The Drawing of the Three / Stephen King

3 out of 5 stars

While pursuing his quest for the Dark Tower through a world that is a nightmarishly distorted mirror image of our own, Roland is drawn through a mysterious door that brings him into contemporary America.

Here he links forces with the defiant young Eddie Dean, and with the beautiful, brilliant, and brave Odetta Holmes, in a savage struggle against underworld evil and otherworldly enemies.



 Did-a-chick? Dum-a-chum? Dad-a-cham?

I’m as dazed as all the lobstrosities that lurk just a little too close for comfort in this book. Certainly I will never go to Red Lobster in the same frame of mind ever again! I found The Drawing of the Three to be more readable than The Gunslinger, so I think I will be able to continue in the series, although I still doubt that it will ever be a favourite.

Oh, all the connections that I could see in this novel to King’s own fiction, not to mention other writers! The quest tale, familiar to all fantasy readers, but a dark, western environment rather than the usual medieval-ish setting. Odetta/Detta was very reminiscent of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, while Eddie Dean reminded me a great deal of Jack Torrence of The Shining. There was even a quick reference to the movie version of The Shining, not to mention Flagg from The Stand. The doors to other realities on the beach reminded me strongly of Consider Phlebas by Iain Banks which has a similar device.

Lots of Tarot imagery and suggestions of an Egyptian connection with the concept of the ka. A busy, busy book in other words.

Book 221 of my science fiction & fantasy reading project.