I understand that the newer version has a different ending and some new characters and scenes that weren’t in the original. But the original is what got all the accolades and was considered his best book.
Which way should I go?
Uncut, every time. I love the original, but the uncut is a fuller story, in my opinion.
And make sure to be taking notes. The Dark Tower series touches on several other novels of his. It’s kinda a nexus point for everything, and it gets to be a slog later on.
I think the uncut version adds much more to the plague and sets the tone to a fuller extent. It’s long winded at times (par for SK anyways), but it makes some of the passages hit much harder.
Dont have advice as I’m not a King fan, but two of my siblings are and they both love the podcast Just King Things and it looks like they have an Official Discord where you might be able to get some advice.
Another vote for the uncut version. I read that version first as a teenager, then read the original version years later and it just felt… sparse.
Also a vote for reading the entirety of Dark Tower. It doesn’t end strongly but so many of his works tie into the series that there’s no sense in excising the later books.
I was planning on reading them all chronologically, by first publication date.
That’s still my plan, unless y’all are telling me I need to read Dark Tower first.
unless y’all are telling me I need to read Dark Tower first.
Nope, continue on as planned. There were 6-year gaps between 3 and 4, then 4 and 5. At that point (IIRC) he started pulling from more of his catalog to tie things together. To the point where some things aren’t going to make much sense without that prior knowledge.
Tangent about my King experience
Honestly, I envy your journey. I started reading King way sooner than I should have (starting with Christine in maybe 3rd grade, just grabbing a random paperback from the bookshelf in the house). I really dug in during middle school, leveraging the local library, not quite getting around to all of the back catalog. By the time I was in high school I started getting the new release hardcovers as gifts. Not everything, but enough. After high school my reading fell off as the Real World took over, but once I went through a couple of jobs and had some extra money to spend I went back and started filling in the gaps. Oh, to read Hearts in Atlantis for the first time again. I kept up through the 2000s, then I started putting stuff in a storage unit as space was tight. I met my now-spouse and free time was redirected yet again. We moved in together, and I retrieved things from storage… all the books covered in mold. Gut-wrenching. I kept buying the new releases, but they just piled up on the shelf. Between the loss of my prior collection and depression getting nice and cozy, I just didn’t have it in me to pick King back up. I think the last thing I read was Under the Dome.
Enjoy!
When you get to the Dark Tower series, read the revised version of The Gunslinger. He went back after writing the other 6 books and cleaned up some loose ends and plot holes. Flows much better too.
The original Gunslinger is rough and raw in a way that’s missing from the other Dark Tower books.
King is best unrefined.
I don’t have an answer to your question but
RIP your psyche.
Yeah, I know it.
Read the first three of the dark tower and forget the rest.
The audiobook of Dolores Claiborne is amazing.
Don’t waste time reading IT.
