The Darktower: The Gunslinger by Stephen King

Shane | Allentown High School, Grade 11

Rating: ***

If you’re a fan of classic Western films, then “The Gunslinger” by Stephen King is just for you. In this otherworldly novel of time travel, folk tales, and dark magic, Roland Deschain, the last of a long line of protectors through family generations, is on a quest to find the mythical Dark Tower before an evil force known as The Man in Black finds it first. The Tower, though hardly taken into thought as anything more than a children’s tale, is said to give infinite power and knowledge to its wielder. Along the way, Roland forms a bond with a lost boy named Jake Chambers who has no memory of where he is from. But it soon is revealed that Roland and Jake crossing paths was quite possibly not an accident at all.

This is a very tough, time-consuming read that at times is difficult to follow. Though Stephen King is known for his long page novels, much of this story felt redundant and unnecessary as if the author was struggling to push the story further. I also felt that this book relied way too much on a sequel, as the beginning and end don’t quite make sense without further reading. However, I feel that it served its purpose in successfully introducing us to the feel of the world in King’s writing. Not my favorite of the series, but it still is an enjoyable read if you have a lot of time to kill.