The GunslingerThe Gunslinger
Score Classic
What it's about
Roland, the last gunslinger, is a haunting loner on a journey across a desolate world that echoes our own, pursuing the man in black toward the mysterious Dark Tower.
Why it's worth reading
It begins Stephen King's Dark Tower saga, which he has called his magnum opus.
You'll love it if you liked
The Stand
It
The Shadow of the TorturerGood to know
It's short and strange, and the series gets better after this book. The revised edition is the easiest way in.
By the numbers
- Readers15 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics0 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Bestseller89 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #41 of the 86 horror books we rank
- #166 of the 313 science fiction books we rank
- #487 of the 762 classics we rank
- #1692 of the 2,816 books we rank
Reads as
Dark, Adventurous, Gripping
More by Stephen King
On Writing: A Memoir of the CraftThe Stand
11/22/63ItIf you like this, read next
Swan Song
Watchers
Frankenstein
I Am Legend
The Road
The TruthExplore the best-of lists
All 36 best-of lists →
Quick answers
Is The Gunslinger worth reading?
Yes. It begins Stephen King's Dark Tower saga, which he has called his magnum opus. It ranks #1,692 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 66.6 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is The Gunslinger about?
Roland, the last gunslinger, is a haunting loner on a journey across a desolate world that echoes our own, pursuing the man in black toward the mysterious Dark Tower.
How long does it take to read The Gunslinger?
About 6 hours (238 pages), or about 2 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after The Gunslinger?
If you liked it, try The Stand by Stephen King, It by Stephen King or The Shadow of the Torturer by Gene Wolfe.