Stephen King Fans discussion

Join me in reading The Gunslinger starting November 1st. All are welcome whether this is your first trip to the Dark Tower or your hundredth.

This will be a reread for me. I've lost track of how many times I've read this book, more than 5 but less than 20. :) I keep a notebook and jot down thoughts, ideas, connections, etc. It's been interesting looking at them over time and I'm always surprising myself by finding something new.

(view spoiler)[ People tend to either love this book or hate it, not many take the middle ground. I love this book and think it sets the stage nicely for the epic quest Roland is embarking on. (hide spoiler)]

Hey Rachel, has anyone joined you yet? I’ve not yet read The Dark Tower series, but I’d love to start. Do you have an amount of time you want to finish reading by? It usually takes me 2-3 weeks to finish a standard size King book.

Shannon wrote: "Hey Rachel, has anyone joined you yet? I’ve not yet read The Dark Tower series, but I’d love to start. Do you have an amount of time you want to finish reading by? It usually takes me 2-3 weeks to ..."

Hello and welcome! I'm sure people will join in as the read starts. There was another discussion going that I moved over here. I am planning on 1 book a month.

Hi there, Rachel! I’ll take another leisurely stroll through this epic journey again! Are we reading them all back to back? It’s been a hot minute since I’ve read these. I look forward to joining you.

Dana wrote: "Hi there, Rachel! I’ll take another leisurely stroll through this epic journey again! Are we reading them all back to back? It’s been a hot minute since I’ve read these. I look forward to joining you."

Welcome! Yes, we will be reading these back to back.

I would like to join in when you get to book 3

Sounds great! Just picked it up from the library today!

I’d love to join in! I never finished the Dark Tower series, stopped after book 5, and because life takes over, I never got round to reading the rest. So it’s time to start again! 🙂

I have been avoiding this series for years haha, maybe it's time to take it on :)

Kellie wrote: "I would like to join in when you get to book 3"

Great!

Shannon wrote: "Sounds great! Just picked it up from the library today!"

Glad you can join us!

Sharifah wrote: "I’d love to join in! I never finished the Dark Tower series, stopped after book 5, and because life takes over, I never got round to reading the rest. So it’s time to start again! 🙂"

Glad you will be joining us. This will be my second journey to the tower reading along with a group. I found the discussions really kept me engaged and I read at a slightly faster pace so I could chime in.

Michele wrote: "I have been avoiding this series for years haha, maybe it's time to take it on :)"

Yes, this is your sign! :) We'd love to have you.

Rachel, I don't know how many times I've been through the Gunslinger series but I'm ready to join you on this journey. I like your idea of keeping a notebook and I will start one too, noting things I've missed in the past. Here we go!

It's been quite a while since I did the entire series! I'll join too! :)

Dianne wrote: "Rachel, I don't know how many times I've been through the Gunslinger series but I'm ready to join you on this journey. I like your idea of keeping a notebook and I will start one too, noting things..."

Yay! Happy to have you!

Monica wrote: "It's been quite a while since I did the entire series! I'll join too! :)"

Welcome!

I am so excited to start reading The Gunslinger with all of you! Feel free to share your thoughts, impressions, theories, and favorite quotes along the way. Please follow the groups spoiler rules as you do so.

Happy reading!

"His lips stretched in the pitted, flaked remains of his face. The grin was gruesome, painful. "

I'm finding the writing style so, so different from his recent books. The words used... I had to consult a dictionary for the word 'apotheosis', and that's on the first page! Ha, ha! Not sure I noticed the 'style' before when I read it first time round, but since I'm savouring it this time, seems more noticeable how 'different' it is.

I finished last night. I had planned to pace myself, to read over the entirety of the month, but the story pulled me in and I found it hard to put down. It will be hard to wait until December to pick up The Drawing of the Three but I want to be fresh to discuss.

During this read, I found myself wondering how old Roland is. I picture him somewhere in his 30s but the man in black alludes to how they are both "almost immortal".

For those that have read the entire series. (view spoiler)[ On page 174, I never noticed the foreshadowing regarding the end of the series before (hide spoiler)]

Rachel wrote: "I finished last night. I had planned to pace myself, to read over the entirety of the month, but the story pulled me in and I found it hard to put down. It will be hard to wait until December to pi..."

I finished yesterday! I read it slower than normal; and on this second read, I'd say the first 75% isn't as good as the last 25% of the book. I picture him in his mid to late 30s but looking older than he really is. Lean and lined! :-)

Sharifah I hope you are right! I just hit 75% and I will admit, this is the hardest SK book I’ve read yet. I’m not sure if it’s the old timey/proper English or the abundant adjectives and imagery, but I am really struggling to stay engaged and follow the plot.

Shannon wrote: "Sharifah I hope you are right! I just hit 75% and I will admit, this is the hardest SK book I’ve read yet. I’m not sure if it’s the old timey/proper English or the abundant adjectives and imagery, ..."

Stick with it Shannon! :-) I'm glad you thought the book is hard to read, thought I was the only one! Although I am a diehard SK fan, it pains me to say this isn't really his best work. I think I read somewhere though; he admitted the same. It will get better in the next few books! :-)

Definitely push through till the end!

