The Drawing of the Three--Discussion...Final Thoughts

Yes, I realize that this is the only discussion we are having for this second volume in the Dark Tower series.  I do apologize again for my being so behind.  I'm hoping my new reading schedule plan will work better for us for the rest of the series (see this POST).  Here are some questions I thought were appropriate for discussing the book and my final thoughts at the end.  Are you still reading along?  I hope you haven't given up on me yet.  I promise I will get on track.

Revisit the scene in the "Death" section of the novel where an amazed Roland—in the body of Jack Mort—walks into a New York drug store. Roland's reaction to the rows and rows of "quack remedies" is comic, but King spikes it all with a measure of poignancy. Ours is a world full of technological wonders that astonish the gunslinger. But Roland looks into the jaded faces of New Yorkers and muses that "the newest wonder was simply that…wonder had run out." What is King up to in this scene? 

I think King is trying to show us that people in our time are jaded because of how everything is done for us with technology, etc. and by contrast, that Roland, even after all he has been through, can still experience wonder.  Roland recognizes as gifts (and sometimes seemingly trivial items) what we take for granted.

In connection with the previous question, discuss the effect of the various moments throughout the novel where King manages to show us our own world from the gunslinger's fresh, often awe-struck perspective.

I loved his amazement over the cost of the ammunition and its abundance and also the cost of the Keflex.  His pronunciation and his version of how our words are spelled was priceless.  Like tack-see for taxi and Rexes for RXs.  So funny and yet not surprising.   

Decipher the elements involved in the resolution of Odetta and Detta's ferocious struggle with each other. How is it that, in Roland's desperate final act in the New York subway, the deep fissure in Miss Holmes' psyche can finally be bridged? 

I felt that the splitting in half of Jack Mort, the person responsible for the brick (which started the whole split personality in the first place) dropping and the pushing of Odetta at the subway, was the key to putting the two pieces, Odetta and Detta, together as a whole, as Susannah.  One of the most killer parts of the book, in my opinion.  Man, did I hate reading the parts involving Detta.  She was one crazy bitch! King did a great job of making us all afraid of her.

What is ka? What is its significance in King's Dark Tower universe? 

I think that ka is a person's fate.  I think everything that happens to Roland in the series is his fate...is predetermined.  The significance is that we kind of know the ultimate end and yet we don't.  Of course, King will keep us guessing!

What lies ahead for King's three pilgrims? Are Eddie and Susannah Dean's misgivings about Roland's trustworthiness when it comes to friendship justified? Why or why not? 

I've learned to not hold out much hope for the characters after what happened to Jake so I will be constantly waiting for something to happen to Eddie or Susannah or both.  I think their misgivings are justified because Eddie knows that the Tower is the only thing that truly matters to Roland...or is it?

With Roland, Eddie, and Susannah united in their ka-tet and resolved to move ahead, what are your expectations for The Waste Lands?

I'm hoping for more exciting moments like in The Drawing of the Three, especially like the Death section.  I loved that part! Roland was such a cool customer and I loved the references to him sounding like The Terminator.  I'm really looking forward to the next book.  I liked the second book so much better than the first.  I hope the series keeps getting better and better.  From what I've heard from others, it does.

Discussion questions obtained from Penguin Group.

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Look for the official schedule for The Waste Lands to be posted immediately after this post.  Hope you're still reading along. =O)