It wasn't my favorite part of the book, but I liked how King drew the low men into the main Tower books and showed us the Highways in Hiding.
It wasn't my favorite part of the book, but I liked how King drew the low men into the main Tower books and showed us the Highways in Hiding.
Hi oxnard...wondered the same thing...was it Ruda, or Ruta...I thought Ruta, but maybe it is Ruda...whatever the case, I thought I read later in the book that name and it was associated with a Siamese cat. I hope I'm clear. For some reason I'm often misunderstood...I'll see if I can find the location when I get a chance...(I'm new, too, what say, pardner?)
There’s a couple, three references to Ruta that I’m aware of. Couple of them, in “The Priest’s Tale Concluded(Unfound), one of the two in section eleven, p577 my pbc, Callahan is telling them about the drink, how he raved to anyone who would listen, about a bunch of stuff, including “Ruta, who really might have been full of fun but who sure wasn’t a Siamese cat.”
Next one, same chapter, but in section twelve, p 578 my pbc, Callahan in jail, sitting on his bunk, “Mouth doesn’t taste so good—sort of like Ruta the Siamese Cat took a dump in it, if you wanted the truth—but his head isn’t aching too badly.” The word “Cat” in this instance has the upper case “C” though not that way in the previous version. H’mmm? Shrug. Dunno.
The first instance of the name Ruta, the one you’re referring to I take it, is from the chapter called “The Priest’s Tale Continued (Highways in Hiding), section four, p393 my pbc, and it’s in the form of how it would appear on the poster that Calllahan sees during his time in Chumm’s Traveling Wonder Show, in the town of Yazoo City, Mississippi:
“Lost! Siamese Cat, 2 Yrs Old
Answers to the name of Ruta
She is noisy but full of fun
Large reward offered
$$$$$$
Dial 764, wait for beep, give your number
God Bless You For Helping
(cont’d next page)
“Who is Ruta? Callahan doesn’t know. All he knows is that she is NOISY and FULL OF FUN. Will she still be noisy when the low men catch up to her? Will she still be full of fun?
Callahan doubts it.”
There’s a lot about Callahan’s Tale that is interesting, enlightening and baffling, like what he refers to as the two times he went todash, once to Mexico for the funeral and once to the castle, as I recall, of the Crimson King. Maybe Ruta is another unanswered mystery, maybe Ruta is the cat from hell, maybe somebody else has the answer. Could be the answer lies further along the path...reading Song of Susannah. Hope I helped. If I find more info I'll come back and post it.
Ruta is a child that I don't believe we meet in DT or any other King book before or after this point.
This is also a case in point of what I was saying in the other thread - I don't think there's any hidden meaning to it other than as a plot technique to refresh our memories (from Hearts In Atlantis) of the Low Men's use of missing pet posters to track down their intended captives/breakers.
How do we know Ruta is a child? Cause the cat is a 2 yr old I guess, huh? I don't think oxnard111 saw any deep and meaningful message hidden meaning in the lost pet poster. Oxnard111's question was: has anybody figured out who Ruda on the lost pet poster in Alabama might be? It's fun to speculate about things, as people do on other threads...to paraphrase one, "give us the worst possible ending with Roland at the Tower, or McDonald's, or something." Oxnard111 asked an honest question and I tried to provide an honest answer, nothing more, nothing less.
Simply because, if you've read the books, and Hearts In Atlantis too - although it's not entirely necessary, you'll know that the Low Men track the people the CK has ordered them to catch to work as Breakers by leaving these lost pet posters. They have made similar ones for Roland, Callahan and Brautigan (who were all listed as being dogs).
I think you misunderstood Oxnard's question...or perhaps you read too much into it , because he/she asked who Ruta was, not what.
Exactly, and it works not only to remind of us the Low Men and their methods, but to remind us...
