Rating: Summary: Why didn't King read this one, too? Review: As an avid listener of the previous three installments of the Gunslinger story, I was disappointed in this new release. I'd gotten more than used to S. King's peculiar nasal drone, and that he was reading his own story added depth that his voice didn't. So what happened? Who's this new guy with the breathy, "don't take this stuff too seriously, folks; it's only pop fiction" voice? Frankly, his mannerisms are distracting -- KNOWING that Eddie probably says "dis" and "dat" but not hearing him do it through hours and hours of reading until now was jarring, and that's only the beginning of the problem.Alas, the story's great; I'm hooked; and I'm unfortunately forced to be a listener rather than a reader. But the NEXT installment had better be read by its father.
Rating: Summary: Excellent background info, but little advancement in story. Review: This is an excellent story which should definitely be read by any TRUE King fan. I do, however, wish that he had made more advancement in the strory instead of telling so much about Roland,s past, even if it is an excellent and intriguing story which will definitely keep you guessing about the outcome.
Rating: Summary: SPECTACULAR! Review: This has been the best series of books that I've read in a long time. Lets hope King keeps up the good work! Lookin forwrd to Dark tower V!
Rating: Summary: It loses track of the main reason the series became popular. Review: While still a very entertaining book, King has strayed from the path which made the gunslinger series a large success. Though this doesn't necessarily apply to all readers, most have been drawn to the Gunslinger series because of the action, mystery, intrigue, and fantasy of Mid-Earth. In Wizard and Glass, King perilously strays into the realm of "western love". My suggestion to Stephen King, stick to horror and the somewhat fantastical elements in the first three installments of the series. I went into the book expecting more action, dilemmas, and plot involving all the characters I had grown to know and love. However, I was lead into this somewhat cheesy romantic flashback, which had no place within the context of the actual series, and managed to tell me nothing about Roland as a character. In my opinion, I believe this book was the direct result of writers block (Note the blatant parallels to the Wizard of Oz...inability to come up with original concepts, not a literary element). I hope, and expect, the return to the original themes found in the series before the flashback.
Rating: Summary: Breathtaking Review: Very very whats that word very very .... um, you shithead ... awesome. Uh, compelling and (breathes heavily) excellent ... thats it.
Rating: Summary: A fine adventure within another more boring... Review: I must say I'm a little bit worried about the Dark Tower series. The basic plot seems to lose some of its spirit with every new volume. By now, I'm not even really interested in what's about to come. But as an individual book, Wizard and Glass is the best since Gunslinger. This is, of course, thanks to the Roland flashback, which reads as a better-than-average adventure novel with a fair amount of tragedy in it. I'm not much into these weeping stories, but the certainty of the destruction to come gives a chilling feel I rather enjoy. If I may say a few words about the metaphysics of the series; King himself mentions in the afterword that somehow the world of Dark Tower has become to include all the other worlds he's ever written about. This can be seen in the end when our team suddenly pops up in the plague-ridden America of The Stand. And the next thing they encounter is the Wizard of Oz! Pardon me, but this is getting a bit too overwhelming. Of course, it will be interesting to see what happens in the fifth book. Maybe they have to fight Adolf Hitler or something...
Rating: Summary: WOW Review: I CAN'T WAIT FOR THE NEXT ONE
Rating: Summary: King employs classic "in media res" format to great effect Review: Sequels as a rule don't live up to the first installment, but Wizard and Glass is a strong exception. This is my favorite of the Dark Tower books. Roland's 400-page flashback is not without precident. The bulk of Homer's Odyssey is told in this format, as is Mary Shelly's Frankenstein and Coleridge's Rime of the Ancient Mariner (and there is that Star Wars prequel thing...). It is a proven formula that adds much to King's epic-in-progress. It was great to catch a full glimpse of the glory and horror of Roland's past, which has only been hinted at before. This book is King at his best--an unlikely and beautiful combination of the grotesque and the poetic. Note: People who can't handle the perceptive, mind-bending artwork in this tome probably shouldn't be reading Stephen King.
Rating: Summary: It started out a little slow but captured my attention Review: I actually started the book 2 or three times before I really got into it. I thought I was a little confusing and slow, but I didn't give up and ended up really enjoying it. I can't wait for the next one.
Rating: Summary: Wizard and Glass, Kings Best! Review: Don't be discouraged by the length of this book, it reads very fast, and is the most poetic book I have read since Hamlet! It contains many very original paintings that will strike you off guard, but they blend right into the book once you read the corresponding text. This book, (as king has written MANY TIMES!) is the story of Rolands childhood, essentially a flashback, but fear not fellow adventurer, for the details expressed are absolutely vital to the previous books. This book also ties this sreies in with many more of Kings works, such as The Stand, The Eyes of the Dragon, and Insomnia, all quality books in their own right.
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