The Dark Tower I - The Gunslinger Review

I've completed my reading of The Gunslinger - The Dark Tower I, and am ready and raring to continue my quest with Roland of Gilead in the second book, The Drawing of the Three. I promised myself, however, that before starting a new book in the series, I would do a summary on the one I've just completed. I believe this is good form because as stated in the first post of this blog, I want to share this experience with other readers. Maybe we can have palaver and discuss our favorite parts of all seven novels.

In discussing The Gunslinger, I'll summarize the book to the best of my ability, but there maybe times that I ramble on. In my summary, I may inadvertently add some spoilers, but I'll try to keep this to a minimum. If there are those folks that haven't read The Gunslinger yet, and want to keep it completely unspoiled, I would recommend coming back for discussion after your first go through. It will be hard to talk about this adventure without noting some key elements of the story. Now, for my summary.

As we join Roland Deschain in the beginning of the desert, we find that our protagonist is heading southeast in pursuit of the man in black (also known in this story as Walter O’dim, and maybe even Marten). What we have is a clear situation of an irresistible force meeting the immovable object; the immovable object being the tenacity of our Gunslinger hero, and the irresistible force being the obscurity of the man in black. Roland knows not how close he is to the man in black, how he will catch him, or what he will do when they finally meet. The Gunslinger does, however, know that the man in black may have to take him someplace, possibly a place of destiny.

In this story, time has no relevance, because the world has "moved on". Destinations have been stretched thin and directions have been distorted. We learn this with Roland's first encounter with a hut dweller named Brown and his raven, Zoltan. In this meeting, we find Roland is always on his guard because he knows the man in black is treacherous and is always setting up obstacles to not only stymie Roland's pursuit, but to also force him into questioning his own humanity. The Gunslinger, although set up as the hero, is not without his flaws. This is explained as Roland feels the need to talk to Brown about his exploits in a desolate, old western style town called Tull.

In the town of Tull, Roland sees, first hand, the demented mind of the one he chases. The man in black had visited the town prior to the Gunslinger and was labeled as a God that could perform, let's say, an infernal miracle. In order to continue his pursuit of Walter, Roland is forced into a brief relationship with a run-down, but formerly spirited barmaid by the name of Allie. Through this relationship we find that Roland, although absent of humor and imagination, is a hopeless romantic. He uses Allie, not only as a pawn in is journey, but as a reminder of a long lost love with a girl named Susan (Susan Delgado, the lovely girl at the window). Allie is entrusted with revitalizing Roland, but is also witness to the handiwork of the man in black. The significance of the number nineteen is revealed and is an albatross around Allie’s neck that eventually leads to her demise. As observers, we know the difference between good and evil, but a crazy, yet strangely attractive preacher named Sylvia Pittston is able to convince the townsfolk that Roland is an "Interloper" and must be done away with. After the resulting conflict, we come to understand the efficiency of Roland's talent as a killer. How he works his guns the way a seasoned concert pianist would work the eighty eight keys during a recital. What is particularly amusing is what The Gunslinger does immediately after battle, before he leaves the town.   

Roland finishes his tale, which is more of a confession, and sets off to leave the company of Brown the next day. He now faces a dangerous journey into the heart of the desert even though he knows not what is on the other side. Towards the end of the desert, which almost costs him his life, Roland comes across an ancient, deserted way station where he encounters a boy named John "Jake" Chambers.

We find that Jake really doesn't understand how he arrived at the way station, and has a vague recollection of a life in another place. Roland is able to find out more about Jake by utilizing another one of his talents, hypnosis. Jake seems to have come from a place that is best described as New York and his arrival at the way station is revealed. After a brief time at the way station, Roland and Jake are forced to leave after a bizarre encounter with a demon and continue the last push out of the desert and into the mountains. They get the sense that the man in black is not far off as Roland and his new companion continue the pursuit.

