"Things had stretched apart. There was no glue at the center anymore. Somewhere something was tottering, and when it fell, all would end."

Re-read 19.03.2020
No change to rating.

Because The Gunslinger's chapters were first published as individual short stories, it can feel a bit disjointed as a novel. Not only that, but compared with the subsequent volumes, King's writing style wasn't fully developed yet at this age. Even with the revisions he made in 2003, there are glimpses where the story tries to be something it's not, like it's being pushed through a square hole even though it's round.

Despite having a sort of prologue feel to it, I do think that The Gunslinger is perfectly fine and readable. As a light stepping stone, it introduces the nature of Roland's world and prepares you for the moment when the story really starts picking up. However, it's important to understand that it's more like a lock. You can peer through it, but you'll get the key only if you continue the journey. Things start making more sense later on, and certain events reverberate throughout the whole series.

The Dark Tower Project
"Night Surf" from Night Shift (1978)
The Stand: Complete and Uncut Edition (1990)
The Eyes of the Dragon (1987)
The Dark Tower I: The Gunslinger (2003 Revised Edition)
The Dark Tower II: The Drawing of the Three (1987)
The Dark Tower III: The Waste Lands (1991)
The Dark Tower IV: Wizard and Glass (1997)
"Little Sisters of Eluria" from Everything's Eventual (2002)
"Jerusalem's Lot" from Night Shift (1978)
Salem's Lot (1975)
"One for the Road" from Night Shift (1978)
The Dark Tower: The Wind Through the Keyhole (2012)
The Dark Tower V: Wolves of the Calla (2003)
The Dark Tower VI: Song of Susannah (2004)
Insomnia (1994)
Black House (2001) (sequel to The Talisman)
"Low Men in Yellow Coats" from Hearts in Atlantis (1999)
"Everything's Eventual" from Everything's Eventual (2002)
The Dark Tower VII: The Dark Tower (2004)