The Gunslinger

The Gunslinger (Dark Tower #1)
Stephen King
Published by Plume, 2003; ISBN 0452284694
Recommended reading age: teen, adult

Summary:
Stephen King is the author of a seven-volume masterpiece known as the Dark Tower series. The Gunslinger is the first volume, and introduces readers to the hero, Roland Deschain, and to his home of Mid-World. “The man in black fled across the desert and the gunslinger followed,” begins the book—and the tone remains equally epic throughout all seven volumes. A blending of Western, fantasy, science-fiction, and horror, The Dark Tower series provides readers with a classic battle between ultimate good and ultimate evil.

Review:
Although I didn’t open The Gunslinger until I was 22, it would be an excellent choice for smart, adventurous teens. The Dark Tower is a crazy mix of fantasy, horror and Western, with The Gunslinger being the most Western of the series. Stephen King presents Roland as a dark, stoic fighter who is both ancient and young. He’s been tailing The Man in Black for ages, ever since his home of Gilead was destroyed in battle. Readers follow Roland across the desert and into small towns where the world has “moved on.” Ultimately, we ache for him to reach the Man in Black so we can have some answers. Who is Roland? What is Mid-World? What was Gilead like? But like the tv show Lost, The Dark Tower series is so much more than it first appears. Once you get on, you’ll never want to get off! I’d recommend this book to fans of Stephen King, fans of Lost, and fans of complicated sci-fi/fantasy epics.