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The Gunslinger (The Dark Tower, #1)++
Since the publication of THE GUNSLINGER in an exclusive limited edition, this extraordinary novel has gained near-legendary renown. Now finally, this Plume edition, complete with the Michael Whelan illustrations, brings the work to the author's millions of fans.
This heroic fantasy is set in a world of ominous landscape and macabre menace that is a dark mirror of our own. A spellbinding tale of good versus evil, it features one of Stephen King’s most powerful creations—The Gunslinger, a haunting figure who embodies the qualities of the lone hero through the ages, from ancient myth to frontier western legend. His pursuit of The Man in Black, his liaison with the sexually ravenous Alice, his friendship with the kid from Earth called Jake, are part of a drama that is both grippingly realistic and eerily dreamlike, an alchemy of storytelling sorcery.
Complete in itself, THE GUNSLINGER is the first novel in an epic series, THE DARK TOWER, that promises to be Stephen King's crowning achievement.
(back cover)
LCCN: 88009938
Librarian's note: This edition was later reprinted for a "Book Club," with the same cover art, using the same ISBN and having the same number of pages. Both editions are near identical.
The Trade Paperback Edition has a textured front cover and pink lettering on the side binding with the price of the book and the bar code on the back cover.
The Book Club edition has a non-textured front cover and red lettering on the side binding with no price or bar code on the back cover.
~
This heroic fantasy is set in a world of ominous landscape and macabre menace that is a dark mirror of our own. A spellbinding tale of good versus evil, it features one of Stephen King’s most powerful creations—The Gunslinger, a haunting figure who embodies the qualities of the lone hero through the ages, from ancient myth to frontier western legend. His pursuit of The Man in Black, his liaison with the sexually ravenous Alice, his friendship with the kid from Earth called Jake, are part of a drama that is both grippingly realistic and eerily dreamlike, an alchemy of storytelling sorcery.
Complete in itself, THE GUNSLINGER is the first novel in an epic series, THE DARK TOWER, that promises to be Stephen King's crowning achievement.
(back cover)
LCCN: 88009938
Librarian's note: This edition was later reprinted for a "Book Club," with the same cover art, using the same ISBN and having the same number of pages. Both editions are near identical.
The Trade Paperback Edition has a textured front cover and pink lettering on the side binding with the price of the book and the bar code on the back cover.
The Book Club edition has a non-textured front cover and red lettering on the side binding with no price or bar code on the back cover.
~
216 pages, Mass Market Paperback
Published September 28, 1988
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,298 reviews
October 8, 2017
Please don't hate me. I know it seems sacrilegious to give a Stephen King anything less than 4 stars, but this one was SLOOOOWWWW for the first 75%. That's not to say I didn't enjoy it, but I did find this was an easy book to put down and not feel an urgency to jump back into for days at a time.
I've heard many folks describe this as a nice prologue to the series and that, in a sense, the action and story doesn't become investment worthy until book 2. That, coupled with the fact that I did become very involved in the final 25% or so of this book has me itching to continue on with Roland because DEAR GOD THAT ENDING!!! I was just coasting, coasting, coasting, and then then I had to reread the final couple of pages a few times to make sure I was following along properly.
All in all, I got the sense that this is a really special series and worthy of the high praise it has received for decades, and I expect my future reviews will hold more gushing and fangirling than this one did.
PS- my prim and proper mother (we lovingly refer to her as Nonni) is the one who initially convinced me to read this series and also invest in The Stand because she read both way back in her day. Who knew Nonni was so cool and hip and in the know?!
I've heard many folks describe this as a nice prologue to the series and that, in a sense, the action and story doesn't become investment worthy until book 2. That, coupled with the fact that I did become very involved in the final 25% or so of this book has me itching to continue on with Roland because DEAR GOD THAT ENDING!!! I was just coasting, coasting, coasting, and then then I had to reread the final couple of pages a few times to make sure I was following along properly.
All in all, I got the sense that this is a really special series and worthy of the high praise it has received for decades, and I expect my future reviews will hold more gushing and fangirling than this one did.
PS- my prim and proper mother (we lovingly refer to her as Nonni) is the one who initially convinced me to read this series and also invest in The Stand because she read both way back in her day. Who knew Nonni was so cool and hip and in the know?!
February 11, 2017
All I could think throughout this book was… what the hell am I reading?!
This western fantasy has to be the most confusing book I’ve read in a long time. Some parts were more interesting than others but overall I was very disappointed.
After hearing everyone rave about this series I have a hard time understanding why. I don’t believe it would be this popular if it wasn’t for Stephen King’s name on it. There I said it!
I didn’t like the story very much nor the writing.
I had been warned that the first book wasn’t as great as the others but I’m currently not in a rush to continue.
This western fantasy has to be the most confusing book I’ve read in a long time. Some parts were more interesting than others but overall I was very disappointed.
After hearing everyone rave about this series I have a hard time understanding why. I don’t believe it would be this popular if it wasn’t for Stephen King’s name on it. There I said it!
I didn’t like the story very much nor the writing.
I had been warned that the first book wasn’t as great as the others but I’m currently not in a rush to continue.
July 17, 2023
Twelve years in the making, and kicking off the story that would envelop King's career, this was finally released in 1992. When I first read it, I thought it was OK, but had zero interest in the Dark Tower or the following books. It was only on reading it a second time, having now read some of the subsequent books, that I could appreciate this scene setting foundation of this series. On this, my third reading (second reading of this revised version), this book is more like a marker to outline the rest of the then yet-to-be written series. First time readers beware this is a magnificent series, so don't let this, at times meandering, other times engrossing opener put you off; and Constant Reader, this is a book you absolutely cannot skip.
A sombre introduction to one of the darkest anti-heroes in fiction, who brings a new meaning to the word collateral damage. Lots of the foreshadowing in this book is blatant, yet I missed it on previous reads - or forgot it. So much of the Dark Tower lore is set out in this book. On first read the ending didn't sit well with me, and even now it's far from one of my favourites. What King does well, as per usual, is tell a compelling coming-of-age story (Jake's). The storytelling style kind of works, but it feels like that there is not enough information in the shared tales told by the characters, this is probably intentional - but more depth in the characterisations would / may have served better. The characterisation of Roland however is on the money. All-in-all a quite laid-back start on the road to the Dark Tower. An 8.5 out of 12; 2 "and the Dark Man followed" very strong Four Star Read.
2018 and 2006 read
A sombre introduction to one of the darkest anti-heroes in fiction, who brings a new meaning to the word collateral damage. Lots of the foreshadowing in this book is blatant, yet I missed it on previous reads - or forgot it. So much of the Dark Tower lore is set out in this book. On first read the ending didn't sit well with me, and even now it's far from one of my favourites. What King does well, as per usual, is tell a compelling coming-of-age story (Jake's). The storytelling style kind of works, but it feels like that there is not enough information in the shared tales told by the characters, this is probably intentional - but more depth in the characterisations would / may have served better. The characterisation of Roland however is on the money. All-in-all a quite laid-back start on the road to the Dark Tower. An 8.5 out of 12; 2 "and the Dark Man followed" very strong Four Star Read.
2018 and 2006 read
February 14, 2026
A Gunslinger, a Man in Black, a Child Out of Time & Space, the Beginning of a Cryptic Saga...
A Second Read. the first time: unimpressed, bored, agitated, gave up. the second time: so much better, a lot to consider, an enjoyable experience...
