Eerie, dreamlike, set in a world that is weirdly related to our own, The Gunslinger introduces Roland Deschain of Gilead, of In-World that was, as he pursues his enigmatic antagonist to the mountains that separate the desert from the Western Sea. Roland is a solitary figure, perhaps accursed, who with a strange singlemindedness traverses an exhausted, almost timeless landscape. The people he encounters are left behind, or worse—left dead. At a way station, however, he meets Jake, a boy from a particular time (1977) and a particular place (New York City), and soon the two are joined—khef, ka, and ka-tet. The mountains lie before them. So does the man in black and, somewhere far beyond...the Dark Tower.
The Dark Tower I: The Gunslinger
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Editorial Reviews
From Library Journal
King's (Pet Sematary, Audio Reviews, LJ 11/1/98) fantastical and allegorical "Dark Tower" series commenced in 1982 with the publication of The Gunslinger. Subsequent volumes have appeared about every five years thereafter. The Gunslinger introduces protagonist Roland as he pursues the Man in Black through bleak and tired landscapes in a world that has "moved on." Roland believes that the Man in Black knows and can be made to reveal the secrets of the Dark Tower, which is the ultimate goal of Roland's quest. The Waste Lands sees Roland and his fellow travelers continuing the quest for the Dark Tower. They journey through imaginative landscapes, over astounding obstacles, and meet with and confront a unique and fully drawn cast of characters, both human and nonhuman. Reader Frank Muller gives voice to the characters with a thoroughly engaging precision, accuracy, and great humanity and with an edge that drives the story onward and seems to amplify King's skill as an author. Highly recommended for all fiction collections.?Kristen L. Smith, Loras Coll. Lib., Dubuque, IA
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Review
'Pulse-poundingly engaging' -- Sunday Express on SONG OF SUSANNAH King's magnificent uberstory is finally complete... King's achievement is startling; his characters fresh... his plot sharply drawn... It is magic. -- Daily Express on THE DARK TOWER 'Join the quest before it's too late' -- Independent on Sunday on SONG OF SUSANNAH 'Classic King, fine characters, compellingly written in a gripping, well-honed plot' -- Daily Express on WOLVES OF THE CALLA 'Superbly energetic, it's King at his best' -- Mail on Sunday on WIZARD AND GLASS
--This text refers to an alternate
Paperback
edition.
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More About the Author
Stephen King is the author of more than fifty books, all of them worldwide bestsellers. Among his most recent are the Dark Tower novels, Cell, From a Buick 8, Everything's Eventual, Hearts in Atlantis, The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon, and Bag of Bones. His acclaimed nonfiction book, On Writing, was also a bestseller. He is the recipient of the 2003 National Book Foundation Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters. He lives in Bangor, Maine, with his wife, novelist Tabitha King.
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
107 of 113 people found the following review helpful
By Adam Shah
Format:Mass Market Paperback
This is the first installment of Steven King's fantasy series, The Dark Tower, which follows the story of the Gunslinger Roland, the equivalent of an Arthurian knight in the world King has created, and his quest to reach the Dark Tower in order to make the world right again.
This installment tells the story of Roland's search for a mysterious stranger who may be able to help Roland find the Dark Tower. It is long on atmosphere and short on action. Therefore, fans of Steven King's horror works will find this book a distinct change of pace. However, the book will not disappoint you if you try it, especially if you are a fan of fantasy series such as the Lord of the Rings. Furthermore, you will find in later books that elements of King's horror world also exist in Roland's world, and therefore, to have a full understanding of King's horror villains, you have to read this series.
The Gunslinger offers several intriguing views of Roland's dying world. The book is not devoid of action; there is a dramatic shoot out for shadowy reasons which one hopes will be better explained in the concluding volumes of the work. There is a lost child who provides the first direct evidence that Roland's world is connected to our own, and there is the introduction to Roland himself, a man who is capable of fantastic violence but still comes across as human and quite possibly kind (a fact which becomes more clear in later books).
I recommend this book most highly to anyone who enjoys stories involving quests such as Arthurian legends, the Chronicles of Prydain and the Hobbit and Lord of the Rings.
140 of 160 people found the following review helpful
By "vaoy"
Format:Mass Market Paperback
At under 300 pages, "The Gunslinger" - the first book from Stephen King's "The Dark Tower" series - may seem oddly short, especially when compared to the latest volume from the epic, weighing in at around 700 pages. And still, Constant Reader, there are thousands more to go!
