The Gunslinger blew my mind | Spoiler-Free REVIEW
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- Опубликовано: 12 сен 2024
- I didn't have high expectations starting The Gunslinger, hearing mostly that it was the weakest book in the Dark Tower series. If this is the weakest book...then this series is going to blow my mind
I've read both versions and love them both.
I've made the argument in lit classes that the Gunslinger has the greatest opening line in all of prose fiction because of how dense the level of information is in that single sentence, "The man in black fled across the desert and the gunslinger followed." Here's your antagonist, your setting, your protagonist, the protagonist's goal, the basic plot, conflict, form of narrative and after you've read the whole series if you squint it sets up one of the fundamental themes.
Yes.
I loved the opening too for the same reason. It really puts you into the story right away.
Although, The Shining's opening is still my favorite. "Jack Torrance thought: officious little prick."
And not only so laden with meaning, but
SPOILER FOR LAST BOOK
then it's the last line of the last book?!
@@TheDyllsthe ending of the dark tower deals 10d12 psychic damage
@@fruitchewx127 Never heard it put more accurately
The Gunslinger is quite possibly THE most important piece of work Sai King has ever written. I look forward to all your reviews for the series and hope you do all kinds of videos on it
Planning to, and thanks!
I really liked the gunslinger. Wish we would have had more time with just Roland exploring midworld before he loses his fingers.
I used to teach The Gunslinger in one of my classes. It's the best Stephen King book I've read so far as a literary accomplishment. The themes are tied together to the characters, setting, and plot so tightly it feels like a Margaret Atwood level experience. It is precisely the right length, the prose is clear and forceful, and even the side characters are wonderfully realized. The scenes are unlike anything I've ever read before or since. The whole is definitely more than the sum of its parts, too. It's just an excellent representation of what a master of the craft can accomplish with words on a page.
So glad you liked The Gunslinger! I feel a kinship with anyone who gets into this series. Looking forward to your thoughts on The Drawing of the Three. Eddie Dean is one of my favorite fictional characters.
Finished Drawing and Eddie Dean is so funny, I love his relationship with Roland in that book. I can already tell this will be one of my new favorite fantasy series
@@ManCarryingThing im reading all Stephen King books cuz i know each one can be good or bad..... i like Dark Tower series as a set but to pick 1 from it is hard but i like the artwork for Wing though the keyhole in hardcover im keeping it that one
Jautvatatted my audio book journey. Gunslinger first true book I'm listening and enjoying
The Gunslinger was the first Stephen King book I read and to be honest it kind of jaded me because as you mentioned 2:04 there is a clear shift from book 1 to book 2... The Gunslinger is abstract, dreamlike (nightmare tbh) and as poetic as I’ve seen Stephen King get, I love how there is little to no explanation- you are thrown into the world with little exposition and your imagination runs wild... whereas the Drawing of the Three, is much more focused on building the foundation of an epic sci-fantasy saga (I do still love it) for me it just feels like the difference between watching a classic western masterpiece vs watching something like an action packed MCU movie. I love both I just will always prefer [the first] one more! But I’m glad you enjoyed the “pretentious” S. King writing style too (and honestly I wish he would’ve stuck with that tone instead of getting seemingly self-conscious and changing to a more digestible prose...)
I like how your moustache is really thin in the middle. It’s like a reverse Charlie Chaplin.
i have been seen
Or a certain other person
Fun fact. We went to the same grade school. He does that to get at Hitler.
@@seannamei same grade school as Hitler?
It's because he speaks on camera
I went through it in seventh grade (a couple years ago) and it was kind of tough, but I still appreciated it. I know this aligns with a ton of other people, but the ending elevated the book a massive amount and I could really start appreciating it then.
The gunslinger is not the weakest link of the Dark Tower - actually, I find some of the later books a bit disappointing.
But it is the book that has the least to do with the Dark Tower - as it will evolve to be. I really liked it when I read it :)
If that's the case then I'm gonna hate the rest of the series. The Gunslinger was hard to get through.
That's probably because Kimg didn't want to write them. He forced his way through them just to stop people from asking for them. After Wizard and Glass he just wasn't feeling the muse of it.
