"You aim to quit while you're ahead? And I said no mam I just aim to quit. I aint ahead by a damn sight. I never will be."
I'm usually at lost for wor"You aim to quit while you're ahead? And I said no mam I just aim to quit. I aint ahead by a damn sight. I never will be."
I'm usually at lost for words when it comes to novels that are written in a way that tickles my literary conscience. I firmly believe that McCarthy is one of the most skilled authors out there who writes like he aims to create the most magnificent piece of art. I think that Literary fiction, when one can truly appreciate the work that has been sculpted, is unrivaled to be the most beautiful form of art...more
This is a good graphic novel about the apocalypse. I tend to hate novels/graphic novels about the apocalypse because they tend to be repetitive and unThis is a good graphic novel about the apocalypse. I tend to hate novels/graphic novels about the apocalypse because they tend to be repetitive and unsatisfactory. East of West has an interesting plot and great characters.
It's forgivable for the first volume to have a confusing plot. What made it confusing for this one is the terrible introduction. The writer should have done it better. The world is poorly introduced, thus it made the plot a bit confusing. What made up for that would be the ending and the characters. I really enjoyed the characters that the author created.
The plot is filled with violence. I really enjoy it when a western is violent, and all the head cutting just added to the positive aspects.
4/5 stars. Not the best graphic novel out there, but I'm intrigued as to how the plot will develop. I'm hoping the ending of this one isn't just a gimmick. Can't wait to read the next volume....more
I can only name a small number of books that ruined me from the inside out. This trilogy definitely did; particularly this last one. Each book had itsI can only name a small number of books that ruined me from the inside out. This trilogy definitely did; particularly this last one. Each book had its own moment of buildup, development, pain, anguish, and despair. The entirety of the trilogy cannot be fully fathomed. It has endless layers of philosophy told in such a lyrical manner that tickles the literary brain
The thing with McCarthy is that the story/plot is almost always truly very simple, but delivered in such a manner that makes the novel in its entirety a masterpiece. The prose, writing, philosophy, character development, plot; what more am I forgetting? He has masterfully crafted the art of literature. I have not encountered any other author in my 28 years of existence that has impressed me to the extent that he has. What pains me is that he did not write more novels in his lifetime; and that I discovered his work a year after he has passed. To keep this spoiler free though, the epilogue itself should have hindered me from expressing such pain. The epilogue itself beats thousands of novels in every way possible. It will take me a good amount of time to get over this trilogy. He has truly become my favorite author of all time...more
It took a bit for me to get comfortable with the new protagonists but once I did it was a breeze to read through. The horrors of the reality of life bIt took a bit for me to get comfortable with the new protagonists but once I did it was a breeze to read through. The horrors of the reality of life back then (and a reflection of life as it is today) is truly eye opening. McCarthy has once again impressed me to the highest extent. Time to finish of the trilogy with the last book with expectations at the highest possible level...more
I've been deciding for 10 minutes now if I should give this 4 or 5 stars. This got me out of a terrible reading slump hence why it took me almost a moI've been deciding for 10 minutes now if I should give this 4 or 5 stars. This got me out of a terrible reading slump hence why it took me almost a month to finish. I'm gonna settle with a 4.5 for now while I gather and internalize my thoughts. All I can say for now is McCarthy does it again. What a wonderful novel...more
The thing with this series is that it just gets better along the way.
This review might contain some spoilers? I'm not sure if some people would consiThe thing with this series is that it just gets better along the way.
This review might contain some spoilers? I'm not sure if some people would consider them as spoilers, so read at your own risk! You've been warned.
The most amazing thing about this book would be the fact that Jake fucking Chambers is back! If you've read my review of The Gunslinger (book 1) then you'd know how much I love that kid. We can be friends again King, that much I can say. (view spoiler)[ Fuck you, Roland. You let him go again. You promised you wouldn't. Even though you saved him in the end, you're still one mother fucking asshole who should burn in hell. I still like you as a character though, but fuck you nonetheless. (hide spoiler)]
This novel revolved around the first half of Roland and his crew's quest for The Dark Tower. King delivered what he promised. It was an eventful and amazing first half. A lot of struggles along the way, and a lot of riddles too. And a huge amount of heart racing scenes. This is another great example of a page turner. Aside from the main quest though, the story ventured out into Jake's life in New York. It only took a few chapters of the whole book, but those few chapters were really great for me. Not only did King further developed Jake's character, but he also made him even more likable.
