including IT
Niiiiiice!
I think, on my next trip to the Tower, I'll follow your path along the Beam. Interestingly, it was this video and your Hodder one that inspired me to start collecting that Hodder Rainbow for that journey (even managed to find Black House!). Thanks, Dave!
Oh, thanks so much! As for the rainbows - apologies to your bank balance 😂😂
Good video. Starting Wizards and glass soon. Looking forward to that.
Nice - enjoy! It's one that a lot of people hold very close to their heart!
I have been reading King books for YEARS (though not all of them) and I had no clue about this! I made a screenshot of the list and try it out soon. I agree with The Black House.. I had a hard time reading it, I don't think I even made it halfway and quit.
Nice - hope this order gives you something different!
I finally did it. I follower your list and even expanded it.
I've ready Salem's lot, the gunslinger, call of the three, the stand, the eyes of the dragon, the talisman, the wastelands, wizard and icing, It, insomnia, the mist, bag of bones, Rose Madder, Desperation, The regulators, Everything's eventual, Hearts of Atlantis, Black House, The Wind Through the Keyhole, Wolves of the Calla, Song of Susannah, the Dark Tower and many more.
It is 0:46 a.m. and I have now finished the Black Tower. Thank you for everything, long days and pleasant nights.
Excellent! Thank you, and may you have twice the number!
This is such a fantastic reading order Dave!! I can't believe it took me 2 years to find this, but I'm glad to have found you. I've read all of these books on publication, but I'm long overdue for a re-read and I'm going to follow your path this time. Thank you!!
Thank *you*! I really appreciate this - hope you enjoy the next trip to the Tower!
Gah. Ok. I think you’ve convinced me. I’ve read the 7 Dark Tower books and was about to do a reread. (Wind through the keyhole wasn’t out when I was reading them as they came out… yes, waiting YEARS for Wizard and Glass!!) I think my reread just got a whole lot more epic! 🤯
Awesome! Enjoy!
Great watch! Excellent advice for the would-be Towerphile.
Thank you!
The dark tower is my favourite book series.. Haven't read them since I was young.. I'm going to watch this video and re read them in your order
Excellent - enjoy!
Thanks for that! Good thing i already read the Stand earlier this year, so I guess it's time for Salem's lot now :)
Nice! Have fun!
Thanks! This Dark Tower read is my first time reading King.
Awesome!
great video 👍🏻 i’ve been reading Stephen king for a few years and he’s my favourite author but still haven’t read the dark tower series.
Thanks :-) if you're a King fan you will definitely dig the Tower!
I've done all these before about 8 years ago, but I am revising my order to the following for my second go around because I think it makes more sense as to when you encounter some of the themes and characters.
The Gunslinger
The Eyes of the Dragon
The Talisman
The Drawing of the Three
IT
The Wastelands
The Stand
Wizard and Glass
Insomnia
Little Sisters of Eluria (short story in Everything's Eventual)
The Wind Through the Keyhole
Salem's Lot
Wolves of the Calla
Black House
Song of Susannah
Low Men in Yellow Coats (Short story in Hearts in Atlantis)
Everything's Eventual (short story in Everything's Eventual)
The Dark Tower
Fair enough - I admire your discipline in sticking a chunky thing like The Stand in between the cliffhanger of the Waste Lands and W&G!
Great vid mate. Long days and pleasant nights, fellow traveler along the path of the beam
Thankee-sai!
Mike Hamlin from IT is also featured shortly in Insomnia as well! He really does build the world perfectly.
Yes! Loved seeing Mike show up in that one!
Hi😊, glad that I found your Video before reading. So much Stephen King to read i‘m in love😇
Greetings from Germany 🙋🏻♀️
Guten tag! Enjoy your King journey 😊
Wow! I'm impressed. I've read all the books you've mentioned (except that I couldn't finish Talisman for some reason :-) ) but not exactly in the order you mentioned it. I simply read them in the order life gave me those books.
Your approach would be absolutely ideal though and if I, at some point, decide to reread the whole thing, it will be a great journey do do it like that.
