Scan barcode
vermispore's review against another edition
adventurous
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
A really good book if you like Stephan King and can tolerate high fantasy that doesn't explain much right away. Well written and a fun read, but its the kind of book you love or hate.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Fatphobia, Rape, Religious bigotry, Sexual assault, Gore, Violence, Body horror, Body shaming, Death, Pregnancy, Child death, Classism, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Torture, and War
nytephoenyx's review against another edition
dark
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Not the strongest of the series and I don’t blame people for stopping here and not reading the full thing. That said, I’m glad I had people who told me to give it to Book 3. The Gunslinger may be dry and drag, but the Dark Tower series is fantastic. And I will say this for King - the world building is subtle but fabulous.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Injury/Injury detail, Gun violence, Murder, Death, and Vomit
Minor: Sexual content
lindseylosers's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Not for me.
The ending did start to pick up though and I enjoyed that. This is the first Stephen King book I’ve read and I’m not sure if this is common across all his writing but the female characters are rough. Instead of the classic madonna-whore complex, seems like King has a demon-whore complex where women are either demons or whores or both, there’s no room for traits outside of that limited spectrum. I’m not the type that has to have every female character break gender molds or be saints but the demon-whore depiction of women in The Gunslinger becomes distracting when all I can think about while reading is what Stephen King’s relationship was like with his mom.
The ending did start to pick up though and I enjoyed that. This is the first Stephen King book I’ve read and I’m not sure if this is common across all his writing but the female characters are rough. Instead of the classic madonna-whore complex, seems like King has a demon-whore complex where women are either demons or whores or both, there’s no room for traits outside of that limited spectrum. I’m not the type that has to have every female character break gender molds or be saints but the demon-whore depiction of women in The Gunslinger becomes distracting when all I can think about while reading is what Stephen King’s relationship was like with his mom.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Toxic friendship, Violence, and Sexual content
Moderate: Pregnancy and Injury/Injury detail
allegeadventure's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Surprisingly lots of sex and sexuality. Approximately 50% of the pages in the first three chapters make mention of sex or attraction in some form. Which is fine, I was just surprised.
Most women are described breasts first, including a woman that has no physical body. Most women are also begging the main character to have sex with them, despite most being villainous or disliked by the main character. Even the section told from a woman's perspective gives her the single one dimensional motivation of having sex with a man, yet fails to explore why she may be attracted to any man. Clearly written by a 19 year old boy for men with a limited ability to inhabit a woman's point of view as full human persons.
The main character is not only an anti-hero, but deeply unlikeable.
That being said, this book, like many Steven King books, presents some uniquely novel ideas and defies limits of genre. The worldbuilding is fascinating, and despite the poor depiction of women, I am interested in knowing what happens next in the series.
Most women are described breasts first, including a woman that has no physical body. Most women are also begging the main character to have sex with them, despite most being villainous or disliked by the main character. Even the section told from a woman's perspective gives her the single one dimensional motivation of having sex with a man, yet fails to explore why she may be attracted to any man. Clearly written by a 19 year old boy for men with a limited ability to inhabit a woman's point of view as full human persons.
The main character is not only an anti-hero, but deeply unlikeable.
That being said, this book, like many Steven King books, presents some uniquely novel ideas and defies limits of genre. The worldbuilding is fascinating, and despite the poor depiction of women, I am interested in knowing what happens next in the series.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Rape, Death, and Child death
Minor: Incest
zmac808's review against another edition
Didn’t check content warnings. My own fault on this one, the story itself was highly recommended so I neglected my own due diligence.
Detailed & graphic SA with a firearm. Inserted into pregnant woman as she begs for her unborn fetus’ (demon child but even still) life.
It is entirely plot related and necessary and if you can stomach it, Stephen King is a phenomenal visual writer but I personally can’t handle it to that degree.