A Strangely Sparse Narrative, perhaps too much mystery, perhaps too much of a tease and not enough action, perhaps too much to think about, a frustrating lack of detail...
A Tarot Card: THE HANGED MAN...
Sacrifice... Renunciation... Contemplation... Waiting...
A Brilliant Passage detailing the life and death of a boy from 1970s NYC...
A Pretty Good Passage detailing the strange beginnings of a gunslinger from Gilead, a knight from Inner-Earth...
An Enjoyably Creepy Passage detailing the death of a town...
A Tarot Card: DEATH...
The Ending of a Cycle... Transitioning Into a New State... Regeneration... Goodbyes...
A Poorly Characterized Villain, too many arch comments and rote phrases, villainy by numbers...
A Kind of First Novel, recently upgraded, impressive in conception, less impressive in execution, and yet...
A Good Start: despite the flaws, despite the thinness: a beautifully written and intriguingly mythic start to a series, one that i will continue reading, i need to see the end of it all...
A Tarot Card: THE TOWER...
Chaos, Sudden Change... Crisis, Revelation... Disillusion, Crash... Ruin, Explosive Transformation...
A Second Read. the first time: unimpressed, bored, agitated, gave up. the second time: so much better, a lot to consider, an enjoyable experience...
A Strangely Sparse Narrative, perhaps too much mystery, perhaps too much of a tease and not enough action, perhaps too much to think about, a frustrating lack of detail...
A Tarot Card: THE HANGED MAN...
Sacrifice... Renunciation... Contemplation... Waiting...
A Brilliant Passage detailing the life and death of a boy from 1970s NYC...
A Pretty Good Passage detailing the strange beginnings of a gunslinger from Gilead, a knight from Inner-Earth...
An Enjoyably Creepy Passage detailing the death of a town...
A Tarot Card: DEATH...
The Ending of a Cycle... Transitioning Into a New State... Regeneration... Goodbyes...
A Poorly Characterized Villain, too many arch comments and rote phrases, villainy by numbers...
A Kind of First Novel, recently upgraded, impressive in conception, less impressive in execution, and yet...
A Good Start: despite the flaws, despite the thinness: a beautifully written and intriguingly mythic start to a series, one that i will continue reading, i need to see the end of it all...
A Tarot Card: THE TOWER...
Chaos, Sudden Change... Crisis, Revelation... Disillusion, Crash... Ruin, Explosive Transformation...
October 16, 2024
Continuing my journey of reading/re-reading all of Stephen Kings books in publication order. My second journey to The Dark Tower and I enjoyed this a lot more the second time around. The first time I read this I was so confused and nothing made sense, but after reading The Dark Tower series you really get a completely new experience.
The build up in this book is really nice and it just as nicely written as the rest of the series. knowing the ending of this series really enhancing everything that happens. The descriptions are vivid and you can imagine everything going on with such clarity.
Roland and Jake's relationship is just starting but you can already feel how sacred it is. I can't wait to go back through this series a read everything all over again this is one of those series where no matter how many times you read it there will always be something new to discover.
The build up in this book is really nice and it just as nicely written as the rest of the series. knowing the ending of this series really enhancing everything that happens. The descriptions are vivid and you can imagine everything going on with such clarity.
Roland and Jake's relationship is just starting but you can already feel how sacred it is. I can't wait to go back through this series a read everything all over again this is one of those series where no matter how many times you read it there will always be something new to discover.
May 18, 2021
My wife will be pleased to know: she was right (As she often is), this is a great book and what an intro to the series.
Finally after a few years of both my wife and my friends looking at me going "You need to read the Dark Tower. Yes, we know you pretty much only read military history, but seriously you need to read this." I succumbed. This year actually I fell back in love with the world of fiction and I felt it was high time I got 'round to this epic.
The first book sets the stage, the tone, and in my limited experience with King it unusually focuses on a small key amount of characters. As the props and stage are being set there is a bit of down time so to speak a bit of endless deserts punctuated by short but intense bursts of action and philosophy.
I was not expecting such a philosophical bent to the ending, there's a lot of good meat here to chew and cogitate over mentally in the best way possible.
Long Days and Pleasant Nights Roland, I'll see you soon in #2.
Finally after a few years of both my wife and my friends looking at me going "You need to read the Dark Tower. Yes, we know you pretty much only read military history, but seriously you need to read this." I succumbed. This year actually I fell back in love with the world of fiction and I felt it was high time I got 'round to this epic.
The first book sets the stage, the tone, and in my limited experience with King it unusually focuses on a small key amount of characters. As the props and stage are being set there is a bit of down time so to speak a bit of endless deserts punctuated by short but intense bursts of action and philosophy.
I was not expecting such a philosophical bent to the ending, there's a lot of good meat here to chew and cogitate over mentally in the best way possible.
Long Days and Pleasant Nights Roland, I'll see you soon in #2.
July 17, 2017
After re-reading the Gunslinger for the (third time?) I'm issuing an official statement that nobody is allowed to say this is the weakest book in the series from here on out!
First, I'm reading the newer 2003 edition that includes an intro from King called, "On Being Nineteen" which made me cry.
Then, I was quickly immersed into Mid-World with Roland, my all time favorite literary boyfriend.
I can't believe how much I've missed on prior readings! It sounds weird but this time, I really focused on why King was telling us what he was telling us, taking into consideration the whole scope of the rest of the series ahead of it.
There's a scene with the bartender, Allie, where Roland notices she was pretty, once.
Later, Allie wants to sleep with him in exchange for the information Roland needs to catch up with the Man in Black. They turn out all the lights, have an intimate conversation, go upstairs, have sex and share a smoke.
Allie reflects on how the Gunslinger is a quiet man, even in his lovemaking.
It strikes me then, how Allie felt like she could trust Roland. A quiet man who strolls into town packing weapons--yet, she trusts him enough to sleep with him.
It just made an impact on me. The character of Roland.
The illustrations in this story are some of my favorites from the series. I love our travel back to Tull, the demons and Roland's encounter with Jake Chambers. This is a solid read for me. I'll never entertain the idea that's its anything less than.
First, I'm reading the newer 2003 edition that includes an intro from King called, "On Being Nineteen" which made me cry.
Then, I was quickly immersed into Mid-World with Roland, my all time favorite literary boyfriend.
I can't believe how much I've missed on prior readings! It sounds weird but this time, I really focused on why King was telling us what he was telling us, taking into consideration the whole scope of the rest of the series ahead of it.
There's a scene with the bartender, Allie, where Roland notices she was pretty, once.
Later, Allie wants to sleep with him in exchange for the information Roland needs to catch up with the Man in Black. They turn out all the lights, have an intimate conversation, go upstairs, have sex and share a smoke.
Allie reflects on how the Gunslinger is a quiet man, even in his lovemaking.
It strikes me then, how Allie felt like she could trust Roland. A quiet man who strolls into town packing weapons--yet, she trusts him enough to sleep with him.
It just made an impact on me. The character of Roland.
The illustrations in this story are some of my favorites from the series. I love our travel back to Tull, the demons and Roland's encounter with Jake Chambers. This is a solid read for me. I'll never entertain the idea that's its anything less than.
January 25, 2026
I just finished my second read-through of The Gunslinger on this cold, snowy January morning and I loved it more this time than I did the first. I know it's because I already made the journey to The Dark Tower with Roland and his Ka-Tet. I know his character better than I did the last time I read The Gunslinger. While Roland's character grows immensely throughout the series, he always remains the same character at heart. I love this about Stephen King's writing. He is a master at character writing.