“There might have been tragedy in the situation, but the gunslinger did not see that; he only saw the predestination that had always been there.”

I missed this on earlier reads - so Roland always knew to expect the bitter ending?

I'm sorry for coming to this so late, but this is a series I haven't read yet, so I will try to hurry up and catch up, so I can be part of the read for the next book. I confess that this is about the only SK book I've started 3 times and never finished. I'm so ashamed. But, I'm going to go forth and try again!

Ophelia wrote: "I'm sorry for coming to this so late, but this is a series I haven't read yet, so I will try to hurry up and catch up, so I can be part of the read for the next book. I confess that this is about t..."

Welcome! This book people seem to love or hate. If you can push through the first half, it does pick up.

Thanks for the encouragement Rachel. I feel like the series is too important for me to keep picking up and putting down, so this time I have resolve. :)

Well okay! I just finished. And after finishing and still feeling pretty confused, I made the only logical next step - I took to the internet to figure out wtf I just read 😂 AND it sounds like we constant readers are all walking away scratching our heads at the end of this one, and that it’s intentional, and things will become much clearer in later books. So, I guess I’m satisfied with being unsatisfied 🤪 And to anyone else that’s feeling this way too, Reddit assures me it is worth soldiering on!

Shannon wrote: "Well okay! I just finished. And after finishing and still feeling pretty confused, I made the only logical next step - I took to the internet to figure out wtf I just read 😂 AND it sounds like we c..."

Having read the entire series a few times myself, I can say that I was not as thrilled with this one when it first came out, but from my second reading on I loved it. The more you learn about Roland, the more you want, and coming back to this first installment with the knowledge of the rest really makes it sing.

Kandice wrote: "Shannon wrote: "Well okay! I just finished. And after finishing and still feeling pretty confused, I made the only logical next step - I took to the internet to figure out wtf I just read 😂 AND it ..."

I completely agree Kandice!!

I'm 20% in, so over the next few days I am determined to see it through to the end this time, with the hope that greater understanding will come in following books. :)

Kandice wrote: "Shannon wrote: "Well okay! I just finished. And after finishing and still feeling pretty confused, I made the only logical next step - I took to the internet to figure out wtf I just read 😂 AND it ..."

Yes!!! I got so much more out of it on each subsequent read.

I recently found The Dark Tower Wiki website. If you haven't come across it yet, have a mosey round. It summarises each book very well I think, and has relevant links to various items and places within the books. (sounds so geeky). I've been very good, and have only read the summary of Gunslinger; simplifies it all without the flowery language. :-)

I'm just over half way through The Gunslinger, but I plan to finish it this weekend. I don't have any real feelings regarding it at this point, but I'm sure that as I get into the series I'll appreciate and understand it better.

Sharifah wrote: "I recently found The Dark Tower Wiki website. If you haven't come across it yet, have a mosey round. It summarises each book very well I think, and has relevant links to various items and places wi..."

That site can take you down some rabbit holes! ;)

Just a few days left to finish reading The Gunslinger. Please feel free to share your thoughts, insights, and favorite parts/quotes. Just remember to follow the groups spoiler policy.

December 1st we will start reading The Drawing of the Three. This is one of my favorite books in the series so I'm excited to get started!

I'm almost finished. I can see where, had we tried to look at this as a stand alone book, it would be difficult. But as an introduction to the series, I'm enjoying it. :)

Rachel wrote: "Just a few days left to finish reading The Gunslinger. Please feel free to share your thoughts, insights, and favorite parts/quotes. Just remember to follow the groups spoiler policy.

December 1st..."

I'm excited to get started too!

I've finished The Gunslinger and I'm looking forward to getting started on the next book.

I think the ending, reflection on time and space, is just masterful. Even when I first read it when published and wasn't wowed by the story, I loved that part.

Just returned from a cruise. It was fun to read about Clearing of the Customs while I was doing it.

Finished it on Saturday! Enjoyed it very much. A lot better than Gunslinger, me thinks :-) Can't wait for 1st of Jan!

Rachel wrote: "Just returned from a cruise. It was fun to read about Clearing of the Customs while I was doing it."

Ha! I bet so :)

Loved this reading of

Still 5 stars for me! Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Including one of my favorite quotes: “When you planned rough, you allowed room for improvisation. And improvisation at short notice had always been one of Roland’s strong points.” My life survives on rough planning!

I finished today. Still a 5 star read for me as well.

Almost halfway through and liking this one MUCH better than the first. Anyone else notice east and west are swapped?! East is on the left and west is on the right!

Finished today, just in time to start the next one! Really enjoyed it a lot. I have some questions but don’t know how to mark my comment with spoilers 😂

Shannon wrote: "Finished today, just in time to start the next one! Really enjoyed it a lot. I have some questions but don’t know how to mark my comment with spoilers 😂"

I'm so glad you enjoyed it! Here is how to add spoilers.

Goodreads has made it easy for us all to hide spoilers with HTML tags. Just type "spoiler" inside the tag brackets like this (without the periods): <.spoiler> Sample Text and you get this: (view spoiler).

I'm looking forward to starting The Waste Lands today and continuing down the path of the beam.