The Wind Through the Keyhole

Oh, Dark Tower. Will your story ever end? Hopefully not. Last week King released the newest addition to the Dark Tower saga, The Wind Through the Keyhole. In his introduction, King points out that this novel sits as book 4.5 in the chronological sequence of the seven book series. Now, for my own sense of organization, I've always conceptualized the Dark Tower series as two trilogies divided by a flashback story that's always stood as some sort of intermission, if you will. In my reviews, it was this intermission (Book IV: Wizard and Glass) that I ragged on quite hard for the lamest reason of all: it didn't progress any farther into the main storyline. In hindsight, it's a great story. You've got a troubled town, a witch, a band of criminals, and a tremendous flight at the climax to cap it all off. Plus we dive deeper into Roland's mysterious past learning of his first love and her tragic fate. There's a lot to this story that I really never gave any credit to until now. Why is that? I blame it on this book. With the Dark Tower saga finally put to rest, I was able to gauge this novel based purely on its entertainment without obsessing over whether or not efficiently ties into the overall story arc of Roland and his ka-tet's quest to save the Dark Tower from crumbling and unraveling the universe. In this current frame of mind, I can look back at W&G and smile knowing it's a damn good book. But what about Wind Through the Keyhole?

Nothing amazing, but definitely entertaining. 

Before I go any further... Marissa, as the only other DT reader out there (knowing Sween has already polished this guy off), avert your eyes. I tend to recklessly spill important information.

Trying not to make it sound more convoluted than it is, The Wind Through the Keyhole is a story within a story within a story - yeah, one of those. However, it's really not as confusing as it sounds. King does a great job at keeping the third tier story (what is the real crux of the whole book) simple and different enough from the other two story lines that you don't get headache trying to understand everything. The premise is this: Roland and the ka-tat (straight after the event of W&G) are held up in a house waiting out a brutal storm. During this time, Roland regales everyone with yet another tale from his mysterious youth. Following right after the tale he spoke of in W&G, he is sent out on another mission by his father to track down the skin-man (a shapeshifter who can morph into various deadly animals) who has been slaughtering people in a small village far away from Gilead (Roland's home town). While trying to solve the mystery of who in this run-down village is the skin-man, Roland takes in a young boy who witness the skin-man's killing. Buying time before the kid will help identify the suspect, Roland tells the child a story his mother used to tell him... and this is The Wind Through the Keyhole. 

Having nothing to do with Roland (past, present, or future), this tale is a bit of Mid-World folklore. A young boy of a lumberjack community loses his father, supposedly, to a dragon while working in the woods one day. Time passes, and the Convenant Man (is this suppose to be the Man in Black, Sween?) returns to town to collect on taxes. With the threat of losing their home, the boy's mother remarries their father's partner to help pay off the taxes. Things take a downhill for that family from there. The new husband is a drinker, and constantly beats the boy's mother - she eventually loses her sight as a consequence to this. With some devious advice from the Covenant Man, the boy sets out on journey through the woods that will lead to the discovery of his old man's true death and the cure to his mother's blindness.

In retrospect, this book doesn't really have to fall under the guise as a "Dark Tower novel" as it says on the cover. Yes, Roland is the narrator and the fable takes place in an Mid-World setting, full of its magic, dangers, and charm, but the story could stand all on its own. Then again, it might not sell as well if it doesn't have that Dark Tower tag-line. What a tic... What am I talking about? This is Stephen King I'm talking about here. He could sell a piece a paper he's used to wipe his ass - not that he has or would - and still make a killing on sales. I suppose it's just nice to meet our old friends again, even if it's just to catch a quick glimpse of them while they're in passing.

One final note. In King's foreword, he dedicates this novel to Marvel. I remember someone in my screenwriting adaptation classes busting out a Dark Tower comic books to adapt (I did Tin-Tin before it was on the slate to be a Spielberg film... respect). Anyways, it got me thinking. Does my Dark Tower journey have to end here?