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  • The Dark Tower I: The Gunslinger

  • By: Stephen King
  • Narrated by: George Guidall
  • Length: 7 hrs and 19 mins
  • 4.2 out of 5 stars (4,286 ratings)

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The Dark Tower I: The Gunslinger

By: Stephen King
Narrated by: George Guidall
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Summary

Stephen King's epic fantasy series, The Dark Tower, is being made into a major movie starring Idris Elba and Matthew McConaughey. Due in cinemas February 17, 2017 USA.

In this first novel in his epic fantasy masterpiece, Stephen King introduces listeners to one of his most enigmatic heroes, Roland of Gilead, the Last Gunslinger. He is a haunting figure, a loner, on a spellbinding journey into good and evil, in a desolate world which frighteningly echoes our own.

In his first step towards the powerful and mysterious Dark Tower, Roland encounters an alluring woman named Alice, begins a friendship with Jake, a kid from New York, and faces an agonising choice between damnation and salvation as he pursues the Man in Black.

Both grippingly realistic and eerily dreamlike, The Gunslinger leaves listeners eagerly awaiting the next chapter.

And the Tower is closer....

©1982 Stephen King (P)2003 Penguin Audiobooks
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What listeners say about The Dark Tower I: The Gunslinger

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    2,145
  • 4 Stars
    1,161
  • 3 Stars
    665
  • 2 Stars
    200
  • 1 Stars
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Performance
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    2,393
  • 4 Stars
    944
  • 3 Stars
    329
  • 2 Stars
    81
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Story
  • 4 out of 5 stars
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    1,866
  • 4 Stars
    938
  • 3 Stars
    639
  • 2 Stars
    230
  • 1 Stars
    131

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars

Prologue

The whole book felt like a prologue to a tale yet to be told. Entertaining enough but lacking substance.

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18 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Essential but rubbish read !

Was The Dark Tower I: The Gunslinger worth the listening time?

So, this book is OK, nothing special... but the series is really good and so this is essential reading to start you on the journey to The Dark Tower.

My advice is to read this book and then dive straight into book 2. If you're not hooked by the end of book 2 then don't bother reading any further but it gets better and better as it goes along. This is a slow burner and it really starts to grow on you as you progress through the series.

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11 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

Good story telling, but not my cup of tea

As expected this Stephen King's novel is written to a high standard and I really wanted to get lost into this fantasy series for hours, however this didn't happen...

It's an interesting introduction to a new world and charachters, but nothing more. The story does not progress in a fast pace, leaves you puzzled and with no answers.

Perhaps the next books in the series develop it further into an excellent fantasy series, but there was just not enough in there for me to keep me interested so I'll never know.

George Guidall's performance is good and steady. I would easily listen to his recordings again.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Suspenseful

A dark suspenseful tale about... a long journey to find the answers? The narrator's voice is a perfect match for this story.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Vrilliant writing and read perfectly

Very easy to listen to. Very enjoyable from start to finish. Top class all around.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Swedgen!

When laid out linearly, there isn't much to the Gunslinger, and I'm not completely on side with the lack of reasoning as to why Roland cannot or does not simply take the man in black out (perhaps something I missed). What does stand out is the narrator. George Guidall channels Al Swearengen to perfection, you'd be forgiven for thinking it was Ian McShane himself growling in your ears. Elevates a rather hum drum story considerably.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

A BAD START TO THE SERIES

I love sagas, and am usually hooked at the first book, but not this time. I found this book almost impossible to get into. I abandoned it once only coming back to it after exhausting my other downloads. The story is slow and just did not grab my attention.

I am glad I stuck with it because book 2 was worth the wait - so if you are going to go for the series, stick with it!

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

it was good.

quite enjoyed it, can't wait to get on with the next one. great stuff as always

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Excellent opening the an epic story.

The man in black fled across the desert, and the gunslinger followed... Where it all begins and ends.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

not Clint Eastwood

I am a little disappointed with the narrator.
When I read the book, I saw Roland as a Clint Eastwood type character and was disappointed not to hear him reading the story.

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