The Mist in "great Stephen King movie" shock!, 07 Oct 2008
Firstly, shop around and get the "Skeleton Crew" anthology instead, where you'll get several other King short stories as well as this novella - much better value, so a star off for that.
Great King story, classic set-up and scares, and some nice observations about the siege mentality of humankind. Possibly even a link to the "Dark Tower" series - has the Arrowhead Project ripped a hole between dimensions and created a "thinny"?
A second star off for the ending, which just tails off into nothing. Be warned if you plan on watching the movie version (which is fantastic - it's by Frank Darabont, so of course it is!): the ending is radically different and far superior. In fact, it is stunning in its audacity. Kudos to Darabont for refusing studio pressure to change it, and to King for agreeing to the change to his story. Be warned - it is bleak.

Very Readable Horror-Now a Movie., 05 Sep 2008
I read this on a long train ride and it certainly helped to pass the time. People under pressure in a base under seige is always a good bet for an absorbing drama. This 'novella' also shows how people react; bringing out the best and worst in them. Mrs Carmody is a particularly monstrous creation, rivalling anything outside the supermarket. Not sure about the ending though, but you will have to read this to make your own mind up. There is a motion picture of this book now, which I am looking forward to seeing (apparently with a different ending.) A recommended read.

The Mist, 27 Jun 2008
I really enjoyed the book with the people being traped in the Supermarket. I am going to order the movie at Christmas time. It's a bit like the movie Terror in the Mall only instead of water trapping them it is the Mist. The old woman in the book seemed crazy going on about death and saying it's death out there. If the book was excellent I can't wait to see the film when I get it.

I give this book 5 stars!

Good story - Buy Skeleton Crew., 08 Jun 2008
Just a short note to say this story is available in the book 'Skeleton Crew', which is much better value for money. Stephen King is a master of the horror novel, but a lot of his short story collections are highly underrated.

brilliant, 24 Apr 2008
one of my favourite books ever. dead short, but brilliant. if you can get it cheap, it's well worth a read... 5 stars

The Mist in "great Stephen King movie" shock!, 07 Oct 2008
Firstly, shop around and get the "Skeleton Crew" anthology instead, where you'll get several other King short stories as well as this novella - much better value, so a star off for that.
Great King story, classic set-up and scares, and some nice observations about the siege mentality of humankind. Possibly even a link to the "Dark Tower" series - has the Arrowhead Project ripped a hole between dimensions and created a "thinny"?
A second star off for the ending, which just tails off into nothing. Be warned if you plan on watching the movie version (which is fantastic - it's by Frank Darabont, so of course it is!): the ending is radically different and far superior. In fact, it is stunning in its audacity. Kudos to Darabont for refusing studio pressure to change it, and to King for agreeing to the change to his story. Be warned - it is bleak.

Very Readable Horror-Now a Movie., 05 Sep 2008
I read this on a long train ride and it certainly helped to pass the time. People under pressure in a base under seige is always a good bet for an absorbing drama. This 'novella' also shows how people react; bringing out the best and worst in them. Mrs Carmody is a particularly monstrous creation, rivalling anything outside the supermarket. Not sure about the ending though, but you will have to read this to make your own mind up. There is a motion picture of this book now, which I am looking forward to seeing (apparently with a different ending.) A recommended read.

The Mist, 27 Jun 2008
I really enjoyed the book with the people being traped in the Supermarket. I am going to order the movie at Christmas time. It's a bit like the movie Terror in the Mall only instead of water trapping them it is the Mist. The old woman in the book seemed crazy going on about death and saying it's death out there. If the book was excellent I can't wait to see the film when I get it.

I give this book 5 stars!

Good story - Buy Skeleton Crew., 08 Jun 2008
Just a short note to say this story is available in the book 'Skeleton Crew', which is much better value for money. Stephen King is a master of the horror novel, but a lot of his short story collections are highly underrated.

brilliant, 24 Apr 2008
one of my favourite books ever. dead short, but brilliant. if you can get it cheap, it's well worth a read... 5 stars

Outstanding, 11 Nov 2008
I read this at 14 and was my first ever stephen king book, i loved it. the powerful and vivid way it has been wrote just enticed me to read more and more. I feel this is the best one in the series and one of kings best pieces of fiction. the gunslingers struggles and choices throughtout the book make you hate him but also feel for him. this is a must buy for king fans

Utter Disappointment, 03 Nov 2008
I was convinced this series would be a joy to read, something original and sinister, the celebrated masterpiece saga of one of the masters of horror and fantasy.
I gave it a try... and tried very hard to finish it. I could not bring myself to enjoy neither the story nor the style. Still, I decided to read the second book as well, convinced that there was something I had yet to discover, this certain something that seems to make so many readers enraptured with the Dark Tower books...
Well, I haven't been able to discover it! Many have loved this book and undoubtedly many more will, but personally I find it incoherent,dragging and overtly blunt - a bluntness which feels unsupported and pointless, nothing to resemble what I have come to expect from King.
I prefer to leave the Dark Tower saga here and move on to other stories.

One of my favourites, this series gets under your skin, 23 Apr 2008
This is my favourite series of books and Gunslinger is probably one of the books I re-read most. "The man in black fled across the desert, and the gunslinger followed"....great opening! This book is a bit weird and different to the others in the series, but it still works well.

We get a great introduction to the enigmatic Gunslinger, Roland Deschain and his quest to catch the man in black and to find the Dark Tower. His world is a strange echo of ours, but it has 'moved on.' A strange mix of the old Wild West and a post apocalyptic future, where paper is rare and machinery is ancient, with its original purpose forgotten. Roland meets a boy called Jake, who appears to have died in our reality and somehow crossed over to this other world. They form a fragile partnership as they pursue the man in black...but things seem pretty doomed from the start.

There are many questions raised in this book, and you have to read the rest of the series to find the answers. You enter the story in the middle of it really, and there is a lot of hopping around the timeline to explain things. Roland is a tough character to love, but you get there in the end! That is his appeal, his harshness and his fervent determination to get to the Tower, no matter the cost.

Try this if you want a change! It's not like anything I have read, but it goes without saying, it's a must for King fans and people who like a good, epic fantasy. Thankee sai! Long days pleasant nights! If you read the set you may find you end up talking oddly, it has that effect! READ
Try the graphic novel too, based on the Wizard and Glass book. Great representation of young Roland.

The Gunslinger, 01 Apr 2008
The first instalment of Stephen King's fantasy series is unashamedly inspired by that other fantastic series, "The Lord of the Rings". King made no attempt to hide this and refers to it in each of his surprisingly-interesting forwards, but the thought of reading something so obviously "inspired" put me off. It was only after the release of the final book in the series I was persuaded to pick up "Gunslinger", and was appalled at how brilliant it was.

It's easy for people to say King's off his game, but he wasn't then and he isn't now - the final book, released only recently, is testament to this. "Gunslinger" is arguably everything that Stephen King isn't: beautiful, poetic, and not really horror. Technically it's fantasy, post-apocalyptic fantasy, and on top of that it's a Western of sorts. It's a glaring divergence from King's usual style, but what appalled me was that it was good. Very, very good, and despite the assumption that King's unfamiliarity with the genre would prove to be the novel's downfall, it is also full of everything that King is wonderful at: suspense, mystery, and very real characters.

A review column isn't the place for a synopsis, so I'll keep it brief. This book has one real character and that's the mysterious hero, the eponymous gunslinger who is a throwback from a bygone age that existed before the world "moved on". The brevity of the novel lends itself to this kind of storytelling, in which we follow a single character in a series of events, a tale told in a surreal, rippling narrative that is like looking through water at an alternate world. The other novels don't keep up this dreamlike form of storytelling, which makes "Gunslinger" all the more precious.

If you like King, you'll love this, regardless of the change in genre. If you pick this up and hate it, you'll still come away with a fresh idea on what novels are all about, reminded why people write. Simple story. Complex characters. You don't have to read the others if you don't like it, but if you want a fresh piece of fiction from an established super-writer, then for God's sake try "Gunslinger"!


A good 'part one' book., 02 Feb 2008
If you're thinking of getting this book I can't list a reason you shouldn't except that this really isn't a stand alone novel, rather it's an introduction to a world and a character to be taken up by the many later instalments of the series. Yes, it has it's own plot, but really it's just there to get us started on the journey. Thus, don't read this unless you're prepared to be hooked and end up forking out for all the others.
Having said that, it's hardly a major flaw and the book really is very enjoyable and extremely intriuging. King creates a world which is brutal, surreally dream-like and a million miles from anything else in fantasy, horror or any other genre. His protagonist is tragically human, his antagonist eerily sinister and beautifully cruel, and everyone who gets caught between them is made hugely sympathetic by their status as just that - something that gets caught in the way.
King's experience as a horror writer really comes across here, making this a fantasy world born of and premeated by the horror genre. The setting is a vast and desolate wasteland to which none of it's inhabitants really belong, lending the whole thing an eeriness that keeps the reader on edge throughout and adds a certain grotesque quality to much of what happens.
If you're a fan of King, a fan of horror, a fan of fantasy, or just a fan of really great storytelling then you should definitely check this out. But prepare to be hooked.

