This is the worst King book I've read so far. It's a real disappointment. I have really enjoyed most of King's books since I started going through his work (this was my tenth). I was really looking forward to starting the Dark Tower series in particular, but after this book, I'm less thrilled with the prospect of continuing this story. I plan to give this series one or two more volumes to see if it gets better, but that's mostly due to my own stubbornness. My original plan was to go through all his novels in publication order... now my tbr is laughing at me. 

The Gunslinger has the same vibe as The Stand minus all the interesting information and character development. It's a real slog of a book, and that's a real feat, considering it's only a little over 200 pages. My recommendation would be to at least read The Stand before you go into this. If you don't like that you won't like this. If you do like The Stand, know that this is a step down. Hopefully, the series has more to offer in book 2.