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16th out of 78 books
—
1,531 voters
Wizard and Glass (The Dark Tower #4)
Wizard and Glass picks up where the last book left off, with our hero, Roland, and his unlikely band of followers escaping from one world and slipping into the next. And it is there that Roland tells them a story, one that details his discovery of something even more elusive than the Dark Tower: love. But his romance with the beautiful and quixotic Susan Delgado also has i...more
Paperback, 845 pages
Published
October 2003
by New English Library
(first published 1997)
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Feb 17, 2012
Stephen
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Shelves:
fantasy,
6-star-books,
all-time-favorites,
award-nominee-locus,
1990-1999,
quests,
kings-of-badassia,
epic
In the immortal words of The Queen
Simply…the…BEST.
And yet I seem to be the only person who feels that way about this 4th installment of the Dark Tower series. Can you please riddle me why that is, sais? It’s not that fans of the series dislike this novel, but I often see it cited as their least favorite. I find that stunning and I don’t ken it. I don’t ken it a bit.
While I love the entire series, this one is easily my favorite. My gushing was so torrential when I read this that I was on an IV...more
Simply…the…BEST.
And yet I seem to be the only person who feels that way about this 4th installment of the Dark Tower series. Can you please riddle me why that is, sais? It’s not that fans of the series dislike this novel, but I often see it cited as their least favorite. I find that stunning and I don’t ken it. I don’t ken it a bit.
While I love the entire series, this one is easily my favorite. My gushing was so torrential when I read this that I was on an IV...more
Stephen King ended the third book in the Dark Tower series on a wicked cliffhanger in 1991. By 1994 my patience had grown thin, especially after King had delivered 787 pages of pure crap with Insomnia. Even worse was that he actually had the nerve to tease some of the DT stuff in that overstuffed abomination. I was relatively sure that King was sitting on pile of money somewhere and laughing at me as he wrote page after page that was NOT the fourth DT book.
So in October of ‘94 when I read that K...more
So in October of ‘94 when I read that K...more
56 likes · like · see review
In a sentence: Stephen King does Tombstone (the movie) to great effect.
With only about 25% of actual series plot development (or 500 pages sandwiched between plot development), you'd think I would hate this book. Had I not known about this beforehand or had I waited 6 years for more Dark Tower, I'd probably be singing a different tune.
Then again, I love me a western and to call them Gunslingers on top of it all (such a cool word), I'm pretty sure I would have loved Wizard and Glass no matter wha...more
With only about 25% of actual series plot development (or 500 pages sandwiched between plot development), you'd think I would hate this book. Had I not known about this beforehand or had I waited 6 years for more Dark Tower, I'd probably be singing a different tune.
Then again, I love me a western and to call them Gunslingers on top of it all (such a cool word), I'm pretty sure I would have loved Wizard and Glass no matter wha...more
27 likes · like · see review
After a riddle contest with Blaine the Mono, Roland and his ka-tet continue on their quest for the Dark Tower. While camping, Roland reveals the story of his youth and his first love.
The best part of this was Roland's backstory. You see that he wasn't always the killing machine he's become and learn a lot more of the backstory of the series as well. Astute Stephen King readers will appreciate the world they go through after entering the thinny.
The only complaint I have about this one is that I c...more
The best part of this was Roland's backstory. You see that he wasn't always the killing machine he's become and learn a lot more of the backstory of the series as well. Astute Stephen King readers will appreciate the world they go through after entering the thinny.
The only complaint I have about this one is that I c...more
27 likes · like · see review
Well, I got about two-thirds of the way through this sucker, and then set it down for over a week and a half. I wasn't bored exactly, the Roland flashback just had a rather long lull, and I felt the pull of the many other books in my TBR pile.
Before I picked it back up, I had pretty much made up my mind to forget my usual review policy of trying to give series a blanket rating...because I didn't think I would be able to give a book I could set down for a week and a half 5 stars.
Then I started it...more
Before I picked it back up, I had pretty much made up my mind to forget my usual review policy of trying to give series a blanket rating...because I didn't think I would be able to give a book I could set down for a week and a half 5 stars.
Then I started it...more
7 likes · like · see review
September, 2012:
All right. I've had a few glasses of wine, and I finally feel ready to talk about why I so very much HATE THIS FUCKING BOOK.
