I had hoped that this would be the year I finally finished reading The Dark Tower. That's...obviously not going to happen. But at least it's the year I finally finish rereading the books I read years ago, so that I can finally read the final three.

I read Wizard and Glass not long after it came out, so it's been a while. I found there was a lot I didn't remember, though I still remembered the gist of things. I wasn't quite as annoyed by the detour this time around, since I have the final three right here, whereas the first time I read it, I'd been waiting years and years for a new book in the series and then instead of furthering the plot, it was all backstory.

Still, I didn't like this as much as the first three books. Which is weird, because usually I love backstory and flashbacks and reveals and all that sort of stuff, but I just find the story of Roland's time in Hambry really dull. I mean, obviously I still liked the book, since I gave it a four, but really. Especially anything to do with Roland and Susan was just beyond tedious. Someone needs to sit Stephen King down and tell him not to write romance, because it's really not his strong suit. ( )

A reader learns more about who, and what, makes Rolad what he is. A good read. Great plot twists. ( )

For me, this was a middling book, probably because it was a bit too long. I enjoyed a lot of the story, plus the Wizard of Oz allusions and the crossover into the world of The Stand, but I think it could have been edited a great deal. Roland's back story was probably told better in the comic book adaptation, Gunslinger Born. ( )

This book was sittign on my shelf for a while waiting for me to read the three previous books. Finally decided to dive in and re-read The Gunslinger.Probably my favorite book in the series. Real emotional punch at the end. ( )

I liked book 3 a lot, but I enjoyed book 4 more. Despite 90% of the book being a flashback I think that King did an excellent job. I enjoyed seeing Susan Delgado and the birth of Roland's quest for the tower, as well as seeing his old friends Cuthbert and Alain, of whom he speaks of so frequently. We also got to see Flagg again, which makes me anxious for their showdown. Is he the master of the tower? It seems as though he will be waiting for the travelers in the next stop, either way.

The only part I disliked was the final scene in the throne room. The Tick-Tock man was saved from the hell Blaine left behind in Lud by Flagg for some greater purpose, but he is then cast aside in a handful of pages once Roland's ka-tet reached the throne room as if King forgot what that purpose was to be. It was interesting noting that while Flagg holds sway over things of this world, including those of Gilead, he does not enjoy the same power over those of our world. Maybe this is linked to the skin he wears? ( )

Stephen King is back at it with Wizard and Glass, the fourth book in his epic Dark Tower series. The story continues the quest of Roland and his new ka-tet - Jake, Eddie, Susannah and Oy - but is framed mostly around the retelling of his old ka-tet - Cuthbert, Alain and Susan.

As his new ka-tet finds itself in Kansas and seemingly lost of the Beam, a great sorrow lies on Roland's shoulders, and without knowing why he must tell them his story. Roland takes them back to one of his most serious adventures in the West with 'Bert and Alain to the township of Mejis. Sent here by their fathers at the tender age of fourteen to stay out of danger from mounting wars back home, the ka-tet quickly discovers that the Mejis and several of its most notable inhabitants are working for The Good Man (John Farson) - the man at the helm of the wars ravishing the world. At the same time, Roland finds himself in love with a girl named Susan Delgado, who is betrothed to another man (the Mayor of Mejis, no less).

The story unfolds, and Roland recounts it almost in its entirety to his new ka-tet, but leaves out the ending for the time being. In a very Oz-like ending, the ka-tet encounters Marten again, and the rest of Roland's story is recounted.

Wizard and Glass is a terribly interesting book. The story and characters are remarkably interesting, as is the old-world of Gilead and the areas of the West (mostly limited to Mejis). There are plenty of plot twists that will leave the reader guessing, doubting, questioning and reeling in excitement.

Unfortunately (for some), the book is of immense length and differs from the others in that it is primarily a love story between Roland and Susan. Although interesting, many parts are unnecessary to the overarching story (save to add "completeness") and are long-winded. In his Afterword, King himself writes, "I don't know if it's good or bad - I lost all sense of perspective around page four hundred," which is just over half of the book length!

