Friday 18 August 2017

Review: THE DARK TOWER I: GUNSLINGER (Dark Tower #1) by Stephen King

Source: Received a copy from the publisher for an honest review.
Publisher: Scribner
Release Date: June 13, 2017
Number of Pages: 288 (Paperback)


Description:
Soon to be a major motion picture starring Matthew McConaughey and Idris Elba

“An impressive work of mythic magnitude that may turn out to be Stephen King’s greatest literary achievement” (The Atlanta Journal-Constitution), The Gunslinger is the first volume in the epic Dark Tower Series.

A #1 national bestseller, The Gunslinger introduces readers to one of Stephen King’s most powerful creations, Roland of Gilead: The Last Gunslinger. He is a haunting figure, a loner on a spellbinding journey into good and evil. In his desolate world, which mirrors our own in frightening ways, Roland tracks The Man in Black, encounters an enticing woman named Alice, and begins a friendship with the boy from New York named Jake.

Inspired in part by the Robert Browning narrative poem, “Childe Roland to the Dark Tower Came,” The Gunslinger is “a compelling whirlpool of a story that draws one irretrievable to its center” (Milwaukee Sentinel). It is “brilliant and fresh…and will leave you panting for more” (Booklist).

REVIEW

  I'm not much of a horror reader, so for the most part I've kind of skipped any and everything Stephen King. I've watched quite a few adaptations of his books so I did already know that he was an amazing storyteller, but until The Dark Tower I: The Gunslinger, I hadn't actually ever tried to read one of his books. While I'm not a horror reader, I do love fantasy, so I've had this book recommended to me a few times in the past few years, and I've been considering reading it for a while. When I was asked if I would like to review it right around the movie adaptation's release I jumped at the chance to finally read it! 

I'm a little conflicted over this book just because it left me with so many questions, but I did definitely like it! I especially enjoyed the writing style, and I can see why Stephen King is such a beloved author amongst so many readers⎯if I loved horror, I'd be reading ALL his books now! Story-wise, I felt a little all over the place while reading The Dark Tower I: The Gunslinger. The characters were intriguing and very mysterious, but the way that the narrative jumped around back and forth between flashbacks had me a little lost at first⎯it took me about 100-pages before I was hooked, but once I got that far, I didn't want to put it down. I really loved the writing style and characters though. Both aspects of the story had me hooked, and I was compelled to see what would happen for Roland next! 

Overall, I thought that The Dark Tower I: The Gunslinger could've been a bit tighter as a story and I felt that left me hanging as a reader in a lot of ways, but it did captivate my interest and it has me very curious about the other books in the series! I'm not sure when I'll get to them, but I definitely think that I'll continue on with the series because I need to know how the prophecy surrounding Roland pans out. If you're a fan of fantasy, and you like a bit of mystery, some alternate universes/realms, and books that have chosen ones, prophecies, and oracles, then you should definitely give this series a shot! Don't get discouraged if you're a bit lost at first though. :)




Thoughts??
Have you read started The Dark Tower series yet?
Have you seen the movie yet?

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