Please, don't get me wrong. I'm a HUGE Tower Junkie. By the time I got this book, I'd already read and re-read the first three more times than I could count, and even though it was only 6 years after TWL, I'd really been waiting 9 years total.
15 years after this book came out (and I've probably read the whole thing 5 or 6 times, and skimmed it many more than...more
All right. I've had a few glasses of wine, and I finally feel ready to talk about why I so very much HATE THIS FUCKING BOOK.
Please, don't get me wrong. I'm a HUGE Tower Junkie. By the time I got this book, I'd already read and re-read the first three more times than I could count, and even though it was only 6 years after TWL, I'd really been waiting 9 years total.
15 years after this book came out (and I've probably read the whole thing 5 or 6 times, and skimmed it many more than...more
9 likes · like · see review
3.5
I really enjoy the meat of this story - I really do. I like learning more about boy Roland and his ka-tet, about Susan and everything that happens.
There are moments that I really love - a moment between Eddie and Roland, close to the beginning, when Eddie realizes how deep Roland's emotions actually go. A lot of the stuff between Roland and Susan, and seeing more of Cuthbert and Alain, who were little more than names in the past. And, towards the end, with Roland and his new ka-tet... moment...more
I really enjoy the meat of this story - I really do. I like learning more about boy Roland and his ka-tet, about Susan and everything that happens.
There are moments that I really love - a moment between Eddie and Roland, close to the beginning, when Eddie realizes how deep Roland's emotions actually go. A lot of the stuff between Roland and Susan, and seeing more of Cuthbert and Alain, who were little more than names in the past. And, towards the end, with Roland and his new ka-tet... moment...more
8 likes · like · see review
Roland steps back in time to bring forth a story of an earlier gunslinger finding his way around men and their wicked ways. Predominantly set in past-tense, WIZARD AND GLASS is more a side step towards a beaten and dangerous path rather than a continuation of the sojourn towards the omnipresent Dark Tower.
Rather than Eddie, Jake, and Susannah, WIZARD AND GLASS tells the tale of Roland’s former ka-tet and a love story than ends in flames and heartbreak set amongst the backdrop of a classic weste...more
Rather than Eddie, Jake, and Susannah, WIZARD AND GLASS tells the tale of Roland’s former ka-tet and a love story than ends in flames and heartbreak set amongst the backdrop of a classic weste...more
2 likes · like · see review
The series is excellent up to this point. This is where it takes a drastic turn into the long-winded garbage that Stephen King is famous for today.
I had great expectations for this leg of the series, however it fell short of the mark. I did like that I discovered more about Roland's past, and his love, Susan.
Blaine the monorail train was something I hope never to suffer through again, it ruined the book for me.
At one time I was extremely excited by this series, now I can hardly bear to finish...more
I had great expectations for this leg of the series, however it fell short of the mark. I did like that I discovered more about Roland's past, and his love, Susan.
Blaine the monorail train was something I hope never to suffer through again, it ruined the book for me.
At one time I was extremely excited by this series, now I can hardly bear to finish...more
5 likes · like · see review
Jul 13, 2008
Hunter Duesing
rated it
2 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
the-dark-tower
This book is most interesting and gripping when it actually moves the story of 'The Dark Tower' forward, something the insanely long flashback does not do at all for the majority of the book. The flashback isn't a bad story in itself, I just wish it had been published as a separate side story that fans could dig into later. The short and sweet flashbacks in the first 'Dark Tower' novel offer far more insight into Roland's character than King is able to cover in almost 500 pages here. Is the flas...more
9 likes · like · see review
This is as good as genre fiction gets. This is my favorite book of the Dark Tower series so far - I'm about halfway through book 5 as I write this. I will post a more comprehensive review once I've finished the series, but this book is worth some thoughts by itself. I was dreading reading this one when I started it... I knew it was mostly Roland's backstory and I just wanted to get through this so Roland and his ka-tet could continue easing down the road towards The Tower. I was pleasantly surpr...more
3 likes · like · see review
Comenzar es difícil y se nota definitivamente que Stephen King tuvo muchas dificultades para retomar la saga de la Torre Oscura después de que pasaron muchos años entre que escribió Las Tierras Baldías y La bola de cristal.