Little side note - I also believe "It" is one of the best books of all time!
It's my first visit to your channel and I'm very happy that I found it. Not only somebody is talking about some of my favorite books in a refreshing and interesting way, but also that somebody is super cute with very sexy voice 🙂
Sorry, you probably don't care much about this last comment, just couldn't help myself...
Anyway, I'm hitting like and subscribe with no hesitation.
See u on your other videos.
Thanks Adam - glad it's been able to give you a plan for your next trip to the Tower! And very flattered to be called cute with a sexy voice 😂 that certainly brightened up my Tuesday morning!
You got a pretty mouth Dave 🌚😈
Watching this video like oh crap! Then to realize I’ve already read both of his pre-reading suggestions. Win!
Niiice!
HOLY S@#%! I thought I was well-read in the King canon and ready to restart the series after abandoning it in high school 15 years ago. At least I've read Salem's Lot, The Stand, The Talisman, and Insomnia (and a countless others which aren't Tower related). Now I know who King was addressing as Constant Reader in all those introductions 😉
Thanks for the excellent guide to entering Mid-world! Liked and subscribed.
You're most welcome - thanks for subscribing!
I’m sure my opinion could possibly change by the time I get through all of these books, but for now I would actually have the eyes of the dragon in between the gunslinger and drawing of the three, instead of drawing of the three and the wastelands. Thus far, that little alteration to the list has worked out well for me.
Interesting! Thanks for sharing!
Two years later. You gave me a reason to read the Dark Tower. I only made it to The Gunslinger. When it first came out.
Happy to help!
I do suggest people follow this advice, as I MIGHT have read IT before the Dark Tower (if not, I read it immediately after), so Dark Tower was either the first or second King work I read, and all this background info would have been extremely helpful.
Happy to help!
11:28 I've climbed the tower a I think 3 times, and I've read/listened to most of the books mentioned in this video, but I've listened to the It audiobook 5 times (I personally absorb the book better through audiobooks). It is, in my humble and admittedly morbid opinion, one of the beatest books ever written
Nice!
His voice is like honey. Thanks for the video man
You're welcome!
I've read all the Stephen king books and now have started rereading them
Nice! I got *so* much out of rereading them
@@DaveReadsKing yeah I found things that I had missed before or small important details that I had forgotten or didn't connect the first time
You did superbly! I agree with everything that you’ve stated here. 🎉
Thank you!
@@DaveReadsKing You have a new subscriber.
Thank you!
Great list. Thank you.
Gotta say tho I enjoy The Talisman and Black House. I know they don’t make a lot of peoples list, but I loved the character Henry Laden from BH.
I read BH first and I think that helped.
I think you're onto something there - Black House is definitely stronger and I also thought Henry was a great character. It's Jack who I don't like!
@@DaveReadsKing Jack is the least interesting character in the entire story line. Which I believe is why BH is the better of the two, as it’s talking directly to the reader about a group of characters. Instead of narrating at the reader about one bratty kid’s take on things. I do wish King and Straub had finished the trilogy though.
@@Nott_Vermeen Yeah, that's fair...I can totally live without a third one though, ha!
You'll have to add the Gwendy series, at least Gwendy's final task. Great video.
I know, right? Imagine my thoughts when I read Final Task 🙃 perhaps I should add a note in the description
Well done dude
Thanks!
Fyi, read the dark in any order you want, cause no matter what, no matter how good the overall journey is overall, it's still going to get you confused but I bet Dave is right here on all the books to corleate with the timeliness while reading to truly get a better understand of this story with Roland and we'll you know or you will know, a good series, definitely !
Fair!
Loved the Talisman and Black House
Nice! They’re not my favourites 😬
Yo'u'd be suprised at how many recent videos Ive seen where they say a reread of Black House made them appreciate it so much more. I loved it, with the third person POV, and the ties to the Tower, Gorg and the Aballah.
So, in fairness to Black House I did like it more second time around. I also liked certain other books less, so BH has actually gone up in my overall rankings as a result. It’s still at the low end, but not quite as low as it was!
