Wizard and Glass (The Dark Tower, Book 4)

Rating:
Summary: Wizard and Glass...Absolutely the best
Review: It had been so long since I had read the first three volumes that I searched through all my old paperbacks and found the second and third volumes. I ended up buying "The Gunslinger" again and started the series from the beginning. Talk about an adventure!!! I didn't want any of it to end. In my opinion, Wizard and Glass is the best of the series. The length of the book just made it that more interesting. I LOVE LONG BOOKS. I can't wait for the next volume. I really hope we don't have to wait too long. W & G is as good, if not better than "The Stand" (I 've read The Stand three times). The dialect Mr. King uses in W & G keeps you on your toes! At times I laughed out loud! I recommend re-reading the first three books because of the references often made to other events in Roland's past. Life for you, Life for your crops!!!

Rating:
Summary: This novel is a must for King fans.
Review: Like a good red wine, you must savor this book. The texture of the characters comes to the front. You taste the dirt from the dusty trail between Giliad and Mejas. Rejoicing in the Gunslingers victories and chewing on the gristle of Roland's tragic losses. King is just getting better with each book he puts out. If my voice can reach him I urge Mr. King to devote more time to this worthy series. As any storyteller will tell you, when you got a good thing going run with it! I eagerly await the next installment. The novel fleshes out Roland of Giliad and explains why he behaves the way he does. I do believe King will live to see this storyline finished, the question being, will we? The only possibility for disaster I see on the horizon is that King might wish to go light on cross connectiing his numerious novels to this series. The tie-in to The Stand was a fine piece of work that raised the hackles of my neck and quickened my pulse. The fine line between obsession and quest was brought up and we, "the gentle readers", find out who Roland is up against. I'll say this; Flagg sure knows how to get around. This is a series I will enjoy for many years to come and I recommend that everyone read this series.

Rating:
Summary: beautifully crafted
Review: I wasn't going to do a review until i read all of the crap people wrote. These are the same people who didn't have the balls to leave their e-mail addresses. First of all, if you can't handle a story about love and loss, get out. Go read one of those beach books or some other popular no brained piece of crap they sell at the local supermarket. I thought the book could have had a little more information, but then again, there may be 3 or 4 books yet to come. If you can't be patient and wait, go read something else and leave King alone. I'm glad he's exploring his characters a bit more and provding us all with some insight (not all) into Roland's feelings and his past. Why give it all away already when there is so much more to come? For those of you who feel like they need more in a story, try H.P. Lovecraft. Even he had his mellow moments and contemplated feelings and his characters more than usual. Stephen King has undertaken the greatest story of all time and obviously has no desire to spoil everything right away. Wizard and Glass is a well crafted work that takes the time to explain some of Roland's past and his friends. It explores his relationship with Susan and gives the reason for Roland's quest in the first place. I found it very revealing and informative all the way through. I can't wait for the next one...

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Summary: Hallelujah! Roland's back!
Review: Thank you, Stephen King, for adding this fourth book to The Dark Tower Series! After waiting just about seven years to find a new way into Roland's world, I was not disappointed. Besides the original,this is the best book in the series. For those of you that think that Stephen King only writes horror, three words;Read This Series! Stephen King has a wonderful way of drawing the reader into his books, and his dialogue is incredibly real. If you like this series, I would also recomend The Talisman.

Rating:
Summary: good book??
Review: I thought the w&g was as engrossing as the other dark tower books, although it was alittle long winded, but none the less I cannot wait for the next instalment of the dark tower. I am torn however, I dont want to wait another 5 years for the next book, but I dont want Mr. King to rush just to get it done (i.e. geralds game, deloris clairborne, ect).. Back to this book though, I did like the tie~ins with the other king books as well as knowing I have met the man in Black before in other books, over all it was a good read and worth the money.. enjoy

Rating:
Summary: Definitely one of King's best novels.
Review: I actually would've given this one a 9 (10 is reserved for "Les Miserables" and such, and will never go to part of an ongoing unfinished series) except I don't want to get too high on it and then watch the series never get finished, or end w/something really disappointing. Easily the best of this series since the first (The Gunslinger, also one of King's best, though very different from this one). Possibly the most purely romantic (in the Byron/Coleridge/Shelley sense, not the Harlequin--there is a love story, and a damn good one, but it ain't sappy or even sentimental). Like all of this series, it deals with the nature of heroism and dedication, and the blurry line between these things and obsession/fanatisicm (sp?). If one were to take this series as a whole, I'd say it's exploration of these themes, through the character of Roland in particular, was one of the all-time great meditations on the subject, and my appreciation of the second volume, my least favorite, grows in context of the overall series. If future volumes manage to live up to the promise, and not come up w/some totally stupid, series-ruining explanation of the dark tower and the nature of reality (a la Anne Rice's explanation of vampires)(or King's ending of It), then I could see giving the entire series a 10 one day. Unlike some of the other reviewers, I don't want to give away too much of the plot, just will say this is definitely one of King's five best in my mind, the other four being The Gunslinger, The Stand, Firestarter, and Insomnia. Since I'm not saying much about the plot, to compare tastes, I also liked The Shining, Desperation and The Regulators, The Wasteland and Salem's Lot. (for those who care, that adds up to a top 10 list). The only book he's ever written that I thought truly awful was "The Tommyknockers".

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Summary: Where is this series going to end up?
Review: Easy answer would be the Dark Tower. But is that too easy? I loved it when Roland starts to doubt his himself, it makes him more human and believable. Maybe something else will happen that will sidetrack the Ka-tet on their journey. Maybe for instance them walking though a thinny into World War III that never happened in our world? There's an idea. Or maybe they will make it to the Tower, what if no ones home and the doors locked? Maybe trivial now but I bet it comes up along the way. SK's books are starting to really blend and I like it. It is like meeting someone and finding out the know some of the same people as you do. He refers back to his novels time and again. What would be neat is if Roland's Ka-tet met up with the guys from "Eyes of the Dragon" and combined to chase down and conquer Flagg. Another Idea. This story may never end. Oh well just gotta read more!

Rating:
Summary: Excellent installment to a wonderful series.
Review: I like others, have waited so long for this book that the other 3 volumes have become faded in my memory. But reading the first chapters brought it all back! The book was not too long. I tried to read slower and slower just so that I could enjoy it longer! The flashback to Roland's past was a beautifully told story. The characters were wonderful and the imagery so real. I look forward to more glimpses of Roland's fascinating past and to the advancement of his quest.

Rating:
Summary: Hypnotizing
Review: Never have I read a book where I wish I were a part of the characters lives. Stephen King gives this odd crew so much depth that you transport yourself into their world and don't want to leave. This Dark Tower series is literary genius.

Rating:
Summary: Want more
Review: I didn't have to wait seven years cause I had started the series about a year ago. I finished The Waste Lands and picked up Wizard and Glass immediatley after. It was a good book. I thought they solved the thing with Blaine a little weird like. The story in the middle was creative but was dissapointed the way it ended in a way. I thought the story would end with him with the beginning of the search for the man in black. I wanted to know what happened to Cuthbert and Alain and Sheemie and the other person that they mentioned that joined his search. Did they already say what happened in the earlier books? If so I don't remember. The ending was real STRANGE with the Wizard of Oz thing. I wish there was more with the Tick-Tock-Man. I think King knew they had to get back to the Beam but couldn't figure out how. I think the last three books will be better than this one even though this one was good, it wasn't the best one and I think he was in a hurry to finish writing it. I want Rolond to finish his tale in the future books but I hope they won't be over 500 pages.