Este libro se centra en el pasado de Rolando y su primer y único amor. Lamentablemente a Stephen King no se le dan muy bien las historias de amor “juvenil” (él mismo lo dice en el post scríptum) y nos presenta el típico cliché de la historia de vaqueros que llega a aburrir de...more
Este libro se centra en el pasado de Rolando y su primer y único amor. Lamentablemente a Stephen King no se le dan muy bien las historias de amor “juvenil” (él mismo lo dice en el post scríptum) y nos presenta el típico cliché de la historia de vaqueros que llega a aburrir de...more
I read this entire collection of the Dark Tower books. It took me five years to finish all of them because I did not read as much back in high school. So this seven book series was a big part of my life for a while. The main character Roland, became a very familiar character to me. This book, I found, to be the best of all seven books. It seperates its self from the rest of the books because three fourths of this book is a completely different story, only quazy related to the main continous stor...more
I didnt find this book as amazing as all the others. Quite frankly, since most of the characters in this book are already dead anyhow (this book is one major flashback) I could really care less about them. Why get attatched to Cuthbert? Or Alain? Or Sheemie? Or Roland's old girl?
This WAS one of the more popular books at the time, I think Stephen king KNEW that most people didnt want to read about Roland's past. So what did he do? He cleverly DIDNT finish the ride on Blaine the train from book t...more
This WAS one of the more popular books at the time, I think Stephen king KNEW that most people didnt want to read about Roland's past. So what did he do? He cleverly DIDNT finish the ride on Blaine the train from book t...more
2 likes · like · see review
EXCELLENT. Here we get the grand tale of Roland's youth; we learn just who Susan Delgado was (and what happened to her) as well as more about the Dark Tower and the dangers involved in trying to reach it.
King did a great job, I thought, with the love story between Roland and Susan. In his afterword, he stated that he was old enough to have pretty much forgotten those frantic feelings of lustful first love... but certainly, I think he got it all spot-on. Roland as a 14-year-old isn't at all what...more
King did a great job, I thought, with the love story between Roland and Susan. In his afterword, he stated that he was old enough to have pretty much forgotten those frantic feelings of lustful first love... but certainly, I think he got it all spot-on. Roland as a 14-year-old isn't at all what...more
Jun 22, 2012
Olivia
added it
After the exciting finale of The Wastelands I was looking forward to this one. I had read the first three books in the Dark Tower series back to back to back. I guess this one kind of brought that pattern to a screeching halt. This isn't a terrible book- but it was definitely a change of pace.
First off, just about the entire thing is back story. Hearing about Roland's lost love Susan was necessary but Stephen King really drew it out. I've been frustrated in the past by how long winded King can...more
First off, just about the entire thing is back story. Hearing about Roland's lost love Susan was necessary but Stephen King really drew it out. I've been frustrated in the past by how long winded King can...more
Allora, iniziamo subito con il dire che non sono ne un detrattore ne un fan sfegatato di Stephen King. Ho avuto il mio periodo "King" in cui mi sono letto diversi suoi libri, alcuni con piacere, altri meno. Quello che penso è che questo autore abbia uno stile di scrittura davvero molto leggero e fluente, in grado di farti mandare giù praticamente qualunque cosa senza neanche accorgertene. A questa sua grandissima dote si aggiunge il numero impressionante di libri che ha scritto durante sua carri...more
I had hoped that this would be the year I finally finished reading The Dark Tower. That's...obviously not going to happen. But at least it's the year I finally finish rereading the books I read years ago, so that I can finally read the final three.[return][return]I read Wizard and Glass not long after it came out, so it's been a while. I found there was a lot I didn't remember, though I still remembered the gist of things. I wasn't quite as annoyed by the detour this time around, since I have th...more
Series: 5/1/2005 8/10
The Dark Tower series is Stephen King's magnum opus. It ties together a lot of his books. The gunslinger, Roland, is an interesting character and so is the world the series is set in. I've really enjoyed the early books, re-reading them many times. I thought the series ended kind of weakly though. But then again, it would have been difficult to live up to expectations.
