The Gunslinger

The Gunslinger, even when revised, is an incredibly flawed introduction to the (supposedly) greatest fantasy works of all time - famously denounced by King himself. The novel manages to be entertaining in spite of its flaws, with an interesting fantasy western post apocalyptic world and an interesting dynamic between a cowboy and a child.

But oh boy does this novel make some hard left turns with some head scratching decisions; almost bordering on parody with its uber serious tone and absurd situations that King tries to cover up with overly complex explanations. But King is also guilty of failing to explain concepts of his world where many were confused (including myself) at these passing references to things not explained. I knew what ‘ka' was going into this book (its magic system), but the book refuses to go further in depth as to what it even means even despite its prominence in the book. It becomes a word that adds flavor to the world rather than a concrete concept. The characters themselves feel like they were written around this world, feeling like archetypes that have hints of characterization.

The book also feels disjointed with its nonlinear structure, probably in due part to its origin as a collection of short stories weaved to become a novel - where in to continually jumps around in chronology for extended periods of time. There is so much time spent wandering in a desert bereft of anything interesting, only for it to flashback for an extended amount of time before re-entering the present. Not helped by King's prose (who I usually think to be an excellent writer), which in here sometimes comes across as crude and often a bit juvenile (referring to the gunslinger's want to be a part in an orgy with his parents (???)). It isn't entirely unreadable, but there are some jarring moments that make it something wildly different from what I have read from King.

The Gunslinger is an uneven read, however mercifully short and briskly paced. It does not reach the heights that King would reach beyond his sophomoric effort, but it is still a mildly entertaining read that is an essential introduction to the rest of the series - hopefully, his magnum opus. I am interested in seeing what is next.