The stage is set. The journey has begun. I'm going to let Roland rest just a bit, but I don't know how long I can truly wait until I move on to The Drawing of the Three.
Of course my rating remains at 5 stars for this genre bending book.
The stage is set. The journey has begun. I'm going to let Roland rest just a bit, but I don't know how long I can truly wait until I move on to The Drawing of the Three.
Of course my rating remains at 5 stars for this genre bending book.
July 21, 2025
This was a really cool story. I enjoyed all the elements, the characters, and the plot. Stephen King did a great job of creating a unique story. It's a cowboy High Plains Drifter-type Western with elements of fantasy, science fiction, and subtle links to our understanding of the world.
The world has 'moved on' and now there is a different future centered around an American 'Wild West' setting. The story presents itself in time-lapses and flashback sequences blended with fantasy, magic, and science fiction while the main character, Roland (a cowboy-type gunslinger) 'chases after the man in black'. Who is the man in black? Why did Roland become a gunslinger and why is he on a mission to get him? The simplicity of the writing forces you to use you imagination to fill in the gaps and enhanced the story (for me at least).
Overall this was a fun story and I was hooked the entire time. I have not seen the movie and I have nothing else to compare this to. I would recommend this to any Stephen King fan and I look forward to reading the next book. Thanks!
The world has 'moved on' and now there is a different future centered around an American 'Wild West' setting. The story presents itself in time-lapses and flashback sequences blended with fantasy, magic, and science fiction while the main character, Roland (a cowboy-type gunslinger) 'chases after the man in black'. Who is the man in black? Why did Roland become a gunslinger and why is he on a mission to get him? The simplicity of the writing forces you to use you imagination to fill in the gaps and enhanced the story (for me at least).
Overall this was a fun story and I was hooked the entire time. I have not seen the movie and I have nothing else to compare this to. I would recommend this to any Stephen King fan and I look forward to reading the next book. Thanks!
January 1, 2022
I really enjoyed this and I'm super curious to see what changed when it was revised. There's enough to chew on here that has me intrigued to continue and I'm going to read Drawing of the Three real soon.
August 3, 2015
The man in black fled across the desert, and the gunslinger followed.
As he makes his way across this vast, bleak and desolate landscape, he meets people, has sex, forms friendships. Bullets fly……people die.
The gunslinger has bad, equally bleak and desperate dreams and flashbacks. The man in black eludes him.
For me the best part of this story was the conversation between Roland (the gunslinger) and Walter (the man in black) near the end of this segment of the journey and King’s own afterword.
Nothing much actually happens here but we learn some things along the way, things which are integral to the rest of this colossal fantasy.
Remember, this is King, so have faith and do read some of the reviews here on goodreads. That was enough to motivate me to pick up and read the second book in this series which more than makes up for the flat, bareness of this offering.
As he makes his way across this vast, bleak and desolate landscape, he meets people, has sex, forms friendships. Bullets fly……people die.
The gunslinger has bad, equally bleak and desperate dreams and flashbacks. The man in black eludes him.
For me the best part of this story was the conversation between Roland (the gunslinger) and Walter (the man in black) near the end of this segment of the journey and King’s own afterword.
Nothing much actually happens here but we learn some things along the way, things which are integral to the rest of this colossal fantasy.
Remember, this is King, so have faith and do read some of the reviews here on goodreads. That was enough to motivate me to pick up and read the second book in this series which more than makes up for the flat, bareness of this offering.
January 2, 2024
I didn't go into this book with high expectations even though it was written by Stephen King because I've realised over the years, that that doesn't mean a thing. I've experienced some amazing reads from King that have admittedly kept me awake at night, and then on the other end of the scale, I've read some that I'd like to rid myself of after a couple of chapters. This book was as bad as those, so I've decided that it isn't a world that I'm going to continue with.
This was a fairly short book, with really nothing in it that has made me want to know more, or what happens in the next book. I thought the characters were fairly dull, the setting was equally dull, then the plot consists of our main character going on some mission with a kid who experiences random flashbacks that are as confusing as the the story itself. I felt like King wrote this like he was having a conversation with someone, then suddenly he changes the subject matter mid-sentence to something totally unrelated. I know this can be rather irritating because I do it myself.
I don't feel sad about not enjoying this, but I did hope I would at least 'like' this book. It isn't too often a King novel is flung from a high building, I don't think.
This was a fairly short book, with really nothing in it that has made me want to know more, or what happens in the next book. I thought the characters were fairly dull, the setting was equally dull, then the plot consists of our main character going on some mission with a kid who experiences random flashbacks that are as confusing as the the story itself. I felt like King wrote this like he was having a conversation with someone, then suddenly he changes the subject matter mid-sentence to something totally unrelated. I know this can be rather irritating because I do it myself.
I don't feel sad about not enjoying this, but I did hope I would at least 'like' this book. It isn't too often a King novel is flung from a high building, I don't think.
October 20, 2025
4 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Ebook format 📖
I would likely rate this higher if I knew a bit more about the world building and characters. I'm sure the upcoming books in this series will help with my questions.
I'm looking forward to continuing with this epic journey!
Ebook format 📖
I would likely rate this higher if I knew a bit more about the world building and characters. I'm sure the upcoming books in this series will help with my questions.
I'm looking forward to continuing with this epic journey!
Read
April 26, 2025You know things are going to be rough when the author admits in his forward to the revised version that his own book has problems! I'm glad I knew going in that The Gunslinger was not a great introduction to the series because I was prepared for it. I'm left with a mixed experience, but I can see the start of something I could be into so I do intend to read the next book and see how I get on with it.
This was weirdly structured, often intentionally opaque to the reader, and had many moments making think "wtf???" That said, the ideas and world are interesting and I'm curious to see how they get developed moving forward. Overall I can't say I enjoyed most of the book, but there were scenes toward the end that sucked me in and I'm hoping book 2 is more fun. This thing of having a multiverse where worlds overlap in unexpected ways is something I find intriguing.
I will say reading this reminded me why I've determined to avoid a lot of King's earlier work. Particularly given the hyper-sexualization of every single female character who appears, the casual references to things like incest and rape without it feeling earned or necessary to the story, and racial insensitivity on a couple of occasions. And while we're talking about things that might bother some readers, it's also worth noting there is a lot of graphic violence including the brutal death of a child.
This was weirdly structured, often intentionally opaque to the reader, and had many moments making think "wtf???" That said, the ideas and world are interesting and I'm curious to see how they get developed moving forward. Overall I can't say I enjoyed most of the book, but there were scenes toward the end that sucked me in and I'm hoping book 2 is more fun. This thing of having a multiverse where worlds overlap in unexpected ways is something I find intriguing.
I will say reading this reminded me why I've determined to avoid a lot of King's earlier work. Particularly given the hyper-sexualization of every single female character who appears, the casual references to things like incest and rape without it feeling earned or necessary to the story, and racial insensitivity on a couple of occasions. And while we're talking about things that might bother some readers, it's also worth noting there is a lot of graphic violence including the brutal death of a child.
July 26, 2022
"The man in black fled across the desert, and the gunslinger followed."
Until this reread, my only in the past twenty years with I-don't-know-how-many reads before then, I didn't fully appreciate the writing and publishing history of the Dark Tower series. It's now been over fifty years (fifty!) since King wrote the opening line above. It took twelve years from that point for The Gunslinger to be completed and see print in collected form (the stories that make it up were published in The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction over a number of years), and six more years for most Constant Readers to get their hands on a copy since it had only limited print runs up to that point. (And imagine those readers waiting six years between books three and four on a cliffhanger, then again between books four and five.)
