'Childe Roland to the Dark Tower Came'

A quote from both Shakespeare and Robert Browning for the title of today's blog, Shakespeare used this sentence is King Lear (Act 3, Scene 4 if you're interested), and in 1855 became the title of a relatively long poem by Robert Browning. What is also interesting is that this quote became the foundation of a series of books by Stephen King called The Dark Tower (ah intertexuality my old friend, we meet again), and it is this series that I am currently reading for the second time.
Now, this is a piece of information that I rather doubt has dragged you relentlessly to the edge of your seats, but there is a point. The plot of this epic series (I use the word epic to stand for both the literary meaning and the vernacular here) follows the character of Roland in his quest for the Dark Tower, a sinister yet unifying force at the centre of all universes. Roland's obsession with the Tower is almost all encompassing, to the extent that he is willing sacrifice almost everything to reach it. When reading this series for the first time it is easy to fall into exactly the same trap that Roland does, the mystery of the Tower over a long series of seven books dominates our reading (I say 'our', but I mean 'my'), to the extent that it is all too easy to sacrifice the detail and brilliant plot and characterisation that this series offers. King himself urges readers not to completely finish the book, to stop just before we see inside the Dark Tower, he writes:

'I hope you came to hear the tale, and not just munch your way through the pages to the ending'

A stern message from the author, but an entirely correct one, what King reminds us of at the end of this epic series is that the journey is always more important than the destination, and on reading this series a second time (I'm on the final book at the moment if you'd like to know) I see just how correct that is. This is a series that contains fantastically realised characters and an engaging plot, to sacrifice the enjoyment of that for the sake of one ending is madness (although the ending is brilliant!).

The point, however long it took me to get there, is this, an ending is only that, an ending. Life's way of saying that we're done for now, time to move on, time to try something else, to advance, or to quit altogether. An ending is an ending but how you get there is always, I'll underline that for emphasis always the worthier part.

My Sensei once told a story of a student of his who offered him £100 to make him a black belt, my Sensei's typically blunt reply was that black belts were cheaper in the shop. This guy could have brought himself a blackbelt, worn it, told everyone he was a blackbelt, even forged a certificate if he was that desperate, but he still would have never been a blackbelt. A certificate is only a piece of paper, a belt is just an accessory unless you have the experience, the training and understanding that goes with it, in other words not only is the journey more important than the destination, the journey is the destination.

I've rambled and I've said pretty much all I have to say, except thanks, much love and read the Dark Tower.
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