Stephen King’s the Dark Tower is, without a doubt, one of his greatest works. But every masterpiece wouldn’t be without its flaws. One of Stephen King’s earliest stories, the Dark Tower also shows one of his early flaws. In the books forward an older King with plenty of years of experience under his belt looks back and addresses this exact flaw, his clarity. The book, while very well written features a few flaws in the clarity.
Roland, the main character, will have flash backs that don’t fit in very well and have transitions that aren’t very distinct. There are places in the story that had awkward transitions that while reading were hard to pick up on. However this drawback also shows one of the stories greatest strengths. The drawback shows the stories ability to allow the reader to escape from reality. King’s really shows why he is one of the best writers and story tellers in the world in this novel. The beautifully written and engaging story is what draws the reader in.
The amount of artistic detail in this story coupled with the interesting and drawing story line is what truly allows the reader to get lost in King’s mind. King set out to create an epic on level with those of JRR Tolkein’s and other great authors and definitely excelled. The story’s short length, something Stephen King is not known for, allows the reader to be engaged in a quick, fast paced story that ends much too soon and draws the reader to continue the epic story of Roland and his journey to reach the Dark Tower and the truth that it holds.