Fifty years, during which this slowly, oh-so-slowly emerged as King's one Great Story, the one that I have enduringly believed could have come to him from another world than this. The Dark Tower and its lore peppers the majority of his work, causing asterixes to be placed beside all those titles on the "also by the author" pages, at least when there was still room to list all of his titles on a single page.
Until this reread, in my current publication-order Great Stephen King Reread, I didn't know that there is a revised text, effective 2001. I don't palaver with such things; I went back to the original, as one must. You can see the younger-writer exuberance in certain word choices, as in the early line,
Until this reread, I didn't realize what a special place in my heart and mind this book retained over decades. It's an uninterrupted (if unexamined for a time) thread leading back to my teenage self. The scenes from fabled Gilead in particular surprised me with their presence; I was sure they had been from a later volume, but no, they were core to the story from its inception.
The afterword from the book's original 1982 release, revisited by me now in the 1988 wide reprint from Plume books (an illustrated version that, for me, is the definitive edition), is a fascinating snapshot of King's writing mind from that time and a tangible piece of the Dark Tower's genesis, furthering my feeling of this as an epic story that exists in time and space even apart from a mind to give it form. As King put it then, not yet knowing just how much longer it would live, "it is the longest that any of my unfinished works has remained alive and viable in my own mind, and if a book is not alive in the writer's mind, it is as dead as year-old horseshit even if words continue to march across the page."
Fifty years later, it's safe to say that those words are still alive; almost certainly in King's mind, as the Dark Tower continues to appear in his latest work in 2022 (in Gwendy's Final Task, and I would be shocked if it didn't also play a part in his upcoming Fairy Tale,) and most definitely in my own.
Until this reread, my only in the past twenty years with I-don't-know-how-many reads before then, I didn't fully appreciate the writing and publishing history of the Dark Tower series. It's now been over fifty years (fifty!) since King wrote the opening line above. It took twelve years from that point for The Gunslinger to be completed and see print in collected form (the stories that make it up were published in The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction over a number of years), and six more years for most Constant Readers to get their hands on a copy since it had only limited print runs up to that point. (And imagine those readers waiting six years between books three and four on a cliffhanger, then again between books four and five.)
Fifty years, during which this slowly, oh-so-slowly emerged as King's one Great Story, the one that I have enduringly believed could have come to him from another world than this. The Dark Tower and its lore peppers the majority of his work, causing asterixes to be placed beside all those titles on the "also by the author" pages, at least when there was still room to list all of his titles on a single page.
Until this reread, in my current publication-order Great Stephen King Reread, I didn't know that there is a revised text, effective 2001. I don't palaver with such things; I went back to the original, as one must. You can see the younger-writer exuberance in certain word choices, as in the early line,
The desert was the apotheosis of all deserts, huge, standing to the sky for what might have been parsecs in all directions.(Underlining is mine; this is one word that was changed by older, wiser King,) and I love them as they are. I don't mind at all if there are some continuity clashes with the later books, as later revised. I can wholeheartedly support a reality that may have shifted slightly between this book and its sequels. After all, there are other worlds than these.
Until this reread, I didn't realize what a special place in my heart and mind this book retained over decades. It's an uninterrupted (if unexamined for a time) thread leading back to my teenage self. The scenes from fabled Gilead in particular surprised me with their presence; I was sure they had been from a later volume, but no, they were core to the story from its inception.
The afterword from the book's original 1982 release, revisited by me now in the 1988 wide reprint from Plume books (an illustrated version that, for me, is the definitive edition), is a fascinating snapshot of King's writing mind from that time and a tangible piece of the Dark Tower's genesis, furthering my feeling of this as an epic story that exists in time and space even apart from a mind to give it form. As King put it then, not yet knowing just how much longer it would live, "it is the longest that any of my unfinished works has remained alive and viable in my own mind, and if a book is not alive in the writer's mind, it is as dead as year-old horseshit even if words continue to march across the page."
Fifty years later, it's safe to say that those words are still alive; almost certainly in King's mind, as the Dark Tower continues to appear in his latest work in 2022 (in Gwendy's Final Task, and I would be shocked if it didn't also play a part in his upcoming Fairy Tale,) and most definitely in my own.
March 14, 2025
Man this was an intense experience that I'm glad I had the right expectations for. If I went into this not knowing anything and thinking it was a standalone, I doubt I would've had a rewarding time with it. However, knowing it's a more abstract prologue to a much larger series helped me be patient and sink into everything it was trying to do.
The language here surprised me since it's much more elevated and symbolic than the bit of King stuff I've read so far, and it really worked incredibly well to create this mysterious apocalyptic atmosphere. It wasn't just all vibes, though, as I was compelled by what was going on with our POV character Roland in both the present and the flashbacks to important moments from his childhood.
King gave the read a very psychological feel without being overly navel-gazy with lots of explicit introspection about the past, and that's something I'm particularly appreciative of right now. It made me invested in Roland's character through giving away just little bits and pieces about him, leaving me in great suspense to learn more in the coming books.
King also reached for some big ideas especially towards the end in the final palaver, and I gotta say I was so here for this trippy philosophizing and worldbuilding. I had an urge to reread the final section soon after finishing, and I just know all of this will be recontextualized by the rest of the series too so that when I do return to the whole book it's going to mean so much more. That's one of the joys of big sff series, and I'm pumped for the wild ride I know this is going to be.
The language here surprised me since it's much more elevated and symbolic than the bit of King stuff I've read so far, and it really worked incredibly well to create this mysterious apocalyptic atmosphere. It wasn't just all vibes, though, as I was compelled by what was going on with our POV character Roland in both the present and the flashbacks to important moments from his childhood.
King gave the read a very psychological feel without being overly navel-gazy with lots of explicit introspection about the past, and that's something I'm particularly appreciative of right now. It made me invested in Roland's character through giving away just little bits and pieces about him, leaving me in great suspense to learn more in the coming books.
King also reached for some big ideas especially towards the end in the final palaver, and I gotta say I was so here for this trippy philosophizing and worldbuilding. I had an urge to reread the final section soon after finishing, and I just know all of this will be recontextualized by the rest of the series too so that when I do return to the whole book it's going to mean so much more. That's one of the joys of big sff series, and I'm pumped for the wild ride I know this is going to be.
January 4, 2021
I was hesitant to read this book because I flat out HATED the movie, but I was pleasantly surprised. Looking forward to reading the next.
February 26, 2018
First King book I've managed to finish and it was ... ok. 😕🤷
I didn't think it was bad but I wasn't really wowed.
Does this series get better or should I prepare myself for more of the same?
I didn't think it was bad but I wasn't really wowed.
Does this series get better or should I prepare myself for more of the same?
April 22, 2015
It may surprise some that I'm giving Stephen King a one-star review, but I thought about it, and I have to be fair. If any other author had written this, I probably would have stopped reading it before the end and would have had no problem giving it one star. Because it was King, I rushed through the ending, just so I could be done with it. I found this book poorly written, and the plot pointless. A gunslinger is hunting a man in black (so obviously he's evil) in a land where they sing "Hey, Jude", but trains and space travel are a part of the long past. I lost interest early on, and nothing brought it back, not even strange mutants that show up for no reason but to make something happen. Weirdly enough, this book is the opening entry of a series. I've seen the subsequent books in the series, and they are quite lengthy, making me even more reluctant to continue with it. Sorry, folks, but I'm eliminating the "Dark Tower" series from my future Stephen King reading.
