The Drawing of the Three

Stephen King

Roland has defeated the Man in Black. He wakes up on a desolate beach. As night falls, large lobster-like creatures come out of the ocean up on the beach. After they attack Roland and bite off some fingers and a toe he is able to escape above the high tide mark. The lobstrocities never go beyond that line. Now he is injured, infected, and alone. The Man in Black had predicted three people would come into Roland's life.

Roland is weak but starts walking north on the beach. Eventually he comes to a door that just stands there in the middle of the sand. He checks it carefully, then opens it. Suddenly he is in another world - and in another person's body and mind. Eddie is a heroin junkie on a plane from the Caribbean to New York City. He is smuggling in two pounds of cocaine.

Roland doesn't approve of Eddie once he realizes what is happening. Yet he has to help Eddie get into the United States without being arrested. Then he has to convince Eddie to come back to his world and join the quest for the Dark Tower. He also must get some medicine in this awesome world to fight the infection caused by the lobstrocities.

Next there is Odetta - a black woman in a wheelchair because her legs were cut off in a subway accident when she was younger. Odetta is a well bred kind lady. Unfortunately, her schizophrenic side, Detta, is mean, nasty, and a thief. Detta would like as to kill Roland and Eddie as to help them.

Finally Roland finds himself inside Jack Mort - "the Pusher". Jack really is a pusher - he pushes people to accidents or to their death. He was the man who pushed Odetta under the subway train. He is the one who pushed the boy from The Gunslinger into the path of a car. Roland can't understand how such an evil man is to help in the quest. In the meantime, Roland is able to use him to obtain more bullets for his guns and more penicillin for the infection.

Once the group is assembled, it is time to once more journey to the Dark Tower. That is, of course, if they can avoid the lobstrocities, that Odetta is able to contain Detta, and that Jack doesn't bring his evil with him.

I have head lots of praise for Stephen King's Dark Tower series. I liked The Gunslinger well enough, but it didn't merit the praise I head. On the other hand, The Drawing of the Three is awesome. I was immediately immersed in the story and Roland's quest.

Eddie, Odetta, and Jack are fascinating studies. Roland's awe at the United States in the 1980's and the 1960's is realistic. His reactions reminded me how lucky we are even in things we take for granted, like aspirin.

King's melding of Roland's and each of the others' minds is also fascinating. Both consciousnesses were in one body, but Roland could shove Eddie, Odetta, or Jack back and take over their bodies. Each entity could read the other and nothing could be hidden. The Drawing of the Three has me convinced to continue reading this series. I would have, anyway, but now I'll do it sooner rather than later.

The Gunslinger
The Drawing of the Three
The Waste Lands
Wizard and Glass
Wolves of the Calla
Song of Susannah
The Dark Tower