REVIEW: The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger

The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger by Stephen King
Publishing Information: 1982 (first publishing) 2003 (current edition)
Publisher: Signet, Mass-Market Paperback, 300 pgs
ISBN-13: 978-0-451-21084-5
Series: The Dark Tower, Book 1 (of 7)
Reviewer: Andy
Copy: Out of Pocket

Synopsis: (from inside cover): In the first book of this brilliant series, Stephen King introduces readers to one of his most enigmatic heroes, Roland of Gilead, the last gunslinger. Nothing will ever be the same. Roland's quest for the Dark Tower takes readers on a wildly epic ride-- through parallel worlds and across time. A classic tale of colossal scope - crossing over terrain from The Stand, The Eyes of the Dragon, Insomnia, The Talisman, Black House, Hearts in Atlantis, 'Salem's Lot, and other familiar King haunts - the adventure takes hold with the turn of each page.


Prior to my reading of this first installment of the Dark Tower Series, I had never read Stephen King. I had seen many film adaptations of King's novels and short stories - everything from Kubrick's The Shining, to Cronenberg's brilliant version of The Dead Zone, to ABC's the Stand miniseries, to the low budget Sleepwalkers and The Langoliers. King's entire bibliography had been pilfered by Hollywood resulting in a few classics but mostly disasters. Over the years, King's willingness to squeeze as much money as he could out of the film and television industry, despite the often terrible results, caused me to shy away from him as an author. Any author who cared so little about his work that he would allow the motion picture industry to taint it with poor imitations was not worth my time or money.

This was a silly prejudice on my part. Many friends whose opinions I respected were huge King fans. The fact that King was one of the richest writers alive was not because he was the biggest sellout, but because he did something right. When I heard that an epic full-scale film and television adaptation of the Dark Tower series was taking place, I knew it was the perfect time to give King's books a try. Though the director on the job, Ron Howard is probably better off making summer blockbusters starring Tom Hanks rather than something that requires so much style and vision, I remain hopeful. But, enough about the films. Onto the novel.

I'm not sure how King usually writes, but The Dark Tower I: The Gunslinger is written like a hard-boiled western. The writing is terse and simple, without flowery adjectives and phrases. Though written from the third-person, it often sounds as if the protagonist could be telling the story about himself. Our hero, the Gunslinger, is tough in the way that Clint Eastwood's portrayal of Sergio Leone's Man With No Name is - he's a man of few words but he makes those words count. The gunslinger isn't a cowboy in the traditional sense however - the book suggests that he has trained in gunfighting as if it were some sort of martial art, and there are also indications that gunslingers have some sort of sworn duty. Not to mention, our gunslinger isn't afraid to take the occasional drug induced spirit journey.

The story lacks any info drops as King has put on a clinic of the "show don't tell" approach to writing. We must blindly follow the journey of the gunslinger as he follows a trail through deserts and mountains, chasing a figure mysteriously known as the "Man in Black" (Johnny Cash would be proud). The world seems post-apocalyptic since there are indications of ancient artifacts such as gas stations and Beatles' songs, while mutants inhabit abandoned subway stations. There is even a character who has memories of a life in New York City. However, King hasn't explained what the link is between the familiar world and the world of the Dark Tower and we are left guessing in this first book.

But, just because I was confused didn't mean that I was bored. The stories we hear of the man in black and his mysterious link to the figure known as Marten are devilish in the way only the stories of the best villains are. The gunslinger is the perfect foil to this man in black.. While the gunslinger is a man of few words, simple, and straightforward - the man in black is an insincere flimflammer, often appearing as a pretentious charlatan. The cat and mouse game these two play certainly is interesting - and the opaque journey in which they are taking is certainly intriguing. However, King has set up some puzzling mysteries here and it will be interesting if he can provide worthwhile resolutions to them. In short, I am eager to learn how things will progress, but still skeptical that this won't turn into an exercise in nonsense or a knot that King cannot untangle himself from. Well, I guess I can read on and find out.



Plot……….5.5/ 10

Characters………8.5/10

Style………..7/10

Overall……….6.5/10