@Scott's Precious Little Account I must have mixed up the interviews. But it still honestly does feel forced as if he just wanted to get it over with. Even Roland making the rolling finger gesture over and over felt like a stand-in for himself saying "let's finish this up, I don't want to spend more time on this than I need to."
Wow, this video was like therapy. Everyone I know either hates The Gunslinger or thinks it's 'meh'. And then most book review youtubers say similar things. I was hooked after five pages. The mood and tone that it sets for the series is amazing. It's not just my favorite DT novel, it's one of my favorite novels in general.
Seriously. It makes me feel like I took crazy pills or something. The Gunslinger is not only the best book in the DT series, it's one of King's best books period.
Argh! There's so many series that I'm starting in 2021...lol. I'm going to have to squeeze this in somewhere.
*evil laugh*
Read the Gunslinger again after you've finished the series.
never thought I would, but now that I'm halfway through the series i'm thinking i have to
Why?
@@rolanddeschain9880 are you new?
@@NicholasTinen yeah
I am reading fifth book now and many people say in comments you just need to read gunslinger after finishing series
And i dont know why(
😂😅
Glad you enjoyed it man! It's been so long since I read The Gunslinger so the events are hazy but I remember it sets such a good MOOD. I'll be interested to see how you react to the rest of the series.
My favorite sections where the slow mutants and the Massacre of Tull
Yeh masacre of tull was very wild west type of chapter
And i did not liked very much roland just did genocide there
Killed all people from village
Another one for my want to read list. I've read a dozen King books but he is just so prolific, there are so many still to read. Enjoy the series.
Honestly The Gunslinger is my favorite of the series. Great writing, great story, amazing character. Roland is in my top 3 characters ever, possibly number 1. The series goes way too off the rails for me later one. There are definitely peaks and valleys in the series, but The Gunslinger is probably the highest of the peaks. Especially after a reread after finishing the series.
Thought I had enough books to read until I saw this awesome review. Now I have to add one more to my list! 😜😅
Lol, sorry! (not really)
Such a great review! Can’t wait to read the book now!
I enjoyed the Gunslinger for the most part but it definitely reads differently from his other books, so it was a bit of a weird start. It almost reads like a dream kind of? There were a few parts in the story where I was wondering what actually was going on because it was such a surreal setting. Personally it wasn't until The Drawing of the Three that I really was fully on board with the series, but it's nice to hear someone talk up the Gunslinger this much since so many people act like it's a book you have to "put up with" in the series, almost implying that it's a bad book when it clearly isn't.
I'm getting ready to do an extended read on the series (with all the books that tie in) my next time around and, although I'm a bit intimidated by how long it might take, I'm real stoked about it nonetheless! If you haven't read it yet it really is a fantastic ride.
i just finished the book. amazing read. can't wait to keep going with the series.
I personally thought it was a little crazy and disorganized, but the series as a whole is SOOO good. The second book “the drawing of the three” is one of my favorites by the author.
i literally keep hearing this book is the weakest and it only gets good at like book 4 lool so this review pushed it higher on my tbr (also i've never read stephen king so i have like no expectations)
It's actually so good! And the sequel I just finished ensures I will definitely finish the series this year. I've read very little stephen king too
I think third book is where series is becoming realy interesting
I have read fourth book and i am reading fifth
And i think 3>2>4>1
I dont like 4 book very much because i was already spoiled from since first book
Roland already said his friends died so 4 book is just bigass book about characters you already know they will die at least roland's girlfriend died
I absolutely loved the gunslinger it's definitely one of my favorite books in the series to me 🌟
You and your channel are quickly becoming what I always thought Daniel Greene's could've been but kept falling short. Keep killing it my dude.
Great review. You make me want to re-read the series again. I cant wait to see your review for Drawing of The Three.
I read the Gunslinger a while ago, end of last year I believe. I kept thinking that it should be more and noted that I will probably like the rest of the series because they were more coherently written as novels. Still haven't continued reading the series, there's so much I want to read so books keep getting in the way, but in retrospect I absolutely love the Gunslinger. It is so beautiful in a dark and mysterious way.