The Mist in "great Stephen King movie" shock!, 07 Oct 2008
Firstly, shop around and get the "Skeleton Crew" anthology instead, where you'll get several other King short stories as well as this novella - much better value, so a star off for that.
Great King story, classic set-up and scares, and some nice observations about the siege mentality of humankind. Possibly even a link to the "Dark Tower" series - has the Arrowhead Project ripped a hole between dimensions and created a "thinny"?
A second star off for the ending, which just tails off into nothing. Be warned if you plan on watching the movie version (which is fantastic - it's by Frank Darabont, so of course it is!): the ending is radically different and far superior. In fact, it is stunning in its audacity. Kudos to Darabont for refusing studio pressure to change it, and to King for agreeing to the change to his story. Be warned - it is bleak.

Very Readable Horror-Now a Movie., 05 Sep 2008
I read this on a long train ride and it certainly helped to pass the time. People under pressure in a base under seige is always a good bet for an absorbing drama. This 'novella' also shows how people react; bringing out the best and worst in them. Mrs Carmody is a particularly monstrous creation, rivalling anything outside the supermarket. Not sure about the ending though, but you will have to read this to make your own mind up. There is a motion picture of this book now, which I am looking forward to seeing (apparently with a different ending.) A recommended read.

The Mist, 27 Jun 2008
I really enjoyed the book with the people being traped in the Supermarket. I am going to order the movie at Christmas time. It's a bit like the movie Terror in the Mall only instead of water trapping them it is the Mist. The old woman in the book seemed crazy going on about death and saying it's death out there. If the book was excellent I can't wait to see the film when I get it.

I give this book 5 stars!

Good story - Buy Skeleton Crew., 08 Jun 2008
Just a short note to say this story is available in the book 'Skeleton Crew', which is much better value for money. Stephen King is a master of the horror novel, but a lot of his short story collections are highly underrated.

brilliant, 24 Apr 2008
one of my favourite books ever. dead short, but brilliant. if you can get it cheap, it's well worth a read... 5 stars

Outstanding, 11 Nov 2008
I read this at 14 and was my first ever stephen king book, i loved it. the powerful and vivid way it has been wrote just enticed me to read more and more. I feel this is the best one in the series and one of kings best pieces of fiction. the gunslingers struggles and choices throughtout the book make you hate him but also feel for him. this is a must buy for king fans

Utter Disappointment, 03 Nov 2008
I was convinced this series would be a joy to read, something original and sinister, the celebrated masterpiece saga of one of the masters of horror and fantasy.
I gave it a try... and tried very hard to finish it. I could not bring myself to enjoy neither the story nor the style. Still, I decided to read the second book as well, convinced that there was something I had yet to discover, this certain something that seems to make so many readers enraptured with the Dark Tower books...
Well, I haven't been able to discover it! Many have loved this book and undoubtedly many more will, but personally I find it incoherent,dragging and overtly blunt - a bluntness which feels unsupported and pointless, nothing to resemble what I have come to expect from King.
I prefer to leave the Dark Tower saga here and move on to other stories.

One of my favourites, this series gets under your skin, 23 Apr 2008
This is my favourite series of books and Gunslinger is probably one of the books I re-read most. "The man in black fled across the desert, and the gunslinger followed"....great opening! This book is a bit weird and different to the others in the series, but it still works well.

We get a great introduction to the enigmatic Gunslinger, Roland Deschain and his quest to catch the man in black and to find the Dark Tower. His world is a strange echo of ours, but it has 'moved on.' A strange mix of the old Wild West and a post apocalyptic future, where paper is rare and machinery is ancient, with its original purpose forgotten. Roland meets a boy called Jake, who appears to have died in our reality and somehow crossed over to this other world. They form a fragile partnership as they pursue the man in black...but things seem pretty doomed from the start.

There are many questions raised in this book, and you have to read the rest of the series to find the answers. You enter the story in the middle of it really, and there is a lot of hopping around the timeline to explain things. Roland is a tough character to love, but you get there in the end! That is his appeal, his harshness and his fervent determination to get to the Tower, no matter the cost.

Try this if you want a change! It's not like anything I have read, but it goes without saying, it's a must for King fans and people who like a good, epic fantasy. Thankee sai! Long days pleasant nights! If you read the set you may find you end up talking oddly, it has that effect! READ
Try the graphic novel too, based on the Wizard and Glass book. Great representation of young Roland.

The Gunslinger, 01 Apr 2008
The first instalment of Stephen King's fantasy series is unashamedly inspired by that other fantastic series, "The Lord of the Rings". King made no attempt to hide this and refers to it in each of his surprisingly-interesting forwards, but the thought of reading something so obviously "inspired" put me off. It was only after the release of the final book in the series I was persuaded to pick up "Gunslinger", and was appalled at how brilliant it was.

It's easy for people to say King's off his game, but he wasn't then and he isn't now - the final book, released only recently, is testament to this. "Gunslinger" is arguably everything that Stephen King isn't: beautiful, poetic, and not really horror. Technically it's fantasy, post-apocalyptic fantasy, and on top of that it's a Western of sorts. It's a glaring divergence from King's usual style, but what appalled me was that it was good. Very, very good, and despite the assumption that King's unfamiliarity with the genre would prove to be the novel's downfall, it is also full of everything that King is wonderful at: suspense, mystery, and very real characters.

A review column isn't the place for a synopsis, so I'll keep it brief. This book has one real character and that's the mysterious hero, the eponymous gunslinger who is a throwback from a bygone age that existed before the world "moved on". The brevity of the novel lends itself to this kind of storytelling, in which we follow a single character in a series of events, a tale told in a surreal, rippling narrative that is like looking through water at an alternate world. The other novels don't keep up this dreamlike form of storytelling, which makes "Gunslinger" all the more precious.

If you like King, you'll love this, regardless of the change in genre. If you pick this up and hate it, you'll still come away with a fresh idea on what novels are all about, reminded why people write. Simple story. Complex characters. You don't have to read the others if you don't like it, but if you want a fresh piece of fiction from an established super-writer, then for God's sake try "Gunslinger"!


A good 'part one' book., 02 Feb 2008
If you're thinking of getting this book I can't list a reason you shouldn't except that this really isn't a stand alone novel, rather it's an introduction to a world and a character to be taken up by the many later instalments of the series. Yes, it has it's own plot, but really it's just there to get us started on the journey. Thus, don't read this unless you're prepared to be hooked and end up forking out for all the others.
Having said that, it's hardly a major flaw and the book really is very enjoyable and extremely intriuging. King creates a world which is brutal, surreally dream-like and a million miles from anything else in fantasy, horror or any other genre. His protagonist is tragically human, his antagonist eerily sinister and beautifully cruel, and everyone who gets caught between them is made hugely sympathetic by their status as just that - something that gets caught in the way.
King's experience as a horror writer really comes across here, making this a fantasy world born of and premeated by the horror genre. The setting is a vast and desolate wasteland to which none of it's inhabitants really belong, lending the whole thing an eeriness that keeps the reader on edge throughout and adds a certain grotesque quality to much of what happens.
If you're a fan of King, a fan of horror, a fan of fantasy, or just a fan of really great storytelling then you should definitely check this out. But prepare to be hooked.

strange, wonderful and intriguing, 21 Oct 2008
This is the first Stephen King novel I have read, at first I found it difficult to get into and then got drawn in the strange dark story. Not only that Stephen King includes himself in there as if he really has been there. By the last three quarters of the book I could not put it down and thoroughly enjoyed it.

Dark Tower 6 - Song of Susannah, 12 Jun 2008

King's sixth book in the "Dark Tower" series picks up immediately where "Wolves of the Calla" left off, reinserting the reader into the world of the gunslinger and his travelling companions. They resume their quest for the Dark Tower with a great opening scene, and soon cutting to the absconded Susannah and her new passenger ...

Things progress smoothly and very competently in this penultimate volume, a shorter story than many of its predeccessors and more focused for it. The writing is condensed but not neglectful of the characters or the scenarios, and has all the fluidity and poetry of the previous volumes, although sadly not to the extent of the wonderful "The Gunslinger".

The novel benefits from the sense of movement and progress, that was sadly lacking in the last two novels, "Wizard and Glass" which was almost entirely flashback, and "Wolves of the Calla" which took place entirely in one town. Now things are rolling and the excitement and urgency return to the story.

I'm not a fan of the metafictional aspects of the series, which begun in earnest last novel with the mention of "Stephen King, the authord from Maine", a plotline which is expounded upon and reaches a kind of conclusion here as well. Mixing real-life with fiction is often a bad idea, and although Stephen King appears here as a character, the novel itself doesn't appear to suffer greatly despite the cringing feeling you might get at the hubris of the author.

Still, there are some truly heart-stopping moments, such as the escalation of Susannah's troubles in the final chapter, and the moment of Jake and Pere Callahan's emergence into the New York of 1999. Despite another cliff-hanger ending, which generally drive me nuts with anger and disappointment, it's still a strong book and worthy of the collection. If you felt a little deflated after books four and five, you'll be happy to see a return to form with book six.

the best novel to date, 03 Sep 2007
my favorite novel of the whole collection. one of the main attributes was the introduction of a new character; mia. while the other five books although good found the characters becoming a bit stale. mia threw my emotions in termoil from hatred to sorrow, from cruelty to love.

one of the highlights of this novel was the introduction of 'stephen king' into his own novel!this other character turned the book (more) surreal than ever - yet strangely this made the novel as beleivable as non - fiction.

finally, throughout the collection there has been a lot of information. some which is hard to get your head round. this book puts everything into perspective, any confusion beforehand will be answered.

