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zazu's review
adventurous
dark
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
daed's review against another edition
2.0
Después de un alucinante inicio que ocupa casi el 40% del libro, toda la trama, expectativa y demás se van al carajo. Muy aburrido después de la mitad!!!
reyespablo's review against another edition
4.0
Stunning imagery.
I thoroughly enjoyed the imagery. The plot was meh....but the end piqued my interest to read more. King incorporates a lot of other literary references. It's a very beautiful blend of western, science fiction, and fantasy.
I thoroughly enjoyed the imagery. The plot was meh....but the end piqued my interest to read more. King incorporates a lot of other literary references. It's a very beautiful blend of western, science fiction, and fantasy.
magikspells's review against another edition
2.0
I just got bored with this. It was real short and that’s really the only reason I finished it.
rwatkins's review against another edition
3.0
I liked it. Overall: 3/5 (15/25)
If you like fantasy with a western feel, a gritty lawman holding a grudge, or mystical settings that question reality, time and space then give this book a try. The world is a bit trippy, and it's part of a longer series, so if you need to understand everything by the end of the first book, this might not be for you. I will be continuing on with this series.
Spoilers Below.
Plot: 2/5
The plot is summarized in the very first sentence of the book. This was one of my favorite opening hooks ever. Things went downhill fast. The first third of the book Roland is resting in a small desert town. Normally our MC has only the Dark Tower on his mind but he sticks around too long for mystical reasons and so the plot can get interesting for a moment when he's finally ready to leave.
Then we're off to pick-up the boy, Jake. Once Jake is with the gunslinger, the plot slows down for a travelogue while Roland and Jake argue/bond. Oh, and they fight over who gets to screw an oracle/demon lady (no joke).
Moving forward to the final battle, and the anti-climax. Roland gets hypnotized immediately and he's in a dreamland while the big bad gives exposition setting up the rest of the series. When the exposition is finished, it's 10 years later and the baddie is just dead. No big showdown or shootout for this dark western. Very disappointing.
Overall, the plot was ok. The first third was the strongest, the second third too slow, and the final third a big let down.
Setting: 4/5
There are enough breadcrumbs for me to like it and want to explore more. The world is somehow both post-apocalyptic and pre-industrial at the same time. There are some mystical elements, with sorcery and mutants. Guns and magic together always grabs my attention. We get a hint of portal magic or realm jumping (Jake got there somehow). Some minor things didn't work for me. There is a thriving mutant population but no food to keep them alive. There is a desert town with little explanation for how those people survive or why they might want to live out there. Roland travels over vast lands but there's no map to give any scope. These things are not addressed for a reason, to create a sense of wonder and oddity, but I'm a logical thinker, so there was some minor disconnect for me. At least there is a purpose and overall, I'm wanting to see and learn more of this world.
Characters: 2/5
Roland, the last gunslinger, is our MC. He does not get a character arc in this novel. There isn't a whole lot to him. He's tough, he's gruff, he's horny. You know, an anti-hero. He wants to find this Tower and will use anyone to that end. Sorry, Jake. There are some glimmers of kindness in him and I hope that is where his character arc develops over the series, learning to accept help instead of sacrificing it away. For now, the characters are ok, with some hope they improve. If not, King risks writing flat characters with little dimension.
Style: 4/5
The pacing was ok, with some action and suspense in the beginning, a drift into a slower middle, and an unsatisfying ending. Flashbacks and expositional stories were present but didn't distract from the story and it mostly kept moving forward.
Scenes were mostly connected linearly and easy to follow when there were time shifts/oddities. I never felt lost or pulled out of the story. Scenes were wildly different lengths, from just one paragraph to pages. This didn't interfere with the flow of the story.
Roland's voice comes out loud and clear. I didn't connect with the MC but I understood him fully - his goals, motivations, likes, dislikes, strengths and weaknesses. No narrative tricks, wordplay, or crutches used to hide later twists. I really liked and appreciated the straight-forward storytelling.
Although the pacing was off, most style choices made by King helped me to enjoy the story more. I really liked the style overall.
Themes: 3/5
There is an underlying theme of Wonder and Mysticism throughout. Time is strange, distance feels irrelevant, and even logic has no place in this dreamlike world. Drug Addiction (devil's weed) is another aspect to this. Fate is touched upon, through the oracle and tarot reading. All of these are introduced, but not explored with any depth. I hope to see further development throughout the rest of the series.
Another obvious theme is Survival, the use of violence to survive, and selfishness/putting yourself before others so that you survive. This is developed and explored fully in this short novel, and I suspect we will see this theme morph into different answers/approaches to Survival over later installments if we do get a character arc for Roland.
