The Gunslinger (The Dark Tower, Book 1)

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Summary: The beginning of the best saga in years
Review: The Gunslinger is the first book of a saga you'll enjoy until the end. Roland, the last gunslinger in that world, tries to catch the Man in Black, a figure we won't learn about it until the end. During his travel in the desert, he finds Jake, a boy that dies in our world and is pulled strangely into Roland's. The circumstances of Jake's death and why he is part of Roland's "ka" aren't very clear in this first book. With the reading of the Man in Black's Tarot cards, we learn briefly and a little confusing about Roland's future in his quest for a Dark Tower. About the Tower we get little, if almost no information in this first book about what it is and why Roland wants to find it. The Dark Tower I: The Gunslinger, is a complete novel in itself, it doesn't have events unatended, even though, the situation is just beginning, and the reading of the next books of the saga is a must for those that enjoy this first book. (Bianca M. Bonilla

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Summary: Not your usual King
Review: This novel is an expansion of a short story of the same name. The gunslinger Roland, is on a quest. The bad guy is none other than Randall Flag (The Stand), a truly evil character, King's best villian. The story, though is rambling and unstructured. There is the feeling that the fleshing out of this excellent short work into novel form was rushed. A few more revisions prior to release and this would have been work worthy of standing with King's best. All in all, a good read for King fans. If you are going to try him for the first time, (Where have you been, in a cave?) then try The Night Shift, his best short story collection

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Summary: The Dark Tower I\The Gunslinger
Review: The Gunslinger in my opion is one of Kings best written novels. In this book you are taken to a mythical world where "the world has moved on." While reading this book you meet up with Roland. Roland is the last of the gunsligners in his world. He is on a quest to find the dark tower and set his world right. Then theres Jake, A boy from our world voilently thrust into the Rolands. Jake is the key to the man in black. The man in black is a mysterious man whom Roland has been chasing for a long time. The man in black is a magiacan of sorts and was behind Rolands tormenter in a way. All in all, this book(one of Kings best) is worth the reading

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Summary: King reads the first volume of his epic fantasy
Review: Most of Stephen King's books fall into the category of horror, but he has also touch on fantasy elements. In addition, many of his works have an epic quality to them; The Stand is one of the best examples of this. The Gunslinger is the first volume of Stephen King's Dark Tower. The book first appeared as stories in the Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction before being collected in a limited edition by Donald M. Grant. The book eventually appeared as a trade paperback available to all. The series is ongoing, with the latest volume to appear in either 1997 or 1998. The story takes place in a strange world that contains familiar elements (patrons in a bar at one point sing Hey Jude). The focal point of the tale is Roland, the last of the gunslingers. His quest for the Dark Tower becomes his reason for living. Stephen King is the reader of this audiobook. I have also felt that Stephen King writes as if he was talking out loud. This makes his reading more interesting and illuminating. While his voice is not trained, he more than anyone else is able to illustrate the world he created. He also is the reader on the other two volumes. I enjoy listening to audiobooks, but I normally don't buy them. Stephen King's unabridged works are exceptions and his own readings are at the top of my list and the Dark Tower series is his most interesting work.

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Summary: A wonderful masterpiece, one of Stephen Kings best works yet
Review: The Gunslinger is one of Stepehn Kings greatest novels written to date. It is an epic saga of good versus evil. Roland the last of the Gunslingers fills us with awe as we join him in his journey to the Dark Tower to save his dying world. Throughout his journey Roland is searching for the ominous Man in Black, who supposedy knows the direction to the Dark Tower. To meet The Man in Black Roland has to look at his past and defeat his inner demons

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Summary: The most dazzling story ever wrirren.
Review: An epic adveture through parallel worlds. Mind boggling action and suspense. Everyone should read the Dark Tower series. I myself am awaiting the Dark Tower book IV. Hopefully will be as great as the last three

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Summary: Much better then normal horror by king - bounders on sci fi
Review: The gunslinger is a hero with a moral and ethical code that guides him on the path of his quest. While not a fan of most of Stephan King's other horror type book, I found this very enjoyable, bringing in science fiction type view of a future world and one man's quest to reverse/repair what has caused his world to 'move on'. Main problem is that the next book in the series has not come out yet

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Summary: It's the beginning of a fascinating tale.
Review: Stephen King embarks in a very long tale that only begins in this book and is supposed to take 5 or 6 other books to finish. Reading this book you have to understand that it is merely the beginning, and yet it is a very good book in itself. In "The Gunslinger" you enter the life of the last gunslinger in a world that has "moved on", in his quest for the "Dark Tower" which in my opinion symbolizes the domain of the universe, some form of heaven. In this first book the gunslinger follows the man in black, who is his enemy. It takes you a while to understand and identify yourself with the gunslinger's world, but when you do, you can't get enough of it. I recommend it if you are planning on reading the others that follow. I am currently reading the third (The Waste Lands), and I have to say that you really get hooked when you are reading the second book

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Summary: not as good as the original version
Review: The original Gunslinger had a gritty, anti hero in Roland and was set in a world slightly mirroring our own, enshrouded in mystery. This new version turns Roland into a wuss, and takes away a good deal of the mystery. Roland, prior to book 1, has been on his quest for over 1000 years; why does nothing he sees or does remind him of anything but the time he spent in Mejis (book 4)? Staying with Book 4, there was a pianoplayer there that he also sees in book 1. I liked the fact that there was no communication between the two in "the original" book 1, it heightened the mystery of how real Roland's quest is and was a great example of how things aren't what they seem in Roland's world. In this new version however, not only does Roland kill this theme by approaching this character, "hey have I seen you before" but then proceeds to beat the corpse with a stick by engaging in a full blown conversation, summarizing how the piano player got from Mejis to Tull - not as interesting. I didn't like the changes, he threw 19 in all over the place as expected, but there is also a problem with that as well; 19 is nonexistant in books 2-4; is he going to rewrite and revise those as well? I do not also accept the fact that Walter, Marten, Randall Flagg and John Farson (who I preferred as a human messed up in the head and under the influence of the evil forces at work) are all one and the same, even though some of these characters have appeared and had conversations with eachother. Basically this book was just written so that book 7 will match up with book 1, but I, as a follower of this series since the 80's, would have preferred the original storyline he had created, rather than this new rehashed one, and I don't think I'm alone in this opinion.

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Summary: Way to weird
Review: There have only been a few books that i never finished, but the Dunslinger was one of them. It was just so weird. King never told you what was happening. it's kinda like if you go into a movie halfway though it. Especially a fantasy one. I never got into it. i had no idea what was happening. read IT instead.