My overall rating: the best piece of fiction i've read. This book is unique and is a breath of fresh air from the multitude of fiction being written.


Hmmm....calm before the storm !, 25 Jul 2007
Having just finished the series, I can sum this book up by saying, for me, it is the least memorable. Every other book has a definite purpose, be it the bringing together of the main characters, Rolands history, the finale etc, but this seems to go nowhere.
Jumping from book 5 to 7 IMHO, would not cause any major disruption to the flow of this otherwise excellent series.

24, 14 Jun 2007
a good book, not great though. it takes place within 24 hours and focuses heavily on susannah and her pregnancy.

plenty of details brought to the fore about the nature of the enemies that the ka-tet faces.

a nice 9/11 reference also sliped in there.

all in all a good bridge between wolves of the calla and the dark tower

The Mist in "great Stephen King movie" shock!, 07 Oct 2008
Firstly, shop around and get the "Skeleton Crew" anthology instead, where you'll get several other King short stories as well as this novella - much better value, so a star off for that.
Great King story, classic set-up and scares, and some nice observations about the siege mentality of humankind. Possibly even a link to the "Dark Tower" series - has the Arrowhead Project ripped a hole between dimensions and created a "thinny"?
A second star off for the ending, which just tails off into nothing. Be warned if you plan on watching the movie version (which is fantastic - it's by Frank Darabont, so of course it is!): the ending is radically different and far superior. In fact, it is stunning in its audacity. Kudos to Darabont for refusing studio pressure to change it, and to King for agreeing to the change to his story. Be warned - it is bleak.

Very Readable Horror-Now a Movie., 05 Sep 2008
I read this on a long train ride and it certainly helped to pass the time. People under pressure in a base under seige is always a good bet for an absorbing drama. This 'novella' also shows how people react; bringing out the best and worst in them. Mrs Carmody is a particularly monstrous creation, rivalling anything outside the supermarket. Not sure about the ending though, but you will have to read this to make your own mind up. There is a motion picture of this book now, which I am looking forward to seeing (apparently with a different ending.) A recommended read.

The Mist, 27 Jun 2008
I really enjoyed the book with the people being traped in the Supermarket. I am going to order the movie at Christmas time. It's a bit like the movie Terror in the Mall only instead of water trapping them it is the Mist. The old woman in the book seemed crazy going on about death and saying it's death out there. If the book was excellent I can't wait to see the film when I get it.

I give this book 5 stars!

Good story - Buy Skeleton Crew., 08 Jun 2008
Just a short note to say this story is available in the book 'Skeleton Crew', which is much better value for money. Stephen King is a master of the horror novel, but a lot of his short story collections are highly underrated.

brilliant, 24 Apr 2008
one of my favourite books ever. dead short, but brilliant. if you can get it cheap, it's well worth a read... 5 stars

Outstanding, 11 Nov 2008
I read this at 14 and was my first ever stephen king book, i loved it. the powerful and vivid way it has been wrote just enticed me to read more and more. I feel this is the best one in the series and one of kings best pieces of fiction. the gunslingers struggles and choices throughtout the book make you hate him but also feel for him. this is a must buy for king fans

Utter Disappointment, 03 Nov 2008
I was convinced this series would be a joy to read, something original and sinister, the celebrated masterpiece saga of one of the masters of horror and fantasy.
I gave it a try... and tried very hard to finish it. I could not bring myself to enjoy neither the story nor the style. Still, I decided to read the second book as well, convinced that there was something I had yet to discover, this certain something that seems to make so many readers enraptured with the Dark Tower books...
Well, I haven't been able to discover it! Many have loved this book and undoubtedly many more will, but personally I find it incoherent,dragging and overtly blunt - a bluntness which feels unsupported and pointless, nothing to resemble what I have come to expect from King.
I prefer to leave the Dark Tower saga here and move on to other stories.

One of my favourites, this series gets under your skin, 23 Apr 2008
This is my favourite series of books and Gunslinger is probably one of the books I re-read most. "The man in black fled across the desert, and the gunslinger followed"....great opening! This book is a bit weird and different to the others in the series, but it still works well.

We get a great introduction to the enigmatic Gunslinger, Roland Deschain and his quest to catch the man in black and to find the Dark Tower. His world is a strange echo of ours, but it has 'moved on.' A strange mix of the old Wild West and a post apocalyptic future, where paper is rare and machinery is ancient, with its original purpose forgotten. Roland meets a boy called Jake, who appears to have died in our reality and somehow crossed over to this other world. They form a fragile partnership as they pursue the man in black...but things seem pretty doomed from the start.

There are many questions raised in this book, and you have to read the rest of the series to find the answers. You enter the story in the middle of it really, and there is a lot of hopping around the timeline to explain things. Roland is a tough character to love, but you get there in the end! That is his appeal, his harshness and his fervent determination to get to the Tower, no matter the cost.

Try this if you want a change! It's not like anything I have read, but it goes without saying, it's a must for King fans and people who like a good, epic fantasy. Thankee sai! Long days pleasant nights! If you read the set you may find you end up talking oddly, it has that effect! READ
Try the graphic novel too, based on the Wizard and Glass book. Great representation of young Roland.

The Gunslinger, 01 Apr 2008
The first instalment of Stephen King's fantasy series is unashamedly inspired by that other fantastic series, "The Lord of the Rings". King made no attempt to hide this and refers to it in each of his surprisingly-interesting forwards, but the thought of reading something so obviously "inspired" put me off. It was only after the release of the final book in the series I was persuaded to pick up "Gunslinger", and was appalled at how brilliant it was.

It's easy for people to say King's off his game, but he wasn't then and he isn't now - the final book, released only recently, is testament to this. "Gunslinger" is arguably everything that Stephen King isn't: beautiful, poetic, and not really horror. Technically it's fantasy, post-apocalyptic fantasy, and on top of that it's a Western of sorts. It's a glaring divergence from King's usual style, but what appalled me was that it was good. Very, very good, and despite the assumption that King's unfamiliarity with the genre would prove to be the novel's downfall, it is also full of everything that King is wonderful at: suspense, mystery, and very real characters.

A review column isn't the place for a synopsis, so I'll keep it brief. This book has one real character and that's the mysterious hero, the eponymous gunslinger who is a throwback from a bygone age that existed before the world "moved on". The brevity of the novel lends itself to this kind of storytelling, in which we follow a single character in a series of events, a tale told in a surreal, rippling narrative that is like looking through water at an alternate world. The other novels don't keep up this dreamlike form of storytelling, which makes "Gunslinger" all the more precious.

If you like King, you'll love this, regardless of the change in genre. If you pick this up and hate it, you'll still come away with a fresh idea on what novels are all about, reminded why people write. Simple story. Complex characters. You don't have to read the others if you don't like it, but if you want a fresh piece of fiction from an established super-writer, then for God's sake try "Gunslinger"!


A good 'part one' book., 02 Feb 2008
If you're thinking of getting this book I can't list a reason you shouldn't except that this really isn't a stand alone novel, rather it's an introduction to a world and a character to be taken up by the many later instalments of the series. Yes, it has it's own plot, but really it's just there to get us started on the journey. Thus, don't read this unless you're prepared to be hooked and end up forking out for all the others.
Having said that, it's hardly a major flaw and the book really is very enjoyable and extremely intriuging. King creates a world which is brutal, surreally dream-like and a million miles from anything else in fantasy, horror or any other genre. His protagonist is tragically human, his antagonist eerily sinister and beautifully cruel, and everyone who gets caught between them is made hugely sympathetic by their status as just that - something that gets caught in the way.
King's experience as a horror writer really comes across here, making this a fantasy world born of and premeated by the horror genre. The setting is a vast and desolate wasteland to which none of it's inhabitants really belong, lending the whole thing an eeriness that keeps the reader on edge throughout and adds a certain grotesque quality to much of what happens.
If you're a fan of King, a fan of horror, a fan of fantasy, or just a fan of really great storytelling then you should definitely check this out. But prepare to be hooked.

strange, wonderful and intriguing, 21 Oct 2008
This is the first Stephen King novel I have read, at first I found it difficult to get into and then got drawn in the strange dark story. Not only that Stephen King includes himself in there as if he really has been there. By the last three quarters of the book I could not put it down and thoroughly enjoyed it.

Dark Tower 6 - Song of Susannah, 12 Jun 2008

King's sixth book in the "Dark Tower" series picks up immediately where "Wolves of the Calla" left off, reinserting the reader into the world of the gunslinger and his travelling companions. They resume their quest for the Dark Tower with a great opening scene, and soon cutting to the absconded Susannah and her new passenger ...

Things progress smoothly and very competently in this penultimate volume, a shorter story than many of its predeccessors and more focused for it. The writing is condensed but not neglectful of the characters or the scenarios, and has all the fluidity and poetry of the previous volumes, although sadly not to the extent of the wonderful "The Gunslinger".

