For me it was the idea of a giant, mysterious quest, that involves deep connections to our own world and interconnected universes. How about everyone else?
For me it was the idea of a giant, mysterious quest, that involves deep connections to our own world and interconnected universes. How about everyone else?
I've always liked tales filled with adventure too. The idea of A Quest! has always hooked me, hence my love of Lord of the Rings and the Otherland series, as well as Arthurian mythology. Also, I love stories dealing with all-encompassing, epic friendships/relationships like we see with Roland's ka-tet. (That's also why I love It and Dreamcatcher so much, too.)
I totally agree. This totally hooked me from the beginning because it was the quest of all quests.
I remember thinking that my favorite part of the first book (I read them in order) was that thing at the end with him and well...you know. ;)
Oops I just realized what that looked like. I meant that I started it at the time that Drawing came out. Not starting the series with that book.
Gunslingers. Mulitiple Worlds stacked upon mulitiple universes. Demons. A main character that was unlike other main characters I was reading at the time.
What isn't there to love?
When I was a child, the cover art drew me in, though I was too young to full grasp the intricacies of the books, and grew bored. I came back to them later in life because of the western-ish aspects of the books. This time I loved The Gunslinger, but was then put off by the lobstrosities and put the books down again. A few months later, Erin convinced me to give the books another try, and after getting past the intitial lobstrosity scenes, I loved the rest.
i started reading the gunslinger just because a friend harassed me about it. she didn't explain the book very well so i didnt know what i was getting into. if i knew where she was now i'd send her roses and chocolates and a bottle of wine.
I found The Gunslinger for a quarter about 3 years after it came out when I was stockpiling books to read while I was at home after the birth of my first child. I would love to say that I was instantly hooked and lured in by all of the magical things mentioned in the posts above me but it would be a lie. To be perfectly honest, I'm the type of person that will plod through any book and/or series just because it is there. It took me several years to catch on "to the big picture" and fall in love with Roland and his world.
I can't pass up a good quest. I've always been a fan of Stephen King and when he announced that he was going to write the last three books, I picked up the Gunslinger and haven't looked back. It is still my favorite series of all time.
My brother pretty much forced The Gunslinger down my throat while I was trying to finish reading Blood Canticle. ^^;; I kept saying "I'm not going to read two books at once!" and he kept pushing. I finally slapped him and told him I'd read it after I finished the one I was reading.
I'm glad I did, though, because it was pretty amazing. XD
I have this thing for long tales, stories, etc. After I read The Gunslinger and saw that it said The Dark Tower Book One on the cover, I was pretty excited. The second book was the kicker for me.
I didn't find a new Dean R. Kootz book for long and I had to read something.. so I bought the DT because I liked the title and the cover. :D
What a nice story... ;)
How old were you when you met Roland? I mean when did you start to read the series?
I was about 12.. and sometimes it was very hard to wait.
Anyway it means I have known Roland and I have been following him everywhere for almost 12 years. I met him in the middle of my life.
But I know there are people out there who have been reading it for even longer.
So?
What about you?
Last October :P
That would have made me 24 at the time.
Me and Roland met in the mid 80's. I was glad he came along, I needed him at the time.
I was thirteen years old...the year was 1987...it seems like its been a long time.
I met Roland when I was 14 in 1987 and have been a Tower Junkie ever since...
Jr high I think....
I started reading The Wastelands in 7th grade, then realized it was book 3 in a series so I hounded my mom to take me to the library and get the first two lol.
I was 14 like CK. I discovered The Dark Tower in between DT2 and DT3.
Roland kicks ass.
It would have been around '84 I think - which would put me at about 21 or so.
I first discovered Roland back in '87 when I was 13.
Well, after I read Cujo and decided I wanted to read more Stephen King stuff, my brother mentioned that his favorite was the Gunslinger (although he didn't mention the DT). Later, after reading Everything's Eventual, I was fascinated by the idea of a story being linked to another story, so I went to King's website and found out about the DT series. Then I saw that Gunslinger was part of it, so that was pretty much the deciding factor that I would read it.
And did your brother read the whole series, Rag?
I don't think so. I believe he's read to book 4, but moved on to other things while waiting for book 5 to come out, and hasn't gotten around to reading the last 3 yet.
I was in my local BOOKRACK (western North Carolina) and there was a book i hadnt seen before-so, of course, i had to purchase it. And i was hooked. And honestly, i think the ending was GREAT!!!!! It goes along with the way he ends most of his books--let your imagination run wild-there could be another book-----or series. Have you read any of the comics yet?
Long-form adventure tales have always appealed to me. :)
I also love the "shared universe" school of storytelling, and as DT seemed to be the "hub" around which all of King's works revolved, I simply had to read it.
It was actually my first exposure to the idea and I really love it.
It made me want more stories from all the universes...like LotR
I discovered Roland in 2003 when I was 19 (19! eep! :P)
Summer of 2004. I had just turned 22.