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pkc's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: Physical abuse, Gore, Child death, Gun violence, Medical trauma, Animal death, and Car accident
eggyleggy's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: Murder, Child death, Animal death, and Death
Minor: Rape
angelfoodcakes's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
My main issue is this is very much from Stephen King’s era of writing where he has to put excessive detail into how he describes every female character’s boobs.
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child death, Death, Gun violence, and Sexism
sharebear431's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Animal death, Car accident, Child death, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, and Violence
Moderate: Sexual content and Misogyny
bluejayreads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.0
Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Death, Blood, and Gun violence
Moderate: Gore, Excrement, and Sexual content
Minor: Misogyny and Infidelity
ggcd1981's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Não tenho muito o que dizer em termos de pontos negativos ou positivos pois este é apenas o livro introdutório da série (apesar disso foi nada informativo sobre o universo da história). Como pontos negativos aponto apenas: a objetificação dos personagens femininos, que nesta primeira obra existiram apenas para serem sexualizadas; a violência gráfica contra animais (este é sempre um gatilho para mim); e a total ausência de explicação a respeito do universo da série The Dark tower, dos personagens e os papeis que desempenham (ler esse livro é como começar um filme pela metade). Os pontos positivos até o momento são: como já mencionado a escrita de King; os personagens são bastante intrigantes (Roland, Jake, The dark man), são mistérios a serem descobertos; O mundo e história são tão inesperados e misteriosos para Fantasia ou terror que é inevitável querer saber o que raios está acontecendo e porquê.
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child death, Genocide, Gun violence, Miscarriage, Murder, Sexism, Sexual violence, Violence, Death, and Sexual content
Moderate: Alcohol, Misogyny, and Pregnancy
btrz7's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
2.5
Graphic: Car accident, Child death, and Death
Moderate: Addiction, Animal death, and Gun violence
bites_of_books's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Yeah, still hard to rate this book but I did get more out of it the second time around. I understood more of the Dark Man since I'd just read The Stand a few months prior. Lowered the rating to a 3.75 from 4. Many parts are very unnecessary and others definitely read like a teenage boy wrote it.
‐----------‐------------
Huh... right, I'm supposed to give this book a number of stars... Uh.. well, let's see...
Yeah, I think it gets a solid 4 stars just for the world building aspect of this book. I mean how did King think of this?! It's trippy and strange and disorienting, but at the same time you get the feeling of the dimensions of this world, which actually ends up bigger than anything out there.
The main character is mysterious, Roland is a man who has definitely been through a lot in his life. At first you don't really know is he's "good" or "evil", and it all got rather muddled the more I read. In a good way! Roland is a complex character who carries the weight of his past on his shoulders, he wants to hope for a better life but knows better than to actually fully jump into that hope.
I don't give it that last star because the pacing seemed off at times, like it was cut and pasted together a bit haphazardly. There are parts that flow really well and really suck you into the story, and others that are so choppy that it's distracting.
All in all, I do look forward to reading more about Roland's journey to the Tower, and seeing all the mysteries that will unfold.
Moderate: Animal death and Gun violence
permanentlei's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
The book is confusing for sure, but I like confusing. I don't mind not understanding everything that's going on. I enjoy getting tidbits and facts that have absolutely no context because it could connect later or it couldn't but it adds something to the characters or the worldbuilding.
This story has a place in my heart. Roland is such an interesting character to me and I hate him but I don't. For what he did to Jake, poor John Jake "There are other worlds than these" Chambers. For going and going towards a goal no matter what. I don't understand him but I want to follow his story.
The world, and the concept of being a blade of grass in someone else's world which is a blade of grass on another, interests me. I want to know more.
I'm planning to follow Roland's story this year. I want to see this world, and this story and these characters, expand. Whether I understand Roland's motivations or not (cause I don't). But I got to know where this is going.
UPDATE THREAD (spoilers) BELOW:
Started Reading
Interesting world. Interesting characters. Interesting lore.
Roland really and truly went blam blam blam. Wow
Oh no I think this man bout to meet Jake again and I STILL CAN'T BELIEVE HE DID THAT TO THIS LIL BOY
"I don't like people. They fuck me up."
- John "Jake" Chambers.
boi, same
He is too young to have learned to hate himself yet, but that seed is already there; given time, it will grow, and bear bitter fruit.
First of all this is a personal attack. Please loose me.
It occurred to him later that this was when he began to love the boy - which was, of course, what the man in black must have planned all along. Was there ever a trap to match the trap of love?
Time's the thief of memory.
Another attack on my person.
His teeth felt strange in his head, tiny tombstone set in pink moist earth.
EW EW EW EW i hate this imagery why
"Neat, huh?" the boy said, and his voice was full of loathing. The silence was deep. Roland could hear his organs at work in his body, and the drip of the water, and nothing else.
The mental separation between Jake and Roland when Roland catch he feelings for Jake despite knowing he gonna kill him soon was so sudden and complete for a moment I didn't even realise Roland wasn't calling this boy Jake no more.
So I pretty sure I deleted all of my progress on this book
Sometimes Roland refers to Jake by his name and it also catches me off guard cause his mind separated him to the boy. Which shows that Roland's feelings for Jake is stronger than his foolproof mind.
And he still gone let his young boy go. Muddoe.
"Go there. There are other worlds than these."
Jake words be so powerful man."
..he twisted his head back, for a moment in his agony striving to be Janus - but there was nothing, only plummeting silence, for the boy made no cry as he fell.
ROLAND, HOW YOU DO THAT.
Bey I still as mad and as angry as the first time I read this. I still can't BELIEVE, but then I also can cause that's who Roland is but wow bey wow.
Let's hear it for Jake tho cause he truly is that one. Not a single sound.
I hate hate hate reading things that theorize that the world and universe itself is small and just a part of a larger whole, a blade of grass in someone else's universe which is a blade of grass in another person's universe. I don't need to be thinking this hard.
But a fascinating concept nonetheless."
Finished Reading
Graphic: Animal death, Blood, Child death, Death, and Murder
Moderate: Child death
lou_o_donnell's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Car accident, Child death, Gore, Violence, and Murder