colin_s's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
Quote:
“Do any men grow up or do they only come of age?”
Setting:
Our story starts out in a town that felt to me straight out of a western, we soon move on to a desert as our story continues. Finally we come upon a cave with train tracks that feels straight out of a horror film.
Plot:
Our story follows the Gunslinger on his quest to track down the Man in Black so that he can question him about a Dark Tower and possibly kill him. As he travels he runs into some people who both help and hinder him in his quest.
Writing:
This is what I've come to understand as traditional Stephen King writing. The writing flows and has some solid descriptions through out. The dialogue has a feeling of authenticity that is also greatly appreciated.
Characters:
Characters take a bit of a back seat in this novel. The only one we really start to get a feel for by the end of it is the Gunslinger. This doesn't hinder the story as a whole but it is a bit disappointing coming from Stephen King.
Pros:
Compelling quest
Backstory is interesting
Cons:
Ending is hardly an ending
Sex scenes felt over the top
Recommendation:
I'm honestly at the end of this novel not sure how I feel. I'm left with a lot of questions and very few answers. I'm intrigued and will likely try the next book but probably not for a while. Do I recommend this book? I'm honestly not exactly sure yet. I've heard a lot of people love this series but this book left me confused.
“Do any men grow up or do they only come of age?”
Setting:
Our story starts out in a town that felt to me straight out of a western, we soon move on to a desert as our story continues. Finally we come upon a cave with train tracks that feels straight out of a horror film.
Plot:
Our story follows the Gunslinger on his quest to track down the Man in Black so that he can question him about a Dark Tower and possibly kill him. As he travels he runs into some people who both help and hinder him in his quest.
Writing:
This is what I've come to understand as traditional Stephen King writing. The writing flows and has some solid descriptions through out. The dialogue has a feeling of authenticity that is also greatly appreciated.
Characters:
Characters take a bit of a back seat in this novel. The only one we really start to get a feel for by the end of it is the Gunslinger. This doesn't hinder the story as a whole but it is a bit disappointing coming from Stephen King.
Pros:
Compelling quest
Backstory is interesting
Cons:
Ending is hardly an ending
Sex scenes felt over the top
Recommendation:
I'm honestly at the end of this novel not sure how I feel. I'm left with a lot of questions and very few answers. I'm intrigued and will likely try the next book but probably not for a while. Do I recommend this book? I'm honestly not exactly sure yet. I've heard a lot of people love this series but this book left me confused.
amid's review against another edition
4.0
The Gunslinger is the first book in Stephen King's The Dark Tower series and is a must-read for fans of the fantasy and science fiction genres. The book introduces us to the gunslinger, Roland Deschain, and his quest to reach the mysterious Dark Tower. Along the way, he encounters a variety of strange and terrifying creatures, as well as other characters who join him on his journey.
Stephen King's writing is vivid and imaginative, painting a richly detailed world filled with danger and wonder. The characters are well-developed and the plot is full of twists and turns that keep the reader engaged from start to finish. The Gunslinger sets the stage for a truly epic adventure and is a testament to Stephen King's mastery of the craft of storytelling. If you're looking for a thrilling and captivating read, The Gunslinger is definitely worth checking out.
Stephen King's writing is vivid and imaginative, painting a richly detailed world filled with danger and wonder. The characters are well-developed and the plot is full of twists and turns that keep the reader engaged from start to finish. The Gunslinger sets the stage for a truly epic adventure and is a testament to Stephen King's mastery of the craft of storytelling. If you're looking for a thrilling and captivating read, The Gunslinger is definitely worth checking out.
lukeleinberger's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
readingwithhippos's review against another edition
3.0
This was a big "meh" for me, but everyone says the second book is when things really get going...so I guess I'll read the second book!
scroggin_cooper's review against another edition
4.0
Yeah, this book is fucking weird. I'm very excited to read through the rest of the series, but first, the things I didn't like. I'd didn't care much for how it was laid out. Although, each of the sections was fairly enjoyable. I really like Jake and his relationship with Roland. I'm very interested in what happened to Roland's gang, and I hope they discuss that more in the later books. While I do know who the Dark Man is, despite not reading anything else he's in, I could only imagine how curious some would be about his identity. And the monsters are just the kind of Stephen King I like.
venealosille's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
2.0
jeannamarie's review against another edition
4.0
Someone in the reviews wrote something that I also could not stop thinking about:
“King gave himself a Get-Out-of-Jail free card with the ending to DT. Since we know that Roland is trapped in loops where he keeps getting to the tower but going back to the beginning of The Gunslinger, King could present an almost infinite number of versions of the story with variations and say that they're all different cycles.
When thinking of this updated version like that, as slightly altered because it's a different cycle than the first time read it, I like it a lot more. Thinking about this, King could actually rewrite all the books as many times as he pleases using this idea of it being just another cycle where Roland does things differently.
If he wanted to really get the DT fans excited, he could even re-do the series as a 'final' cycle where Roland goes back but has the Horn this time, maybe doesn't let Jake fall and finally walks away from the trap in the Tower at the end.”
How cool would it be to have a Live Die Repeat scenario of the intro to this series. It makes me want to reread the book/series over and over and imagine different versions.
Overall, really cool book and slowly growing my King collection.
“King gave himself a Get-Out-of-Jail free card with the ending to DT. Since we know that Roland is trapped in loops where he keeps getting to the tower but going back to the beginning of The Gunslinger, King could present an almost infinite number of versions of the story with variations and say that they're all different cycles.
When thinking of this updated version like that, as slightly altered because it's a different cycle than the first time read it, I like it a lot more. Thinking about this, King could actually rewrite all the books as many times as he pleases using this idea of it being just another cycle where Roland does things differently.
If he wanted to really get the DT fans excited, he could even re-do the series as a 'final' cycle where Roland goes back but has the Horn this time, maybe doesn't let Jake fall and finally walks away from the trap in the Tower at the end.”
How cool would it be to have a Live Die Repeat scenario of the intro to this series. It makes me want to reread the book/series over and over and imagine different versions.
Overall, really cool book and slowly growing my King collection.
hiltzmoore's review against another edition
3.0
I have heard that since this series was written as one long novel, the first book in the series isn't all that great as it is slow to get going. I'd agree with that, but I did really enjoy Roland's story and I will certainly be continuing the series. I'm not usually into this genre, but I do love all the parallels to "Lost" and I'm glad I'm reading this after I fell in love with that series!
awilderm23's review against another edition
4.0
'He is too young to have learned to hate himself yet, but that seed is already there; given time it will bear bitter fruit.'
'The cook went still trying to talk. And where did he finish the last sentence he would ever begin on earth?'
'It will be to see you broken and set upon a blind path. But the world has moved on. Bad times are on horseback.'
'It came to him that there would be further degradations of the spirit ahead that might make this one seem infinitesimal, and yet he would still flee it, down corridors and through cities, from bed to bed...'
'The cook went still trying to talk. And where did he finish the last sentence he would ever begin on earth?'
'It will be to see you broken and set upon a blind path. But the world has moved on. Bad times are on horseback.'
'It came to him that there would be further degradations of the spirit ahead that might make this one seem infinitesimal, and yet he would still flee it, down corridors and through cities, from bed to bed...'
kristaaquinn's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
slow-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
3.0