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Originally Posted by Ostrich_lover  Here is the thing that bothered me about the ending that no one seems to have brought up anywhere on the internet that I can find:
How can Roland possibly repeat his quest? It makes no sense, because in order to do so he must visit the Keystone World several times, in which time only runs one way, thus it would be impossible to repeat the quest.
Secondly, and on the same note, how do you explain the fact that Suzy can go to 1999 in Keystone World, yet Eddie and Roland can then go to 1978? They are constanly concerned with how much time has passed in the "real world" during all of Book 5, and then they jump to 1978. If they could do that, why does it matter what time has passed in the Keystone World in the year of 99???
I really like these books, and I defended the books for years, but on my third read through of book 5 and second read through of 6 and 7, I gotta say these two time travel related paradoxs really bother me. Perhaps someone has an explanation. |
I have read this series a few times but mainly have focused on the first 5 books, I have probably read the Gunslinger about 15-19 times to be honest. If anyone has an interest in trying to understand why Roland is repeating his quest over and over and over again....read the gunslinger over and over again. Every time I read it there was something new that caught my attention. For instance in the gunslinger SK talks about pretty much all the books in the 1st book, sounds crazy huh?
He talks about the manni folk, the bird (taheen) from algo siento, Sheb the piano player from Mejis, and of course Susannah. There are other references and foreshadows that SK talks about in the first book I won't list them all but the main things I have wanted to talk about was in the beginning and towards the end of the Gunslinger. Towards the beginning SK writes "Why should that dizziness remind him of his friends from long ago?" I thought this was quite a trip when I went back and read the first book after having read the last. Stephen King knew all along since 1979 how Roland's quest was going to end...... If you read carefully in the Gunslinger when Roland has palaver with Walter O'Dim, Roland says that he doesn't understand something Walter says. Walter responds by saying "No, you never did....you never will..........." EVEN WALTER KNOWS THAT ROLAND HAS BEEN REPEATING THIS QUEST!!!! Does anyone else get this? How does Walter know that he is repeating his quest??
Also, one last thought because I could write a 100 pages about my different theories about Roland. Walter may have died by Mordrid but there are many versions of Walter...just as there are many versions of Roland. You guys want to know why? perhaps you need to read "The Talisman" to really understand. The talisman is essentially the whole dark tower series in one book LOL. I know it sounds crazy but I think it's true. Anyway, I digress. In the talisman SK talks about "twinners" as being another version of yourself just in the "world next door." Roland could be doing the quest over and over again as a different version of himself. Of course this is just one of my theories.