I hate the fact that King released an edited version of the Gunslinger. But I always tell people when getting into the series . . . the first book starts off slow, but once that is done it really picks up speed and doesnt let go.
Yes, it was incredibly hard. It's a miracle I could finish it at all.
Yes, it was a bit hard. I had to take some breaks.
No, it wasn't. It was okay.
No, not at all. I found it very interesting.
I hate the fact that King released an edited version of the Gunslinger. But I always tell people when getting into the series . . . the first book starts off slow, but once that is done it really picks up speed and doesnt let go.
It took me years to read this one. I kept putting it off. Once I stopped I would forget what happened and I'd have to start over. I can't tell you how many times 'ol Roland crossed that desert in my mind. He only had to reach the mountains and slow mutants once though and the rest of it just sparked my interest. I didn't even know it was an actual series until several months after I finished the Gunslinger (in 2002, LOL)
The tale had a slow start, thats for sure. I always tell people to just get through the Gunslinger and from there it gets so much better.
that's what bears tell people, too!
Ask not what bears can do for you, but what you can do for bears. (razz)
When one is in agreement with bears one is always correct. (mae)
bears are back!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I'm at the moment trying to convince one of my closest friends to start the DT series. Ditto on that what Aleister said - that's what I told my friend, too. I just long for my friends IRL to be able to share my passion about one of Sai King's finest works.
The first thing she asked was 'Is it scary?' Oh, no, not all.... I just know she will love Oy like I do. *sigh*
"...neither the stupid jokes nor the easy surface emotions were the truth of Cuthbert Allgood."
Hmmm telling them "it gets much better from there" seems to me to be 1. Automatically assuming they will agree with you that they won't like it. And 2. Giving an negative spin to The Gunslinger before they've even started.
Doesn't seem helpful to me. I would just tell someone that the quality of The Gunslinger is slower and more dreamlike than the rest of the series.
"It's his eyes, Roland thought. They were wide and terrible, the eyes of a dragon in human form" - Roland seeing the Crimson King for the first time.
"When the King comes and the Tower falls, sai, all such pretty things as yours will be broken. Then there will be darkness and nothing but the howl of Discordia and the cries of the can toi" - From Song of Susannah
I think if people ever pick up the series around me they will do it because they see how incredibly crazy I am about it. It can be enough.
There is a friend of mine who told me she would learn English to be able to read the series in English because she saw how much I was hooked on it.
To sum up I don't think I will tell them anything about the gunslinger.
Roland would have understood.
I suppose when people ask for advice, they want the opinion of the one they're asking. Moreover, that if they ask this or that particular person, it is because they already know that person's tastes, otherwise there'd be no point in asking. Thus:
1. They understand that it's only a personal opinion they hear, not a universal truth;
2. They correlate the negative opinion they've heard with what they already know of this person likes and dislikes, which may or may not be similar to their own.
I am generally inclined to assume that if people ask for my opinion it's because they want to hear it, and that they are mature enough to be able to form their own opinion even after hearing mine.
Ask not what bears can do for you, but what you can do for bears. (razz)
When one is in agreement with bears one is always correct. (mae)
bears are back!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
None of what I said presupposed that they don't know that it's your own opinion. Everything I said still applies as far as I see it. Most folk I've known when looking for an opinion will often say "well maybe I'll just skip on that then". I have to then say "well you know, that IS MY opinion only. You may disagree."
"It's his eyes, Roland thought. They were wide and terrible, the eyes of a dragon in human form" - Roland seeing the Crimson King for the first time.
"When the King comes and the Tower falls, sai, all such pretty things as yours will be broken. Then there will be darkness and nothing but the howl of Discordia and the cries of the can toi" - From Song of Susannah
All I'm saying is, if you're trying to sell someone on starting the series, giving The Gunslinger a negative spin from the get-go for someone who is looking to you for advice, may not help. Simple as that.
"It's his eyes, Roland thought. They were wide and terrible, the eyes of a dragon in human form" - Roland seeing the Crimson King for the first time.
"When the King comes and the Tower falls, sai, all such pretty things as yours will be broken. Then there will be darkness and nothing but the howl of Discordia and the cries of the can toi" - From Song of Susannah
I found it a little harder to read than most of the others, but i absolutely loved it's unique charm. It begins in a very strange and alien environment that only gets weirder as it goes along, so even with Jake there it can be hard to relate to. But it does have some wonderful moments, such as the conversation between Roland and the Man in Black, and the whole feel and atmosphere of the book is something extra special. It certainly grabbed my interest, but even i was surprised how much better the 2nd volume was when Eddie was introduced, who is quite possibly one of my favourite characters in literature ever!
Never be cruel and never be cowardly. And if you ever are, always make amends.
You are a walking talking Doctor Who encyclopedia to me. - Melike
The first time I read it (15 years ago) I had difficulty getting through it, however once I made it through it I couldn't get enough. I have since read it 4 more times without a lick of trouble. Its just a slow start to the series.
I read it the first time as a freshman in high school and didn't really like it.
A friend convinced me to give it another try years later, and boy, am I glad I did!
