The Dark Tower I: The Gunslinger by Stephen King (CBR book #27)

I have to make a confession...I'm not a Stephen King fan. I've tried reading a couple of his books (The Tommyknockers and IT) and couldn't get through them. Disappointingly, it's not because I'm a huge wimp and am just too terrified by his books. It's because I find them so BOOOOORING. Go ahead, feel free to mentally flog me if you disagree.

So now you're probably waiting for me to say how I've read The Dark Tower and I'm a changed women...sorry to disappoint again. But at least I got through the entire book!

In case you're still reading this review, The Dark Tower books are a 7 book series (with an eighth related short story as well). The series revolves around Roland, a gunslinger. The books are a kind of sci-fi western where the time and place are a bit vague. Things seem primitive at times, but then things seem other-worldly and even magical at times. Roland is pursuing a man in black and is also on a quest for the dark tower. You'd think I'd have another reference for "man in black" besides THE Mr. Cash after reading this book, but alas, I have no idea who he is in Mr. King's eye. And the dark tower? Not a clue.

I don't know if it's just that King gives more information than I'm retaining and I'm just too bored to absorb it. Or if he just likes to leave mystery and unanswered questions in his books so that you slowly...slooooowly learn bit by bit what the hell is going on after reading all of the books. But I really can't tell you what The Gunslinger is about. I know there's Roland, there's a kid from another time and place, and there's an underground cave with scary creatures, and there's a lot of wandering.

So...I think I'm done with this review. It's just going downhill. I warned you. Not a fan. Why'd I'd read the book then? A friend gave it to me so I thought I'd give it a shot. Oh well.

Hmmm...maybe I can offer you a consolation prize. I read Stephen King's Bag of Bones last year and it wasn't half bad. Just a good old fashioned ghost story. No giant spiders or aliens or anything silly like that. Read that one instead.