Great llist.Definitely I will follow this order to help me in the DT path. Actually I haven't read only The talisman and black house. Do you think I have to read them in between DT books or just read them before starting DT ?
I think, as I said in the video, the best place for The Talisman and Black House is either after Wizard and Glass, or right at the very end of everything. You could read them before you start DT, but they make a bit more sense if you've already spent some time in Mid-World first!
Great list! I just finished Wizard and Glass and read everything before it except for the Sisters story and Black House. What do you recommend next? I was thinking of “It” and Insomnia next.
Insomnia is a great choice - personally, I’d save It until the summer, as it’s a better match with most of that storyline
Desperation is phenomenal.
I enjoyed it a lot more second time around
Im going through an extended “dark tower” universe read right now. Im glad you said read “the stand” first. One, there’s that moment in “the waste lands” that will lack intensity if you haven’t read “the stand.” Two, after “drawing of the three” you’re pretty desperate to get to “waste lands” and having a 1400 word novel in between would be a headache, which would suck since “the stand” is a masterpiece one should take the time to appreciate
Absolutely on both parts! Long days and pleasant nights Sai!
**** Possible Spoilers here I suppose ******
Nice comprehensive list of extra reading and I totally agree with it. My only critique or difference of opinion would be that I love Wind Through the Key Hole last as it helps me say goodbye to the Ka-tet and the worlds where this takes place when they are in their prime. Before the world had moved on.
That's very fair - I guess I put it where I did as I being beholden to the chronology of the whole story, but I totally agree it's a nice reminder of times well spent...I recently hit WTTKH on my own King chronological reread and it was very pleasant to hang out with the gang again!
Honestly the only change I'd make is to shift Salem's Lot to before Wind Through the Keyhole and fill it's place with The Shining since the shining and the touch are pretty much the same thing and the kids from It, if you choose to read that book, are implied to have the shining too
Good suggestion, thanks!
Thanks a lot for the video
You’re welcome!
Beautiful brother thank you
You're welcome!
Thanks for the recommendation. I've been wondering how to tackle The Dark Tower for a while. I've been reading Kings work in publication order, but I think I'm going to cheat and read The Gunslinger. I read IT a while back but, I might just read it again when I get there. It's such a great book!
Nice! And yes, totally agree on IT - so worth all the pages!
I think it's amazing how the gunslinger has the seeds for the entire 7 books in it, even Susan, even Sheb, even the hints of how it is going to end.
Yes! Although he did go back a rewrite a lot of it in 2003 so it was a neater tie-in with the ending…I can’t remember if the original version is quite so in line
@@DaveReadsKing What a sneaky bastard!! I have a paperback copy from the 90s, I'll re-read it instead of the more recent edition.
Sir...I just finished The Gunslinger last night for the first time (even though I’ve been reading King for almost 20 years), and now I feel ready to take the journey in the right direction! Thank you! Just curious, are your copies of wolves of the calla and song of Susannah mass markets from Hodder & Stoughton?
Ah excellent - glad to be a help, and I hope you enjoy your journey! My copies of Wolves and Susannah are actually the Pocket Books editions - quite how they ended up in a charity shop in the middle of England I'll never know, but they're pretty cool covers!
haha! I think the same thing when I find Hodder editions in thrift shops here in Johns Creek, Georgia
@@DaveReadsKing Okay I read The Drawing of Three and since it’s been 14 years since I read Salem’s Lot, I decided to reread it and I’m almost finished. I would re-read The Stand, but I agree with you that it’s a bit overrated! When it was only the second King book I’d read of course it made my head explode, but most of his books that I’ve read since then quickly ranked over it. After Salem’s Lot its off to Eyes of the Dragon, Talisman, and Black House! Can’t wait!
@@patrickking9600 Nice! Enjoy the journey!
Quick question. You advice to start with Salem's Lot, but it only becomes relevant to TDT in Wolves of the Calla. That means there are about 10 books in between them according to your reading order. Would it perhaps be better to read SL right before WotC? Im just worried that I wont remember the references when I get to them. Thanks in advance.