So much you did and so much more you would have done, aye, and all without a check or qualm, and so will the world end, I think, a victim of love rather than hate. For love's ever been the more destructive weapon, sure.
I remember reading it in a single sitting. There aren't many novels out there which let me boast that. And it brought me again and again towards it. But, i don't think that people who find the first one amazing will enjoy the latter books too. he probably made a drop on creepy levels
Lo gracioso fue que el primer parrafo no llamó mi atención, pense que seria otro relato de vaqueros yeso... pero una vez que comence a leerlo... no pude parar, y he seguido libro tras libro hasta llegar al culminante, y te dire que es tan descriptivo que puedes vivir el libro completo!!!
i thought the gunslinger (i've never read the original only the revised version) was really interesting. and because it was unique and different (i.e. all of in-world, mid-world and the language of high speech etc) i really enjoyed it. and i only thought of it as the worst of all the books (with pace/excitement/action) once i'd read all the others, and then looking back realized that the gunslinger was quite slow in comparison. but as soon as i finished the series i immediately read the gunslinger again (like in 2 days) and picked up on SO much stuff that i missed the first time round that is explained more in later books.
I bought this book for a friend a few years back. I was pleasantly surprised to find later that she had read it (she doesn't seem to read all that much fiction, and in the past, I've loaned her other books which were later returned to me unread). I think she found it quite interesting (in her words "It's about a cowboy chasing Death." I suppose that's not too far off the mark, although I think she sometimes looks for symbolism and metaphor when characters and situations are just what they are*) but it wasn't really her thing.
I had leant her DT2 after that, and it was returned to me later unread. I'm a tad worried that the first book put her off the rest. I don't dislike The Gunslinger myself, but I think the books really take off from the second onwards. Despite being bigger books I think they're generally easier to read and pull you along. I told her a bit of what happens in the second book. Not too much (I didn't want to spoil the story), just enough to give her a taster. She seemed more interested. I hope she'll take the plunge.
She's borrowing 'Salem's Lot right now, and, last I heard, she was thoroughly enjoying that one. A very different book, but it's pretty slow moving at the start with all the introductory Town stuff, so if she can get through that, it bodes well for the more drawn out sequences in DT2. (Spoiler:)
*Okay, maybe Roland and Walter aren't 'just what they seem'. There's certainly no harm in seeing allegories, etc, in various works. On the other hand I think a good story can provide it's own reward in just being a good story. Does that make sense?
For some people, sometimes King is a bit over when describing scenes but I really love that. I guess it helps to construct the atmosphere of expectation wich is in my opinion, essential in this kind of literature. I guess as well that look for (or just see) some simbolysm and metaphor can make the book more than pleasant, can make it useful, almost like a guide. That's the way I use to do with books of such greatness, but I have to admit that sometimes I exaggerate in my interpretations.
I think this is the first time I've seen this thread...
I had a little trouble getting into this book the first time I read it. IIRC, W&G had just come out and I was just starting to get into SK books. I had read a few like Firestarter and Christine when a co-worker noticed that I liked SK books and loaned me her copy.
IIRC she said it had a bit of a western theme and that it was the story that he tied most of his other books into. The flashbacks confused me a little as well. It did make more sense when I went back and re-read it a second time but I don't remember if that was before or after I read books 2-4.
Hearts are tough, she said, most times hearts don't break, and I'm sure that's right . . . but what about then? What about who we were then? What about hearts in Atlantis?
I had the same reaction- couldn't put it down and talked about it a lot, but to my husband. We lived in Qatar the year I read it and I didn't have many English language books to read (thank Goddness for iBooks). I read The Gunslinger like a Eddie was hooked on smack. It was all I thought about while teaching! I couldn't wait until night time when I could escape our boring life in the Middle East and be in Roland's world. The Gunslinger and all of the Dark Rower books make me feel something no other book has ever made me feel (except for Jitterbug Perfume).
I struggled many times - I could make it about 50 pages and would just feel "off." It was like trying to figure out an anagram or something that just never seemed to get solved. I posted this in my intro post but I decided to try the audiobook a few weeks ago and finally everything focused and it hit me like a truck!!! It was amazing I am kind of glad it took the effort and had such a huge payoff. I had a copy on my old nook for ages - while I was waiting on my next audible credit for the waste lands (I really love the audiobooks of the dark tower) I picked up my old nook which had The Gunslinger on it and I killed it in about two hours. :-) Now almost a 3rd of the way thru The Waste Lands, these books are all I can think about, all I want to talk about and I think I am driving my friends and family crazy lol.
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I initially struggled with the first 40-50 pages. I think I wasn't able to focus enough to really fall into the world and the language, so I'd miss references and plot points. I started it a third time and with the means to relax and deep read it, I really got absorbed into it. All those difficult terms and such pretty much went away and it was a smooth quick finish. Kind of interesting really. The rest of the series is very smooth and much like his normal writing style which I will admit was refreshing.
"Monsters are real, and ghosts are real too. They live inside us, and sometimes they win." - SK
WTB:
- S/L 'Storm Front' Jim Butcher (Subterranean Press)
- S/L 'Fool Moon' Jim Butcher (Subterranean Press)