March 27, 2014
8/10
The opening paragraph to The Gunslinger was so embedded into my mind already, purely down to a number of friends/other reviewers on Goodreads, that a metaphorical shiver went down my spine when it was finally my time to read it and begin the journey to the Tower.
By no means is this a perfect novel, or even one of King’s better outings from the few I’ve read, but it is the promise of what is to come which adds to the enjoyment here. Instantly you are drawn into Roland’s quest and quickly given glimpses into his more immediate and distant back story with the sequence of events unfolding in the way of a flashback on both his time in Tull and his “confirmation” for want of a better way to express his youth.
As always, it is the characters in the King novel that make this more engaging, Jake was instantly a favourite especially with the input of his back story and how things unfolded with Roland. Whilst Roland isn’t the most charismatic of leads he can certainly shoot the shit out of things as he demonstrates in Tull. But not only are the characters great here it is also the strange land that they are in with glimpses of our realm, a sort of futuristic realm and all set within what I picture as a wild west movie set. Things are very strange but they also seemed to work instantly.
So whilst there are confusing bits by the end (or at least confusing to me) which weren’t explained fully or even partially, this was enjoyable overall and can’t wait to read more in the series. I look forward to the characters being fleshed out more in the future and also for more answers to be provided. All I can say is that; Finally my journey is underway!
If you like this try: “The Lies of Locke Lamora” by Scott Lynch for great characters in a strange yet familiar land.
The opening paragraph to The Gunslinger was so embedded into my mind already, purely down to a number of friends/other reviewers on Goodreads, that a metaphorical shiver went down my spine when it was finally my time to read it and begin the journey to the Tower.
By no means is this a perfect novel, or even one of King’s better outings from the few I’ve read, but it is the promise of what is to come which adds to the enjoyment here. Instantly you are drawn into Roland’s quest and quickly given glimpses into his more immediate and distant back story with the sequence of events unfolding in the way of a flashback on both his time in Tull and his “confirmation” for want of a better way to express his youth.
As always, it is the characters in the King novel that make this more engaging, Jake was instantly a favourite especially with the input of his back story and how things unfolded with Roland. Whilst Roland isn’t the most charismatic of leads he can certainly shoot the shit out of things as he demonstrates in Tull. But not only are the characters great here it is also the strange land that they are in with glimpses of our realm, a sort of futuristic realm and all set within what I picture as a wild west movie set. Things are very strange but they also seemed to work instantly.
So whilst there are confusing bits by the end (or at least confusing to me) which weren’t explained fully or even partially, this was enjoyable overall and can’t wait to read more in the series. I look forward to the characters being fleshed out more in the future and also for more answers to be provided. All I can say is that; Finally my journey is underway!
If you like this try: “The Lies of Locke Lamora” by Scott Lynch for great characters in a strange yet familiar land.
August 25, 2015
This read turned out to be a lot tougher to get through than I had thought it would be considering the small size of the book. This was my first King book and although I found it to be enjoyable whilst I was reading it, I as left with a hundred questions which increased as the book went on which ended up slightly putting me off picking it back up once I had put it down.
I liked the character of Roland, he seemed to have a clear goal and be a very direct person. I felt that he was likeable and dislikable all at once because he shows his softer side in places but other actions he takes are cruel and seemingly unexplained for now.
I was going to give this 1*/1.5* but the ending saved it brought it up to 2.5* and made me want to continue with the series (which I will do sometime in the next few months) because it made me intrigued and some of the million questions were a little bit explained by Roland talking to Jake and the man he has been following.
Overall I would say that I should have tried to read this all in one sitting rather than putting it down because whilst i read I was engaged but afterwards I felt no desire to pick the book back up. I have decided to give the rest of the series a chance as I own some more of the books and I know it's supposed to get better and better. I would say if you're a King fan then read this, but if you're looking for an adventure fantasy this is a bit harder than it looks to get through.
I liked the character of Roland, he seemed to have a clear goal and be a very direct person. I felt that he was likeable and dislikable all at once because he shows his softer side in places but other actions he takes are cruel and seemingly unexplained for now.
I was going to give this 1*/1.5* but the ending saved it brought it up to 2.5* and made me want to continue with the series (which I will do sometime in the next few months) because it made me intrigued and some of the million questions were a little bit explained by Roland talking to Jake and the man he has been following.
Overall I would say that I should have tried to read this all in one sitting rather than putting it down because whilst i read I was engaged but afterwards I felt no desire to pick the book back up. I have decided to give the rest of the series a chance as I own some more of the books and I know it's supposed to get better and better. I would say if you're a King fan then read this, but if you're looking for an adventure fantasy this is a bit harder than it looks to get through.
August 17, 2017
2nd read:
3.5 stars
review to come.
---------
I have mixed feelings on this book. Though I am happy that I started the series, it wasn't the best first book out there. The plot and the way the story was told was confusing at times. We would go between past and present, and I did not care for hearing about his past events, I found them quite dull to be honest. I liked the main character but didn't love him. I feel like I didn't form an attachment to him that well. I really liked the boy Jake though, he's such a cutie. I do like Roland and Jake's bond though!!
So the big thing with this book is he is trying to hunt down "The man in black." Which quite frankly we do not know why he is trying to find him till about page 100. I definitely will continue eventually but quite frankly didn't love this first installment. I did like the setting of the desert though!!
His romance with some girl named Alice, barley lasts, is stupid, came out of nowhere, and was just plain lust... That ending though (I'm not going to spoil it) but I was like damnnnn. plus it came out of nowhere...
3.5 stars
review to come.
---------
I have mixed feelings on this book. Though I am happy that I started the series, it wasn't the best first book out there. The plot and the way the story was told was confusing at times. We would go between past and present, and I did not care for hearing about his past events, I found them quite dull to be honest. I liked the main character but didn't love him. I feel like I didn't form an attachment to him that well. I really liked the boy Jake though, he's such a cutie. I do like Roland and Jake's bond though!!
So the big thing with this book is he is trying to hunt down "The man in black." Which quite frankly we do not know why he is trying to find him till about page 100. I definitely will continue eventually but quite frankly didn't love this first installment. I did like the setting of the desert though!!
His romance with some girl named Alice, barley lasts, is stupid, came out of nowhere, and was just plain lust... That ending though (I'm not going to spoil it) but I was like damnnnn. plus it came out of nowhere...
January 27, 2019
In three words: baffling, weird, intriguing.
"It was strange how some of childhood's words and ways fell at the wayside and were left behind, while others clamped tight and rode for life, growing the heavier to carry as time passed."
I honestly don't think I've ever been so confused by a book and yet still wanted to keep reading it. I've read books before where because it was so confusing I just had no desire to battle through to figure out what was going on. With The Gunslinger though, King somehow managed to make me want to continue reading despite the fact that I had no idea what was actually happening in the story.
Pretty much everyone I've spoken to about The Dark Tower series has said that the first book is a bit of a blip and things get much, much better, so I had planned to read the next book anyway even if I didn't love The Gunslinger. However, the first book, despite being confusing, is still (bizarrely) rather readable. In this story, we are introduced to the enigmatic Roland of Gilead, who throughout most of the book is just called the gunslinger, which adds to his aura of mystery.
