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Summary: HORROR,DIFFERENT,NOT A WESTERN!!!
Review: A GOOD PLACE TO START KING. THE BEST DESCRIPTION OF THIS BOOK
IS IN THE BOOK,THE STORY OF THE LAST ADVENTUROR IN THE WORLD.
THIS IS A GRIM BOOK, FILLED WITH ADVENTURES AND A MAN DRIVEN
TO DO MANY GRIM THINGS,AS THE STORY UNFOLDS ITS HARD TO PUT IT
DOWN. kING SAID IT TOOK HIM 12 YEARS TO WRITE THIS BOOK,AND IT
IS A BOOK THAT YOU WILL REMEMBER. IT IS THE FIRST BOOK OF A
FOUR BOOK SERIES.AFTER READING THE FIRST BOOK I WENT OUT AND
BOUGHT THE REST OF THE SERIES. iF YOU LIKE HORROR OR KINGTHIS IS A MUST,BECAUSE THIS IS THE BOOK ALL KING FANS REMEMBER
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Summary: You say you like The Road Warrior? You'll love this.
Review: This was the kind of book you can read during a saturday/sunday reading fest. I liked the lead character Roland a lot. If you like those, "End of the World" type stories, where there are only a few people left alive on the earth, you will love this story.
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Summary: The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger
Review: The Gunslinger is the first novel of this epic series, The Dark Tower. The Dark Tower shows stephen Kings's excellent achievment.I recomend reading this book. A few of the characters are Roland and Jake Chambers. Roland was Jake Chambers predecesor and a gunslinger. Jake is the boy that Roland met at the Way Station. Jake was hit by a cadillac in the other world,because Roland chose to pursuit the man in black rather than save him. Other characters are Cort, The Man in Black. Cort was Roland's teacher in Tull. The Man in Black has no true identity. I really enjoyed reading this book, when you start reading you really get hooked into it and dont want to put the book down.
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Summary: First Book in the Dark Tower Series
Review: "The Gunslinger" was one of the first books I ever read by Stephen King (sometime in the early 90s), and even though it's not one of my favorites, it's still worth reading if you like King's fantasy novels. It takes place in another world where Roland, the gunslinger, pursues The Man in Black across dry, dangerous terrain, entering town after town and stumbling across various characters who will ultimately lead him to a mortal battle with The Man in Black. This series/book isn't like King's typical horror fare (i.e., "Cujo" or "Carrie"); it has more of a western/sci-fi feel to it. That's probably why I didn't like it as much. But if you're into this type of genre, then you'll more than likely enjoy the Dark Tower series--"The Gunslinger" (#1), "The Drawing of the Three" (#2), "The Waste Lands" (#3), and "Wizard and Glass" (#4).
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Summary: Interesting early work
Review: This is one of King's first works and shows a little less polish and direction than some of his later works. In particular he became more direct about spelling out the bad news and building the creepy feeling. I do not intend to sound negative, I am very pleased that I read the book and immediately ordered the rest of the series.
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Summary: I'd read this one last, but do read it.
Review: In the mid 80's when THE GUNSLINGER was released to the general public, I read it because, perhaps like you, I read everything King writes. But I didn't get it. I tried to read book 2, but couldn't get through it. In November 2001 a friend brow beat me and said, "You gotta read these books." I did. I am so glad. But, if you haven't stated yet, I'd recommend reading The Drawing of the Three first, The WasteLand second, Black House (not part of this series) third, and the best book of them all Wizard and Glass fourth. Get all them behind you and then for background read The Gunslinger. I think it makes more sense this way. If you read King much you know Flagg is everywhere, but I never really drew the other connections between Flagg and Walter and The Crimson King, and Jack's flip universe in The Talisman, and the Low Men in Hearts in Atlantis, and ... you get the idea. Steve's got a theme going here, get on board. It's worth the plunge.
