The Gunslinger discussion

If so, I am just starting The Gunslinger and would love to chat with others who are just getting around to reading this super amazing series.

Yes. I'm also getting kind of distracted doing so. I am halfway through Wolves of the Calla, and kind of got bored and distracted by other books, despite loving Wizard and Glass.

By this point it's been 3 years reading the first 4.5 books, I hope I'm not going to be lost (though that's obviously far less time than people had to wait when these were released).

I just added you! Let's chat!

Yes Just finished Wizard and Glass and having a break before I continue on.

I am about halfway through the first book and will be taking the first three books with me for a stay in Florida. I would enjoy talking with a fellow reader about what I am currently reading/

Literally just started it, I have high hopes.

I'm on my first go around. I'm on The Dark Tower VII, and after that I will read The Wind Through the Keyhole. I LOVE LOVE LOVE the Dark Tower Series~!!!!

I read through the first 3 but seemed to have hit a slump; I love Stephen King and his universe that he has built up throughout his novels, this just seemed a bit cheesy to me, maybe seeing other people on their first go round will peak my interest again as I do love the characters involved.

omg! i'm so jealous. I wish I could be reading this series again for the first time!

Reading for first time. Just finished Song of Susannah. Love the series. One more to go.

I think it might have been a bad idea to read another series (Song of Ice and Fire) alongside this, I have lost motivation to start the second book.

Sure I will get to it eventually.

Booth147 wrote: "I think it might have been a bad idea to read another series (Song of Ice and Fire) alongside this, I have lost motivation to start the second book.

Sure I will get to it eventually."

yeah good luck, while this series is good, it is nonsense compared to the masterpiece that is asoiaf

Yeah, I totally agree that the asoiaf series is amazing so far, hard to stop now to be honest.

This is my first time reading the series. Im on the third book right now. Its an amazing series so far but i continue
getting distracted by other books and i can only read one books the the time.

I too am reading this for the first time. I am on book 3 right now. I refuse to not finish the series before starting another book. The last time I did that....Robert Jordan died before finishing it, and GRRM is never going to finish ASOFAI. Good news is that this one is already completed, and so far it's phenomenal.

Started to, when I heard the film was coming out. Read the first book but really couldn't get into it and it was a real struggle to finish, which seems a shame.

Graham wrote: "Started to, when I heard the film was coming out. Read the first book but really couldn't get into it and it was a real struggle to finish, which seems a shame."

If that is the case definitely stop, they only get worse as they go, I got to 5 and decided to not waste my time any more, and Stephen King is one of my favorite authors so a mega disappointment for me

Marc wrote: "Graham wrote: "Started to, when I heard the film was coming out. Read the first book but really couldn't get into it and it was a real struggle to finish, which seems a shame."

If that is the case..."

Ah, I'd actually heard the opposite - that the first book is a bit ropey but the rest are excellent.

First book I read of Stephen King so was equally disappointed, really! That's the first book I'd read in a long time where I actively wanted to stop reading.

Graham wrote: "Marc wrote: "Graham wrote: "Started to, when I heard the film was coming out. Read the first book but really couldn't get into it and it was a real struggle to finish, which seems a shame."

If tha..."

Yeah, I'm definitely more into his alcoholic era horror stories, and really am a sucker for his classics. The Shining, IT, Pet Sematary, The Stand all come to mind immediately

I've been reading SK for years, but I'd always avoided the DT books, for no good reason other than I just did. Like others, I found the first book quite disappointing, but the rest of the series really did make up for that.

Just starting it now actually.

First time for me. I'm on page 200 or so of Wizard and Glass - really enjoying the series so far.

I'm on Page 279 of the final book. I'm finishing after 10 years of reading so I can be fully prepared when the movie comes out. I was a teen when I first began reading this, and there was a time where I waited 5 years once I'd heard Wind Through the Keyhole was to be set before Wolves of the Calla.

But yeah, awesome series. Definitely recommend you read. :)

Graham wrote: "Ah, I'd actually heard the opposite - that the first book is a bit ropey but the rest are excellent.

First book I read of Stephen King so was equally disappointed, really! That's the first book I'd read in a long time where I actively wanted to stop reading."

I'd heard that first book was slow for a lot of people, but for me personally, I had no problem getting through The Gunslinger. It was the book after that one that I felt to be rather slow, but then I felt the series really picked up on the 3rd book.

Jeremy wrote: "If so, I am just starting The Gunslinger and would love to chat with others who are just getting around to reading this super amazing series."

Yep, I just finished Gunslinger. This is my first foray into The Dark Tower Series. I found the first installment of the series confusing, intense, interesting, and suspenseful. I can not wait to continue reading the series!

I've recently finished all seven books, which I read one after the other. I agree with some of the other correspondents that it can get a bit boring - for me, in particular, when we're forced into the back-stories of the main protagonists. I find these diversions from the main story arc very distracting, and feel that the overall epic might have been better if they weren't there. But I suspect that's just me. I like my 'asides' to be short and sweet and Mr King doesn't seem to 'do' short.

I think the books are all worth persevering with. If you're looking for typical Stephen King weirdness, along with many and varied outlandish characters, they do make their appearance as you move on. The series is undoubtedly an epic and the standard of writing is as you'd expect from 'The Master'. I just hope that not too many people are disappointed by the ending. To me, it made complete sense and was probably the only way to go.

I just finished my first read a few months ago, definitely enjoyed the series.

I'm in the middle of The Drawing of the Three (Book 2) and I really like it. He's my favorite author, but sometimes he tends to get a bit too much into side stories, which leaves me with the feeling that it can get a bit boring at some points. Then I have to bring myself through these passages..