At the beginning of the novel, Roland is chasing someone called the 'man in black', who is (I think?) linked to Roland's quest for the Dark Tower. However (unless I can't remember what happened, which admittedly is easy to do when you're not really sure what happened...), I don't think this quest was made clear until it was kind of just mentioned much later in the story. It's also not really clear what exactly is going on in this world; it seems like it's something to do with alternate realities or alternate worlds, but it's all rather baffling!
Overall, this is a very confusing first book of a pretty long series, but I was still intrigued by it and found it easy to get through. Apparently, things start to make more sense from the second book onwards, so I'm excited to see what I make of The Drawing of the Three.
Recommended for: people who want to start King's epic Dark Tower series.
~~~~~
Review also posted here.
"It was strange how some of childhood's words and ways fell at the wayside and were left behind, while others clamped tight and rode for life, growing the heavier to carry as time passed."
I honestly don't think I've ever been so confused by a book and yet still wanted to keep reading it. I've read books before where because it was so confusing I just had no desire to battle through to figure out what was going on. With The Gunslinger though, King somehow managed to make me want to continue reading despite the fact that I had no idea what was actually happening in the story.
Pretty much everyone I've spoken to about The Dark Tower series has said that the first book is a bit of a blip and things get much, much better, so I had planned to read the next book anyway even if I didn't love The Gunslinger. However, the first book, despite being confusing, is still (bizarrely) rather readable. In this story, we are introduced to the enigmatic Roland of Gilead, who throughout most of the book is just called the gunslinger, which adds to his aura of mystery.
At the beginning of the novel, Roland is chasing someone called the 'man in black', who is (I think?) linked to Roland's quest for the Dark Tower. However (unless I can't remember what happened, which admittedly is easy to do when you're not really sure what happened...), I don't think this quest was made clear until it was kind of just mentioned much later in the story. It's also not really clear what exactly is going on in this world; it seems like it's something to do with alternate realities or alternate worlds, but it's all rather baffling!
Overall, this is a very confusing first book of a pretty long series, but I was still intrigued by it and found it easy to get through. Apparently, things start to make more sense from the second book onwards, so I'm excited to see what I make of The Drawing of the Three.
Recommended for: people who want to start King's epic Dark Tower series.
~~~~~
Review also posted here.
February 11, 2009
This is by no means the strongest volume in the series (nor my favourite) -- think The Hobbit in comparison to the rest of The Lord of the Rings -- but I gave it five stars anyway because it is the book that launched Roland on his unforgettable, addictive quest. It's a teaser, but absolutely integral to understanding everything that comes after. Don't miss that experience.
And my absolute favourite opening line (say it with me Constant Readers): The man in black fled across the desert, and the gunslinger followed.
And my absolute favourite opening line (say it with me Constant Readers): The man in black fled across the desert, and the gunslinger followed.
June 6, 2019
What did I read???
I’m so confused, I understood nothing! It started good and I thought that maybe, just maybe, there’ll be a second King’s book that I like. But as the journey progressed it passed into the wtf territory, when I got to 60-70% I just wanted to DNF it, but to my non existing luck the book is short and I’m not going to DNF it if there’s just a little bit more to go. I just love to suffer like that.
Hopefully after this I’ll finally remember that Stephen King’s writing is just not for me.
I’m so confused, I understood nothing! It started good and I thought that maybe, just maybe, there’ll be a second King’s book that I like. But as the journey progressed it passed into the wtf territory, when I got to 60-70% I just wanted to DNF it, but to my non existing luck the book is short and I’m not going to DNF it if there’s just a little bit more to go. I just love to suffer like that.
Hopefully after this I’ll finally remember that Stephen King’s writing is just not for me.
April 7, 2020
It's been a good eight or nine years since I first read The Gunslinger and back then I didn't think much of it. Mind you, this was back before I shed my pretentious about Stephen King. It was back in a time when I was in a fairly active book club and this one was put forward in the hopes that the series' seven books would form a sort of returning point of discussion. Unfortunately, I think the reaction was pretty mixed amongst most of us and the thread got as lost as that particular book club.
What I remembered of the whole experience was a dull trod through a desert, not a whole lot of plot, and kind of a poor excuse for something that claimed to be a fantasy novel. In the early days of Goodreads I threw three stars on it and moved on. Now, years later, I've come out the other end of The Gunslinger and found another half-a-star, maybe even a full one. So what changed?
A) Evolving Tastes
I think my capacity and inclination back in day would have been to more classical fantasy (think elves, swords, etc.), but the past decade has really broadened my horizons. We've got the new worlds of Brandon Sanderson, the strange and wonderful creativity and voice of N.K. Jemisin, and whatever we're classifying the insanity Marlon James is hatching with The Dark Star Trilogy. These books and many others have not only shown me what fantasy can do, but they tend to be more to my taste these days: give me something new rather than a story I already know.
All this to say, I actually vibed pretty hard with King's strange Western-influenced take on the fantasy genre. Roland is a kind of knight, or magician, or maybe more of a mercenary? It's all a bit confusing, but that's part of the fun here: there's the strange past where Roland trained at a castle, there's mutants, a dead child from New York is one of the supporting cast, people at bars sing "Hey Jude." It's a bit shaggy, but I gotta say that it's pretty compelling stuff.
B)I've Gotten to Known Stephen King
Starting with It three-or-so years ago I've developed a real appreciation for King's writing. I'm a fan of his spooky stories, but was equal parts impressed and surprised by his sci-fi and fantasy stories, and downright astonished at the cheerfully optimistic Elevation. His dialogue is occasionally cheesy, but more often feels down to earth and realistic. Perhaps most importantly, after reading It I know that King can play the long-game and it's worth allowing him his indulgences from time to time. Reading The Dark Tower, you gotta just trust that it's all gonna work out in the end.
To wit, I'm willing to give him a lot of the strange directions this story gets pulled into, and I'm even willing to let the prophetic psychedelia that is the last 30 pages slide. I mean, the trippy scenes from It were definitely tighter and I'm going to bet that his writing improves as we go along, so let's just give the man a pass? Sure, the book can seem a bit stitched together and doesn't always feel consistent, but I like a lot of the parts and have to trust he's going to make the ride smoother over the next few instalments.
C) The End of the Beginning
Taken on its own, I don't know that The Gunslinger is a slam dunk. In my mind, the first book in a series should set the tone, introduce the key players, establish a direction for the future novels, and with any luck be a good story in and of itself. Certainly, The Gunslinger doesn't really stand out on its own for me, but it does work as a prolonged prologue. What King introduces here is a world I'm interested in and a lead character I'd love to know more about.
Fortunately, I was gifted the ENTIRE DARK TOWER BOXED SET a few years back and this reading feels a lot more like a lead-up to something greater than did my previous reading. I guess having the books in front of me really does make some of the shortcomings a bit more tolerable. What's more, when I read the back of The Drawing of the Three (confusingly, book 2) I found that it takes place mere hours after the end of the first book.
Really, we're just getting started, but I'm in no rush. The Drawing of the Three...soon!
[3.5 Stars]
What I remembered of the whole experience was a dull trod through a desert, not a whole lot of plot, and kind of a poor excuse for something that claimed to be a fantasy novel. In the early days of Goodreads I threw three stars on it and moved on. Now, years later, I've come out the other end of The Gunslinger and found another half-a-star, maybe even a full one. So what changed?