I have not read any of Kings other works, mostly because I'm almost purely a fantasy and sci-fi reader so his concepts don't appeal to me that much. The Stand and IT are two I will most likely read at some point, but otherwise I have no intention to read any of his other works. Maybe the Green Mile and the short story that Shawshank Redemption is based on
I read this book back in 1985. I was working at the Banff Springs in the gift shop...and I was stocking shelves. This came out of a box and it never even touched the shelf. Since then, I've read it ten times. Only recently have I discovered that people consider it the weakest entry (That would be SoS. Apt, that). It was a terrific start to the story and every part of it is vital to building Roland's character.
Going into The Gunslinger, I am vaguely aware of the sheer scale and enormity of the story ahead of me. A friend of mine is incredibly excited for me to get into it as well, and speaks of it quite highly - and usually with a sly just-wait-and-see smirk on his face.
That being said, he mentions (as you allude to in your review) that The Gunslinger is a difficult read. “Push through the first book” he says, “Drawing of the Three is when it really gets going!”
This is was (indirectly) great advice, because I went in with low expectations and came out enjoying this book. Decently paced. Interesting characters. A plot that, while fairly straightforward, twists in all the right places. And an ending that has me unbelievably excited for what comes next.
I KNEW IN MY SOUL YOU'D LIKE THIS ONE AHHHHH
also grow mutton chops and complete the entire look and become the western protagonist you were always destined to be
@@ShipwreckedLibrary DON'T TEMPT ME! YOU KNOW I WILL. (also, this is gonna be one of my favorite series, i can already tell)
im so glad you are enjoying it! The first time I read the gunslinger I was kinda meh on it, but the second time... oh man it was an incredible experienc. I really looking forward to see your spoiler free video on this book!
It's kinda surreal honestly being a newcomer to your channel mainly being familiar with your satire and meme stuff so watching this I'm like "So when's the punchline? Oh you legitimately recommend this series, ok"
I agree with everything you just said. You got it completely right. One of the best reviews I've seen on The Gunslinger. It blew my mind too because it was supposed to be the bad book and it's instantly an addictive read. The writing style being so unique to King probably is why so many people don't enjoy reading it but for me I just thought the writing was beautiful.
Thanks!
Nah, man, just you wait.
Also the style's always changing. Last 3, being written around the same time ish (bout a 3 year range), are most like eachother.
They should remake the movie with the first book which flows so well. Clints son could play the Gunslinger.
I love the Dark Tower series - the Gunslinger was my least favorite of all the books and it actually took me forever to read it - I got half way through, stopped for a few months, then finished it. (soooo not like me) But that was a good 15 years ago & I can’t remember why it was difficult for me to get through. Now that I’ve watched your video- I’ll have to reread it. Maybe reread the whole series. So thank you for that!!!
I'm noticing it's common for the first book in a series to be regarded as the weakest. I don't know why but I've noticed this in Wheel of Time, Malazan, Stormlight, and now The Dark Tower. Weird phenomenon. Either way, great video! I love hearing about Stephen King from King fans since I personally haven't found The Book by him that really does it for me.
It's weird, isn't it? Maybe because these are series that ask a lot of the reader -- a lot of worldbuilding and patience. Once you get past the learning curve, it's much easier to continue. And thank you! It took me a while to get into King, fortunately, he has written so many different genres there's a lot out there to choose from!
Well, it's really nto that odd, since the further the author goes into the series the more he can immerse himself and improve himself as a writer overtime.
Who's out there saying Way of Kings is the weakest Stormlight novel? From what I've gathered, most people say it's the best book in the series (though I don't feel this way, mind you). Maybe that particular contingent of the fandom happens to be more vocal, who knows.
I got this whole series for Christmas, same edition as yours. Been putting off starting it, but this is the kick I needed to get excited. Thanks!
Had the same experience with gunslinger, couldn't put it down and had to immediately get into drawing of 3. Instant top fav for me
Great review. I just started it and love it so far. I’ve been wanting to read the Dark Tower books for a while and I bought all of them today. I know it will be fun reading these books because Stephen King is my favorite author. Really nice review.