Regardless of length, Wizard and Glass is an entertaining work in the Dark Tower that adds to the wonderful story of the world of Roland of Gilead and his ka-tet. ( )

Very long and interesting but not emotionally gripping the way King wants it to be. He wants a grand tragedy but I read this at the same time as "Of Mice and Men" and the contrast could not be greater. ( )

I didn't like the way this book veered away from the main story. I wasn't overly interested in the back-story. Also, I thought the ending was lame. ( )

The Dark Tower series is getting better as I work through it, perhaps because the writer has matured significantly since the early volumes. This part of the tale focuses on Roland's early career as a gunslinger, and his relationship with a young girl (actually 2 years older than him!). Beuatifully and believably told. ( )

Probably my least favorite of the Dark Tower Series. Spent too much time on back story and not enough moving forward. That and I don't like the Wizard of Oz ( )

This book was ok at best, it was very drawn out with little adventure aside from the story Roland tells of his past. It was a disapointment after reading the previous three books. The following three books are much better as well. ( )

Finally finished Wizard and Glass, I certainly did. Oh my goodness, this book was long! And I do not mean the actual number of pages, which stopped at 668 in my edition. Until the last 150 pages, very little actually happened—what kept being read by me were just events leading up to a climax…very lengthily explained events at that.

Now, I am not the one to quibble of the length of a King book. Take the newer edition of The Stand. It flows! And the transcribing of interesting & fascinating events does not cease. Wizard and Glass read as if its plot is over-bloated with flavor. Have you ever had a meal that was painstakingly prepared with all of the china pulled out from the cover only to have it far too pungent and rich with flavor? That is what Wizard and Glass is too me. I felt like he was trying far too hard (which he's admitted to; Stephen King will admit all faults, which also makes him a fun guy in interviews and that jazz).

So far, this is not my favorite of the series. My least favorite is the first, of course, for its unstructured immaturity. That being stated, Wizard and Glass has not put me off finishing the Tower books. I just think I am going to take a small break and get back to it in January. ( )

Stayed up late a couple times ( )

Wizard and Glass.... this is one murderously long book.
I'm a fan of the DT series, and I nearly ditched this 700pg beast at least 3 times while plodding through it. The repetition is almost physically painful. About 300 pages are entirely unnecessary and do nothing to move the story forward, they in fact keep jerking it backwards in a one step forward, two steps back fashion.
Some have recommended reading a synopsis of the flashback section (which is 80% of the book, or so) instead of reading this book - and I tend to agree with them. Its a shame, because a decent story is buried in there, but mining it out is torturous. In the afterward - Stephen King says he lost track of whether it was a good book or not about halfway through writing it. I say: No S#&t.
His editors did him no favors by not pointing out how he was holding his fan's feet in the fire.

All that said - you almost can't skip it in order to continue forward. This book bridges a long time away from the series for SK into the last years of its writing, which were executed in a comparable feverish speed (the author's brush with mortality rearranging his priorities somewhat).

I feel glad to be done with it. Very glad. I'm not happy with the resolutions, either. All involve vague magic and characters reappearing in overly-convenient ways. Please let the last 3 be much much better than this... I've more or less been saving them to enjoy, because I understand it won't last forever. Now I have no interest in parsing them out - because, while reading this book - the notion of the series lasting forever was hell on Earth. ( )

Another great addition to this story. I especially enjoy that readers get to see Roland's past, get to see at least part of the reason - and I suspect it is a big part - why he is the way he is today. A great read. ( )

My favorate of the series although not the actual best. This entry is all about Rolands past, which i absolutly loved. The only reason its not perfect is that next to nothing occurs in the main story of Dark Tower. ( )

This book will forever be one of my favorites. Although it is part of the Dark Tower series, it could easily stand alone as a separate novel. This is very unlike the other Dark Towers in that it is set in the world of Roland before it moved on and fell apart. It is as action-packed as the others, but also has the elements of a wonderful love story and is much more emotionally gripping than the others. If I could give it more stars, I would. ( )

Book four of the very wonderful Dark Tower series didn't disappoint me.

With a quick recap from the previous book, the ka-tet find themselves in a land recently decimated by a plague. While trying to determine whose world it might be they find the time to sit and hear the long-overdue story of Roland and how he became a gunslinger and why he is now alone.
The story of Roland's early life is facinating and tells not only of his friendships with Alain and Cuthbert but also of his first love, Susan Delgado in the town of Mejis. How Roland came to Mejis and how he leaves prove to be a huge part of the Dark Tower legacy.
Although this book does not do a great deal to progress the journey to the Dark Tower it certainly brings us up to speed on how Roland took his first step on the long road towards it.

