Review: The Gunslinger – Stephen King

Dark Tower #1

SYNOPSIS: Roland is a haunting figure, a loner, on a spellbinding journey toward the mysterious Dark Tower, in a desolate world which frighteningly echoes our own.

On his quest, Roland begins a friendship with a kid from New York named Jake, encounters an alluring woman and faces an agonising choice between damnation and salvation as he pursues the Man in Black.

 

I enjoyed the book though it is definitely not King’s finest piece of literature, I also understand that he wrote this when he was young and overly influenced by other people (which is evident at times, it does not have the same flow and rhythm that is typical of King). I liked the world that he wrought, though it was exceptionally confusing at times. I found this to be exacerbated by the fact that King did not offer up an awful lot of explanations to the world as he moved along. It was annoying at times but no deal breaker, but also helped lend to the mystery that is sprawled across the pages. Roland Deschain’s history, the little bit one can ascertain, was rather interesting, and it was nice to read. I am interested to see where the story leads, and thought that it was an interesting concept that King played with. I believe that there were quite a few changes that came about in the revised edition and went to look at what they were and I think that all the changes contributed very well for what was to come. The tale so far is epic, though as a first novel in a series there were other ways to have fleshed it out and made it more comprehensive. I am just happy to finally have gotten to this as I have been threatening for years to check out the Dark Tower series.

SPOILERS: The line that Jake uttered before dropping was amazing. “Go then. There are other worlds than these.” Goosebumps every time I think back on it.