The Gunslinger – The Dark Tower part 1

Some thoughts of mine after finishing the first book of Stephen King’s epic series ‘The Dark Tower’.

(Image by Michael Whelan.)

It took me to my second attempt to actually read this book to completion. And although it started off as a bit of a chore, by about a third in I found myself drawn in to the Gunslinger and his pursue of the Man in Black.

I found the story to be a slow burn — an ongoing pursuit interspersed with necessary backstory of the titular character. And I mean that in a good way. I have the feeling that this is going to be a build up over a long time — especially knowing that how many books there are now in this series.

I found it really intriguing how the Gunslinger and the boy he finds, Jake, interact. Their relationship seemed to be building into an interesting one and really hope that it can somehow be explored further. Somehow.

And Jake’s history too. His origin that spoke of New York in some other world, or that’s what I presumed. Yet the world in which we follow the Gunslinger seems to be in some post-war-ravaged, desolate future of the very same Earth.

Whatever ends up happening, and however this crossing at the nexus of realities is explored, I’m looking forward to the ride it brings.