Aside from Jake though, the crew also developed quite well in this third installment. Eddie was his usual funny self, but Susannah was still a bit boring for me. I just don't see her as a character that I'd like a lot, but we'll see in the long run. Oy the dog was just as amazing as Jake, or so I believe he's a dog. I like animals in books, so Oy just made it to my favorites list.
King wrote one hell of a cliffhanger. Aside from the cliffhanger, I heard that the next book concentrates on something else. If he doesn't continue the story, I might be a little pissed off. I'm just glad that the series is complete already though, and I don't have to wait for the next ones to come out. I've read Kemper's review and yeah, I'm glad I can binge read this series.
5/5 stars. Can't wait to know what's going to happen next. This series is really starting to become my favorite series of all time....more
Roland continues with his quest for The Dark Tower. While he was alone at first, he decides to have some company. He decides to have a drawing of the Roland continues with his quest for The Dark Tower. While he was alone at first, he decides to have some company. He decides to have a drawing of the three. Three more people to be involved in his obsessive quest for the tower. Will he compromise the lives of the chosen ones, or will he make them better? The amazing quest continues in this second installment of the series.
Once again King introduced amazing characters. Right from the start I knew I was going to like Eddie Dean. He was this drug dealer who was unlucky enough to be chosen by The Gunslinger. He was not as difficult as Roland thought he would be. Honestly I'm shocked that he didn't feel weird about someone talking inside his head. The mere fact that paranormal things were happening and he didn't freak out made him a bit cooler than he already was. The plane scene and the one with Balazar are some of the few unforgettable scenes in this novel involving Eddie. Even his life story with his brother Henry was a really fun thing to read. I can't wait to read more of him in the next novels. There is something about drug dealers that aren't that cocky that I really seem to like. I guess they seem more realistic than drastically flawless characters. Eddie was flawed, but so was The Gunslinger. I think most people would agree that flawed characters are way better than the perfect ones.
Odetta Holmes was my second least favorite of the 4 main characters in this novel. She had no legs, but she was described as this sweet lady. Or maybe Detta Holmes was my second least favorite? Detta was this evil character that kept complaining and finding ways to make sure the quest would end up a failure. I'm rooting for Roland to succeed, so Detta was a pain in the ass. I didn't like her that much, but not enough to hate her. Jack Mort was my least favorite of them all. He was undeveloped in the end, and it felt like King didn't really make him likeable at all. He had the least appearances, so there was no room to like him. He wasn't unlikeable, but not enough information were given for him to be likeable. I guess this is my only complaint regarding the novel.
The plot was mainly about Roland discovering about contemporary America. His world was so different from ours that he was so confused about everything. It was fun reading about his struggles. Aside from the struggles though, it was even better reading about the way Roland managed to perform the "drawing of the three". It just further proved how amazing of an epic this is turning out to be. It's a mixture of Fantasy and Sci-Fi, and that was what King promised. It was more than adequate to satisfy my Fantasy/epic needs. While King will always be regarded as the king of horror, this series just proves that he can do so much more. In short, King is an amazing writer.
The opening scene, or also known as the lobster scene, will always be remembered. Perfect way to begin the novel.
5/5 stars and will definitely be one of my rereads in the future. I haven't even finished the series yet but I'm tempted to read the first book again already. This second novel was really great, and it makes me even want to finish the series already, so that I could reread it all over again, multiple times. ...more
Giving a Stephen King book 2 stars pains me a lot, but I can't bump it up to 3 stars just because he's my favorite author. This book was awful, and 50Giving a Stephen King book 2 stars pains me a lot, but I can't bump it up to 3 stars just because he's my favorite author. This book was awful, and 500 pages longer than it should've been.
