Rating: 
Summary: Reminds me of other great works
Review: After finishing Dark Tower book 5, I am reminded of Farnk Herbert's great literary accomplishment: Dune and Tolkein's Lord of the Rings. The Dark Tower is becoming (already is for that matter) one of the great epics of modern times, right up there with Dune and Lord of the Rings. Filled with mysterious places, interesting characters, mysticysm, and heroism, the Gunslinger only hints at what is to come in the following installments. Highly recommended.
Rating: 
Summary: A bit vague
Review: The problem with this book is that it seems to start in the middle of a story with no idea whats really happening. We get the idea of the gunslinger chasing the man in black but we don't know why or for how long. The story seems to gain some substance as it progresses; the gunslinger meeting the boy Jake and the events on their journey provide some story line to follow. It is only in the series' suceeding books (the drawing of three, the wastelands) that we get an overall picture of whats happening. The series is like one big jigsaw; instead of a flowing storyline, the story jumps around from the present to the gunslingers past. King is one of the few writers who can do this successfully. Even though I found it hard to follow the first book, the following in the series are excellent and I would definitly recommend them, even though it is necessary to read the first book in order to follow the storyline. A bit of a tough read, but worth it in order to follow the rest of the series.
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Summary: The Quick Start to an Epic Adventure
Review: Fans be warned: "The Gunslinger" is definitely not typical King fare. But I wouldn't have it any other way.The basic premise of the book is as such: Roland Deschain is the Last Gunslinger (a kind of uber-cowboy, so to speak) in a seemingly post-apocalyptic world, traversing the desert in pursuit of an adversary aptly named the Man in Black. King will amaze you with the deep descriptiveness of this novel. You'll actually SEE the desolate look of desert town dwellers, actually FEEL the sand whip at your face. All in all, "The Gunslinger" is just a beautiful novel, and the start of something much greater. If you enjoy(ed) this book in any way, be sure to pick up the rest of the Dark Tower books ("The Drawing of the Three" is the next book in the series, FYI).
Rating: 
Summary: Get into the series before you judge it....
Review: This is a necessary introduction to the Dark Tower series, arguably Stephen King's greatest contribution to fantasy. It's not truly a stand alone book. Therefore, you're not going to have complete understanding of where this is going until you get there. Therefore, the best way to read it is to just experience it. Roland in this book is best pictured as a western gunslinger, but we do learn that isn't his origin. Nor do we know for sure exactly where all this is occuring. A significant scene has Roland asking Mr. Brown whether he believes in an afterlife, and Mr. Brown answers that he thinks this is it. This opening volume takes us with Roland in his pursuit of the Man In Black. Don't expect to find out just who this personage is. Just go with the trip and then grab the next volume. Trust me, you'll be glad you did.
Rating:
Summary: Masterful storytelling...and only the beginning...
Review: Master storyteller Stephen King launches one of the greatest epics of modern times, The Dark Tower, in this introductory novel - The Gunslinger. In barely half the length of an average King novel, we are introduced to the main character of the series and given an eerie look into his background and a foreshadowing of his future. The Gunslinger, also known as Roland, is on a quest for The Dark Tower - but more immediately he must track down the Man in Black and try to seek vengeance for all the wrongs he has caused along his path. Along the quest he picks up a companion - a boy named Jake - who claims to be from a different time and place altogether. And this is only the beginning... If you are a fan of great quests and fantasy writing the likes of Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings" (King admits that Tolkien's stories were an inspiration for this tale) then you will thoroughly enjoy the Dark Tower series.
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Summary: Don't read this book and give up on the series!
Review: I read this after a friend read it and loved it. I read it and thought it was mediocre at best. However, I refused to give up on the series and possibly miss out on a great saga, and I am very glad I didn't. After I read part II: The Drawing of the Three, I came to appreciate this book for what it is; a prologue of sorts, much like "The Hobbit" in the LoTR Trilogy. This book introduces you to Roland, and starts his massive quest for the Dark Tower.
Each book in the series leave enough questions to keep you reading the series and wanting to understand everything. As the saga progresses, everything starts to add up and connect. That said, judging the series on a single one of the books would be a crime. I loved this, though it isn't his usual captivating horror. A masterpiece.
Rating:
Summary: Better than expected...
Review: ... and not as good as the second book. Looking forward to reading the rest!!!
Rating:
Summary: as compelling as any fiction I've read
Review: I won't spoil the plot of this book one bit-- one of the most important elements to the storyline is the building tension and lack of general backstory. All you know in the beginning is that chasing the Man in Black is the only thing the Gunslinger has left in life, and that is all you should know before you read the book.