If people don’t like it they are fools. It’s amazing. One of The best opening lines in all of fiction.
I liked when the gunslinger said "its gunslinging time" and slinged his guns all over the place
I guess I just have trouble with his writing style. I have tried him three times and finished one book. I can’t even remember what the first book I tried was. It was in the late 80s and I didn’t get very far. I tried Th Gunslinger about 10 years ago and didn’t get far into it either. I did finish the Shining but it took me a long time. So far, although the plots sound interesting, Steven King books haven’t pulled me in.
I'm glad you enjoyed. It was definitely not my favorite at all, but it's one of my favorite series. I think Drawing of the Three is my favorite but I'm not all the way sure, haha.
I seriously love the first book in the series. I'm totally mystified by all these people who claim to like the other books more.
i fucking loved THE ORIGINAL version so much. king's prose here is PHENOMENAL. i haven't read the revised version, which was done to fit some of his later additions through the series so that it doesn't come off as its own book.
I really want to read the original and compare the two. I'm sure there's a lot to dissect -- why certain changes were made, etc.
The original version doesn't include all that 'nineteen' stuff with the weed eating guy in the bar and Roland comes across as a lot more harsh and cold - just shooting the lady who worked in the bar along with everyone else in Tull. The tarot reading at the end is different too. One omission I spotted was the gunslinger saying something like 'What's happening, dudes?" to the small kids he meets when he first enters Tull. That sounds like a joke but I swear that was in the original. Guess he decided he didn't want Roland to sound like a surf dude after all.
I found the gunslinger on my uncles desk when I Was visiting him and read it through the next day, one of my absolute favorites of all time. Finished the rest of the series within a year. I was initially turned off by how drastic the changes between books 1 and 2 were and almost gave the series up, so glad I stuck through and finished what is without a doubt the best series I have ever read.
Completely agree with every point! Starting Drawing of the Three rn, and loving it
This sounds like a Stephen King version of Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy
That exact thought passed my mind as I read it. Sometimes I pictured the Man in Black as Judge Holden
@@ManCarryingThing I looked up King's top 10 favourite books and sure enough Blood Meridian is on there haha
this is such an interesting comparison, i don't hate it.
I just finished my first ever read through of the series. Funnily enough I started the series because a band I like (Blind Guardian) had a song about it (they sing almost exclusively about books, the song is called Somewhere Fat Beyond). Once I got the book out of the library, I finished it in about three days. I was in a reading slump at the time but The Gunslinger lifted me right out of it. I proceeded to sell my soul to the tower and finished the whole series in around 7 months
I'm in the middle of reading it for the first time right now and its the original version si I don't know much about the revised one and I got, so far, a 7/10 vibe out of it. It,s good, he's creating a strange world with its own rules, and most importantly, creates questions in my mind I want the answers to, which is vital in Fantasy, that's what pushes you foward, but it is a bit scattered because of the episodic format of the original book. For instance the Tull chaptermade no sense to me. If you're running to get this guy, why would you stop in a town for days and days to chill? Maybe this makes sense later but anyway. It's a great setting, its original and I CANNOT wait for it to connect to the King Multiverse later on, i'm excited.
I tried reading it when I was a teenager, however after watching this video I'll give the series another shot
I just finished The Gunslinger and the Drawing of the Three today. I am really into the series!
An amazing book, maybe my favorite in the series.
I agree! This is my all time favorite book. You said it feels biblical. It really does. All the rest of them are great too, but Gunslinger is my favorite, Drawing is 2nd favorite. I didn't like the Glass one. At all.
I was going to start The Dark Tower until I heard that The Gunslinger was a slag, so I stopped myself. But looking at how you feel about it, I might as well start it, besides the books on my shelf right now.
Thanks for the review. I will pick it up, sounds interesting.
