Wizard and Glass
Published: 4, November 1997
Author: Stephen King
Genres: America, Dark, Fantasy, Fiction, Horror, Media Tie-In, Post Apocalyptic, Science Fiction, Supernatural, Suspense, Thriller, Western
Book 4 of 7: The Dark Tower
Check the summary of this book here:
Wizard and Glass Summary
The Review:
The fantasy novel Wizard and Glass by Stephen King is a work of fiction. It's the fourth book in The Dark Tower series. The novel continues where The Waste Lands ended. After several hours of futile riddling by Jake, Eddie, Susannah, and Roland, Eddie defeats Blaine the Mono by doing something I can't reveal here since it could be a spoiler for those who haven't read the novels yet.
This novel is a fantastic distraction and throwback to the main narrative. It is both amazing and terrifying in many ways, yet it brings us much closer to Roland's character. That is the most crucial thing to remember since he is the one we need to learn more about.
I spent a long time completing this one since I was reading a lot of other novels at the same time and wanted to appreciate it more.
It is, nonetheless, an important part of getting to know our Gunslinger. It's a long way from The Dark Tower's storyline, but it's an important part of the journey to get there.
There were times when I hoped I could go on to the next book and never stop reading it, but books do come to an end, which is regrettable in the case of great writing.
This is the only book in the series that can stand alone as a narrative inside a story, and it is excellent.
The characters in this vibrant, dramatic, and heartbreaking western spring off the page. This is the third time I've read (This time I listened to the audio) the entire series.
You'll understand how ironic it is to read this series again if you've already finished it. I was eager to return to this section. Now, of course, I'll cheerfully go on to the last novels.
I recommend reading the prior three books in the series before reading this one because they are all part of the same tale, but not as a stand-alone.
I was quite pleased to read the fourth chapter Wizard and Glass the first time I read it. Because The Waste Lands had ended on a particularly frustrating cliffhanger so long ago, I reread the first three books, as well as The Stand, in preparation for the fourth.
I was ready to move ahead with Roland, Eddie, Jake, Oy, and Susannah, and I couldn't be happier. Then I read it slowly to get the most out of it, but after nearly a hundred pages, I felt like I was missing something since it wasn't quite what I was looking for.
I didn't want to take an extra detour backwards to view the beginnings, so I can continued further towards The Dark Tower.
This is one of my favorite books in the series so far, but it wasn't always like this. I didn't care what sparked Roland's journey, and I definitely didn't care about his first, only, and lost love Susan all those years ago.
But I was simply a kid with one aim in mind: to reach The Dark Tower without appreciating or comprehending the characters or their true reasons for what they were doing.
It's great. I never stopped reading until I got to roughly a hundred and twenty pages and came to the showdown in the bar, which changed everything for me about this novel.
I strongly advise all readers to read this book up to this point before quitting or skipping it. Perhaps I was too young to recognize this story for what it is.
I'm not sure, but I'm glad I persevered because instead of loathing this book, I fell in love with it. This will undoubtedly become your favorite installment of the Dark Tower series. I was smitten with young Roland, Cuthbert, Alain, Sheemie, and Susan, as well as Rusher.
Rhea, The Coffin Hunters, Rimer, Mayor Thorin, Avery, and especially Cordelia started to enrage me. I was angry with Eddie for something he was doing so I might learn the destiny of Mejis and the history during the intermission with Eddie, Jake, and Susannah.
And when the story came to a close, I was heartbroken by who we had lost and who we would very certainly never see again.
And yet, for some reason, I have a nagging suspicion that several of the missing seems to be alive and well somewhere in this story.
I hope Ka is understanding in this aspect, but readers will have to wait and see if my desire is realized in the following installments.
As far as writing goes, this is a fantastic piece of work, but in comparison to The Waste Lands' story development and movement, this book must be regarded as a bit of a slog.
That's not necessarily a negative thing, and Stephen King does a decent job of crossing into yet another genre in his writing here, but fans of the series may find the seeming standstill in story development aggravating.
Regardless, the narrative given here is brilliantly done. Even though I'm a great lover of Westerns, I like the continuation of what I was reading, and I have to confess that this is a fantastic narrative.
It's one of the first occasions, in my opinion, that Stephen King honestly examines a pleasant emotion, even if he can't help but throw in some negative.
Though I wouldn't necessarily suggest the book to a casual reader, the work is very noteworthy.
This book is a great addition for fans of Stephen King's Dark Tower series, Western Romance, and his writing.
It should be an excellent read for everyone else, but it may leave the audience behind at times. Overall, excellent.
Final Thoughts:
The fourth installment of Stephen King's Dark Tower begins with a bang, closing up some loose ends. The tale then continues into some introspective sections.
The majority of this book relates the story of Roland before he embarked on his quest for the Dark Tower.
This is both a good and a negative thing, as I previously stated about not feeling fantastic until I got through the first hundred pages to the point where the bar showdown happened.
The novel's strength is that it allows you to come to know Roland, the mysterious Roland.
His backstory is both thrilling and touching. Within the constraints of this enormous series, it also delivers a self-contained narrative.
The characters are well-developed, and the author maintains a high level of tension.
Now, there is one drawback to this book: it lacks the narrative heft of the other two because it is essentially just a story Roland tells. As a result, you will not be able to obtain as much Rolands' Ka-tet as you would like.
Overall, this is another excellent installment in the Dark Tower series. That can keep a constant reader amused
Synopsis:
“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.
Filled with “blazing action” (Booklist), the fourth installment in the Dark Tower Series “whets the appetite for more” (Bangor Daily News). Wizard and Glass is a thrilling read from “the reigning King of American popular literature” (Los Angeles Daily News).”
Useful Search Related Words & Keywords:
Blaine The Mono, Coffin Hunters, Cuthbert And Alain, Eddie Susannah, Path Of The Beam, Rolands Past, Susan Delgado, Susannah And Jake, Tower Series, Waste Lands, Wolves Of The Calla
Rating: 95/100
Recommended: 100/100 Yes.
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