DT-7
I think it added a lot of depth to Callahan's back story. I always loved Callahan's back story. Truth be told, I was pretty meh about Salem's Lot until I first read Wolves. I then immediately went back and re-read the Lot and while I still don't love it as a stand-alone story, I love it as a piece of Donald Callahan's history. Combined with the story he tells the tet in Wolves, it makes Callahan one of the most well developed of all of King's characters, and one of my favorites. I'd have happily read another 100 pages of Callahan's stories.
And I agree that Ruta was a child and there aren't a lot of reasons Low Men look for children.
thanks guys... I didn't know it was RUTA... I thought it was RUDA b/c I am listening to the books on audiobook. I first read the DT series about 5 years ago, now this time I am listening to them.
I had just wondered if anybody had made a connection with another character from King book I haven't read, but it doesn't look like it. I honestly haven't read many of King's books. I have read the DT series, Hearts, Everything's Eventual, Salem's, and almost finished with The Talisman.
Yeah but I want to read something more into it. How about the spelling, huh? Huh? Huh!
Capital "C"! Gorry! Gotta be Charlie, from Firestarter, noisy and full of fun! Isn't "Ruta" government-speak for small girl with amazing talents? Sure it is. Simple fact. Just like the SS has all those code names for the first family. Or maybe some kind of transit system, rural-urban-transit-authority, noisy and full of fun.
Ummm...doesn't postulating that something has a symbolic or metaphorical meaning kinda obligate an intelligent person to clearly state what they're suggesting the object/subject might mean and why? If you're suggesting that something has some underlying meaning can you enlighten us please in a somewhat cohesive manner?
Guess you couldn't see my tongue in my cheek, Brice. Cry yer pardon. Obviously, you're still peeved about the "edifice complex" pun. I get the feeling that folk don't want me around. That's fine. Just tell me and I won't come 'round here no more. Anyway, I got the message, "get off my lawn" and I'll do so, maybe after this post. No problem. Enjoy the day.
No, that's not it at all. To be honest I'd just like it if you were a little clearer when suggesting something. It's a bit hard to follow the line of your thinking when you digress as much as you do. I'm not telling you to "get off my lawn" as you put it. It ain't even my lawn, it's ours.
Whitey: there can be no dialog unless one of the sides involved doesn't make any effort towards being understood. I don't know how Brice's post could be misunderstood the way you did - he just asked you for clarification, which I, too, was going to do long ago. Can you please restate your post in a way that would enable understanding and further dialog?
Ask not what bears can do for you, but what you can do for bears. (razz)
When one is in agreement with bears one is always correct. (mae)
bears are back!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Yes, my point exactly. The point of a messageboard is communication. If their isn't an attempt to facilitate understanding there can be no communication thus negating the point of a messageboard.
Thanks guys for trying to get this threads topic cleared up, I was beginning to
get really confused, as to what the point tof the discussion was myself.
Personally I completely related and enjoyed to Callahans wanderings on the lost highways
and also his later adventures with the katet, I understand his character quite well
somehow.
The answer is within
all matter is energy, all energy is GOD
I loved the whole Callahan story. It was so interesting to see another man going through the doors and finding out about the other worlds.
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"It's his eyes, Roland thought. They were wide and terrible, the eyes of a dragon in human form" - Roland seeing the Crimson King for the first time.
"When the King comes and the Tower falls, sai, all such pretty things as yours will be broken. Then there will be darkness and nothing but the howl of Discordia and the cries of the can toi" - From Song of Susannah
I love Pere's story, I just finished the series earlier this month, now I am reading Salem's Lot, I have yet to hear that much about the Pere, only bits and pieces here and there, but i sure am excited!
I was surprised completely by Father Callahan showing up in the book and loved every moment of it.
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I'm pretty sure it is cider he's drinking in that part.
"It's his eyes, Roland thought. They were wide and terrible, the eyes of a dragon in human form" - Roland seeing the Crimson King for the first time.
"When the King comes and the Tower falls, sai, all such pretty things as yours will be broken. Then there will be darkness and nothing but the howl of Discordia and the cries of the can toi" - From Song of Susannah