Hey can you talk about the 3-body problem? And how to get over the chinese names? I just can't go on, I wish there was a version that changes the names to jack or stacy. I don't know, that might sound racist but that's how I feel.
i've only just started reading this, im from a background of David Eddings, so dragons, magic, but this is a stephen king book and i wanted to break the mould of magic, dragons, sourcery and head into a favorite writer, watching the TV and movies from Stephen king, Tommy Knocks, IT, the langoliers. and i LOVE them, so I chose Stephen King as my first ever book outside of the realms of magic, dragons.... my point im making is that im struggling to get into the GunSlinger... Already climetised my self to the style of reading ;) so thats a win. The story for me kept chopping so far, Talking to Brown, that Bird of his.... LOL -- I am at the town. not yet sure why everyone is unfriendly there but I am a person that loves to read REALLY mysterious stuff things like worm holes opening up, black holes, multiverse scarey and general ghost stuff (outside of magic, wizards...) -- so far the Book hasn't made me feel worried but have to say i NEED to know more! LOL so i WILL be reading... Am i right in assuming this book has some pretty Stephen King style horror and or mystery in it?
I'm reading it. I'm not that far in, but it feels very dreamlike, and surreal. I'm already tripping balls.
I absolutely HATED this book!!! I liked the movie.
Let me explain. I read this when I was maybe 8 or 9. It was 300ish pages. This was one of the biggest books I had ever read at the time.
I had just finished Silver Bullet, which I finished in 1 night because it scared the shit out of me so much that I couldn't sleep until I finished it! I go back to the library & grab The Gunslinger.
I read all 300ish pages. Go through this journey with this guy through this desert to end at a freaking ocean & have King tell me stay tuned to book 2???? I WAS PISSED!!! Nope. F-you King.
My 40+ year old self might love the series now, but my pre-adolescent self is still holding a grudge 🤣
Favorite novel. Just an amazing solid piece of writing that's immensely rereadable because of its length and breadth of content. Strange, desolate world that has moved on, humanity clinging to the last vestiges of life, strange relics and creatures leftover from the apocalypse. Wrote a compelling piece of post apocalyptic fiction not completely governed by zombies and raiders the way it is today and with just a tiny touch of low magic. Absolute masterpiece. So many people say it's the weakest when Wizard and Glass and Songs of Susannah are far weaker entries in the series.
Never read the revised version, but the original is the best piece of writing i have ever read.
Great review. Now I want to read it.
Starting to read it after reading On Writing!
Very good book. I took some inspiration from it for my latest novel. But only a little.
Many people told me that it is hard to get threw. So I had really low expectations. But I have to say, that after reading it, yea it is not the best book from King, but I enjoyed it more then I thought I would. I think the main problem with this book is, that it gives you more and more questions and no answers.
But you cant judge it on its onw, it is only the beginning of a really long epic Story called the Dark Tower.
I also wouldnt judge a book after reading the first 50 pages.
I have tried to read this book a few times and gave up. The prose kills me. I feel completely lost as I’m reading it. Compared to all the other Stephen King novels I’ve read I can’t believe this was written by the same person. I will read it this time though. I hope your praise will help me appreciate it more.
After rereading the Gunslinger and moving on to The Drawing of Three, I can recommend skipping book 1 and just reading a summary. Book 2 is the good stuff you expect from Stephen King.
I’m on wizard and glass right now it’s awesome
I like the Gunslinger. The writing is evocative. The characters interesting. The world is post apocalyptic, but with a Western motif. It helps that love the inspiration western Good, Bad, and ugly.
Unfortunately the ending is Stephen King. I lost interest in continuing the series. I once tried reading the Drawing of the Three. And it’s not for me.
Read book 2 it will fuck up your mind
It's a Stephen King novel. Solid narration, but infuriates with its flashbacks. Very seat-of-your-pants, doesn't outline. The plotline will unfailingly screech to a halt every now and then as he figures things out. The opposite of a page-turner. His talent makes it still worthwhile, but man. I can only read him once out of ten books, it's so annoying
I think Gunslinger is my favorite book. I like reading it and I whip through it three or four times a year. I prefer the revised edition
I have to say, I'm half way through this and have no idea what the problem is.
0:06 - WHAT? I just finished it and I'm like:
WHAT THE FUCK IS ALL THE HYPE?
This was one of most boring book I have ever read.
My copy has about 250 pages, and only about 50-60 were worth reading.
Book has interesting opening, and interesting ending, and drags all the rest.
