Book Reviews #5: The Dark Tower 1: The Gunslinger, By Stephen King

"The man in black fled across the desert, and the gunslinger followed"
-Stephen King, The Gunslinger

That has to be, one of the most intriguing opening lines I've ever come across in a book. Right from the get go, King has already pulled me in, and he never lets go.
The first act of this book, to be frank, is amazing. In some ways it almost feels like a short story, it feels self contained. Stephen King introduces you to this world in a way where you know that this it's fantastical, and could possibly be set in the future, or a even different dimension, but he does it vaguely enough to intrigue the reader to keep on reading, if only to learn more about the world of "The Dark Tower", and the story behind the gunslinger.
One of the many things that I loved about this opening is how the gunslinger is introduced, he comes into the story very stoic, not revealing any secrets of who he is or his personality to the reader. At the beginning, I felt distanced from the character. I was interested in learning more about him, and I wanted to peel back his layers, but at first, I felt that I couldn't relate to the man. But seeing how fleshed out his character felt at the end of the book, compared to how little we know of him at the beginning, is a testament to how brilliant the character development is in "The Gunslinger". You really get the sense that you're traveling with these people, feeling the emotions they're feeling; When The Gunslinger is reminiscing about his past, while you know that he didn't have the greatest childhood, you still understand why Roland would miss such days, and constantly dream about them and relive them. But alas, the world has moved on.
The next three acts of the book, to be honest, aren't as gripping and exciting as the first act, which is mainly due to the fact that most of it is The Gunslinger traveling with Jake, Tolkien style.
In a way, I don't necessarily think that the middle of the book is worse than the beginning, it's just less action packed. Even with the lack of action, Stephen King manages to hold my interest. This is mostly done through the amazing writing found in this novel. King describes everything: the surroundings, their emotions, the magical aspects of the story, beautifully, almost poetically. This writing style really helped me picture every thing without a problem, it helped me grasp the more fantastical elements clearly, with out fully telling me the ins and outs of every single the thing that happens.
Another aspect of the story that keeps the book interesting is the flashbacks about The Gunslinger, they give you a wonderful insight on his character, and what made him the man he is today. And the showdown between him and his teacher was one of the most memorable scenes in the book, seeing him so young but already so skillful was exciting, and the creativity King used in crafting the fight was also great.
But my favorite part of "The Gunslinger", hands down, is the finale, if I can even call it that. You see, "The Gunslinger" doesn't end with a loud epic confrontation, but instead, a thought provoking conversation about whether or not we as human beings hold any significance in this universe, and the fact that we can never fully grasp just how big the big picture really is. This ending was a pleasant change of pace.
The final page of the book, left me ready, no, hungry for more. And I can proudly say that I am happy to keep holding on the steady hand of King, and let him guide me all the way, to the Dark Tower.