A) Evolving Tastes
I think my capacity and inclination back in day would have been to more classical fantasy (think elves, swords, etc.), but the past decade has really broadened my horizons. We've got the new worlds of Brandon Sanderson, the strange and wonderful creativity and voice of N.K. Jemisin, and whatever we're classifying the insanity Marlon James is hatching with The Dark Star Trilogy. These books and many others have not only shown me what fantasy can do, but they tend to be more to my taste these days: give me something new rather than a story I already know.
All this to say, I actually vibed pretty hard with King's strange Western-influenced take on the fantasy genre. Roland is a kind of knight, or magician, or maybe more of a mercenary? It's all a bit confusing, but that's part of the fun here: there's the strange past where Roland trained at a castle, there's mutants, a dead child from New York is one of the supporting cast, people at bars sing "Hey Jude." It's a bit shaggy, but I gotta say that it's pretty compelling stuff.
B)I've Gotten to Known Stephen King
Starting with It three-or-so years ago I've developed a real appreciation for King's writing. I'm a fan of his spooky stories, but was equal parts impressed and surprised by his sci-fi and fantasy stories, and downright astonished at the cheerfully optimistic Elevation. His dialogue is occasionally cheesy, but more often feels down to earth and realistic. Perhaps most importantly, after reading It I know that King can play the long-game and it's worth allowing him his indulgences from time to time. Reading The Dark Tower, you gotta just trust that it's all gonna work out in the end.
To wit, I'm willing to give him a lot of the strange directions this story gets pulled into, and I'm even willing to let the prophetic psychedelia that is the last 30 pages slide. I mean, the trippy scenes from It were definitely tighter and I'm going to bet that his writing improves as we go along, so let's just give the man a pass? Sure, the book can seem a bit stitched together and doesn't always feel consistent, but I like a lot of the parts and have to trust he's going to make the ride smoother over the next few instalments.
C) The End of the Beginning
Taken on its own, I don't know that The Gunslinger is a slam dunk. In my mind, the first book in a series should set the tone, introduce the key players, establish a direction for the future novels, and with any luck be a good story in and of itself. Certainly, The Gunslinger doesn't really stand out on its own for me, but it does work as a prolonged prologue. What King introduces here is a world I'm interested in and a lead character I'd love to know more about.
Fortunately, I was gifted the ENTIRE DARK TOWER BOXED SET a few years back and this reading feels a lot more like a lead-up to something greater than did my previous reading. I guess having the books in front of me really does make some of the shortcomings a bit more tolerable. What's more, when I read the back of The Drawing of the Three (confusingly, book 2) I found that it takes place mere hours after the end of the first book.
Really, we're just getting started, but I'm in no rush. The Drawing of the Three...soon!
[3.5 Stars]
October 31, 2021
I'm reading this series along with a Dark Tower virgin... I mean friend. I freaking LOVE discussing these with people who have never read them before because it's just such a rollercoaster ride the whole way through, full of kick-ass characters and adventures and everything but the kitchen sink... Though actually I'm sure there's a couple of those too. Seriously this series has everything.
I like to read these in a particular order, starting with the original 1980s version of The Gunslinger (this one) and ending with the revised 2000s version, which I'm sure makes me seem like the nerdiest nerd of all nerddom, but I have my reasons, and they make complete sense so you can just stop making that face at me. I nerd hard, OK? LOL
The original version has some... Quirks though. It's been years since I've read this, and though I'm very familiar with the story, some of the details feel new to me. Roland remembering a girl named Aileen, for instance... I was like "Is that supposed to be Alain? Who is Aileen?" But no, she's just a girl... And Roland's friend Alain in this one is "Allen", and only mentioned in passing.
These name quirks are funny though. There's a character that alternates between being called Alice and Allie. I remembered that this was a "thing" people would call out, and definitely something I myself would (and have) called out before in other books where coughcough "authors" can't remember their own character names... But here, it struck me as a nickname. And then, I was like "Oh. THIS is why every other book he's ever written inevitably has at least 500 scenes where one character has to TELL another character what to call them. This man, ONE TIME in his entire life, didn't specify a nickname and specifically inform people to call them by it... And the people who didn't get it gave him such a complex that I have had to suffer through his overcompensation for the last 30 years."
Thanks, World. You suuuuuuck.
I do love this book though. Not really for this book itself... It's slow, and a little all over the place. If you're familiar with the series, it's fine, but as a first book, or even a standalone, it's a hard sell. Nothing makes sense, you don't know the characters or what they are doing or why, and it's a hike to even get to something happening. Almost everything is told in flashback or story-in-story... But as a lead-in to this epic series, it's so good. So good.
I listened to the audiobook for this one, read by the incomparable Frank Muller. His reading of this is so powerful. He reads Roland as though his every word is a proclamation. It's ALMOST perfect. His tone and cadence are wonderful, though it does make King's massive overuse of adverbs stand out like a sore thumb. "Hello," Roland said welcomingLEEEE.
But still, it's wonderful reading this series again and I'm itching to keep going. Honestly, there is a reason this is my favorite book series, and I cannot wait for my friend to catch up so we can discuss it. :D
I like to read these in a particular order, starting with the original 1980s version of The Gunslinger (this one) and ending with the revised 2000s version, which I'm sure makes me seem like the nerdiest nerd of all nerddom, but I have my reasons, and they make complete sense so you can just stop making that face at me. I nerd hard, OK? LOL
The original version has some... Quirks though. It's been years since I've read this, and though I'm very familiar with the story, some of the details feel new to me. Roland remembering a girl named Aileen, for instance... I was like "Is that supposed to be Alain? Who is Aileen?" But no, she's just a girl... And Roland's friend Alain in this one is "Allen", and only mentioned in passing.
These name quirks are funny though. There's a character that alternates between being called Alice and Allie. I remembered that this was a "thing" people would call out, and definitely something I myself would (and have) called out before in other books where coughcough "authors" can't remember their own character names... But here, it struck me as a nickname. And then, I was like "Oh. THIS is why every other book he's ever written inevitably has at least 500 scenes where one character has to TELL another character what to call them. This man, ONE TIME in his entire life, didn't specify a nickname and specifically inform people to call them by it... And the people who didn't get it gave him such a complex that I have had to suffer through his overcompensation for the last 30 years."
Thanks, World. You suuuuuuck.
I do love this book though. Not really for this book itself... It's slow, and a little all over the place. If you're familiar with the series, it's fine, but as a first book, or even a standalone, it's a hard sell. Nothing makes sense, you don't know the characters or what they are doing or why, and it's a hike to even get to something happening. Almost everything is told in flashback or story-in-story... But as a lead-in to this epic series, it's so good. So good.
I listened to the audiobook for this one, read by the incomparable Frank Muller. His reading of this is so powerful. He reads Roland as though his every word is a proclamation. It's ALMOST perfect. His tone and cadence are wonderful, though it does make King's massive overuse of adverbs stand out like a sore thumb. "Hello," Roland said welcomingLEEEE.
But still, it's wonderful reading this series again and I'm itching to keep going. Honestly, there is a reason this is my favorite book series, and I cannot wait for my friend to catch up so we can discuss it. :D
May 8, 2024
I rated this four stars the first time I read it. I think that was because I hadn't read the rest of the series yet, and now that I have in my head what this series can really do when it's going, this one just feels a little anemic in comparison. Also, it's such a weird book that I didn't know what to make of it at the time, but I can see what he's doing now that I've read the rest of it. In fact, there were SO many little lines in here that hint towards things to come, in the opening scenes of the second book, even, I almost couldn't believe it. He wrote the first chapter of this back in 1978, so he really must have outlined the shit out of it to foreshadow things he wouldn't get around to writing for another twenty-five years.
