Name: The Dark Tower IV
Rating: 4.169724770642202 (109 reviews)
ISBN: 9781501161834

Stephen King

Roland the gunslinger and his crew barely escape one world only to slip into another. It is in this other world that Roland relates to his crew a twisted and entertaining tale of his first quest as a gunslinger and the love of his life, Susan Delgado.

Wizard and Glass

The Dark Tower IV

M. Sosotris

The first time I read this one, I was utterly bewildered. I was desperate for “lore,” and when we were sent into a flashback, I was eager for stuff in Gilead and revelations about what the Tower actually was.

But Stephen King is too good a writer for that. And so instead, the flashback is the formative tragedy that sent Roland on his path, which is also very important, but I didn’t realize it at the time.

This go around, I really appreciated what this book is doing. While I am desperately in love with the main ka-tet, and want to always focus on them, we really need to understand the dark side of Roland’s psyche, and the events that caused that damage and what sent him chasing after the Dark Tower.

Do we get any answers about the tower? The beams? The cosmic guardians? No, but that’s because those aren’t the answers we need. The answers we need are to “Why is Roland the way he is?” because THAT answer informs so much of what’s to come in the series.

I will say, when the flashback starts, the pacing basically starts from zero, and coming after the events which open the book (a tense nail-biting confrontation that is just sublime), it feels a bit jarring to jump back to 0 km/hr and wait for the story to rev up in true SK fashion to a staggering climax. But once the story gets going, it’s fantastic, and all the little details come back in satisfying ways. Be sure you pay attention to all the names and conflicts laid out in the beginning, because they make the climax of the flashback much easier to follow. Theres a lot of characters to keep track of.

And while the end of the book, a sort of unhinged coda that ties up some loose ends and opens up new mysteries, can be polarizing, I found that it worked for me much better this go around. But your mileage may vary.

Overall, this is a thematically and emotionally important hinge point in the whole series, and I’m eager to continue on with it!

The fourth volume in the brilliant Dark Tower Series is “splendidly tense…rip-roaring” (Publishers Weekly)—a #1 national bestseller about an epic quest to save the universe.

In Wizard and Glass, Stephen King is “at his most ebullient…sweeping readers up in…swells of passion” (Publishers Weekly) as Roland the Gunslinger, Eddie, Susannah, and Jake survive Blaine the Mono’s final crash, only to find themselves stranded in an alternate version of Topeka, Kansas, that has been ravaged by the superflu virus. While following the deserted I-70 toward a distant glass palace, Roland recounts his tragic story about a seaside town called Hambry, where he fell in love with a girl named Susan Delgado, and where he and his old tet-mates Alain and Cuthbert battled the forces of John Farson, the harrier who—with a little help from a seeing sphere called Maerlyn’s Grapefruit—ignited Mid-World’s final war.

Justin Staack

Prashanth Srivatsa

4 out of 7. And the best one so far. The past is a murky place, shown to begin with teenage love, impervious to perils, and ending with sacrifices which can only be judged when I say '7 out of 7'. King has weighed regret, love and obsession carefully, all of which enfold in a necessary act of sharing, making this maddening, fantastic world even more enjoyable.

Victoria Saxon

This book reminds me of Halloween and it shows a more innocent side to Roland.

Cams Campbell

Well, finally the story starts to feel mature and akin to other Stephen King books I've read and enjoyed. The whole tale within a tale was gripping and the reader of the audiobook version (Frank Muller) really brought it to life. His Cowardly Lion impression towards the end was terrific! 

I give it three stars because, like other Stephen King books I've read, it's enjoyable but forgettable. The exception thus far would be The Stand and It, both of which I've read more than once. Although I'm guessing that, by the time I get to the end of the Dark Tower series, I'll be strongly inclined to read the first one again. I've heard that from a lot of people, and I can see why now. The circular references and fluidity of the timeline add a certain something, so it might very well be worth going back to the beginning once the end is reached.

Stephen Gill 

I was slow to warm to this King Dark Tower series. Have really enjoyed 2 & 3 each one was better than the last. This one is the best so far a riveting read, this story is of Roland in his youth.

Ben Nathan

Definitely enjoying the series. This dive into Roland's past was great. Also, the bit of slow resolution to the present was good. Excited for three more books, then lots more King to make sure I know his full breadth.

The Dark Tower IV Wizard and Glass

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