For more info, check out:
Official Stephen King page
Stephen King FAQ
Fan site
Dark Tower site
Dark Tower on wik...more
The Dark Tower series is Stephen King's magnum opus. It ties together a lot of his books. The gunslinger, Roland, is an interesting character and so is the world the series is set in. I've really enjoyed the early books, re-reading them many times. I thought the series ended kind of weakly though. But then again, it would have been difficult to live up to expectations.
For more info, check out:
Official Stephen King page
Stephen King FAQ
Fan site
Dark Tower site
Dark Tower on wik...more
This book does so much that, while I eventually preferred 'Wolves' for storytelling, 'Wizard and Glass' is still my favourite for character and pace.
Where some see a dragging diversion leading away from Roland's latest Ka-Tet and the part of the quest that King's readers had become comfortable with, I was personally blown away by how much depth this volume brought to the saga. The majority of the book is an absolutely spellbinding expedition into Roland's past, his more youthful character, and a...more
Where some see a dragging diversion leading away from Roland's latest Ka-Tet and the part of the quest that King's readers had become comfortable with, I was personally blown away by how much depth this volume brought to the saga. The majority of the book is an absolutely spellbinding expedition into Roland's past, his more youthful character, and a...more
Dec 31, 2008
Barry
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Fans of fantasy
Book 4 picks up right where book 3 left off, and I mean that literally. The adventures on Blaine the Mono end in an exciting manner, and then the excitement of the book ceases for a while. 2/3s of the book is gunslinger backstory, and that part is definitely worth the read. The most fascinating part of book 1 is the gunslinger backstory, so it is satisfying to revisit that epoch and discover more about Roland's life as a youngen.
However, after Roland's incredibly long overnight story, book 4 pre...more
However, after Roland's incredibly long overnight story, book 4 pre...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
Though Wizard and Glass barely moves the overall plot of the Dark Tower series forward, being for the most part a flashback to Roland's past, it is the richest book in terms of plot of the first four books in the series. Like the previous three entries, Wizard and Glass manages to be part of a larger story while maintaining a feel and style unique to this particular entry. It is perhaps most reminiscent of the first book, The Gunslinger, being in many ways a Western, though in this case focusing...more
So... the Ka-tet of Gunslingers are trapped aboard a homicidal andself aware monorail that states it will derail itself once it comes to the end of the line (in Topeka Kansas no less) unless they can beat him in a game of riddles. Can Eddie Dean save them?!?!?!
once off the train the Gunslingers continue across the Beam and encounter a world ravaged by a Superflu (The Stand!)
On the journey Roland tells the story of his past Ka-tet, to his new Ka-tet, and even reveals startling connections betwee...more
once off the train the Gunslingers continue across the Beam and encounter a world ravaged by a Superflu (The Stand!)
On the journey Roland tells the story of his past Ka-tet, to his new Ka-tet, and even reveals startling connections betwee...more
It took me quite some time to realize that this entire book was going to be a flashback, and that helped keep the suspense really humming, since I didn't know if I was in the middle of the story simply because I was in the middle of the pages.
There's a quote from an interview King did with Neil Gaiman earlier this year on the challenge of writing a sequel(speaking of the upcoming sequel to "The Shining"): "The challenge is, maybe it can be as good - or maybe it can be different." The delight of...more
There's a quote from an interview King did with Neil Gaiman earlier this year on the challenge of writing a sequel(speaking of the upcoming sequel to "The Shining"): "The challenge is, maybe it can be as good - or maybe it can be different." The delight of...more
Nov 06, 2012
Jane Stewart
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
apocalyptic-fantasy
Some of it was interesting, but parts dragged. It did not have the unusualities that I want and expect from this author.
WEAK 3 STARS FOR THIS BOOK 4 IN THE SERIES.
This is the back story of how Roland met his love interest Susan Delgado when he was 15. He had just become a gunslinger. His dad sent him to the town of Mejis due to a threat on Roland’s life. While in Mejis, Roland and his two buddies are up against thugs, a corrupt mayor, and the witch Reah.
There were a few good scenes. But I wasn’t...more
WEAK 3 STARS FOR THIS BOOK 4 IN THE SERIES.
This is the back story of how Roland met his love interest Susan Delgado when he was 15. He had just become a gunslinger. His dad sent him to the town of Mejis due to a threat on Roland’s life. While in Mejis, Roland and his two buddies are up against thugs, a corrupt mayor, and the witch Reah.
