The Dark Tower Boxed Set

Having read the whole series up to date, I can truly say that these stories are not only thrilling but a page turner from beginning to end. There are so many different scenerio's that could happen in this book that it could go on forever! My favorite book so far is when the gunslinger goes back to his childhood as a young lad. My advice is to read from the first book to the last one written though otherwise you'll be confused if you don't know the full story behind the gunslinger and his friends.

I felt the first book of "The Dark Tower" series "The Gunslinger" was ok, but this book, "The Drawing of Three" was much better. Even though this book still does not answer much about Rolands quest for the Dark Tower it was a fun and exciting read. The way King describes each passage through the doorway was wonderful. The different characters were exciting, I especially liked Eddie Bean. There were a few good surprises in this book between the main characters, which was very well done. This book is enough for me to continue reading the series and to see what is in store Roland as his quest continues.

As an avid Stephen King fan, I thought that this series showcases some of his most insightful and detailed work. For those who are used to King's horror, murder, and macabre sadistical writings, the series may shock you in its different content, but will soon draw you into the oddities and wonders of Roland the gunslinger's "mid-world." The first in the series focuses on Roland's search and his mission, setting the stage for his drawing of the three in the next volume. This book lends just enough of a look into the background of Roland's childhood to make you identify with him, and his seemingly hopeless quest. The second volume "The Drawing of the Three" tells a well woven tale of "ka" and how Roland and his three become, and survive, pulling themselves together into their fated "ka-tet" of, eventually, five. The third book (which comes in the boxed volume) entitled "The Wastelands" is the first in the series that stops really setting the scene of the books, but actually gets more into the heart of what is to be, and what is to come for the quartet of "gunslingers" which each in their own rite has now become. DO NOT read this book unless you have in your posession the fourth, "Wizard and Glass" as the ending of the third is greatly unsatisfying, leaving the fate of the characters hanging in the balance, left up to the harsh peculiarities of a mono-rail named Blaine. As I am now on the fourth book, I cannot give review as of yet except to say that it is promising to be as great as the first three.

This mighty and masterful series combines many of my favorite themes and genres. I was suprised that King wrote this. It has science fiction of the first order, it has drama and romance, it has magic and fantasy, it has wild west style adventure, it has the holy quest of the knights of the round table, it has horrors, it has exotic anthropological beliefs--in short, it has it ALL! It's like his other great books are planets and this is the sun. I read from all areas and subject matter, and it is hard for me to name any books I enjoyed more deeply. This guy is a master. With all its ideals and universal themes running through it, this series is destined to become an all-time classic. I hope these are read widely by those who are not interested in horror even. Intellectuals and thrill-seekers alike will like this one. I would recommend it to anyone who likes to read, period. Stephen King's best work. P. S. I was amazed that the first review from that guy in washington D.C. was so negative, it is as though he didn't read the books at all. If anything, I didn't get any of that from the books that I don't also see in Walt Disney films--for example 101 dalmations, Lion King, Bambi, and Little Mermaid all involve youngsters overcoming treachery. Only this series is like a story where Disney leaves off--like the Lion King grown up, and there is still plenty of overcoming to do! The story is a testament to the human spirit and eternal Hope. This is a very uplifting series of books. You simply can't go wrong with these books.

I read this trilogy while I was attending college 3 years agoand I can assure you several classes were missed as I read just onemore chapter. I found my attempt to finish each read at a resolved point was quite impossible and I ended up completing all three books within a few days. The way King hints at the fact that Rolands world is our own future gone awry is intriquing and almost depressing. Just enough mystery, magic and muscle for a good long read. (And a good long wait for the conclusion!)

Weep not over Stephen King's success... he is successful, because he touches a common chord in most all humanity. He is accessible, his stories, especially the Gunslinger series, speak of loss, fear and love, in other words, the human condition. He paints both villians and heroes in a believable gray, if you will, rather than starkly black and white. He's a master at drawing the reader into his tale. His characters breathe and his imagination is without peer. So dry your eyes, honey, this really is a pretty good tale.

I just wish they would not make the movie. WHY?
I read all the issues of Dune. The movie was beyond stupid. They didn't even capture the real story. Not even close.
I fear this will be the same. If they had even a small chance to really get this right it would take a movie of about a hundred plus hours.

The Dark Tower series are an addiction to me that is even worse than any drug. King brings us in the mind of Roland and his fellow travellers. In the beginning when we met Roland, he seems to be an cold and weird person. But in the last book of the serie(wizard glass) King brings us back to the past of Roland, in which we can understand his previous thinking and actions. We understand his quest and are very anxious for the next part of the Dark Tower.