It is entirely plot related and necessary and if you can stomach it, Stephen King is a phenomenal visual writer but I personally can’t handle it to that degree.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Rape, Suicide, and Gun violence
Moderate: Violence
parenthesis_enjoyer's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I definitely enjoyed this book, but it is also definitely the start of a saga. Throughout the whole novel there's so, so many hints of a larger world, and bursts of rapid-fire world building. The world King is creating is strange and intriguing enough that I want to continue with this series just to see how deep the rabbit hole goes. There are also a fair few Stephen King-isms in here, to be sure, though I'm told not as many as the later entries. Really, it's a matter of how much you can tolerate the particular style. I'm writing this a long time after I read it so I apologize for the vagueness.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, and Child death
Moderate: Misogyny, Sexual content, and Animal death
ekcd_'s review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Blood, Car accident, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Abandonment, Death of parent, Stalking, Animal death, Excrement, Gore, Gun violence, and Violence
theverycraftyvegan's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
My spouse is going to hate when I tell him I didn’t love this book. He thinks The Dark Tower is the greatest series of books ever written, but book one didn’t do anything for me.
Was it well written? Debatable. Stephen King is a great author and I’ve loved many of his other books, but The Gunslinger isn’t one of them. You jump around a lot between the present and the past, and it was all very confusing for me. It felt like the book had absolutely no flow. Maybe the series gets better as you go but I don’t know if I’m interested enough to read 7 more—and most of them very long—books to find out.
Dystopian and apocalyptic, everyone and everything is dying. A very hard existence in an unsavoury world filled with violence and death.
I also didn’t like a single character.
And literally every character you meet dies, except for Roland, so don’t grow attached to anyone.
Jake, the boy, was a confusing addition. Where did he come from? Our time? How did he get there? Why is he there?
And Roland’s love for and eventual betrayal of Jake was just the worst.
Alice was needy and clingy and portrayed to be ugly due to a facial scar and her age. (40s???)
Sylvia was just a horrible excuse of a human.
The people of Tull all sucked.
But the battle of Tull was hands down my favourite part to read.
The Man in Black… I don’t even know what my thoughts are on him. He was very cryptic and I felt like because he only starts to speak at the end of the book I didn’t get to know him.
I’ve read it. I can say I’ve read it. It wasn’t for me. Might be an unpopular opinion, but there it is.
Was it well written? Debatable. Stephen King is a great author and I’ve loved many of his other books, but The Gunslinger isn’t one of them. You jump around a lot between the present and the past, and it was all very confusing for me. It felt like the book had absolutely no flow. Maybe the series gets better as you go but I don’t know if I’m interested enough to read 7 more—and most of them very long—books to find out.
Dystopian and apocalyptic, everyone and everything is dying. A very hard existence in an unsavoury world filled with violence and death.
I also didn’t like a single character.
Jake, the boy, was a confusing addition. Where did he come from? Our time? How did he get there? Why is he there?
And Roland’s love for and eventual betrayal of Jake was just the worst.
Alice was needy and clingy and portrayed to be ugly due to a facial scar and her age. (40s???)
Sylvia was just a horrible excuse of a human.
The people of Tull all sucked.
The Man in Black… I don’t even know what my thoughts are on him. He was very cryptic and I felt like because he only starts to speak at the end of the book I didn’t get to know him.
I’ve read it. I can say I’ve read it. It wasn’t for me. Might be an unpopular opinion, but there it is.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism, Murder, Violence, Mass/school shootings, Animal death, Body horror, Gore, Blood, Child death, Death, Gun violence, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Animal cruelty
Minor: Miscarriage, Abortion, and Pregnancy
geeters14's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- 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? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death and Death
Moderate: Animal death, Blood, and Violence
redhairedashreads's review against another edition
3.0
This was like one long fever dream. I didn’t love this book but I also didn’t hate it. This was just a weird story that I just kept going “What” while listening to. It was so weird that I kind of want to continue the series to see what actually happens and why. Also, I think this book has one of the best opening lines.
Trigger Warnings: graphic death of children; drug use;
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug abuse and Child death