King does an excellent job of making an intriguing central character. The chivalric ideals of the knight and the fascination of the Old West are melded in the Gunslinger but he remains a believable character. He may embody an ideal but he is not better for it. He'll sacrifice anything to reach his goal but the book focuses rather on the horror of actually upholding that kind of conviction rather than the virtue. He's a gripping character because despite his dedication, all he's done is pay the price and never reaped a reward. His obsession has made him cold, hard, and ruthless. he seeks to do the ultimate good but is destroying his humanity in the process. He's a sad, frightening, but inspiring character-- the best one Stephen King has ever created. It is appropriate that King's writing career began with him and will most likely come to a close with him. The setting makes the story even more of a good read. The haunting wasteland the Gunslinger inhabits is a world that has come apart at the seams. This in itself would not be terribly interesting, but King weaves hints of what the world once was into the story, and the echoes of a brighter past snag the reader like a hook. Decay has conquered all, even love, in the world of the Gunslinger, but his presence makes it difficult to accept. The world he once knew slowly unfolds throughout the book as the plot develops, and King keeps the reader interested. JRR Tolkien was once asked why he didn't write more about the events of the Second Age that set the stage for his Lord of the Rings series. He answered that the ruins of the old world the LOTR characters journeyed through were magical in their forgotten glory. If you knew everything about them, their inherent beautiful sadness would be somewhat lessened and less interesting. King has made great use of that intangible "magical" factor in the Dark Tower series. The ruins of the Gunslinger's world cry out to the reader, but all that's left is the memory of what was once beautiful in the Gunslinger himself-- and the quest afoot to put things right again. Start traveling with the Gunslinger and you'll never want to stop hearing all about him and his quest.
Rating:
Summary: A somewhat vague beginning to a promising epic
Review: At this point in time, the first five books of Stephen King's Dark Tower series have been released. I laid my eyes on the newest edition, Wolves of the Calla, this past weekend while at Waldenbooks. Having read The Dark Tower I: The Gunslinger about two months ago, I finally decided to review it since my trip to the bookstore revitalized the immense interest in me to read The Dark Tower series and find out just how the hell things will turn out. We know now that the series will contain seven books with the subtitle of the final installment identical to the title. The final edition will be The Dark Tower VII: The Dark Tower and, by the way things have been building up in the plot of the story, I can say that I believe that Part VII will be somewhat of a collaboration of King's past works and most famous villains put into one single novel. This would seem like a good book for an author to retire on after publishing, but I pray King keeps writing because the world of books wouldn't be the same without him. Most of the reviews I've read on The Gunslinger while surfing the web have been coupled with mixed feelings on its plot and the way the direction of the story is going to be weaved. I will admit it IS vague, but I found myself extremely drawn into its fantasy-like plot blended with good old-fashioned macabre horror written in the familiar Stephen King style. The reviews I read on it before reading probably helped me to expect a little confusion and gaps in explanation. There are many here and there but just the drive to find out what's going to happen is enough to keep you coming back for more. Within the first few pages, we are immediately launched into an unknown world with a setting that readers could deliberate on for hours. It appears to have the makes of a good Western but is mixed with several other genres, including horror, fantasy, and action. This place that our imaginations are taken into is referred to as "the world that has moved on." It doesn't seem to be Earth in the 1880's, as some might predict, because of the unfamiliar surroundings. It doesn't appear to contain the makeup for any distinct place, so we're left with our wild minds to fill in the gaps. In this world we meet a man who is referred to as the Gunslinger for the first 2/3 of the book until we discover his name is Roland. He is a gunslinger and an expert at that, who is the last of his people in this large, lonely desert landscape. His only goal, we discover, is to find and catch the elusive "man in black." This man in black seems to be a demonic fiend that guards a certain sector of the Dark Tower, the entire saga's focal point. Clues from within Roland's dark, intricate mind and context from within the story help us to determine that the Dark Tower is the place where all time and space will meet. The place at the very edge of the universe where all things come to an end. This changes our perspective on Roland's world, making us think that maybe he resides in an alternate timeline. Who knows? On his journey, Roland meets a man named Brown and, within his company, he tells the man a tale of his quest through the desert Tull, his experiences with his mistress Alice in a small village, and his exciting final battle with the unfriendly townspeople. This battle, which occurs about 30-40 pages into this short 216-page prologue, whets our appetite for more wild, gun-toting action. Sadly, this is probably the most exciting part of The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger. Back in real time, Roland wanders through the desert and collapses right before meeting a 12-year-old boy named Jake. Roland reads his mind and, ironically as it seems, the boy is from New York City (a place Roland has no knowledge of) where he was pushed out into the street one morning by the sinister man in black and killed under the wheels of a Cadillac. It appears he's been reborn into Roland's world. More clues suggest that this place could be an Afterlife of sorts. We may not find the answers to any of these need-to-know questions until Part VII. I plan to stick with it and hope that King's amazing writing will keep me intrigued. The way I perceive this book may be different than others, but my feelings are that King did his best to develop a prologue for his massive tale that is sure to be somewhere in the 3000-page range. He wrote The Gunslinger the best way he could in that he didn't reveal much about the setting, the main character Roland, or the Dark Tower that he seeks (somewhat of a letdown) but he did give us a satisfying introduction to what promises to be a solid, entertaining masterpiece in its completed form.
Rating:
Summary: The First Step
Review: In answer to some of the previous negative reviews, let me just state that this book is by no means a "stand alone" work. While one can read this novel and enjoy it just the same, there will be some questions left unanswered. This was the author's intent; "The Gunslinger" is Book 1 in a series that will eventually span to 7, the series being finished a year from now. The questions and difficulties people might encounter by reading "The Gunslinger" are answered in full as the series progresses down the line. As an avid fan of King's, I do not hesitate to call "The Gunslinger" and the rest of The Dark Tower series his finest contribution to popular fiction. This is my "Lord of the Rings," since I began reading the series as a boy and it has never left my imagination. The Gunslinger - Roland - is a truly mythic hero with a complicated persona, one that will keep the reader thinking and ultimately waiting to learn more. If you read this book and it hooks you in any way, then continue on with "The Drawing of the Three." You won't be dissatisfied.
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