The Gunslinger

Dark Tower: 1

ISBN: 1-402505859-7 Order from: Recorded Books Amazon.com Amazon.com

Both bleak and dreamy, the novel is impresseive in its tone and surroundings, with terse storytelling and unusual magic; but the characters fail to engage reader's sympathy.

Reviewed by David on February 27, 2005

Genre: Fantasy

Synopsis: In a dry, dying world reminiscent of the Westerns, a gunslinger pursues a sorcerer across the desert. The Gunslinger—a title of distinction from a now destroyed kingdom—is gripped by a terrible purpose. Overcoming the obstacles left by the sorcerer is no easy task—for his soul more than for his body—but the last Gunslinger, Roland, needs to complete his quest.

Full Review: This is the beginning of a cult epic by King. This novel is both impressive and disappointing.

The world of the Gunslinger is not our own, but there are parallels and echoes of ours that make it, if anything, more puzzling and poignant. The narrative strings a set of short stories, all framed by the bleak, haunting landscape, and the initially engimatic Roland. As the Gunslinger deals with the challenges of the killing land, we learn more about him and a little—a very little—about the world.

The individual stories are well crafted, but despite the slow revelation of Roland's character, he, or others in the book, fail to become fully fleshed.

Insifficiently engaging characters are ultimately the failure of this novel, despite the evocative and unusual setting.

Overall: 5.5; Plot: 5; Characters: 5; Style: 6; World-building: 6; Originality: 7;

ISBN: 1-402505859-7 Order from: Recorded Books Amazon.com Amazon.com