The novel benefits from the sense of movement and progress, that was sadly lacking in the last two novels, "Wizard and Glass" which was almost entirely flashback, and "Wolves of the Calla" which took place entirely in one town. Now things are rolling and the excitement and urgency return to the story.

I'm not a fan of the metafictional aspects of the series, which begun in earnest last novel with the mention of "Stephen King, the authord from Maine", a plotline which is expounded upon and reaches a kind of conclusion here as well. Mixing real-life with fiction is often a bad idea, and although Stephen King appears here as a character, the novel itself doesn't appear to suffer greatly despite the cringing feeling you might get at the hubris of the author.

Still, there are some truly heart-stopping moments, such as the escalation of Susannah's troubles in the final chapter, and the moment of Jake and Pere Callahan's emergence into the New York of 1999. Despite another cliff-hanger ending, which generally drive me nuts with anger and disappointment, it's still a strong book and worthy of the collection. If you felt a little deflated after books four and five, you'll be happy to see a return to form with book six.

the best novel to date, 03 Sep 2007
my favorite novel of the whole collection. one of the main attributes was the introduction of a new character; mia. while the other five books although good found the characters becoming a bit stale. mia threw my emotions in termoil from hatred to sorrow, from cruelty to love.

one of the highlights of this novel was the introduction of 'stephen king' into his own novel!this other character turned the book (more) surreal than ever - yet strangely this made the novel as beleivable as non - fiction.

finally, throughout the collection there has been a lot of information. some which is hard to get your head round. this book puts everything into perspective, any confusion beforehand will be answered.

My overall rating: the best piece of fiction i've read. This book is unique and is a breath of fresh air from the multitude of fiction being written.


Hmmm....calm before the storm !, 25 Jul 2007
Having just finished the series, I can sum this book up by saying, for me, it is the least memorable. Every other book has a definite purpose, be it the bringing together of the main characters, Rolands history, the finale etc, but this seems to go nowhere.
Jumping from book 5 to 7 IMHO, would not cause any major disruption to the flow of this otherwise excellent series.

24, 14 Jun 2007
a good book, not great though. it takes place within 24 hours and focuses heavily on susannah and her pregnancy.

plenty of details brought to the fore about the nature of the enemies that the ka-tet faces.

a nice 9/11 reference also sliped in there.

all in all a good bridge between wolves of the calla and the dark tower

not with a bang but a whimper, 11 Sep 2008
Stephen King is one of the great story-tellers of the twentieth century, but he has always had difficulties with endings (think of the farce of the Stand, or the pathetic conclusion of It). It was with some trepidation, therefore, that I approached this final volume of the series. Before even starting it I thought I just hope he doesn't....But that was exactly what he did. The ending is the most predictacle and the weakest one imaginable. Please, if you have enjoyed the first six novels, don't read this one. It will just leave a bad taste in your mouth, and the feeling you have been wasting your time.

Gutted!, 14 Jul 2008
I'm still at a loss as to how people have given this book 5 stars. I've now read the whole series from start to finish and have to say, that the first 4 (possibly 5) are excellent books. Song of Susannah and the Dark Tower have completely ruined what could have been Kings crowning glory. Kings ridiculous sub-plots, pathetic villains and non-emotive deaths for the members of the ka-tet are criminal!

KING!, 31 May 2008
Genius in the writing, King knew what he was doing from book 1. The ending is not the doom as everyone sees it.

Do not waste your money, 16 May 2008
King should cover himself in ashes and hide away in the darkest corner of his dark tower to dare publish such absolute crap.

Just Magic, 24 Mar 2008
I have waited 30 years to read the conclusions to the Gunslinger, and was overwhelmed by the quality of the final episodes. I will re-read when my
daughter has finished her re-reading of this amazing story.
This deserves 10 stars. A must read!

The Mist in "great Stephen King movie" shock!, 07 Oct 2008
Firstly, shop around and get the "Skeleton Crew" anthology instead, where you'll get several other King short stories as well as this novella - much better value, so a star off for that.
Great King story, classic set-up and scares, and some nice observations about the siege mentality of humankind. Possibly even a link to the "Dark Tower" series - has the Arrowhead Project ripped a hole between dimensions and created a "thinny"?
A second star off for the ending, which just tails off into nothing. Be warned if you plan on watching the movie version (which is fantastic - it's by Frank Darabont, so of course it is!): the ending is radically different and far superior. In fact, it is stunning in its audacity. Kudos to Darabont for refusing studio pressure to change it, and to King for agreeing to the change to his story. Be warned - it is bleak.

Very Readable Horror-Now a Movie., 05 Sep 2008
I read this on a long train ride and it certainly helped to pass the time. People under pressure in a base under seige is always a good bet for an absorbing drama. This 'novella' also shows how people react; bringing out the best and worst in them. Mrs Carmody is a particularly monstrous creation, rivalling anything outside the supermarket. Not sure about the ending though, but you will have to read this to make your own mind up. There is a motion picture of this book now, which I am looking forward to seeing (apparently with a different ending.) A recommended read.

The Mist, 27 Jun 2008
I really enjoyed the book with the people being traped in the Supermarket. I am going to order the movie at Christmas time. It's a bit like the movie Terror in the Mall only instead of water trapping them it is the Mist. The old woman in the book seemed crazy going on about death and saying it's death out there. If the book was excellent I can't wait to see the film when I get it.

I give this book 5 stars!

Good story - Buy Skeleton Crew., 08 Jun 2008
Just a short note to say this story is available in the book 'Skeleton Crew', which is much better value for money. Stephen King is a master of the horror novel, but a lot of his short story collections are highly underrated.

brilliant, 24 Apr 2008
one of my favourite books ever. dead short, but brilliant. if you can get it cheap, it's well worth a read... 5 stars

Outstanding, 11 Nov 2008
I read this at 14 and was my first ever stephen king book, i loved it. the powerful and vivid way it has been wrote just enticed me to read more and more. I feel this is the best one in the series and one of kings best pieces of fiction. the gunslingers struggles and choices throughtout the book make you hate him but also feel for him. this is a must buy for king fans

Utter Disappointment, 03 Nov 2008
I was convinced this series would be a joy to read, something original and sinister, the celebrated masterpiece saga of one of the masters of horror and fantasy.
I gave it a try... and tried very hard to finish it. I could not bring myself to enjoy neither the story nor the style. Still, I decided to read the second book as well, convinced that there was something I had yet to discover, this certain something that seems to make so many readers enraptured with the Dark Tower books...
Well, I haven't been able to discover it! Many have loved this book and undoubtedly many more will, but personally I find it incoherent,dragging and overtly blunt - a bluntness which feels unsupported and pointless, nothing to resemble what I have come to expect from King.
I prefer to leave the Dark Tower saga here and move on to other stories.

One of my favourites, this series gets under your skin, 23 Apr 2008
This is my favourite series of books and Gunslinger is probably one of the books I re-read most. "The man in black fled across the desert, and the gunslinger followed"....great opening! This book is a bit weird and different to the others in the series, but it still works well.

We get a great introduction to the enigmatic Gunslinger, Roland Deschain and his quest to catch the man in black and to find the Dark Tower. His world is a strange echo of ours, but it has 'moved on.' A strange mix of the old Wild West and a post apocalyptic future, where paper is rare and machinery is ancient, with its original purpose forgotten. Roland meets a boy called Jake, who appears to have died in our reality and somehow crossed over to this other world. They form a fragile partnership as they pursue the man in black...but things seem pretty doomed from the start.

There are many questions raised in this book, and you have to read the rest of the series to find the answers. You enter the story in the middle of it really, and there is a lot of hopping around the timeline to explain things. Roland is a tough character to love, but you get there in the end! That is his appeal, his harshness and his fervent determination to get to the Tower, no matter the cost.

Try this if you want a change! It's not like anything I have read, but it goes without saying, it's a must for King fans and people who like a good, epic fantasy. Thankee sai! Long days pleasant nights! If you read the set you may find you end up talking oddly, it has that effect! READ
Try the graphic novel too, based on the Wizard and Glass book. Great representation of young Roland.

The Gunslinger, 01 Apr 2008
The first instalment of Stephen King's fantasy series is unashamedly inspired by that other fantastic series, "The Lord of the Rings". King made no attempt to hide this and refers to it in each of his surprisingly-interesting forwards, but the thought of reading something so obviously "inspired" put me off. It was only after the release of the final book in the series I was persuaded to pick up "Gunslinger", and was appalled at how brilliant it was.

It's easy for people to say King's off his game, but he wasn't then and he isn't now - the final book, released only recently, is testament to this. "Gunslinger" is arguably everything that Stephen King isn't: beautiful, poetic, and not really horror. Technically it's fantasy, post-apocalyptic fantasy, and on top of that it's a Western of sorts. It's a glaring divergence from King's usual style, but what appalled me was that it was good. Very, very good, and despite the assumption that King's unfamiliarity with the genre would prove to be the novel's downfall, it is also full of everything that King is wonderful at: suspense, mystery, and very real characters.