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Summary: Well-written, seductive intro to the series
Review: This is the first installment of THE DARK TOWER series, begun when King was a student, and finished 12 years later. Until recently, I hadn't realized King was a fantasy author, in addition to his other accomplishments. I was a kid who grew up reading THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA and THE LORD OF THE RINGS, and spending hours searching attics & basements for a gateway to another world. So I decided I might like The Dark Tower. After reading customer reviews, and A Dark Tower Primer, A List By Elena, I expected this book to be inaccessible. I thought it would take time and background reading for me to get into it, and that perhaps I never would. Nothing could be further from the truth. I was hooked before I had finished reading the first page. Why? The first 16 pages describe a lone figure crossing an absolutely barren landscape in pursuit of another lone figure. What made those 16 pages so compelling? Mostly, it's the descriptions. King describes the desert so you can see it, hear it, even smell it. As the narrative continues and the lone figure begins to interact with other characters, a vivid individual is revealed - so gradually, so slowly - behind the archetypal "gunslinger". I didn't find the book as puzzling as I expected from the customer reviews. It seemed clear to me it was taking place in some sort of post-apocalyptic future which exists in a parallel universe or dimension to our own. It's not true that it answers none of its own questions, it just doesn't answer all of them, as befits the first chapter of a series. My only criticism is that the prose falters at a few points. Surprisingly, not in the part of the book written when King was very young (the beginning) but later, when he was already an experienced published author. I'm only referring to a few phrases where my absorption in the book was broken by a thought such as "eew, why did he choose those words?" The only example I can find or think of is a phrase such as "the boy threw up his hands" (he did? How had he managed to swallow his own hands?) I only mention it because normally this never happens when I am reading a King novel. In this book, there are long scenes in which nothing very much happens, or only dialogue and description, punctuated by 2 scenes of extreme violence. Usually people who like "action" and people who like dialogue and description can never agree on a book. Usually people who like reading violent scenes don't like long descriptive passages, and people who do like them can't bear reading about violence. But this is not your usual book. If you like fantasy, or if you like King but have never read his fantasy work, definitely check it out. Dark Tower fans need no recommendation, of course. If you like descriptive narrative prose, you probably look down on King, but overcome your prejudice long enough to take a look at this book.
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Summary: Very Cool
Review: I borrowed this book from a friend of mine recently because i wanted to take a break from my usual readings of Japanese literature and history, and I musy say that I was quite impressed. This does not mean that I have never read Stephen King books before, but it has been a a few years since i read my last one. Somehow this series escaped me, and after just finishing the first book, I look forward to reading the others. With over 100 reviews already written I'm pobably wasting my and and your time by writing this, but Iwant to add my voice to those who have followed alongside Roland after the man in black into a world of magic and gunfights. Good stuff.
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Summary: Errant Knight?
Review: In NEEDFUL THINGS, Stephen King decided to end an era by making this book the last of the Castle Rock series. In the last decade of so, he has focused on a new series called The Dark Tower. Most of his latest novels have had some sort of crossover with the Dark Tower (HEARTS IN ATLANTIS, which is available in paperback). His latest novel is BLACK HOUSE that is a collaboration with Peter Straub. Mr. King let it know that some Dark Tower questions would be revealed in that book so I decided to reread The Dark Tower again by starting with THE GUNSLINGER. This novel tells the story of the last of the gunslingers, a group of warriors similar to the Jedi knights in Star Wars. He is a man with a mission and it is the search of the elusive Man in Black. This story is similar to the errant knights stories (i.e. Don Quixote, El Cid, among others) from centuries ago. Our hero will walk in search of the Man in Black, going through old towns seeking help and will also meet Jake, a boy from the planet Earth. This is the beginning of the series and just like any beginning the reader will be left with questions. The main problem that I had was that I read this book about 15 years ago and I forgot a lot of details. I might try to read the series again before I tackle BLACK HOUSE. It might help me appreciate the novel even better.
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Summary: Stephen King Convert
Review: As a serious scholar of English literature, I had often pooh-poohed King as a novelist. Even the biggest of fans has to admit that his popular fiction, although certainly riveting as page turners, could hardly rate as first class. However, after reading The Gunslinger I hold the man in high esteem as a writer. Using the poem, Childe Roland by Robert Browning as a touchstone, King has created a world that is compelling and literarily sound. His use of language and symbolism is deft. I think when all the points are tallied, King will be remembered as a literary giant. If you are unsure about his writing ability then give his Dark Tower series a chance.
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