Book Reviews | The Gunslinger, by Stephen King
An Epic Tale To Save a Dying World
A desolate world — barren landscapes, and ruined people. Roland Deschain is the last gunslinger. The only survivor from a once thriving and ancient society. He’s on a quest, and nothing will stop him.
Now that everything else is gone, he wants to reach the Dark Tower. But before getting there, he must cross the desert and catch the man in black.
The Gunslinger is the first book in King’s epic series The Dark Tower. The shortest book in the series, it introduces the protagonist Roland of Gilead and his pursuit of the Dark Tower.
This first instalment is the weakest book in the series. It starts quite slowly and doesn’t deliver as much as the other books in this series do. But don’t be dismayed, it’s still a great read.
King’s prose is masterful, though. It’s pretty satisfying to enter this new world, disquietingly similar to our own. We don’t know much about Roland’s world, why it seems destroyed, or what happened. And The Gunslinger won’t give us answers about that. The answers will come later.
There aren’t too many characters in The Gunslinger, but in true King style, they’re very well-written. It’s impossible not to feel something for Allie or Jake. King has a way of creating very humane characters — their desires, fears and imperfections only add to their allure.
Although, the main character, Roland, is a bit distant. He’s an introspective person, and he keeps his distance from the reader too. As the story progresses, we get glimpses of who he really is, but not enough to get to know him sufficiently just yet. Roland’s a mystery, a fascinating character with a peculiar mission.
This wasn’t my first time reading this book. It was the first time I read it in English, and the first time in over ten years, though… but I have read the whole series The Dark Tower more than a few times before (my favourite book in the series is the fourth, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves).
The Gunslinger only sets up the scenario for The Dark Tower. And although it’s an enjoyable book, it fails to give the reader a proper taste of all the series has to offer. But don’t be fooled by this first book. There’s a reason why the series is so famous: it’s fantastic.
In the next book, you’ll meet Roland’s ka-tet, and you’ll really get into the story. The Dark Tower series happens in a peculiar world, so like our own, it makes us uncomfortable. It presents complex characters — you’ll love and hate them. And it offers an incredible journey, an epic fantasy with traces of horror and western.
Even though this is a quick story, The Gunslinger is intriguing. And The Dark Tower series has even more to offer. So if you’re a fan of King, a fan of fantasy, or just a lover of good stories — Roland Deschain and his ka-tet are certainly a good bet.
I’m looking forward to reading the following books in the series again.
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