A review column isn't the place for a synopsis, so I'll keep it brief. This book has one real character and that's the mysterious hero, the eponymous gunslinger who is a throwback from a bygone age that existed before the world "moved on". The brevity of the novel lends itself to this kind of storytelling, in which we follow a single character in a series of events, a tale told in a surreal, rippling narrative that is like looking through water at an alternate world. The other novels don't keep up this dreamlike form of storytelling, which makes "Gunslinger" all the more precious.

If you like King, you'll love this, regardless of the change in genre. If you pick this up and hate it, you'll still come away with a fresh idea on what novels are all about, reminded why people write. Simple story. Complex characters. You don't have to read the others if you don't like it, but if you want a fresh piece of fiction from an established super-writer, then for God's sake try "Gunslinger"!


A good 'part one' book., 02 Feb 2008
If you're thinking of getting this book I can't list a reason you shouldn't except that this really isn't a stand alone novel, rather it's an introduction to a world and a character to be taken up by the many later instalments of the series. Yes, it has it's own plot, but really it's just there to get us started on the journey. Thus, don't read this unless you're prepared to be hooked and end up forking out for all the others.
Having said that, it's hardly a major flaw and the book really is very enjoyable and extremely intriuging. King creates a world which is brutal, surreally dream-like and a million miles from anything else in fantasy, horror or any other genre. His protagonist is tragically human, his antagonist eerily sinister and beautifully cruel, and everyone who gets caught between them is made hugely sympathetic by their status as just that - something that gets caught in the way.
King's experience as a horror writer really comes across here, making this a fantasy world born of and premeated by the horror genre. The setting is a vast and desolate wasteland to which none of it's inhabitants really belong, lending the whole thing an eeriness that keeps the reader on edge throughout and adds a certain grotesque quality to much of what happens.
If you're a fan of King, a fan of horror, a fan of fantasy, or just a fan of really great storytelling then you should definitely check this out. But prepare to be hooked.

strange, wonderful and intriguing, 21 Oct 2008
This is the first Stephen King novel I have read, at first I found it difficult to get into and then got drawn in the strange dark story. Not only that Stephen King includes himself in there as if he really has been there. By the last three quarters of the book I could not put it down and thoroughly enjoyed it.

Dark Tower 6 - Song of Susannah, 12 Jun 2008

King's sixth book in the "Dark Tower" series picks up immediately where "Wolves of the Calla" left off, reinserting the reader into the world of the gunslinger and his travelling companions. They resume their quest for the Dark Tower with a great opening scene, and soon cutting to the absconded Susannah and her new passenger ...

Things progress smoothly and very competently in this penultimate volume, a shorter story than many of its predeccessors and more focused for it. The writing is condensed but not neglectful of the characters or the scenarios, and has all the fluidity and poetry of the previous volumes, although sadly not to the extent of the wonderful "The Gunslinger".

The novel benefits from the sense of movement and progress, that was sadly lacking in the last two novels, "Wizard and Glass" which was almost entirely flashback, and "Wolves of the Calla" which took place entirely in one town. Now things are rolling and the excitement and urgency return to the story.

I'm not a fan of the metafictional aspects of the series, which begun in earnest last novel with the mention of "Stephen King, the authord from Maine", a plotline which is expounded upon and reaches a kind of conclusion here as well. Mixing real-life with fiction is often a bad idea, and although Stephen King appears here as a character, the novel itself doesn't appear to suffer greatly despite the cringing feeling you might get at the hubris of the author.

Still, there are some truly heart-stopping moments, such as the escalation of Susannah's troubles in the final chapter, and the moment of Jake and Pere Callahan's emergence into the New York of 1999. Despite another cliff-hanger ending, which generally drive me nuts with anger and disappointment, it's still a strong book and worthy of the collection. If you felt a little deflated after books four and five, you'll be happy to see a return to form with book six.

the best novel to date, 03 Sep 2007
my favorite novel of the whole collection. one of the main attributes was the introduction of a new character; mia. while the other five books although good found the characters becoming a bit stale. mia threw my emotions in termoil from hatred to sorrow, from cruelty to love.

one of the highlights of this novel was the introduction of 'stephen king' into his own novel!this other character turned the book (more) surreal than ever - yet strangely this made the novel as beleivable as non - fiction.

finally, throughout the collection there has been a lot of information. some which is hard to get your head round. this book puts everything into perspective, any confusion beforehand will be answered.

My overall rating: the best piece of fiction i've read. This book is unique and is a breath of fresh air from the multitude of fiction being written.


Hmmm....calm before the storm !, 25 Jul 2007
Having just finished the series, I can sum this book up by saying, for me, it is the least memorable. Every other book has a definite purpose, be it the bringing together of the main characters, Rolands history, the finale etc, but this seems to go nowhere.
Jumping from book 5 to 7 IMHO, would not cause any major disruption to the flow of this otherwise excellent series.

24, 14 Jun 2007
a good book, not great though. it takes place within 24 hours and focuses heavily on susannah and her pregnancy.

plenty of details brought to the fore about the nature of the enemies that the ka-tet faces.

a nice 9/11 reference also sliped in there.

all in all a good bridge between wolves of the calla and the dark tower

not with a bang but a whimper, 11 Sep 2008
Stephen King is one of the great story-tellers of the twentieth century, but he has always had difficulties with endings (think of the farce of the Stand, or the pathetic conclusion of It). It was with some trepidation, therefore, that I approached this final volume of the series. Before even starting it I thought I just hope he doesn't....But that was exactly what he did. The ending is the most predictacle and the weakest one imaginable. Please, if you have enjoyed the first six novels, don't read this one. It will just leave a bad taste in your mouth, and the feeling you have been wasting your time.

Gutted!, 14 Jul 2008
I'm still at a loss as to how people have given this book 5 stars. I've now read the whole series from start to finish and have to say, that the first 4 (possibly 5) are excellent books. Song of Susannah and the Dark Tower have completely ruined what could have been Kings crowning glory. Kings ridiculous sub-plots, pathetic villains and non-emotive deaths for the members of the ka-tet are criminal!

KING!, 31 May 2008
Genius in the writing, King knew what he was doing from book 1. The ending is not the doom as everyone sees it.

Do not waste your money, 16 May 2008
King should cover himself in ashes and hide away in the darkest corner of his dark tower to dare publish such absolute crap.

Just Magic, 24 Mar 2008
I have waited 30 years to read the conclusions to the Gunslinger, and was overwhelmed by the quality of the final episodes. I will re-read when my
daughter has finished her re-reading of this amazing story.
This deserves 10 stars. A must read!

awesome continuation - the dark tower just gets better and better, 23 Jul 2008
really awesome continuation of the Dark Tower series
the action is hotting up and the tower is closer...
This one is beautifully crafted and written yet again, full of interesting sidequests and shaped in a nice rounded narrative - there are things at the beginning that get solved at the end - everything that is introduced has a reason later on. its quite satisfying storytelling in that way.
overall - i'm still well intrigued about what could possibly happen in the next books. i still wanna find out about Roland and i still want to know what the Dark Tower really means
its a great series so far and i will soldier on. it aint hard wen the road is so interesting.
this one is full of apocalypse and action, the return of Jake and a very strange train.
Overall a great read - and an interesting if not entirely unpredictable cliffhanger.
9/10

The Waste Lands, 01 Apr 2008
In breathtaking style King picks up where the second Dark Tower book left off. By now reviews are pretty pointless, as either you're hooked on the series, or you haven't started yet. If you haven't read the first book, you're reading the wrong review - look for "The Gunslinger" and start there. If you've read the first two then I'll tell you what you want to hear:

This book is as amazing as the last two. The story rolls forward at a brilliant rate and has one of the best openings to any novel I've ever read, thrilling and mind-blowing, throwing fresh insights into Roland's stale world at us continuously. The characters are solidified further and are now totally believable, even the comic book dialogue of Eddie Dean. The characters complement each other in a way that must have taken King months to work out (if it comes to him intrinsically, God help us - other writers will become extinct). The complement of tertiary characters livens things up to an insane degree, bringing the Three to new areas of the run-down world that they travel through in search of the Dark Tower.

I rave about the first three books because they're awesome. They're awesome because they're seemingly flawless - even if this isn't technically true, the illusion of such is so rare in literature nowadays that we must take it when we get it. The following novel doesn't necessarily live up to the brilliant cliff-hanger in "The Waste Lands", but that's debatable and something for another review. For those wanting to know if it's really worth investing in a third book (by which time it will probably too late, you'll just have to read them all anyway now!) then the answer is "yes" - go for it, because you won't regret it in the slightest.


