Yes, I think people do need to remember that this time around, Roland has the Horn of Eld and so there is hope for him. It's not all doom and gloom for him (at least, we can hope so, when he learns that it's not the tower that matters but his journey -- at least, that's my interpretation of it).
You say you're not launching a personal vendetta and I can see it's because you're clearly so passionate about King and his work...but I don't think you should mock people's literary skills or call them simple-minded. It's verging on personal insults and that's not how we do things at the Chronicles...informed and lively debate is what we like!
I am a
big King fan, have been ever since I read
The Eyes of The Dragon when I was a young'un (well...a younger'un) but as much as I love the guy and all his work, I know that people are going to disagree with things and raise differing opinions and in some ways, like I said earlier, I can see why something might irritate or annoy them. But then things would be
very boring if we all liked the same things and said the same things. And I don't think everyone in the thread is claiming to be devout fans of King (he is a mainstream writer and appeals to a wide audience, if there's one thing the guy does well, it's entertain and engross) and I know that with books where I haven't been such a dedicated fan of the author, I've become annoyed with an ending or something in the plot. Overall, as much as it might grate against me, I'm always open to other people's opinions and can only hope that one day they'll see the light and love King
I do agree that people should pay some respect to
any author and their writing. They put in a lot of hard work and dedication and just because they might not like a certain aspect of a story, they should not then rip into the author and insult them or their work just because of it. Constructive criticism about
why they might disagree or feel disappointed is much better.
Oh, and to point out just a small detail...and I'm of the female variety