“Go then, there are other worlds than these.” —Stephen King, The Gunslinger

I have a long history with this novel. My initial obsession with Stephen King started in the 90’s when I was a young man. He was my favorite author at the time, and I set out to read all his books. This was when I first attempted to read The Gunslinger, not realizing it was the beginning of his Dark Tower series.

I didn’t finish the book on that first attempt. Not because I didn’t like the book, but because I was easily distracted. I was like a dog chasing cars, never satisfied with what I was reading and always pursuing the next shiny thing.

Sometime around 2016, I finished reading it (and the next two books in the series). My goal was to read the whole series, but again my ADD took me off on other paths. Eventually I realized that, if I ever returned to the series, I was going to have to re-read them.

That brings me to this year. I’m currently making my way through them again, and I am almost through book three (The Wastelands).

But there is something about the first one…this beautiful and unique and very different style novel we call The Gunslinger. While it may not be the most entertaining book of the seven (so far it seems Book 2 has that privilege), it is the most beautifully written of the series. It may be one of the most beautifully written novels of all time, and it’s probably in my top ten novels.

I asked Chatgpt to give a summary of the book and this is what it said:

“The Gunslinger is the first book in Stephen King’s The Dark Tower series, following the journey of Roland Deschain, the last gunslinger, as he relentlessly pursues the enigmatic Man in Black across a desolate, otherworldly landscape. Set in a world that blends elements of fantasy, horror, and Western, the narrative explores themes of destiny, obsession, and the nature of good and evil. Along the way, Roland encounters various characters, including a young boy named Jake, who becomes entangled in his quest, ultimately revealing the complexities of Roland’s character and the burdens of his mission to reach the Dark Tower, a symbol of ultimate power and knowledge.”

That’s a pretty decent summary.

The part that called to me, and the one that will create this aura of otherworldliness that just gnaws at your soul, is the notion within the book of a world that has moved on. The idea of a lone man gunslinger, wizened by hardship and age, chasing the bad guy across the desert as part of some larger hero’s journey. The notion of the hardened anti-hero finding a soft spot for a boy he meets along the way, and that being an allegory for those of us who are old and tired still trying to connect with the inner child within us. These are the themes that will tug at you throughout the novel (which is the shortest of the series).

If you have the time, dive in. You’ll either love it or you’ll hate it. But if you love it, you’ll really love it. And if you hate it, well, this isn’t the series for you.