A major book and part of an amazing saga, 04 Sep 2007
In the Dark Tower series the quality of books is increasing at each volume, as Stephen King's writing matured and developed. After the great "Gunslinger" and the magnificent "Drawing of the Three", the third installement in the series is even better. If there is anything I can compare this book with it is the first part of "The Lord of the Rings". Now, of course it is not THAT good - I do not think LOTR can be ever bested. But it is ALMOST that good.
This is a story of a travel, a long and perilous journey following the path of the beam (you will have to read it to understand the beauty and the magical attraction of the concept...). Roland of Gilead and his newly created fellow gunslingers are travelling through the dying world and the description of this voyage (and this world) is just magic, altough it is frequently a dark magic... The archidangerous and dearly paid attempt of bringing to this world the last missing companion is an incredible scene and the "guardian of the gate" is possibly the most horrifying creature that King conjured from the deepest abyss of his imagination.... And then there is a great idea of choice of the main adversary of Roland and his companions. Now King already invented an evil dog, evil cat, evil car, evil pressing machine, evil toy soldiers, evil fog and even an evil suitcase (!) but the identity of the main villain in this book will be a big surprise for you! Although it is quite obvious, considering the power, the size and the speed of the thing....
I believe that this is one of the best fantasy books I ever read. I can not recommend it enough. If you are Stephen King's fan, you will love it. If you are not his fan, there is a good chance that after reading it, you will become one.


all things follow the beam, 14 Jun 2007
great book again. i get fed up of writing great book but with this series i can't help it, the first three books demand that those words open your review.

the ka-tet is formed and the true journey begun. they follow the beam of bear and turtle to reach the tower, but this means they must cross the wastelands and journey through the dead city of lud.

they all go towards the tower, but not all are committed. and not all of them for the same reasons.

tick - tock!

My 100-word book review, 30 Apr 2007
In my opinion, The Waste Lands is a contender, along with The Drawing of the Three, for the title of best Dark Tower novel. Tension, thrills and scary monsters abound, as Roland links up with the last two members of his ka-tet and they make their way along the path of the Beam. From the cyborg-haunted forests to the city of Lud, Stephen King's descriptions of Mid-World are intense enough to half-convince the reader that this must be a real place somewhere. The story gains momentum and hastens towards its cliff-hanger ending with the speed of a runaway train. Literally!

The Mist in "great Stephen King movie" shock!, 07 Oct 2008
Firstly, shop around and get the "Skeleton Crew" anthology instead, where you'll get several other King short stories as well as this novella - much better value, so a star off for that.
Great King story, classic set-up and scares, and some nice observations about the siege mentality of humankind. Possibly even a link to the "Dark Tower" series - has the Arrowhead Project ripped a hole between dimensions and created a "thinny"?
A second star off for the ending, which just tails off into nothing. Be warned if you plan on watching the movie version (which is fantastic - it's by Frank Darabont, so of course it is!): the ending is radically different and far superior. In fact, it is stunning in its audacity. Kudos to Darabont for refusing studio pressure to change it, and to King for agreeing to the change to his story. Be warned - it is bleak.

Very Readable Horror-Now a Movie., 05 Sep 2008
I read this on a long train ride and it certainly helped to pass the time. People under pressure in a base under seige is always a good bet for an absorbing drama. This 'novella' also shows how people react; bringing out the best and worst in them. Mrs Carmody is a particularly monstrous creation, rivalling anything outside the supermarket. Not sure about the ending though, but you will have to read this to make your own mind up. There is a motion picture of this book now, which I am looking forward to seeing (apparently with a different ending.) A recommended read.

The Mist, 27 Jun 2008
I really enjoyed the book with the people being traped in the Supermarket. I am going to order the movie at Christmas time. It's a bit like the movie Terror in the Mall only instead of water trapping them it is the Mist. The old woman in the book seemed crazy going on about death and saying it's death out there. If the book was excellent I can't wait to see the film when I get it.

I give this book 5 stars!

Good story - Buy Skeleton Crew., 08 Jun 2008
Just a short note to say this story is available in the book 'Skeleton Crew', which is much better value for money. Stephen King is a master of the horror novel, but a lot of his short story collections are highly underrated.

brilliant, 24 Apr 2008
one of my favourite books ever. dead short, but brilliant. if you can get it cheap, it's well worth a read... 5 stars

Outstanding, 11 Nov 2008
I read this at 14 and was my first ever stephen king book, i loved it. the powerful and vivid way it has been wrote just enticed me to read more and more. I feel this is the best one in the series and one of kings best pieces of fiction. the gunslingers struggles and choices throughtout the book make you hate him but also feel for him. this is a must buy for king fans

Utter Disappointment, 03 Nov 2008
I was convinced this series would be a joy to read, something original and sinister, the celebrated masterpiece saga of one of the masters of horror and fantasy.
I gave it a try... and tried very hard to finish it. I could not bring myself to enjoy neither the story nor the style. Still, I decided to read the second book as well, convinced that there was something I had yet to discover, this certain something that seems to make so many readers enraptured with the Dark Tower books...
Well, I haven't been able to discover it! Many have loved this book and undoubtedly many more will, but personally I find it incoherent,dragging and overtly blunt - a bluntness which feels unsupported and pointless, nothing to resemble what I have come to expect from King.
I prefer to leave the Dark Tower saga here and move on to other stories.

One of my favourites, this series gets under your skin, 23 Apr 2008
This is my favourite series of books and Gunslinger is probably one of the books I re-read most. "The man in black fled across the desert, and the gunslinger followed"....great opening! This book is a bit weird and different to the others in the series, but it still works well.

We get a great introduction to the enigmatic Gunslinger, Roland Deschain and his quest to catch the man in black and to find the Dark Tower. His world is a strange echo of ours, but it has 'moved on.' A strange mix of the old Wild West and a post apocalyptic future, where paper is rare and machinery is ancient, with its original purpose forgotten. Roland meets a boy called Jake, who appears to have died in our reality and somehow crossed over to this other world. They form a fragile partnership as they pursue the man in black...but things seem pretty doomed from the start.

There are many questions raised in this book, and you have to read the rest of the series to find the answers. You enter the story in the middle of it really, and there is a lot of hopping around the timeline to explain things. Roland is a tough character to love, but you get there in the end! That is his appeal, his harshness and his fervent determination to get to the Tower, no matter the cost.

Try this if you want a change! It's not like anything I have read, but it goes without saying, it's a must for King fans and people who like a good, epic fantasy. Thankee sai! Long days pleasant nights! If you read the set you may find you end up talking oddly, it has that effect! READ
Try the graphic novel too, based on the Wizard and Glass book. Great representation of young Roland.

The Gunslinger, 01 Apr 2008
The first instalment of Stephen King's fantasy series is unashamedly inspired by that other fantastic series, "The Lord of the Rings". King made no attempt to hide this and refers to it in each of his surprisingly-interesting forwards, but the thought of reading something so obviously "inspired" put me off. It was only after the release of the final book in the series I was persuaded to pick up "Gunslinger", and was appalled at how brilliant it was.

It's easy for people to say King's off his game, but he wasn't then and he isn't now - the final book, released only recently, is testament to this. "Gunslinger" is arguably everything that Stephen King isn't: beautiful, poetic, and not really horror. Technically it's fantasy, post-apocalyptic fantasy, and on top of that it's a Western of sorts. It's a glaring divergence from King's usual style, but what appalled me was that it was good. Very, very good, and despite the assumption that King's unfamiliarity with the genre would prove to be the novel's downfall, it is also full of everything that King is wonderful at: suspense, mystery, and very real characters.

A review column isn't the place for a synopsis, so I'll keep it brief. This book has one real character and that's the mysterious hero, the eponymous gunslinger who is a throwback from a bygone age that existed before the world "moved on". The brevity of the novel lends itself to this kind of storytelling, in which we follow a single character in a series of events, a tale told in a surreal, rippling narrative that is like looking through water at an alternate world. The other novels don't keep up this dreamlike form of storytelling, which makes "Gunslinger" all the more precious.

If you like King, you'll love this, regardless of the change in genre. If you pick this up and hate it, you'll still come away with a fresh idea on what novels are all about, reminded why people write. Simple story. Complex characters. You don't have to read the others if you don't like it, but if you want a fresh piece of fiction from an established super-writer, then for God's sake try "Gunslinger"!


A good 'part one' book., 02 Feb 2008
If you're thinking of getting this book I can't list a reason you shouldn't except that this really isn't a stand alone novel, rather it's an introduction to a world and a character to be taken up by the many later instalments of the series. Yes, it has it's own plot, but really it's just there to get us started on the journey. Thus, don't read this unless you're prepared to be hooked and end up forking out for all the others.
Having said that, it's hardly a major flaw and the book really is very enjoyable and extremely intriuging. King creates a world which is brutal, surreally dream-like and a million miles from anything else in fantasy, horror or any other genre. His protagonist is tragically human, his antagonist eerily sinister and beautifully cruel, and everyone who gets caught between them is made hugely sympathetic by their status as just that - something that gets caught in the way.
King's experience as a horror writer really comes across here, making this a fantasy world born of and premeated by the horror genre. The setting is a vast and desolate wasteland to which none of it's inhabitants really belong, lending the whole thing an eeriness that keeps the reader on edge throughout and adds a certain grotesque quality to much of what happens.
If you're a fan of King, a fan of horror, a fan of fantasy, or just a fan of really great storytelling then you should definitely check this out. But prepare to be hooked.

strange, wonderful and intriguing, 21 Oct 2008
This is the first Stephen King novel I have read, at first I found it difficult to get into and then got drawn in the strange dark story. Not only that Stephen King includes himself in there as if he really has been there. By the last three quarters of the book I could not put it down and thoroughly enjoyed it.

