Sunday, September 7, 2008

Oh Discordia! (Or, How Stephen King Ruined My Life)

I've spend my summer wandering the Path of the Beam with Roland and his ka-tet of gunslingers, and I can say, with no hesitation, that Stephen King ruined my life. It has been years since I've allowed myself to be sucked into a work of literature in such a way. Not even J.K. Rowling (whom I adore), or Raymond Feist (who worked so hard to win me over), has kept me up so many nights. I haven't managed a solid, peaceful night's sleep all summer (there are monsters in the todash darkness). It isn't necessarily fear that keeps my from my REM sleep, but the way fragments of Mid-World work their way into my half-conscious, to lay their dusty, mutant eggs in my already wacked-out dreams.




I've had vicious nightmares my entire life. Even as a small child, I would have dreams so vivid and opaque that one would swear you could reach out and touch them. All five senses in full effect, I've felt shattered glass flay my hands (just the other night), and smelled the rot of driftwood and seawater wafting down an empy beach (years and years ago). Despite these damn-near-tangible dreams, I've never been haunted so thoroughly, even into waking. Like Roland (or perhaps King himself, though I'd never seek to presume), I was pulled, contrary to every intuition, deeper and deeper, until I had no choice but to pick up the damn book and keep walking.


I finished last night. I have no complaints about the ending-it was absolutely right, and could have ended no other way without making the whole journey meaningless. I (the Patient Reader) am keeping every crossable appendage crossed in the hopes that my heart and my head can disconnect themselves from the Tower and finally get some rest. This humble writing of mine does little to communicate what I've actually felt these past months, but perhaps you (also the Patient Reader) can pick up clues and draw some good conclusions.


Sai King turned my whole world nineteen, and I can't tell if I love him or hate him for it. Perhaps Ka will yet tell, say thank ya.

57 comments:

Anonymous said...

Indeed, I too have lost many a nights sleep at the cold, creeping pen and page of SK/RB. I make it a point to try and read IT or Desperation once every year or so....I used to have dreams like you describe, full sense, real in every way, feeling my self falling, or drowning, or walking alone in a wood. Its been a while since i've had one tho...not sure as to the impetus for the departure, but in a strange way, i miss them...

-Bren

Not Always About Monkeys said...

Finally she speaks! Ka willed it so...

April said...

I just stumbled across your blog (and this post) today while searching for others who have had their lives ruined by Mr. King. In fact, I even blogged about it earlier today. (Feel free to pop on over and check it out). I am relieved (I guess) to know that it happens to others too!

Anonymous said...

If I have ever been haunted by anyone or thing, it is Roland Deschain. He is the ultimate anti-hero, and no man will ever compare...damn SK for giving me one more ghost to love...but I wouldn't have it any other way.

Amanda said...

I fell absolutely in love with Stephen King's dark tower series. I too devoured every book and stayed up all night to finish them and ran to the book store to get the next one, but I must say that King has not been able to give me nightmares since reading Dreamcatcher when I was 10... I love and embrace all my dreams, because for me dreams even the scary ones and the ones in which I die, are like living in my own fantasy world. Its the only way I can actually live out all the magic that lurks in my head that I cannot make real in waking hours... I too just accidently stumbled upon this blog, and I am so glad I did. Glad to talk to other King fans who's lives have been changed by his books. A part of Roland will always live within me. Thanks all, and thank you Stephen King!

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