What's your opinion so far with the first book?

The first book seemed completely meaningless to me. What do I do?
I want to read the others, but it seems like a waste of time for me.

Nox wrote: "The first book seemed completely meaningless to me. What do I do?
I want to read the others, but it seems like a waste of time for me."

Same here.. this book does nothing to me. Though the others are said to be better. This one will be not fully read and send back to the library. I got another of this series from the library and will read that one instead.

I hope it has better characters.

Catorce wrote: "The first book seemed completely meaningless to me. What do I do?
I want to read the others, but it seems like a waste of time for me."
hi Catorce, the first book was meaningless for me too, BUT it gets better from the second book. Im current reading the 4th book. The brazillian edition has a story summary (what? yes! like a resume of the first book. I don`t know how to explain that in english lol), so everytime people ask me about the series, I recommend start with the book 2 lol. I know, it is ridiculous, but at least people don`t drop the serie.

I've read the first 4 books and honestly I found the 4th book, The Wizard and Glass to be the least interesting to me. I found myself struggling to get through it on more than one occasion. However the first 3 books were fantastic to me. I'm currently taking a break to read some of the other stories that are intertwined. The Stand, Insomnia, and now I'm about halfway through Hearts in Atlantis. I'm a big fan of the DT series and would definitely recommend giving these books a read. They really help tie in the world King has created.

I read the first book and was hooked! I read the whole series in 30 days! I am not normally a fantasy lover, but something about these books captured my imagination.

The characters are fantastic, but if you are reading the gunslinger and don't quite get it, Please stick with it and carry on!

For me the best series of books ever written every genre every emotion in one epic tale . Stick with it you won't be dissapointed

I've finished 6 books in the series... I'm also reading them including the extended universe books...
The Gunslinger
The Drawing of the Three
The Waste Lands
The Stand
The Talisman
Wizard and Glass
The Eyes of the Dragon
Everything's Eventual
The Wind Through the Keyhole
Salem's Lot
Wolves of the Calla
Song of Susannah
The Mist
It
Insomnia
Hearts in Atlantis
Black House
The Dark Tower

I'm reading It now, so I'm currently on Book 14 out of 18...

I just finished "The Wastelands" and I liked the books so far. It's hard to keep everything straight. Try looking up summaries of the book you previously read before picking up a new one. That definitely helped me.

Hi Matt!

Did you like "the drawing of the three"? Do you think "the wastelands" is better? I'm finishing the second book now, it's great but sometimes it's boring (not as the first one of course).

Thiago wrote: "Hi Matt!

Did you like "the drawing of the three"? Do you think "the wastelands" is better? I'm finishing the second book now, it's great but sometimes it's boring (not as the first one of course)."

I liked "The Drawing of the Three" better than "The Wastelands", but I'm excited to see where the series goes after Wastelands. King's writing style can get monotonous sometimes but usually there are big payoffs after getting through a whole book.

Krishnakanth wrote: "I've finished 6 books in the series... I'm also reading them including the extended universe books...
The Gunslinger
The Drawing of the Three
The Waste Lands
The Stand
The Talisman
Wizard and Glas..."

Is it "The Talisman" important? is the only one i haven´t read yet and idk if I should read it

Luis wrote: "Is it "The Talisman" important? is the only one i haven´t read yet and idk if I should read it"


Did you read the "Black House"?

It's the sequel to the "The Talisman".

Black House presents you the connection between the world of Talisman and the world of Dark Tower, especially the world jumping

Apart from that, it's not important for Tower junkies to read The Talisman

I just finished listening to the audiobook of "The Gunslinger" and I'm glad to talk it over with you!

Don't do it! You have to spend so much of your time reading this series and when you get to the end............I was appalled. All I could think was how much time I wasted. I think Stephen King is an amazing writer, but I am not a huge fan of horror. I read this because it is a fantasy series, but the horror element is in there and its too much for me sadly. If you want to read fantasy try Trudy Canavan's Black Magician Series, or David Eddings The Belgariad. If you want horror then ready everything of Stephen Kings - except this! The only bit I really liked was the bit he wrote about himself!

I've read the entire series at least 5 times. Love Roland!!!

I was hooked on this series with the first book and read them all in a row obessively, a couple of years ago. I feel this series is actually King's greatest work, and keep meaning to go back to books I'd read before it that I've heard will make more sense, now that I've read this. I read Insomnia a long, long time ago and was frustrated by it to no end, only to be told it pulls together relative to the DT universe! Anyway, I'm a big fan of Stephen King's horror, and the DT series blew me away.

This discussion is an interesting study in subjectivity. I enjoyed the first book for its unique world and especially liked the fourth one for filling out the backstory. At this point I felt compelled to finish the series. I'm generally a passive person but I found books 5-7 to be so awful that I noticed myself yelling out loud at them and scared my cat at one point by throwing book six across the room. When I got to the last chapter of the final book I listed the series on eBay prepared the box for shipping so I would never have to look at them again. But it's all subjective which is why Nabakov's Lolita and Solo Command (Star Wars: X-Wing, #7) are both rated 4 stars on here, and I stand by both of those ratings.

Personally the series was an incredible voyage for me. I read it over about ten years and when I finished the final book I was emotionally spent. I'll admit it does get tough aroung Wizard and Glass but the last two books made up for it, although, yes they are a little strange. What Kind did in Song of Susannah was a bold choice and it certainly made for unique reading.
Has anybody read the later book he added? The Whistling Key I believe? I never got around to it and was wondering if it was worth a look?