Dark Tower 6 - Song of Susannah, 12 Jun 2008

King's sixth book in the "Dark Tower" series picks up immediately where "Wolves of the Calla" left off, reinserting the reader into the world of the gunslinger and his travelling companions. They resume their quest for the Dark Tower with a great opening scene, and soon cutting to the absconded Susannah and her new passenger ...

Things progress smoothly and very competently in this penultimate volume, a shorter story than many of its predeccessors and more focused for it. The writing is condensed but not neglectful of the characters or the scenarios, and has all the fluidity and poetry of the previous volumes, although sadly not to the extent of the wonderful "The Gunslinger".

The novel benefits from the sense of movement and progress, that was sadly lacking in the last two novels, "Wizard and Glass" which was almost entirely flashback, and "Wolves of the Calla" which took place entirely in one town. Now things are rolling and the excitement and urgency return to the story.

I'm not a fan of the metafictional aspects of the series, which begun in earnest last novel with the mention of "Stephen King, the authord from Maine", a plotline which is expounded upon and reaches a kind of conclusion here as well. Mixing real-life with fiction is often a bad idea, and although Stephen King appears here as a character, the novel itself doesn't appear to suffer greatly despite the cringing feeling you might get at the hubris of the author.

Still, there are some truly heart-stopping moments, such as the escalation of Susannah's troubles in the final chapter, and the moment of Jake and Pere Callahan's emergence into the New York of 1999. Despite another cliff-hanger ending, which generally drive me nuts with anger and disappointment, it's still a strong book and worthy of the collection. If you felt a little deflated after books four and five, you'll be happy to see a return to form with book six.

the best novel to date, 03 Sep 2007
my favorite novel of the whole collection. one of the main attributes was the introduction of a new character; mia. while the other five books although good found the characters becoming a bit stale. mia threw my emotions in termoil from hatred to sorrow, from cruelty to love.

one of the highlights of this novel was the introduction of 'stephen king' into his own novel!this other character turned the book (more) surreal than ever - yet strangely this made the novel as beleivable as non - fiction.

finally, throughout the collection there has been a lot of information. some which is hard to get your head round. this book puts everything into perspective, any confusion beforehand will be answered.

My overall rating: the best piece of fiction i've read. This book is unique and is a breath of fresh air from the multitude of fiction being written.


Hmmm....calm before the storm !, 25 Jul 2007
Having just finished the series, I can sum this book up by saying, for me, it is the least memorable. Every other book has a definite purpose, be it the bringing together of the main characters, Rolands history, the finale etc, but this seems to go nowhere.
Jumping from book 5 to 7 IMHO, would not cause any major disruption to the flow of this otherwise excellent series.

24, 14 Jun 2007
a good book, not great though. it takes place within 24 hours and focuses heavily on susannah and her pregnancy.

plenty of details brought to the fore about the nature of the enemies that the ka-tet faces.

a nice 9/11 reference also sliped in there.

all in all a good bridge between wolves of the calla and the dark tower

not with a bang but a whimper, 11 Sep 2008
Stephen King is one of the great story-tellers of the twentieth century, but he has always had difficulties with endings (think of the farce of the Stand, or the pathetic conclusion of It). It was with some trepidation, therefore, that I approached this final volume of the series. Before even starting it I thought I just hope he doesn't....But that was exactly what he did. The ending is the most predictacle and the weakest one imaginable. Please, if you have enjoyed the first six novels, don't read this one. It will just leave a bad taste in your mouth, and the feeling you have been wasting your time.

Gutted!, 14 Jul 2008
I'm still at a loss as to how people have given this book 5 stars. I've now read the whole series from start to finish and have to say, that the first 4 (possibly 5) are excellent books. Song of Susannah and the Dark Tower have completely ruined what could have been Kings crowning glory. Kings ridiculous sub-plots, pathetic villains and non-emotive deaths for the members of the ka-tet are criminal!

KING!, 31 May 2008
Genius in the writing, King knew what he was doing from book 1. The ending is not the doom as everyone sees it.

Do not waste your money, 16 May 2008
King should cover himself in ashes and hide away in the darkest corner of his dark tower to dare publish such absolute crap.

Just Magic, 24 Mar 2008
I have waited 30 years to read the conclusions to the Gunslinger, and was overwhelmed by the quality of the final episodes. I will re-read when my
daughter has finished her re-reading of this amazing story.
This deserves 10 stars. A must read!

awesome continuation - the dark tower just gets better and better, 23 Jul 2008
really awesome continuation of the Dark Tower series
the action is hotting up and the tower is closer...
This one is beautifully crafted and written yet again, full of interesting sidequests and shaped in a nice rounded narrative - there are things at the beginning that get solved at the end - everything that is introduced has a reason later on. its quite satisfying storytelling in that way.
overall - i'm still well intrigued about what could possibly happen in the next books. i still wanna find out about Roland and i still want to know what the Dark Tower really means
its a great series so far and i will soldier on. it aint hard wen the road is so interesting.
this one is full of apocalypse and action, the return of Jake and a very strange train.
Overall a great read - and an interesting if not entirely unpredictable cliffhanger.
9/10

The Waste Lands, 01 Apr 2008
In breathtaking style King picks up where the second Dark Tower book left off. By now reviews are pretty pointless, as either you're hooked on the series, or you haven't started yet. If you haven't read the first book, you're reading the wrong review - look for "The Gunslinger" and start there. If you've read the first two then I'll tell you what you want to hear:

This book is as amazing as the last two. The story rolls forward at a brilliant rate and has one of the best openings to any novel I've ever read, thrilling and mind-blowing, throwing fresh insights into Roland's stale world at us continuously. The characters are solidified further and are now totally believable, even the comic book dialogue of Eddie Dean. The characters complement each other in a way that must have taken King months to work out (if it comes to him intrinsically, God help us - other writers will become extinct). The complement of tertiary characters livens things up to an insane degree, bringing the Three to new areas of the run-down world that they travel through in search of the Dark Tower.

I rave about the first three books because they're awesome. They're awesome because they're seemingly flawless - even if this isn't technically true, the illusion of such is so rare in literature nowadays that we must take it when we get it. The following novel doesn't necessarily live up to the brilliant cliff-hanger in "The Waste Lands", but that's debatable and something for another review. For those wanting to know if it's really worth investing in a third book (by which time it will probably too late, you'll just have to read them all anyway now!) then the answer is "yes" - go for it, because you won't regret it in the slightest.


A major book and part of an amazing saga, 04 Sep 2007
In the Dark Tower series the quality of books is increasing at each volume, as Stephen King's writing matured and developed. After the great "Gunslinger" and the magnificent "Drawing of the Three", the third installement in the series is even better. If there is anything I can compare this book with it is the first part of "The Lord of the Rings". Now, of course it is not THAT good - I do not think LOTR can be ever bested. But it is ALMOST that good.
This is a story of a travel, a long and perilous journey following the path of the beam (you will have to read it to understand the beauty and the magical attraction of the concept...). Roland of Gilead and his newly created fellow gunslingers are travelling through the dying world and the description of this voyage (and this world) is just magic, altough it is frequently a dark magic... The archidangerous and dearly paid attempt of bringing to this world the last missing companion is an incredible scene and the "guardian of the gate" is possibly the most horrifying creature that King conjured from the deepest abyss of his imagination.... And then there is a great idea of choice of the main adversary of Roland and his companions. Now King already invented an evil dog, evil cat, evil car, evil pressing machine, evil toy soldiers, evil fog and even an evil suitcase (!) but the identity of the main villain in this book will be a big surprise for you! Although it is quite obvious, considering the power, the size and the speed of the thing....
I believe that this is one of the best fantasy books I ever read. I can not recommend it enough. If you are Stephen King's fan, you will love it. If you are not his fan, there is a good chance that after reading it, you will become one.


all things follow the beam, 14 Jun 2007
great book again. i get fed up of writing great book but with this series i can't help it, the first three books demand that those words open your review.

the ka-tet is formed and the true journey begun. they follow the beam of bear and turtle to reach the tower, but this means they must cross the wastelands and journey through the dead city of lud.

they all go towards the tower, but not all are committed. and not all of them for the same reasons.

tick - tock!

My 100-word book review, 30 Apr 2007
In my opinion, The Waste Lands is a contender, along with The Drawing of the Three, for the title of best Dark Tower novel. Tension, thrills and scary monsters abound, as Roland links up with the last two members of his ka-tet and they make their way along the path of the Beam. From the cyborg-haunted forests to the city of Lud, Stephen King's descriptions of Mid-World are intense enough to half-convince the reader that this must be a real place somewhere. The story gains momentum and hastens towards its cliff-hanger ending with the speed of a runaway train. Literally!

Wolves of the Calla, 01 Apr 2008
And we're back on track! After the massive flashback segment in "Wizard and Glass" the real story of the series begins to drive forward once more, picking up soon after the conclusion of book four.

This story is a little different from previous instalments. The journey towards the elusive Dark Tower slows as the team, King's own "fellowship", stop to help a town that anticipates a violent and devastating attack from the "wolves", a group of almost-men who may kill or abduct their children. There are many secrets in this book, all of which are revealed satisfactorily, and many of the mysteries surrounding Roland's world are also uncovered - although there are just as many new questions as there are answers.