Yeah, you definitely could do that for sure. I guess I think it's nice to do Salem's Lot early as it's a great introduction to King's writing style and key strengths...as long as you make note of the Father Callahan stuff you should be ok. But, ultimately, it's up to you!
The Little Sisters of Eluria, the opening novella, is a prequel to the Dark Tower adventure and Stephen King said as much. Its a sprawling fantasy work and its amazing it got finished. Its a longer read than La Recherche Du Temps Perdu but everyone knows from Marcel Proust, once you begin with an epic, you have to get on with it. It will eventually bring you the reward you were seeking and its apropos the inspiration came from Robert Browning’s famous poem, Roland Childe To The Dark Tower Came.
Sprawling is a great word for it - King’s achievement in getting this done is something else
You’re a god send! I needed this! ❤️
From your friend Cu_Jo_Collector 😊
Happy to help! 😃
I’m halfway through pet cemetery and I’ve not touched it in years. Kinda guessed how it’s gonna go and while I want to finish it I just can’t find the motivation to. Have read duma key, insomnia, Carrie and a few non king too. Should I force myself to finish pet cemetery and hopefully get back into it or just forget it and start the gunslinger as I really want to do the dark tower series.
If Pet Sematary isn't clicking with you now, don't force it - let it breathe and come back to it. It's a good one to read around Halloween. But, if you're ready to jump into the Gunslinger, then go for it!
If I missed Salem's Lot at the beginning and I just finished DotT, should I read Salem's Lot now, or continue on and read it later?
I would suggest reading it right before you do Wolves of the Calla
If I read the whole book Everything's eventual before Book 6, will it spoil anything for me?
Nope, not at all - it’s a good time to read it! There are only two stories in that book that are connected to the DT anyway…Little Sisters of Eluria and Everything’s Eventual
Great video, but if you want to have the whole picture, you have to read the comics books ”The journey home” just after Wizard and glass... You should have, at least, mentionned it, your video is so accurate... despise this omission. :)
That’s very fair - I left out the comics mainly because 1) they’re not the easiest (or cheapest) to track down and I didn’t want people thinking they would have to go hunting and 2) I’ve not read them myself, so can’t really comment on them!
The Marvel comic saga is definitely worth a read if you want a ton of extra info about rolands younger days and intervening moments in the major plot. Some plot holes so don’t take it all as gospel but definitely fills out tons of lore and amazing moments
Thanks - they are definitely something I want to explore!
What are those versions of the stand and Salem’s lot? Looks like also the same version you had of IT and several others.
They're from my collection of Rainbow Hodders - published in the UK in the mid 00s...I love them!
How do people who haven’t read TDT make sense of some of the references made in the other books? I made my first journey to the tower about 10 years ago and decided to take another trip. After Wizard and Glass I decided it would be the extended journey. I read Low Men in Yellow Coats. How would anyone know what Ted Brautigan(sp) was talking about without any knowledge of the DT story? Love the vid!
It’s a great question! On my first read of King stuff I did the DT last, so all those references in other books I just glossed over or straight up missed. But, it did make the reread incredibly rewarding
Thank you! Im re-reading all the The Dark Tower and just re-finished Wizard & Glass....next book im aiming at is to begin Talisman (before the series begins of course) so.......should I quickly read, Little Sisters Of Eluria first or squeeze it between Talisman & Black House?
You definitely want to read it before Black House, as it helps explain a couple of scenes in that one. I would squeeze it in between the two - break them up a bit!
WHAT??????? The talisman and black house are annoying? Holy crap! These are two of my absolute favorite books and I am so looking forward to what The duffer Brothers do with the talisman. Please enlighten me as to why you did not like these. I truly am interested.
So, for me there were a number of things that just didn't work; aside from Wolf I really hated all of the characters - Jack and Richard I found painfully annoying and actively wanted them to get killed, and everyone else was just dull. I thought the plot was also really yawn-inducing, and the flipping between worlds just wasn't interesting at all. I also thought there was never any sense of true peril - Jack was always going to succeed. Finally on The Talisman, Speedy Parker is such a problematic magical negro character that I just can't get on board. I do Black House slightly more, but find the first 100 pages or so really offputting - the narrative style is just smug and annoying. I liked Henry, but the philosophy-reading, microbrewing bikers really wound me up.