I get everyone's opinion that we need that backstory of Roland, but in my opinion, King could've just considered this a novella. Something that could be read if the reader wanted to. He made this the fourth novel, so that means the readers are obliged to read this if they want to continue on with the series. Honestly this actually felt like a novella, a really bad one, at least for me.
The beginning of this novel was amazing. It was a continuation of the riddle contest they were having with the villain. After the contest though, the backstory started. The backstory was terribly boring. I didn't care about anyone, not even Susan. It was about 500 pages of rambling on about his past and love for Susan. Like I said, King could've just made that into a novella. This is the first time that I just browsed through 500 pages. It was so boring I almost took a break from reading the book. I'll be honest and say I'll most probably forget everything in that 500 pages as soon as I'm finish writing this review.
I heard that the next 3 novels are a huge improvement, so that's a terrific thing to hear. Despite the abomination known as book 4, I'm still very much interested to continue on with the series.
1.5/5 stars. Too much backstory and romance. I was not interested at all, but in a few years I might reread this. I'll see what I think about Roland and Susan's relationship then....more
Roland Deschain of Gilead, the Last Gunslinger, is on a mysterious quest for the mysterious Dark Tower. Aside from that, he was also in a quest to folRoland Deschain of Gilead, the Last Gunslinger, is on a mysterious quest for the mysterious Dark Tower. Aside from that, he was also in a quest to follow the man in black, for answers. With his trusty companion, the child named Jake, he sets on an unforgettable adventure.
The synopsis was really short and vague, but once I finished the book, everything seemed to clear up. This novel was about a man's quest for something meaningful to him, and he was so desperate, desperate enough to do unimaginable things.
The main plot of the novel was interesting enough, but King decided to kick things up a notch. This novel just makes you thirst for more. Nothing seems adequate enough, and 6 more books plus 1 novella in the series seems like a good way to quench the thirst. It clearly explained what the quest was about, but not the purpose. I'm not complaining though, because this first novel was more of an introduction to the plot and characters. Most epics are character driven, and The Gunslinger was not an exception. I love character driven novels, as long as the characters are likeable and unforgettable. The Gunslinger himself proved his worth. This novel was a mixture of Fantasy, Western, and maybe Sci-Fi. I can't believe I haven't read much Western. Some of my favorite movies are of the Western genre, I must read more.
The Gunslinger, or Roland Deschain was a man with an obsession problem. He was obsessed with The Dark Tower, and clearly he would continue to be in that state throughout the series. It was a bit sad reading about a man with an addiction problem, but that just sparked my interest even further. What more can the series offer if the first book managed to surpass my expectations? I loved the characters (especially Gunslinger and Jake) and I'm sure that I'll be introduced to more amazing characters throughout the series. Such a terrific first book in a promising series, all I can say is, I can't wait to read more.
I am 100% sure that this will be one of my rereads in the future. Not only was it such an easy read, but it was so enjoyable too. I don't think I ever read so comfortably in the past. This novel felt light, even though it was filled with so many things in 300 pages. A lot of speculations running inside my head right now, and I think I'm slightly going obsessed and mentally insane. I'm hopefully going to devour the series, but we'll see, hopefully I don't jinx things. Stephen King is an absolute genius, and a gift to all readers. Many may not like him that much, but he's my favorite of all time. This early on with the series and I already considered the first as my favorite, what more can happen?!
(view spoiler)[ I will never forgive you Roland, and you Stephen King, for killing the amazing kid. Jake was a character I felt a connection with, and the fact that you killed him, Stephen, you also killed a part of me. (hide spoiler)]
(view spoiler)[ I told you guys I think I might be going crazy. I don't care if he revives Jake from the fucking Pet Sematary, HE NEEDS TO DO IT!!!
or maybe the man in black can, since he was mentioned as an evil being who can bring the dead back to life. , but yeah, I forgot that he died too. (hide spoiler)]
5/5 stars, and it deserves no less (it deserves more). Such an amazing introduction to an unforgettable world and characters. All I can say is, King did it again. Go read this amazing novel....more