The writing is, as ever, great; the dialogue particularly brings such clarity to this aspect of King's complex series that you don't feel you're reading fantasy, which, as a writer of the genre myself, can often get bogged down in the narrative. King lightens the novel where it needs light, and darkens the novel when the various truths are revealed. Speaking of light and revelations, we see the protagonist Roland in an entirely new light, adding yet another layer to the full rounded character and his companions. It's wonderful and heart-breaking to see our beloved characters in this way, who by now feel like family.

Do we want Roland to succeed? Always. Do we want him to succeed at the expense of his companions, who are also our friends? There are new aspects of the Dark Tower, its substance and purpose, that almost make us think "maybe they aren't all that important after all ..."

Don't miss it. It's a series back on track after a minor slowdown, and it is so intriguing that you'll still be thinking about it weeks later.


Suspense of plots yet to come, 17 Dec 2007
As fantasy worlds go, the parallel earth of the "Dark tower" is unique and refreshing.
The book contains some five minutes of wonderfully written action and some fascinating characters. You can glimpse the true genius of the author throughout the book. Sadly Steven King uses over 400 of 611 pages to build suspense of plots yet to come, in the next instalments of the series. Longwinded is a description that leaps to my mind.
Reading the book is like arduously digging for gold, you find minute nuggets on the way that suggests it's worth your time. When you finally strike gold it's a nice brilliant lump, but you are left with the notion that the grind was not worth the effort.
If you are in need of instant gratification this book is not for you.


OMG!, 26 Sep 2007
Loved it!!!!! I found it hard to believe how brilliantly this was pulled off! Im not a huge Tephen KIng fan but alfter reading this (iv only read this one in the Dard Tower series) i went out and got all the others.
But this one is the best in the series.
Its the most griping book i'v ever read, most good books i read i have to stop reading alfter about 150 pages coz i useally start getting disstracted but this book i read about 500 pages of it (in about three and a half hours) then i HAD to put it down coz i needed to go to have dinner but i started reading it again straught alfter.
This is THE best book in the world along side: BEC by Darren Shan, and Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris.

The Plot Thickens, 18 Jul 2007
The key theme of this book is very strong so it is easy to keep track of the direction in which you are going. There are some bad guys and they needed to be dealt with and at the end of the day they will be. The side issues though are what makes the book interesting, the further development of the 'you exist because I think your think' theme, the rapid development of Roland's and Jake's characters, the scene setting for the next book and the tying together of loose ends from previous books, all these go towards making TWOC an enjoyable read. However, there are failings, certain characters play pivotal roles but they are not developed beyond the bare minimum necessary to carry the story. In contrast there is a certain amount of wastage going over old ground; TDT books are not intended to be read on there own so repetition from previous books is pointless. Luckily he does not fall into the trap of repeating huge swathes of the previous novels (ala Jean Auel), but there is sufficient to be annoying. All in all, not as good as WaG, but still very good indeed.

magnificent 4?, 14 Jun 2007
this book is king back to his best, a fast paced story that reeks of the magnificent seven. basically the ka-tet are hired by a village that is being attacked by wolves, which look like Dr. Doom on horseback and throw harry potter sneetches.

a great book that has plenty of action and a few twists. for me the last great book in the series before king starts to play god, literally.

Wizard and Glass, the fourth episode in King's white-hot Dark Tower series, is a sci-fi/fantasy novel that contains a post-apocalyptic Western love story twice as long. It begins with the series' star, world-weary Roland, and his world-hopping posse (an ex-junkie, a child, a plucky woman in a wheelchair, and a talking dog-like pet named Oy the Bumbler) trapped aboard a runaway train. The train is a psychotic multiple personality that intends to commit suicide with them at 800 m.p.h.--unless Roland and pals can outwit it in a riddling contest. It's a great race, for the mind and pulse. Films should be this good. Then comes a 567- page flashback about Roland at age 14. It's a well-marbled but meaty tale. Roland and two teenage friends must rescue his first love from the dirty old drooling mayor of a post-apocalyptic cowboy town, thwart a civil war by blowing up oil tanks, and seize an all-seeing crystal ball from Rhea, a vampire witch. The love scenes are startlingly prominent and earthier than most romance novels (they kiss until blood trickles from her lip).

After an epic battle ending in a box canyon to end all box canyons, we're back with grizzled, grown-up Roland and the train-wreck survivors in a parallel world: Kansas in 1986, after a plague. The finale is a weird fantasy takeoff on The Wizard of Oz Some readers will feel that the latest novel in King's most ambitious series has too many pages--almost 800--but few will deny it's a page-turner.

The Mist in "great Stephen King movie" shock!, 07 Oct 2008
Firstly, shop around and get the "Skeleton Crew" anthology instead, where you'll get several other King short stories as well as this novella - much better value, so a star off for that.
Great King story, classic set-up and scares, and some nice observations about the siege mentality of humankind. Possibly even a link to the "Dark Tower" series - has the Arrowhead Project ripped a hole between dimensions and created a "thinny"?
A second star off for the ending, which just tails off into nothing. Be warned if you plan on watching the movie version (which is fantastic - it's by Frank Darabont, so of course it is!): the ending is radically different and far superior. In fact, it is stunning in its audacity. Kudos to Darabont for refusing studio pressure to change it, and to King for agreeing to the change to his story. Be warned - it is bleak.

Very Readable Horror-Now a Movie., 05 Sep 2008
I read this on a long train ride and it certainly helped to pass the time. People under pressure in a base under seige is always a good bet for an absorbing drama. This 'novella' also shows how people react; bringing out the best and worst in them. Mrs Carmody is a particularly monstrous creation, rivalling anything outside the supermarket. Not sure about the ending though, but you will have to read this to make your own mind up. There is a motion picture of this book now, which I am looking forward to seeing (apparently with a different ending.) A recommended read.

The Mist, 27 Jun 2008
I really enjoyed the book with the people being traped in the Supermarket. I am going to order the movie at Christmas time. It's a bit like the movie Terror in the Mall only instead of water trapping them it is the Mist. The old woman in the book seemed crazy going on about death and saying it's death out there. If the book was excellent I can't wait to see the film when I get it.

I give this book 5 stars!

Good story - Buy Skeleton Crew., 08 Jun 2008
Just a short note to say this story is available in the book 'Skeleton Crew', which is much better value for money. Stephen King is a master of the horror novel, but a lot of his short story collections are highly underrated.

brilliant, 24 Apr 2008
one of my favourite books ever. dead short, but brilliant. if you can get it cheap, it's well worth a read... 5 stars

Outstanding, 11 Nov 2008
I read this at 14 and was my first ever stephen king book, i loved it. the powerful and vivid way it has been wrote just enticed me to read more and more. I feel this is the best one in the series and one of kings best pieces of fiction. the gunslingers struggles and choices throughtout the book make you hate him but also feel for him. this is a must buy for king fans

Utter Disappointment, 03 Nov 2008
I was convinced this series would be a joy to read, something original and sinister, the celebrated masterpiece saga of one of the masters of horror and fantasy.
I gave it a try... and tried very hard to finish it. I could not bring myself to enjoy neither the story nor the style. Still, I decided to read the second book as well, convinced that there was something I had yet to discover, this certain something that seems to make so many readers enraptured with the Dark Tower books...
Well, I haven't been able to discover it! Many have loved this book and undoubtedly many more will, but personally I find it incoherent,dragging and overtly blunt - a bluntness which feels unsupported and pointless, nothing to resemble what I have come to expect from King.
I prefer to leave the Dark Tower saga here and move on to other stories.

One of my favourites, this series gets under your skin, 23 Apr 2008
This is my favourite series of books and Gunslinger is probably one of the books I re-read most. "The man in black fled across the desert, and the gunslinger followed"....great opening! This book is a bit weird and different to the others in the series, but it still works well.

We get a great introduction to the enigmatic Gunslinger, Roland Deschain and his quest to catch the man in black and to find the Dark Tower. His world is a strange echo of ours, but it has 'moved on.' A strange mix of the old Wild West and a post apocalyptic future, where paper is rare and machinery is ancient, with its original purpose forgotten. Roland meets a boy called Jake, who appears to have died in our reality and somehow crossed over to this other world. They form a fragile partnership as they pursue the man in black...but things seem pretty doomed from the start.

There are many questions raised in this book, and you have to read the rest of the series to find the answers. You enter the story in the middle of it really, and there is a lot of hopping around the timeline to explain things. Roland is a tough character to love, but you get there in the end! That is his appeal, his harshness and his fervent determination to get to the Tower, no matter the cost.

Try this if you want a change! It's not like anything I have read, but it goes without saying, it's a must for King fans and people who like a good, epic fantasy. Thankee sai! Long days pleasant nights! If you read the set you may find you end up talking oddly, it has that effect! READ
Try the graphic novel too, based on the Wizard and Glass book. Great representation of young Roland.

The Gunslinger, 01 Apr 2008
The first instalment of Stephen King's fantasy series is unashamedly inspired by that other fantastic series, "The Lord of the Rings". King made no attempt to hide this and refers to it in each of his surprisingly-interesting forwards, but the thought of reading something so obviously "inspired" put me off. It was only after the release of the final book in the series I was persuaded to pick up "Gunslinger", and was appalled