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Original Essays | April 16, 2013

Urban Waite: IMG The Dark Side

0 comments By Urban Waite

Every night after I finish work, I sit down to write this essay, and every night I fail. And failure, believe it or not, is one of the best things... Continue »
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Dark Tower #01: The Gunslinger

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Dark Tower #01: The Gunslinger Cover

 

Synopses & Reviews

Publisher Comments:

Eerie, dreamlike, set in a world that is weirdly related to our own, The Gunslinger introduces Roland Deschain of Gilead, of In-World that was, as he pursues his enigmatic antagonist to the mountains that separate the desert from the Western Sea. Roland is a solitary figure, perhaps accursed, who with a strange singlemindedness traverses an exhausted, almost timeless landscape. The people he encounters are left behind, or worse — left dead. At a way station, however, he meets Jake, a boy from a particular time (1977) and a particular place (New York City), and soon the two are joined — khef, ka, and ka-tet. The mountains lie before them. So does the man in black and, somewhere far beyond...the Dark Tower.

Review:

"In the interest of fair criticism, The Gunslinger is still a good read....[It] strives (successfully, on some levels) to invest the high fantasy genre with a uniquely American angle. Filled with plenty of strange creatures...and just the right amount of dread, foreshadowing and poetic prose, The Gunslinger is a quirky, interesting start to Roland's journey." The Denver Post

Review:

"An impressive work of mythic magnitude. May turn out to be Stephen King's greatest literary achievement." Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Review:

"Brilliant, fresh, and compelling...will leave you panting for more." Booklist

Synopsis:

In the first book of this brilliant series, Stephen King introduces readers to one of his most enigmatic heroes, Roland of Gilead, The Last Gunslinger. He is a haunting figure, a loner on a spellbinding journey into good and evil. In his desolate world, which frighteningly mirrors our own, Roland pursues The Man in Black, encounters an alluring woman named Alice, and begins a friendship with the Kid from Earth called Jake. Both grippingly realistic and eerily dreamlike, The Gunslinger leaves readers eagerly awaiting the next chapter.

Synopsis:

This heroic fantasy, set in a world of ominous landscape and macabre menace, features one of Stephen King's most powerful creations-The Gunslinger.

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About the Author

Stephen King, the world's bestselling novelist, was educated at the University of Maine at Orono. He lives with his wife, the novelist Tabitha King, and their children in Bangor, Maine.

Stephen King, the world's bestselling novelist, was educated at the University of Maine at Orono. He lives with his wife, the novelist Tabitha King, and their children in Bangor, Maine.

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Series Description

Set in a world of extraordinary circumstances, filled with stunning visual imagery and unforgettable characters, The Dark Tower series is unlike anything you've ever read. Here is Stephen King's most visionary piece of storytelling, a magical mix of fantasy and horror that may well be his crowning achievement.

Join the quest for the elusive Dark Tower.

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What Our Readers Are Saying

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Average customer rating based on 5 comments:
nothing_of_consequence, August 6, 2012 (view all comments by nothing_of_consequence)
Whether you're a fan of westerns, sci-fi epics, or tales of fantasy; there is something in the Dark Tower series for everyone. The relationships of the gunslinger and those who cross his path, feel tangible enough to reach out and touch, a speciality of King's that is always a welcome vacation from a great deal of fiction's two dimensional character development. It's hard to find something to dislike about these books, it would also be worth it to say that if you're a bit burnt-out on the Steampunk trend, this tale feels like the old spaghetti westerns, gritty, and sans the Steampunk, which is refreshing. They may have been written over his whole career, but every book in the series stays surprisingly relevant with every passing year.
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ReaderOfBooks, September 3, 2011 (view all comments by ReaderOfBooks)
When people think of Stephen King, most of them immediately think that he only writes horror novels. This book proves them all wrong. It is about a gunslinger in a dying world chasing down a mysterious 'Man in Black', who has the answers to the gunslinger's most important questions. It is a remarkable, fast - paced book that is rewarding in the end. I thought this book was amazing, and it is truly one of my favorites.
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Kristen Krauter, September 2, 2011 (view all comments by Kristen Krauter)
This book is the very slow start to the dark tower series, which is the crowning achievement of Stephen Kings career. The writing of this series has taken a lifetime for King to accomplish.

Although it starts out slow and can be hard to get through, in fact, this book weeds out the weak before the real journey begins on this epic fantasy adventure. If you make it through the desert with the gunslinger, you've proven you are indeed up for the journey. Hold on tight, because the rest of the series is going to be a wild ride. Like life, sometimes you have to get through the slow and the boring in order to experience the amazing and wonderful. After all, how else would you know a good thing when it's right in your hands?
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Product Details

ISBN:
9780451210845
Author:
King, Stephen
Publisher:
Signet Book
Illustrator:
Whelan, Michael
Foreword by:
Wolfe, Thomas
Foreword:
Whelan, Michael
Foreword:
Wolfe, Thomas
Author:
Wolfe, Thomas
Location:
New York
Subject:
Fantasy - General
Subject:
Fantasy fiction
Subject:
Fantasy - Series
Subject:
Roland (Fictitious character)
Subject:
Roland
Subject:
Fantasy - Epic
Subject:
General Fiction
Subject:
Science Fiction and Fantasy-Fantasy-Epic
Subject:
Horror
Copyright:
2003
Edition Description:
Revised
Series:
Dark Tower
Series Volume:
01
Publication Date:
20030731
Binding:
MASS MARKET
Grade Level:
from 12
Language:
English
Illustrations:
Y
Pages:
336
Dimensions:
6.82x4.44x.90 in. .34 lbs.
Age Level:
from 18
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Related Subjects

Fiction and Poetry » Horror » General
Fiction and Poetry » Science Fiction and Fantasy » A to Z
Fiction and Poetry » Science Fiction and Fantasy » Fantasy » Epic

Dark Tower #01: The Gunslinger Used Mass Market
0 stars - 0 reviews
$4.95 In Stock
Product details 336 pages Signet Book - English 9780451210845 Reviews:
"Review" by , "In the interest of fair criticism, The Gunslinger is still a good read....[It] strives (successfully, on some levels) to invest the high fantasy genre with a uniquely American angle. Filled with plenty of strange creatures...and just the right amount of dread, foreshadowing and poetic prose, The Gunslinger is a quirky, interesting start to Roland's journey."
"Review" by , "An impressive work of mythic magnitude. May turn out to be Stephen King's greatest literary achievement."
"Review" by , "Brilliant, fresh, and compelling...will leave you panting for more."
"Synopsis" by , In the first book of this brilliant series, Stephen King introduces readers to one of his most enigmatic heroes, Roland of Gilead, The Last Gunslinger. He is a haunting figure, a loner on a spellbinding journey into good and evil. In his desolate world, which frighteningly mirrors our own, Roland pursues The Man in Black, encounters an alluring woman named Alice, and begins a friendship with the Kid from Earth called Jake. Both grippingly realistic and eerily dreamlike, The Gunslinger leaves readers eagerly awaiting the next chapter.
"Synopsis" by ,
This heroic fantasy, set in a world of ominous landscape and macabre menace, features one of Stephen King's most powerful creations-The Gunslinger.
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