The Wind Through the Keyhole (The Dark Tower, #4.5)

Title: The Wind Through the Keyhole (The Dark Tower, #4.5)

Author: Stephen King

Published in: 2012

Date read: 23rd September 2021

Score: 4/5

Genre: Fantasy

Plot: (Warning, may contain spoilers):
"The Wind Through the Keyhole," published in 2012, is the eighth novel in Stephen King's epic Dark Tower series, though it's positioned as a "sidequel" or interlude between the fourth book, "Wizard and Glass," and the fifth, "Wolves of the Calla." It offers a nested narrative structure, serving as a series of stories within a story, providing deeper insights into the world of Mid-World and its legends.

The main framing story finds Roland Deschain and his ka-tet (Susannah Dean, Eddie Dean, and Jake Chambers) temporarily stranded by a Starkblast (a powerful, magical storm) while on their journey toward the Dark Tower. They take shelter in an abandoned building. To pass the time and to lift their spirits, Roland decides to tell them a story from his own past.

This "main" story Roland tells is set during his younger days as a gunslinger, shortly after the traumatic events that cost him his first love, Susan Delgado. Roland, accompanied by his then-partner Jamie DeCurry, is sent by his father to investigate a monstrous creature terrorizing a remote village in the desolate Out-World. They discover that a terrifying "skin-man" (a shapeshifting monster) is responsible for a series of horrific murders.

Within this story, Roland recounts another, even older tale to a young boy named Tim (the sole survivor of the skin-man's attack whom Roland and Jamie are trying to comfort). This is "The Wind Through the Keyhole" itself, a fairy tale-like narrative that forms the longest section of the book.

Tim's story is about a brave and resilient young boy living in the ancient Calla Bryn Sturgis (a different Calla than seen later in the series) in a time long before Roland's. Tim faces a tyrannical and abusive "coffin hunter" (a tax collector/enforcer) and lives in fear of his blind, sickly mother's harshness. One day, a terrifying beast called the "Miffed One" demands a human sacrifice. Tim volunteers, embarking on a dangerous journey through the treacherous Darkwood. Guided by a mysterious figure known as "the Tyger," Tim faces trials and encounters strange creatures (like the "Gnaw-gnaw") as he searches for a mystical glass that can save his mother's sight. His journey teaches him about courage, sacrifice, and the true meaning of love.

"The Wind Through the Keyhole" serves multiple purposes: it expands on the lore and history of Mid-World, provides character development for Roland by showing a more empathetic side, and offers a unique blend of dark fantasy, horror, and classic fairy tale elements. It reinforces the themes of ka (destiny), heroism, the nature of stories, and the enduring power of hope even in the face of overwhelming darkness, all while providing a pause in the ka-tet's relentless pursuit of the Dark Tower.

Comments:
As you can see, I read this much later than the main Dark Tower books. The reason I left this was because I did not know that it existed. It was a good "side story" and, after mourning the end of the Dark Tower books, it was nice to delve into Mid-World again.

Books that we've read by Stephen King (68):
Carrie (1974), 'Salem's Lot (1975), The Shining (The Shining, #1) (1977), The Stand (1978), Night Shift (1978), The Dead Zone (1979), Firestarter (1980), Cujo (1981), The Gunslinger (The Dark Tower, #1) (1982), Different Seasons (1982), Christine (1983), Cycle of the Werewolf (1983), Pet Sematary (1983), The Talisman (The Talisman, #1) (1984), Skeleton Crew (1985), It (1986), The Drawing of the Three (The Dark Tower, #2) (1987), The Eyes of the Dragon (1987), The Tommyknockers (1987), Misery (1987), The Dark Half (1989), Four Past Midnight (1990), The Waste Lands (The Dark Tower, #3) (1991), Needful Things (1991), Dolores Claiborne (1992), Gerald's Game (1992), Nightmares and Dreamscapes (1993), Insomnia (1994), Rose Madder (1995), The Green Mile (1996), Desperation (1996), Wizard and Glass (The Dark Tower, #4) (1997), Bag of Bones (1998), The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon (1999), Hearts in Atlantis (1999), On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft (2000), Black House (The Talisman, #2) (2001), Dreamcatcher (2001), Everything's Eventual (2002), From a Buick 8 (2002), Wolves of the Calla (The Dark Tower, #5) (2003), Song of Susannah (The Dark Tower, #6) (2004), The Dark Tower (The Dark Tower, #7) (2004), The Colorado Kid (2005), Cell (2006), Lisey's Story (2006), Duma Key (2008), Just After Sunset (2008), Under the Dome (2009), 11/22/63 (2011), Full Dark, No Stars (2011), The Wind Through the Keyhole (The Dark Tower, #4.5) (2012), Dr. Sleep (The Shining, #2) (2013), Joyland (2013), Mr. Mercedes (Bill Hodges Trilogy, #1) (2014), Revival (2014), The Bazaar of Bad Dreams (2015), Finders Keepers (Bill Hodges Trilogy, #2) (2015), End of Watch (Bill Hodges Trilogy, #3) (2016), Elevation (2018), The Outsider (2018), The Institute (2019), If It Bleeds (2020), Billy Summers (2021), Later (2021), Fairy Tale (2022), Holly (2023), You Like It Darker (2024)