Thr Gunslinger is my favorite of the franchise beacuse things were simple. I was very engaged
Looks like I need to give this one a go
I miss when this was a book review channel
I stand by my opinion that gunslinger was the best book in the series, personally i think Wizard and Glass is the weakest point because it feels so disconnected from the other books.
While it’s not my fav of the series, it’s a solid read for sure.
I am 14, can you recommend me some stephen kings books?
I wouldn't say I disliked it, but the writing style is very different from his other work. I've been reading his stuff in publication order, and this one was hard to get into for me
The weakest? The book felt like an entire chapter one that set the tone of what was to come. It's insane how beautiful it felt when I read the book. Like a beautiful nightmare.
The book is just a bit... Dry? 🙊🤦❤️
What's the music?
I thought that The Gunslinger was really nice,. I liked the Story and the characters, and I found that The Man in Black
/Randall Flagg/Walter O'Dim/Walter Padick was kinda Goofy. He Just sayed »Hi, Guys!« or Something Like that to Roland und Jake.
Edwin. I suddenly realize that Reginald sounds only marginally worse.
I LOVED IT
Gunslinger feels like a book you either love or hate
Late to the game, but I didn't hate The Gunslinger when I first read it. I just hated Roland.
After The Drawing of the Three I ended up adopting a cat I am a huge fan of and named him Roland. Hopefully that explains the journey a reader can go on between just those two books 😹
Never struck me that the first book would be regarded as weak, can't see why anyone would say that
Roland saying "I want to love". Got me.
I like the gunslinger more than most
iirc Stephen King wrote The Gunslinger in college. Then he published it in ‘84.
I'm sorry but you are cute.. love intelligent (or nerdy haha) men with moustaches that look like they could be a soldier from a period film. That mustache makes me picture men in the 1800s duelling for their lady love.
Ugh. Shows I've read too much period romance over the last couple years. I usually read adventure/fantasy but I was lacking romance in my life so turned to books. But i do prefer fantasy; I was reading Harry Potter when I was 10, when most kids weren't interested in books (at least my peers). I later read Eragon, The Hobbit, more recently half of the Fire and Ice series (my ex started watching the series so that distracted me from the books; I was literally trying to read to try to get ahead of the whole TV series), and I started on The Witcher The Last Wish, but about a year ago I got really down, and kinda lost passion for reading and never continued. Which is terrible as reading is a great escape!
I never liked the idea of audiobooks as I love the physical format; everything from the feel of turning the pages, to the smell (weird I know... but different books have different smells, whether they are freshly printed, or older and have more of a musty smell), I dont know... I just like having a book in hand. But I ended up listening to audiobooks to help my insomnia. It works! While I do wake up constantly, it does get me to sleep. Since I'd read a buy of Agatha Christie over the past couple years I'd listen to Poirot short stories. I never stay awake long enough for the endings though. I actually came across your channel just now while looking for the audiobook for the Gunslinger, but I do want to order a copy to read too!
Anyways, I've read Stephen King in the past, but short stories. 1408 is one of my favourites. I read Nightmares & Dreamscapes as a teen and have a few favourites from there too. So this will definitely be a change as I'm into his darker and also more humorous short stories. I've seen screen adaptations too but there's nothing like reading the book.
It feels "not-quite" Stephen King, because as Rick James noted: "Cocaine is a hell of a drug." And that's what we're used to...
Why do you look like you're about to bawl the hell out of your eyes 💀
Only King ive ever read. Was whatever. Dont bother with any more King
Don't read the Gunslinger first because it can turn you off by his writing, I'll suggest reading The Shining or Misery.
fuck yeah. he likes the thing i like
Literaly just finished the gunslinger... Uhhh, yeah. That was pretty weird.
Man the carry thing👍
I haven't read The Gunslinger yet, but I have watched the movie several times and loved it! And I have the gunslinger mantra printed out and framed, bc I think it's just so epic!! "Has forgotten the face of his father" Ugh, I just love it. I fully plan on reading this series, it's just been swamped in my TBR pile.
Gunslinger really is, I think, the best one in the series, just because of its unbridled nuance and atmosphere, do you ken it? You say true, I say thank'ya.