Great introduction of themes, but I'm hungry for more depth.
If you like fantasy with a western feel, a gritty lawman holding a grudge, or mystical settings that question reality, time and space then give this book a try. The world is a bit trippy, and it's part of a longer series, so if you need to understand everything by the end of the first book, this might not be for you. I will be continuing on with this series.
Spoilers Below.
Plot: 2/5
The plot is summarized in the very first sentence of the book. This was one of my favorite opening hooks ever. Things went downhill fast. The first third of the book Roland is resting in a small desert town. Normally our MC has only the Dark Tower on his mind but he sticks around too long for mystical reasons and so the plot can get interesting for a moment when he's finally ready to leave.
Then we're off to pick-up the boy, Jake. Once Jake is with the gunslinger, the plot slows down for a travelogue while Roland and Jake argue/bond. Oh, and they fight over who gets to screw an oracle/demon lady (no joke).
Moving forward to the final battle, and the anti-climax. Roland gets hypnotized immediately and he's in a dreamland while the big bad gives exposition setting up the rest of the series. When the exposition is finished, it's 10 years later and the baddie is just dead. No big showdown or shootout for this dark western. Very disappointing.
Overall, the plot was ok. The first third was the strongest, the second third too slow, and the final third a big let down.
Setting: 4/5
There are enough breadcrumbs for me to like it and want to explore more. The world is somehow both post-apocalyptic and pre-industrial at the same time. There are some mystical elements, with sorcery and mutants. Guns and magic together always grabs my attention. We get a hint of portal magic or realm jumping (Jake got there somehow). Some minor things didn't work for me. There is a thriving mutant population but no food to keep them alive. There is a desert town with little explanation for how those people survive or why they might want to live out there. Roland travels over vast lands but there's no map to give any scope. These things are not addressed for a reason, to create a sense of wonder and oddity, but I'm a logical thinker, so there was some minor disconnect for me. At least there is a purpose and overall, I'm wanting to see and learn more of this world.
Characters: 2/5
Roland, the last gunslinger, is our MC. He does not get a character arc in this novel. There isn't a whole lot to him. He's tough, he's gruff, he's horny. You know, an anti-hero. He wants to find this Tower and will use anyone to that end. Sorry, Jake. There are some glimmers of kindness in him and I hope that is where his character arc develops over the series, learning to accept help instead of sacrificing it away. For now, the characters are ok, with some hope they improve. If not, King risks writing flat characters with little dimension.
Style: 4/5
The pacing was ok, with some action and suspense in the beginning, a drift into a slower middle, and an unsatisfying ending. Flashbacks and expositional stories were present but didn't distract from the story and it mostly kept moving forward.
Scenes were mostly connected linearly and easy to follow when there were time shifts/oddities. I never felt lost or pulled out of the story. Scenes were wildly different lengths, from just one paragraph to pages. This didn't interfere with the flow of the story.
Roland's voice comes out loud and clear. I didn't connect with the MC but I understood him fully - his goals, motivations, likes, dislikes, strengths and weaknesses. No narrative tricks, wordplay, or crutches used to hide later twists. I really liked and appreciated the straight-forward storytelling.
Although the pacing was off, most style choices made by King helped me to enjoy the story more. I really liked the style overall.
Themes: 3/5
There is an underlying theme of Wonder and Mysticism throughout. Time is strange, distance feels irrelevant, and even logic has no place in this dreamlike world. Drug Addiction (devil's weed) is another aspect to this. Fate is touched upon, through the oracle and tarot reading. All of these are introduced, but not explored with any depth. I hope to see further development throughout the rest of the series.
Another obvious theme is Survival, the use of violence to survive, and selfishness/putting yourself before others so that you survive. This is developed and explored fully in this short novel, and I suspect we will see this theme morph into different answers/approaches to Survival over later installments if we do get a character arc for Roland.
Great introduction of themes, but I'm hungry for more depth.
dunkeldak's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
- 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
3.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence and Sexual content
debbiecollectsbooks's review against another edition
5.0
I enjoyed this book and would recommend to others. This is the start of the "Dark Tower" series. On to book two!
kelbellls's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
3.0
they say the rest of the series is a lot better and that the gunslinger will make more sense later on…but man i was confused!!!
roedeer's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.25
therockyraccoon31's review against another edition
4.0
really good worldbuilding and fantastic characters. stephen king made some things unnecesarily horny. but beautiful writing, still thinking about man in black and gunlingers chat at the end about size. CHANGING MY BRAIN CHEMISTRY. i wish their convo was longer is my only complaint.