According to the afterword from this book, it took King twelve years to complete the writings. He wrote the opening line, "The Man in Black fled across the desert, and the Gunslinger followed" while an undergraduate, the middle portions when "`Salem's Lot" was going bad, and was inspired with another concurrent writing: "The Stand." For King to have kept the Gunslinger, the Man in Black, Jake, and the other characters - and really the entire world of the Dark Tower - alive for so long in his mind is a testament to not only the power that this held over the author, but holds over us - his Constant Readers. Moreover, since the first publishing of "The Gunslinger," around twenty years have passed, a number of newer volumes in this series have come and gone - yet with this first, partially inspired by Robert Browning's poem, "Childe Roland," and partially inspired by reams of green paper (read the afterword to the book), you know that this was a very special creation indeed.
I am not a fan of King's horror fiction. But when he gets down to writing about "other worlds than these," such as "The Stand," "Insomnia," "The Green Mile," and "The Talisman" (co-authored with Peter Straub) - there is no one better. His is an imagination to be jealous of. There is always a feeling that alternate universes exist, next to our own. King imbues his other worlds with just enough of our own so that we feel a tantalizing connection between our own perceptions of reality, and those that King entertains us (Constant Readers) with.
At any rate, "The Gunslinger," at under 300 pages, is just right to introduce us to the world of The Dark Tower, and keep us on course, with a desire to continue (and to wait, ever so patiently for the next volume in the series) the journey the Gunslinger started many years ago.
36 of 39 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
The hype surrounding the Dark Tower series finally got to me and I picked up The Gunslinger, unsure of what I would find. What I found was a stark, fresh, somewhat surreal and demanding (yet light!) experience that left me wanting more, much more.
This first novel in the series finds the hero (for wont of a better word!), The Gunslinger, slugging across the desert in search of the mysterious Man in Black. The desert is bleak and so our the words - yet they have a definite beauty. Along the way The Gunslinger meets a couple of people (are they alive or dead?) and reveals some of his back history - a strange massacre in a town, his childhood friends and mentors and hints at a Dark Tower.
Death permeates this book. We're not sure who's dead or alive. Something strange has happened with time - the main search right now is for this cause - and strange fragments of the "real" world appear through the fog - Hey Jude playing in a Western Saloon is one of the strange and wonderful images we encounter. Time itself is an illusion it seems and still the Man in Black is ahead of us.
My one reservation about the book is that the final meeting with the Man in Black is a little anticlimactic. Perhaps that's because it's been building up but after the meeting we wonder why he was running at all. However, there is a lot of backstory missing in the book - obviously slated for the later books - so perhaps issues like this will be resolved. All in all a most strange but powerful book - well worth reading.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
2.0 out of 5 stars
I Didn't Hate It
Based on other things I've read by King and the hype I'd received from aquaintances, I was looking forward to the read. Read more
Published 1 hour ago by Diane Berger
3.0 out of 5 stars
Now this book was a winner
My mother was interested and I came out ahead with a thumbs up. Just what she was after. Hats off to you.
Published 3 days ago by Don Nichols
5.0 out of 5 stars
Nexus of Time and Size
I am glad I waited to read The Gunslinger until after Stephen King revised and expanded the first novel in his series, The Dark Tower. Read more
Published 3 days ago by Gary Severance
5.0 out of 5 stars
The gunslinger
I really liked this book. It was kind of slow but a lot of action. I am going to read the whole series
Published 4 days ago by kenneth spurlock
5.0 out of 5 stars
The start of a journey
This is my first review, and I must what perfect book. I cannot wait to read the next installment. Highly recommended book to read if you are interested in epic - dark quest
Published 6 days ago by Yuca
4.0 out of 5 stars
A good start to an epic saga
For those new to The Dark Tower series (myself being one of them), Stephen King has revised this first part of the series, The Gunslinger, a few years back so it'd blend in better... Read more
Published 7 days ago by J. Bauer
5.0 out of 5 stars
A journey begins
I don't know why I didn't read this book sooner. It is incredibly well written and it absorbs you. If you enjoyed reading Lord of the Rings, you will probably enjoy The Gunslinger... Read more
Published 8 days ago by Joseph A Castronovo
5.0 out of 5 stars
Wonderful book!!
This is my second trip through this series of books. Stephen King has such a wonderful imagination. I get lost in his words with every writing.
Published 10 days ago by Sissyt
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great
The only reason I'm giving this four instead of five stars is because the second one is my favorite of the series. Read more
Published 12 days ago by RD Thornhill
4.0 out of 5 stars
Intriguing
The writing is good, solid King, without some of the repetitive unilateralism of his lesser works. But like Green Mile, he is slowly weaving what may become a great story. Read more
Published 19 days ago by john rezendes-herrick
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