Roland as a young man is truly charming and the meeting of Alain and Cuthbert is all too short. Cuthbert in particular was a great character and it is a shame he and Alain could not accompany Roland further into his quest. We know from previous books that this story Roland tells cannot end happily but it goes bad in so many ways that it still manages to be shocking and sad. ( )

3 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
Not One of King's Better Novels, November 10, 2006


This novel is not one of his better ones, certainly sub-par compared to the rest of the novels in the Gunslinger series. It was disappointed to read this mammoth book, only to get a very-long drawn out history. The books ends only a few days past book 3, and I don't feel that the drawn-out history really added much of anything to the series. In the afterward, Steven King said he had a hard time getting started on this book, and the feeling is evident throughout--it's like he was trying to force a story out just to get the next book in the series out, even though his heart wasn't in it. I won't get into the ending, but suffice it to say it was pretty ridiculous compared to what I would expect from Steven King. But not surprising, since the entire novel seemed forced, the ending was also forced.
If this book was a stand-alone book, I'd recommend skipping it. But since it is part of a (so-far) 7 book series, it is worth at least glossing through (and there are be many drawn-out parts where you will be easily be able to gloss through), if one intends to read the entire series. And there are some mildly entertaining parts of the book--Steven King writes of such caliber that even his below-par books are not without merit. ( )

Wizard and Glass finds Roland and his ka-tet in a world where a plague has demolished the population (sound like The Stand?) Roland feels that it is finally time to give his friends a glimpse into his past, and the bulk of the book is his tale of his time in Mejis, ostensibly counting provisions for the Affiliation. He and his friends, Cuthbert and Alain, end up uncovering a plot to supply John Farson, the Good Man, with what he needs to fight the Affiliation, while Roland finds himself trapped by something more dangerous than war.

This book is long and a little slow, especially when the books on either side have so much more action. The climax, however, is very exciting and screams to be made into a film. ( )

Note to self for future re-readings, and also to anyone picking this up for the first time who has read The Waste Lands anytime in the recent past: skip the prologue. It's merely a retelling of the very end of that book, but with seemingly minor changes that, for me, were pretty severely off-putting. Just jump directly into Part One, which begins exactly where The Waste Lands left off.

Prologue aside, this is one of my absolute favorite books. Nay; it is my absolute favorite. Roland's world, and the characters that inhabit it, carry me away in a way that few Earth-bound settings or characters can. This story does more than carry me away; it fills me up, makes me want to be a part of this world that never was.

It's hard for me to believe that this story--the part of it that belongs to Roland, Susan, Alain, Cuthbert, and the rest, at any rate--was written, that it didn't simply materialize out of the ether. I hate to romanticize, especially given that I'm a writer myself and not generally given to such flights of fancy about the labor and process of writing, but that part of the story, for me, is just perfect. I can't imagine any part of it being any different than what it is. It comes alive for me, and I just want it to go on and on.

This is what I wanted the Dark Tower series to be. I enjoyed the character of Eddie, but I never really did Susannah or Jake. The less of "our" world, the better, in my eyes. I would know more of Cuthbert and Alain, of Roland's first ka-tet, and of the quests he faced in his own time and place. That part of the story is what made this book the highlight of the series for me. ( )

Out of all seven novels in this series this is by far the best one. It has all the elements need to make an excellent story.
This book makes Roland feel like an actual human being instead of some....gunslinger. I myself fell madly in love with Susan too! ( )

http://www.amazon.com/review/R1PYCACT... ( )

http://www.sfreader.com/read_review.a... ( )

Mostly told as one big, long flashback, Wizard and Glass gives the reader a glimpse beneath the inscrutable surface of the gunslinger. Roland recounts a story from his youth, one of his first ka-tet: the heretofore frequently alluded-to Alain and Cuthbert. The young friends are dispatched to the Barony of Mejis, where they have a run-in with a deadly gang of older gunmen, and which is the setting for Roland's ill-fated romance with Susan Delgado. Similarly to The Gunslinger, Wizard and Glass reads very much like a true Western and, thanks in large part to the genuine lyrical beauty of Roland and Susan's young love, is the pinnacle of the Dark Tower series. However, the strange appearance of the Frank L. Baum's Emerald City toward the end is harbinger of bad, very bad, things to come. Say sorry. ( )