The legacy of Stephen King in real life has been just as curious as that on the page. As one of the most successful authors of the late-20th century, he's formed a memorable personality. He's been candid about his work and the adaptations of his work that he dislikes (I'm looking at you, The Shining) to the point that it's all part of the lore. Along with this news, it makes sense then why "The Dark Tower: Song of Susannah" has an ominous quality over it. The lengthy magnum opus spanning over 30 years has existed largely in the realm of fantasy until the infamous car crash that almost took from him his life and chance to complete his text. While this is the second written since that fateful day, it's the first that feels truly rooted in a self-conscious need to complete his vision, which just so happens to literally include him. It's a messy book that feels more like a set-up than a fulfilling entry, and it doesn't bode well for what's left in his story. This is the point where The Dark Tower begins to quiver and separate audiences. It's a divisive decision, but a bold and fascinating one nonetheless.
At the core of the story is all of the familiar players in the ka-tet, lead by gunslinger Rolan Deschaines. After six books they have come to feel like a family, driven together on a singular goal of getting to The Dark Tower. It's what controls the entire world, and to have it in threat means that everything would crumble. It makes sense to have this be the dilemma of the series, especially this close to the finish line. To amp up the role of The Crimson King, the story's central antagonist and King's embodiment of evil across multiple texts also gives weight to the overall sense of danger. The ka-tet is starting to separate due to conflicts put into motion. However, it's a bit disappointing to note that this story doesn't have the grand angle of a story like "Wolves of the Calla." It's about trying to save the pregnant Susannah, whose baby may be the savior of the world. It all makes sense why The Crimson King would try and capture her. However, there's a bigger issue at play here.
In the penultimate entry of The Dark Tower, it feels like King is more interested in exposition than exploring the compelling nature of this world. While he establishes the towers starting to fall and the symbolism that comes from various characters we've met throughout the series, he becomes redundant and for those who are up to date on the books will find the first half tedious. There's not much new that's explored. What's done is largely reminders of existing plot lines and mythology that at this point would be hard to grasp otherwise. Beyond that, there's no true introduction of a memorable character. There are no wolves to fight, though there's plenty of conversation to be had about their grandiose battle with them. There's a constant conversation about Blane the Mono from "The Waste Lands." Very little happens in part because it takes place over a shorter than usual time. Even the other "short" length of time in "Wizard and Glass" had a more clever twist and depth than this.
Half of the story takes place in what can be considered our world. This is because Roland and crew are on a mission to find the man who could either save them or destroy them. That man is none other than Stephen King. There are no creative liberties taken. He doesn't even call himself Richard Bachman to be cheeky. What happens is Roland discusses his own legacy with King at his home in Maine. His family's names are dropped in and even a ton of trivia about how his novel "Salem's Lot" had a faulty printing that makes his work worth more. It's a moment that's likely supposed to feel like Roland meeting his maker, or at least adding a wrinkle to the fact by reflecting King's ability to tap into this mystical world. While it's fascinating to note that his death from a car accident adds a nice wrinkle, the choice for King to become a major supporting character proves to be tedious and draws too much attention to itself. The momentum stops dead so that King can talk to his characters as if he adds value to them that he didn't in secret from the previous five books. It's a decision that feels written in because of his real-life accident and not an organic process. It's distracting and comes off as goofy.
While it's fine that King chose to dedicate most of the novel to exposition, it does result in what feels like the most underwhelming Dark Tower novel so far. While it gives depth to The Crimson King and puts Susannah in an interesting position as she battles her other personas through expansive use of italic text, the rest of the cast don't have nearly as exciting of moments. This moment feels like it could've been reduced to 30 or 40 pages in the final novel and had the same impact. It adds wrinkles to the narrative that are either frustrating or unnecessary. It's not a total waste as King clearly loves these characters enough to give them dignity. However, the decision to add himself to things in such an obvious way feels like such a bad call. Some of his writing is fine, others find secondary characters were written poorly and (by modern contexts) offensive, such as an Asian character who has that small accent.
What is left to say about The Dark Tower going into the final chapter? After five books that have given the overall story a powerful depth, the sixth entry feels a bit meandering. It's mostly territory that has been explored better in the past. It's recapping everything that audiences should already know. Sure, it works for those who had to wait years between entries, but it does eat up a lot of time in an already short text. There's no need to reminisce when the world is about to be destroyed. King still has a compelling hook going into the final tale. The only wonder is how things would look if King hadn't had the accident, both on the page and in real life. Would the book even be done? Would King be in there giving dad joke-level moments with his cool gunslinger? It's hard to say. For a story that has maintained its quality for so long, it's sad to see reality starting to seep into the fantasy. While it's fine that all of his work is connected, revealing so deliberately how doesn't do anyone a service. Just let the mystery be and that'll be that.
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