There were a few good scenes. But I wasn’t...more
Stephen King does it again.
In this installment, the Ka-tet is ready to move along the path of the beam, finally scampering their way towards the Dark Tower- the overarching goal of the series. Though excellent, it should be read as the fourth book in the cycle, not the first. To understand what is going on, you need to read the rest of the books, otherwise you will be lost.
This particular installment is mostly centered on the background of Roland Deschain of Gilead, the Last Gunslinger. His past...more
In this installment, the Ka-tet is ready to move along the path of the beam, finally scampering their way towards the Dark Tower- the overarching goal of the series. Though excellent, it should be read as the fourth book in the cycle, not the first. To understand what is going on, you need to read the rest of the books, otherwise you will be lost.
This particular installment is mostly centered on the background of Roland Deschain of Gilead, the Last Gunslinger. His past...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
Aug 02, 2012
Lara
rated it
3 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Staunch Stephen King fans, fans of meta and the absurd.
I love Stephen King. No matter how ridiculous his plots are - and sometimes I think he's a master troll, just trying to see what he can get away with; he strikes me as that type of dude - I keep reading.
That's because his writing style is so great. Only Stephen King could blatantly rip off The Wizard of Oz, including an entire play-by-play, line-by-line reproduction of the scene where they unveil the Wizard, all the while having his characters in the know comment on the fact ("HAHA GUYS THIS IS...more
That's because his writing style is so great. Only Stephen King could blatantly rip off The Wizard of Oz, including an entire play-by-play, line-by-line reproduction of the scene where they unveil the Wizard, all the while having his characters in the know comment on the fact ("HAHA GUYS THIS IS...more
I was torn on giving this either 3 or 4 stars. It is good, but nonetheless at the same
time it is hands-down my least favorite book in the series so far (I'm only 5 books in).
In terms of writing and overall quality, it's a 4, but in terms of how much I personally
found it enjoyable, it's no more than a 3. Sorry, I'm just not a sucker for a good love
story. The first 100 pages are quite good, which basically wraps up the story from 'The
Wastelands'. After that it turns into a flashback of Roland's pa...more
time it is hands-down my least favorite book in the series so far (I'm only 5 books in).
In terms of writing and overall quality, it's a 4, but in terms of how much I personally
found it enjoyable, it's no more than a 3. Sorry, I'm just not a sucker for a good love
story. The first 100 pages are quite good, which basically wraps up the story from 'The
Wastelands'. After that it turns into a flashback of Roland's pa...more
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stephen King Fans: Wizard and Glass-Dark Tower book 4 | 124 | 220 | Mar 24, 2013 02:23pm | |
| What is your favorite book of the series? | 58 | 259 | Mar 21, 2013 03:27pm | |
| Bookworm Buddies: Wizard and Glass #4 | 25 | 34 | Jan 28, 2013 05:46am | |
| ..... | 49 | 177 | May 14, 2012 11:35am |
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Stephen Edwin King was born in Portland, Maine in 1947, the second son of Donald and Nellie Ruth Pillsbury King. After his parents separated when Stephen was a toddler, he and his older brother, David, were raised by his mother. Parts of his childhood were spent in Fort Wayne, Indiana, where his father's family...more
More about Stephen King...
Stephen Edwin King was born in Portland, Maine in 1947, the second son of Donald and Nellie Ruth Pillsbury King. After his parents separated when Stephen was a toddler, he and his older brother, David, were raised by his mother. Parts of his childhood were spent in Fort Wayne, Indiana, where his father's family...more
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“True love, like any other strong and addicting drug, is boring — once the tale of encounter and discovery is told, kisses quickly grow stale and caresses tiresome… except, of course, to those who share the kisses, who give and take the caresses while every sound and color of the world seems to deepen and brighten around them. As with any other strong drug, true first love is really only interesting to those who have become its prisoners.
And, as is true of any other strong and addicting drug, true first love is dangerous.”
—
92 people liked it
And, as is true of any other strong and addicting drug, true first love is dangerous.”
“and now, all these years later, it seem to him that the most horrible fact of human existence was that broken hearts mended”
—
55 people liked it
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