All that being said, I'm also really keen to see what the Duffers do - I think these stories are primed to work better as TV than on the page!
Talisman is my favourite King's book too
@@DaveReadsKing well I appreciate you letting me know why, even though I don't agree. I will absolutely agree about the magical negro thing, but I still liked him. So funny how different people get different things from books. What are your thoughts on The dark Tower series? That is my absolute favorite of everything he has done. Oh and the reason I never responded is cuz I never got a notification that you had responded.
Just finished TDotT. I enjoyed it more than I thought. I've already read Salem's Lot, The Stand, Bag of Bones, The Talisman, From a Buick 8, The Gunslinger, Christine, The Tommyknockers Needful Things, 1922, The Eyes of the Dragon. And all of these since September lol. Bag of Bones is great and very underrated. I even liked From a Buick 8 and The Talisman. I've never understood the hate for The Talisman. I think the underlying theme of Jack and his mother is a window into Kings relationship with his mother. Remember King's mother died of cancer. Looking forward to the rest of the list. I saved this video and refer to it often to check the order. Great video. You and The Love of Reading channel are my top 2 King channels. I'll be back after Blackhouse.
Thanks so much! And what a great reading list - sounds like you've had a good year!
Black house is great, I hope you like it🤙🏽
Hey, I read Salem's Lot before the first book and have started The Drawing of The Three, but not The Stand, should I go back or read it after?
You could just read The Stand after Drawing of the Three, that would probably work quite nicely
Would it be okay to read Eyes of the Dragon right after The Stand? I heard they are somewhat connected through a character.
Yep, that would work!
The shining .. and doctor sleep are very dark Tower .. as they wanted to harvest children with special talents as well
I read eyes of the dragon as my very fist king novel and then the gunslinger
Yeah, I can see them being Tower adjacent - wouldn’t necessarily say they’re a must-read for Tower junkies though
Fun drinking game to play while reading The Talisman. Every time you read the word “wolf” take a shot 😂
Yeah, if you play that you're fucked!
@@DaveReadsKing 🤣
I’m going to start reading the Dark tower maybe in like later summer
nice - you'll have a great time!
Unfortunately I had moved back into my folks house and I had a great majority of these books ever since I was a kid and they got ruined being in storage along with my entire library I'm slowly gaining them back from library and estate sales one day I will have everything King
Good luck picking them all up!
I love how honest and blunt you are about Black House and The Talisman. I truly laughed out loud.
Ha! Life is too short for crap books!
I loved Black House and the Talisman. Read them when I was 11 or 13
Nice - they're just not for me really
If you were to throw in rose madder, desperation, and the regulators into the reading order proper where would recommend putting them? I know rose madder has a connection to desperation and the regulators apparently and those 2 books have a connection to like the short story between the talisman and black house (and other dark tower things as well I think) but I worry that throwing those 3 books in-between dark tower part 2 and part 3 could be a lot and maybe that is why they are at the after section but thought I might as well ask in case you had a good place to stick them in.
A good question…I still think they are best served at the end. Combined, they are just too many pages to insert along the way!
@@DaveReadsKing Alright I worried that might be the case. Thank you for the answer.
@codybennett6420 no problem!
Thankee-sai!
You’re welcome!
Where does Gwendy's Final Task fit in your lineup?
Good question! Obviously I didn’t include it in this video as I recorded it a while before Final Task came out. I’d pop it in as something to read after the core Tower books - a nice way to take a trip back into that world after you’ve done the main story.
I went between the book to audible with it and fell asleep while listening to the last 4 hours of it on audible and realized what I've been told about the ending and what I've seen in the movies, I most likely don't need to get back to it lol but the regulators that was work of art, very talentently written, Charlie the Choo Choo?