Roland notices a strength in Jake that reminds him of  his old best friend and fellow gunslinger by the name of Cuthbert Allgood. His fondness for Jake is revealed as he details a story about his childhood exploits with Cuthbert and the betrayal of a man named Hax. We are introduced to what I believe is the most colorful character in this book, Roland's instructor, Cort. Cort is a rough and scar ridden hard-ass that is entrusted with the task of shaping young gunslingers. He is unforgiving, harsh, and doesn't hesitate to lay a beating on disrespectful students. He has his way, in particular, with Cuthbert, as Cuthbert is sharp of wit and a wise guy to boot. The rite of passage for a young gunslinger is a final showdown with Cort in a sacred courtyard and Roland's choice of weapons is interesting as well as effective. Those that beat Cort get to pass through the east door and become a gunslinger apprentice, those that lose leave In-World and fade into exile.

As Roland reflects on his childhood, we also learn of the Gunslingers relationship with his father, his mother, and the hatred he has for a man named Marten (the man in black). Roland is of the Line of Eld (Gunslinger Royalty) and his father Steven Deschain was to be Dinh of Gilead (Ruler of In-World). His mother has become the pawn of Marten as Marten plots his betrayal of the Gunslingers by supporting "The Good Man", John Farson, a revolutionary bent on ending the ways of the Gunslinger. The details are vague, but we know of the destruction of the Gunslinger order and how a large part of Roland's motivation is his sworn oath to avenge his father by killing Marten (Walter, or the man in black) for this betrayal.

It is through Roland's relationship with his father, that we see a relationship between Roland and Jake. As they continue the pursuit it is known that the man in black had intended for this love between Roland and Jake to develop in order to once again expose Roland's humanity, or lack thereof. How far is Roland willing to go in order to catch the man in black? Under the surface, both Roland and Jake know the answer and this adds to a subtle conflict as they draw ever closer to their goal.

Roland both admires Jake for being sharp enough to understand his role, but in a way despises him too. All the same, The Gunslinger does all he can to protect Jake when they have a run in with a lust demon at the circle of stones and also in the mountain pass when they come across the horrors that are the slow mutants. In the mountains, the duo finds a handcar on some railroad tracks that helps speed them along their way to a train station. There, they must proceed on foot in order to cross an unstable bridge across a deep chasm where the man in black waits for them on the other side. Seeing that his goal and destiny is within reach, Roland does the unthinkable. We are then treated to the resolution which happens to be an intense palaver between The Gunslinger and the man in black.

I won't go into too much detail about the sit down between the two warriors of destiny. However, the three things I will mention are; we come to understand what The Dark Tower represents, we find out that there are other worlds than these, and that this is just the end of the beginning. In order for Roland Deschain to continue his journey towards the Dark Tower, he must participate in the Drawing of the Three. This quest must start to the west where the land ends and the ocean begins. We leave the first book of The Dark Tower with Roland on the beach contemplating the long road ahead.

To say this book was a quick read would be doing it no justice. I finished the book in less than two days, and that includes going about my normal life. I applaud Stephen King once again for making a story that is hard to stop reading and that utilizes the literary elements of flashbacks and foreshadowing so effectively. Many authors that try to include flashbacks into their novels end up disrupting the story's flow. Stephen King's use of them fit seamlessly in place as they actually help progress the narrative and help you not only understand the origins of Roland Deschain, but how his past effects future events and relationships. It also helps when the whole premise of the world being created is that time no longer has true measurement.

The key element of foreshadowing is used in a way that makes it hard, sometimes even impossible to put down the book. Twice my wife and daughter had to yell at me to stop reading because we had to leave and go to some event. Stephen King is the master of setting up the next scene at the end of the previous one by injecting one or two sentences that implore the reader to press on. I recommend that if you are going to put the book down, that you do so in the middle of a scene, during a slow moment (if you can find one). I think that if King had not become an author that he would have had a great career writing teasers for the local radio station.

Great! I've finished my synopsis and comments about The Gunslinger and now I can run over to my favorite reading chair, strap in, and return to Mid-World and experience The Drawing of the Three. Please leave comments and share your thoughts about The The Dark Tower I, The Gunslinger.