The Dark Tower

The Dark Tower
by Stephen King

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Book Summary Information

Author: Stephen King
Edition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2003-08-18
ISBN: 0340829753
Number of pages: 304
Publisher: New English Library Ltd

Book Reviews of The Dark Tower

Book Review: A Rare Stephen King Misfire
Summary: 2 Stars

While reviewing the first book, "The Gunslinger", of Stephen King's "Dark Tower" series, I am trying to not let the brilliance of the subsequent editions cloud my judgment on this one. I am a "late" fan of King (still working my way through all his novels), and I finally decided to begin the journey to the Dark Tower. However, after reading this first installment, it took an editor's note from King himself to get me excited about continuing with Roland on his quest.

The main problem I had with this book is that absolutely no context is given for Roland's world on his travels as the book opens. Roland is wandering through a land that looks like our own but definitely is not, contains mutant monsters, and for some reason a "Man In Black" that Roland is compelled to follow.

As I continued reading, those mysteries were only beginning to be touched on as the novel came to a close. Thus, I spent way too much time trying to figure out just what the heck was going on (a task that is nearly impossible without reading the next few installments anyway) and less time just enjoying the adventure.

At the conclusion of my reading, I wondered exactly how Stephen King was going to make an interesting story out of this. Little did I know that King is actually utilizing a form of background storytelling, where the events in this book are not fully explained for two, three, or even four books down the line. I did not care for this type of narrative, as it creates way too much confusion and too little of the mystery that King likely was gunning for.

So, if you are looking to start your own quest for the Dark Tower, you still need to read this book, but keep firmly in your mind that the series absolutely explodes in the next few books, which is far different from the glacial-like pace of this first try.

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Summary of The Dark Tower

"An impressive work of mythic magnitude. May turn out to be Stephen King's greatest literary achievement." (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)

"Brilliant, fresh, and compelling...will leave you panting for more." (Booklist)

Thirty-three years, a horrific and life-altering accident, and thousands of desperately rabid fans in the making, Stephen King's quest to complete his magnum opus rivals the quest of Roland and his band of gunslingers who inhabit the Dark Tower series. Loyal DT fans and new readers alike will appreciate this revised edition of The Gunslinger, which breathes new life into Roland of Gilead, and offers readers a "clearer start and slightly easier entry into Roland's world."

King writes both a new introduction and foreword to this revised edition, and the ever-patient, ever-loyal "constant reader" is rewarded with secrets to the series's inception. That a "magic" ream of green paper and a Robert Browning poem, came together to reveal to King his "ka" is no real surprise (this is King after all), but who would have thought that the squinty-eyed trio of Clint Eastwood, Lee Van Cleef, and Eli Wallach would set the author on his true path to the Tower? While King credits Tolkien for inspiring the "quest and magic" that pervades the series, it was Sergio Leone's The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly that helped create the epic proportions and "almost absurdly majestic western backdrop" of Roland's world.

To King, The Gunslinger demanded revision because once the series was complete it became obvious that "the beginning was out of sync with the ending." While the revision adds only 35 pages, Dark Tower purists will notice the changes to Allie's fate and Roland's interaction with Cort, Jake, and the Man in Black--all stellar scenes that will reignite the hunger for the rest of the series. Newcomers will appreciate the details and insight into Roland's life. The revised Roland of Gilead (nee Deschain) is embodied with more humanity--he loves, he pities, he regrets. What DT fans might miss is the same ambiguity and mystery of the original that gave the original its pulpy underground feel (back when King himself awaited word from Roland's world). --Daphne Durham

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