The Gunslinger

Summary:

The Gunslinger is the first book in the seven book Dark Tower series, which I believe is categorized as dark fantasy/horror. In my opinion the story is most akin to a western with elements of alternate universes and time travel. It’s quite good, once you get past the initial learning curve.

Review:

I actually tried to read this book in 2024, but didn’t finish it. To be honest, I didn’t give it enough time, because I really struggled with the prose in the first few chapters. The world in which the book takes place has some unique dialects, plus his writing is sort of terse in this one.

I decided to give it another shot because a friend of mine has read all the books in the series and has spoken very highly of it. Now, I’ll be honest, I’ve not truly fallen in love with any Stephen King novel that I’ve read. I typically find his writing fast paced and interesting, but with prose I’m not the biggest fan of.

I’m glad that I gave this one another shot. It is weird, like really strange, but it also has so many elements that drew me in and made me want to know more. He built an intriguing world and the foreshadowing about the Tower and alternate universes kept me going.

I read On Writing a few years ago and in it, King says that he is a discovery writer, or a pantser as it’s known in the industry. Essentially, when he sits down to write, he doesn’t plot his stories up front, he just let’s it flow out naturally and doesn’t know what’s going to happen. He tells himself the story first.

Now, that’s also how I write, so I mean no disrespect when I say that I can tell that he writes this way. I merely mean that the twists and turns that his stories take feel sometimes completely random, which can happen when you don’t have a plan for the story.

He’s obviously a master at writing this way and is one of the most successful authors of all time, so I think it’s fair to say that people enjoy that about his stories. Just a note I feel is relevant as a writer myself.

He explores themes of trauma in childhood, coming of age, adventure and destiny, as well as painful sacrifice. He does thematic writing very well.

I don’t know that it should be anyone’s first Stephen King book, but it’s worth a read in my opinion. I’ve already started book two, so that should tell you something.