I like Charlie the Choo Choo a lot - the illustrations are just as creepy as they are described in the Dark Tower series
I love this list. I’m in the middle of another list and I’m curious if when I’m done reading mine will align with your better. I had 1 question that may seem hard to answer without spoilers. So don’t answer if you don’t want to. There are certain characters that are ambiguous at various points early in DT books proper, but are less ambiguous as you go along. Using the order you have here, that ambiguity seems to be disturbed from the beginning. Did you have try other orders to maintain that surprise? Or did you just decide it wasn’t too big of a spoiler? For me, discovering some of this organically was tremendous in my journey so far.
I think, for this list, the ones I put at the start are really just for a warm up and give you tasters of what's to come, but your point is a great one.
@@DaveReadsKing Yeah. Again, I love the order. But that’s a tricky one to solve. I suppose knowing a book “ties in” at all makes a reader look for connections and could be a spoiler of sorts. So it’s unavoidable. That being said, I didn’t finish the video because I didn’t want to hear explanations so I wasn’t influenced. Not saying you’ve spoiled things, but even the theme of a book is fun to discover sometimes. A text list would be nice. Although I know that may prevent people from watching the video.
Just wondering if the end of King's 'Revival' had anything to do with the Dark Tower series.
I don't think so...it was just a fucked up, bleak thing!
I have never read any of the Dark Tower and I am preparing to do so (I think I’m going to read Talisman and Eyes of the Dragon first) but I don’t want to start because I don’t want it to end but I am itching to start and if my calculations are correct I should start by mid February
Awesome - enjoy!
Imo people should also read the shining and Dr. Sleep. Danny says "There are other worlds than these" and the true knot made me think of Pennywise and the similar creature in the 7th book which led me to create a fan theory regarding the shining, the breakers and todash creatures
I can see that - nice suggestion!
@DaveReadsKing so, in case you are at all interested, my theory goes like this. The breakers all are using some form of the shining, both the true knot and todash creatures like Pennywise are after people's shining because everybody has a little and emotion is like seasoning for them
@thetotalwarrior nice!
I've read the 8 books of the series. I'll be rereading the series in 2021.
You placed Salems Lot on top of The Stand, so read in that order?
Where did you get the Dark Tower Books with the awesome illustrations on the front?
Do you recommend the revised and updated Concordance? Thanks for answering these questions.
I just bought Salem's Lot, Everything's Eventual, Hearts in Atlantis, Insomnia and The Eyes of the Dragon
because of this video you made. I had no idea I was missing books connected to the series.
Great - glad to have helped! In terms of Salem's Lot and The Stand, it doesn't really matter which you read first from those two, I just think it's worth reading both before heading over to Mid World.
The Dark Tower books are secondhand editions I found in charity shops here in the UK - they do pop up online so keep an eye out, although they only made them for the first three book.
The Concordance is excellent - incredibly thorough and quite academic, but a very useful guide. Also Bev Vincent's The Road to The Dark Tower is a good read too.
@@DaveReadsKing I remember when reading Wolves of the Calla how lost I was when a character appeared from Salem's Lot. He would go on to be an important character with a backstory I didn't know. Also, when Flagg is mentioned repeatedly I had no idea what his origins were. I will understand so much more reading these books in the sequence you recommend.
I bought the Plume editions of Dark Tower books. I think they are the best out there.
Concordance will arrive in July from the UK.
I'm looking forward to the journey to the Tower.
*if you are interested in the fate of the TV show that would have started with Wizard and Glass.
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-dark-tower-with-glen-mazzara/id1512844649?i=1000475938916
@@StevenDelRizzo Nice! Yes, I heard that interview before - he also did a great one with The Losers Club podcast too
The Institute makes you think it’s a Dark Tower tie in. (and maybe it is)
The Talisman was great and Black House was good. Maybe a reread of The Talisman as a mature adult compared to reading it in my young 20’s may be a different story but still, good stuff. From A Buick 8 is crazy good if only in that it makes you wonder about who the Low Men are and where the cars come from. Wizard and Glass is the best you’ll ever read. Dammit, now I gotta go back and read all those books again…
Sorry, not sorry :-)