This book was infamously inspired by the poem "Childe Roland to the Dark Tower Came" by Robert Browning, but also King just let his inner self go. This series is chock full of allusions to other works, Arthurian legend, science fiction, horror, and ties in to many of King's other books, including It and The Stand. So it's one of those where you can go along for the story--in this case, Roland is chasing a man wearing black through a desert for as some yet unknown purpose and reason--or you can go down the rabbit hole. I have chosen the rabbits.
I've really got two reasons for my lowered rating. One, the characters and worldbuilding are much more fleshed out later. This book acts as a prologue to Roland's journey (and if you've read the last book, a little something else), hinting at things to come but not really giving up much information otherwise. It can't really stand on its own, in that it doesn't make full sense, and also that it isn't a full story. It does have a mini-arc of Roland crossing a line that means he has fully committed to finding the Dark Tower, but as we don't yet know what any of that means, the narrative satisfaction of it is minimal. Roland, the man in black, and Jake feel more like prototypes here, as if they appeared to King and he himself is still trying to figure out a bit what's going on with them.
The second reason for my lowered rating is that I had truly forgotten how unpleasant the first third of this book is. I hate apocalyptic stories with very few exceptions, and that first section is an apocalyptic western that is full of nastiness and horror, and it was a lot. Later, the storytelling and the characters King creates makes the nasty moments more bearable and gives them more context, but starting out the story with all that brutal unpleasantness isn't personally my favorite.
Anyway, this is definitely a key part of the series, but it's not ever going to be my favorite. I'm so excited to get to revisit my favorites now, hopefully very soon.
[3.5 stars]
This book was infamously inspired by the poem "Childe Roland to the Dark Tower Came" by Robert Browning, but also King just let his inner self go. This series is chock full of allusions to other works, Arthurian legend, science fiction, horror, and ties in to many of King's other books, including It and The Stand. So it's one of those where you can go along for the story--in this case, Roland is chasing a man wearing black through a desert for as some yet unknown purpose and reason--or you can go down the rabbit hole. I have chosen the rabbits.
I've really got two reasons for my lowered rating. One, the characters and worldbuilding are much more fleshed out later. This book acts as a prologue to Roland's journey (and if you've read the last book, a little something else), hinting at things to come but not really giving up much information otherwise. It can't really stand on its own, in that it doesn't make full sense, and also that it isn't a full story. It does have a mini-arc of Roland crossing a line that means he has fully committed to finding the Dark Tower, but as we don't yet know what any of that means, the narrative satisfaction of it is minimal. Roland, the man in black, and Jake feel more like prototypes here, as if they appeared to King and he himself is still trying to figure out a bit what's going on with them.
The second reason for my lowered rating is that I had truly forgotten how unpleasant the first third of this book is. I hate apocalyptic stories with very few exceptions, and that first section is an apocalyptic western that is full of nastiness and horror, and it was a lot. Later, the storytelling and the characters King creates makes the nasty moments more bearable and gives them more context, but starting out the story with all that brutal unpleasantness isn't personally my favorite.
Anyway, this is definitely a key part of the series, but it's not ever going to be my favorite. I'm so excited to get to revisit my favorites now, hopefully very soon.
[3.5 stars]
July 1, 2023
Oh dear, I'm afraid this review might get me cancelled.
I know a ton of people who absolutely love Stephen King. Several Booktubers I follow list him as their favorite author of all time. My brother-in-law talks about all of King's books and really loves his writing, including the Dark Tower series. I picked up this book as my first Stephen King novel, because it was branded as a Western-Fantasy (which I like that genre), and also because its fairly short and should be easy to get into.
Unfortunately, I have very little about this book that I enjoyed.
For one thing, this book is very slow moving and very "cerebral" and "ominous". As such, it wasn't fast moving or entertaining, and I found myself having to be forced to read through. There were individual sections, a few pages at a time that were interesting (the time in Tull, meeting Jake, and the conversation with the Man in Black at the end). However, the remainder of the book was just dull for me. Western stories can be slow and still be good (Kenobi by JJM as an example). However, because there weren't many characters besides "The Gunslinger/Roland", there wasn't any dialogue to hold my attention. And King spends several paragraphs at a time describing the layout of the desert, but doesn't balance it well with the story. Had this been a novella of 70-90 pages, where King told the same story but cut out the descriptions and the slower aspects of the book, it could have been much better.
Even reaching the end of the book, I understand why the Dark Tower itself is important, but I'm still uncertain why Roland is going to it. Even Roland himself admits that he knows he must reach the tower but doesn't know why. That's a trope I really don't like in storytelling, where the main character knows they must do something, but have no earthly idea why.
I think the book would have been better coming from Jake's point of view, as he's a little more interesting personality and would have helped readers acclimate to the world of the Dark Tower, as its all new to him as well. However, because the book is from the Gunslinger/Roland's perspective, things aren't explained well and it takes forever just to recieve a piece of information.
Overall, I didn't enjoy my time with this book. There wasn't enough to hold my attention, and the things some people praise the series for really aren't present in this book. I've been told Book 2 "The Drawing of the Three" is significantly better, and I do have a copy of it, so I'll probably pick it up at some point. But Stephen King is not exactly shooting up my list of favorite authors with this book. 3.5 out of 10.
I know a ton of people who absolutely love Stephen King. Several Booktubers I follow list him as their favorite author of all time. My brother-in-law talks about all of King's books and really loves his writing, including the Dark Tower series. I picked up this book as my first Stephen King novel, because it was branded as a Western-Fantasy (which I like that genre), and also because its fairly short and should be easy to get into.
Unfortunately, I have very little about this book that I enjoyed.
For one thing, this book is very slow moving and very "cerebral" and "ominous". As such, it wasn't fast moving or entertaining, and I found myself having to be forced to read through. There were individual sections, a few pages at a time that were interesting (the time in Tull, meeting Jake, and the conversation with the Man in Black at the end). However, the remainder of the book was just dull for me. Western stories can be slow and still be good (Kenobi by JJM as an example). However, because there weren't many characters besides "The Gunslinger/Roland", there wasn't any dialogue to hold my attention. And King spends several paragraphs at a time describing the layout of the desert, but doesn't balance it well with the story. Had this been a novella of 70-90 pages, where King told the same story but cut out the descriptions and the slower aspects of the book, it could have been much better.
Even reaching the end of the book, I understand why the Dark Tower itself is important, but I'm still uncertain why Roland is going to it. Even Roland himself admits that he knows he must reach the tower but doesn't know why. That's a trope I really don't like in storytelling, where the main character knows they must do something, but have no earthly idea why.
I think the book would have been better coming from Jake's point of view, as he's a little more interesting personality and would have helped readers acclimate to the world of the Dark Tower, as its all new to him as well. However, because the book is from the Gunslinger/Roland's perspective, things aren't explained well and it takes forever just to recieve a piece of information.
Overall, I didn't enjoy my time with this book. There wasn't enough to hold my attention, and the things some people praise the series for really aren't present in this book. I've been told Book 2 "The Drawing of the Three" is significantly better, and I do have a copy of it, so I'll probably pick it up at some point. But Stephen King is not exactly shooting up my list of favorite authors with this book. 3.5 out of 10.
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