This set contains the first four books in the Dark Tower series. The Dark Tower is about a gunslinger and some friends he meets along the way attempting to reach the Dark Tower. This is some of King's finest writing. My only complaint is that King has revised the original Gunslinger in this boxed set.

Buy this set!

Without giving a synopsis of what the series is about, "Dark Tower" books are amazing. The first book was a little tough to get through since it seemed to be laying a lot of groundwork, but the second and third books began to flow much better. The final books were the "page-turners" to me that one of the reviewers on this site found them not to be. I have read the entire series about 10 times now and each time I read them, I pick up something new or understand something that was foreshadowed 5 books ago. It is an amazing piece of work and I highly recommend it. I was especially happy that these books did not involve a lot of the gore for which Stephen King is known- this is a highly imaginative and complex story.

Books 1-4 are fantasy horror at its best. Lots of action, mechanical beasts, and violent wastelands make the first four books in this series just plain awesome. Wolves of the calla was okay and I'm on book six now. These were just as engaging as Harry Potter was.

I used to love King's horror as a child, but got sick of him around Gerald's Game. Most of the stuff I'd read I regarded as fluff, no substance. Except The Gunslinger. I could not escape the power of Roland of Gilead and his quest. All the books have their high points, with the original being at the top of my list. I hold King with a grain of salt, but these and Different Seasons still capture for me what literature is all about.

While I am not really a fantasy or a science fiction fan, and the Dark Tower series seems to take elements of each of these (and several others), I cherish these first four books in the series. While the Dark Tower series is hard to describe, it is easy to read. The first four books in the series are some of my favorite books of all time. I have reread each several times (something I rarely do with any book). Book five is good, just not up to the high standards of one through four. Books six and seven were the largest disappointments, to me, of any author's work. None of this, though, can take away the magic of books one through four. I can safely recommend these books to you, almost no matter what type of books you usually like.

The whole series is great, I was instantly caught in the first book "The Gunslinger". Once you start with that one, it's hard to put the next two books ("The Drawing of the Three" & "The Wastelands") down since they're so fast-paced. The story slows down quite a bit in the fourth book "Wizard and Glass" since it's about the main characters (Roland Dechain of Gilead) earlier days, right after he became a Gunslinger. There are 3 other books after Wizard and Glass (The Wolves of the Calla, The Song of Suzannah, and.. last but certainly not least, The Dark Tower) so you would have to read the whole story to get the full effect of it. I would recommend this series to anyone and everyone who loves to read!

These three books are among the best books i have ever read in my entire life, granted i am only seventeen, but reading has always been one of my passions. The Dark Tower series grabs you and doesnt let go. Obsessive would be the only adequate word to describe how i feel about the books when i am reading them- and i have read each one at least twice, the first one even three times! No matter who you are and what is going on in your life each reader can feel a connection with the characters. Thats part of what makes the books so enthralling- we see ourselves as Roland pushing forward no matter what or Eddie Dean overcoming the unthinkable and finally learning to accept himself. I dont care what types of books you read- these books are for everybody and anybody. If you are looking for truely good books that will keep you yearning for more then look no further. King throws the plot around so often youll be thinking about it every waking moment of the day. My only gripe is that King doesnt come out with them often enough- i need more!

What I enjoy most about the quest for the Dark Tower is the uncanny way the book comes to life all around you. Reading it is as if you have a front-row seat in a 3-d movie. Stephen King has a way of drawing on your powers of imagination like no one else can. If you don't believe this, go read 'It'(but read it in a well lit room).All I can say is that I check the web every day to see if part 5 is out.

These books are very good.
The first two are amazing.
Three is very creative.
4 gets a little too deep into Roland's past but that's how Stephen wanted it.
The fifth book is the one I'm on now and so far so good.

The Dark Tower Series is the best story I've ever read. Roland and his quest is totally enthralling. I don't think King can write these fast enough for me. I've read the series five or six times already, with the first copy having to be replaced because I read it into oblivion. These books show how Stephen King's imagination can bring you into worlds that you never thought possible.

This series of books is beyond words. For those looking for something like The Lord of the Rings, this is it. The only difference is that there is nothing that you can call puny in these books.

I have struggled to accurately display the story of Roland Deschain, son of steven, last gunslinger of gilead and his dark tower, yet I know of no diction to properly describe it. The closest I can come is to comparing it to a cross between a western (the gunslinger), The Lord of the Rings (magic, and other worldly happenings), and Band of Brothers (weapons, battles, bonding to the point of family). To me, it is the best literary work that ive laid eyes on. I will read this set of books till I have to breath left to spin.