Wizard and Glass (The Dark Tower, Book 4)

by Stephen King

book data

10,631 ratings, 4.14 average rating, 466 reviews (more data...)

rating	frequency	%
5		44%
4		31%
3		17%
2		4%
1		1%

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published

October 1st 2003 (first published 1997) by New English Library Ltd

binding

Paperback, 896 pages

isbn

0340829788 (isbn13: 9780340829783)

description

Wizard and Glass, the fourth episode in King's white-hot Dark Tower series, is a sci-fi/fantasy novel that contains a post-apocalyptic Western love st...more

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other reviews (showing 1-20 of 13,029)

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05/02/07

Matt rated it:

Read in January, 2008

I actually loved this book. It's kind of bizarre since my best friend (who is a Stephen King fanatic) despises this book and calls it his least favorite of the Tower books, and one of his least favorite by King in general. His rationale behind this is thusly: the Dark Tower is an adventure, a quest that is driving in nature. They must keep pressing on, experiencing what triumph and failure they may, or never reach the Tower. But this book is a total step back from that. More than 3/4s of th...more

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5 comments

07/09/08

Space Coyote rated it:

(review of isbn 0452284724)

bookshelves: 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 f...more

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06/29/08

Alan rated it:

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 surp...more

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2 comments

12/30/07

D_Davis rated it:

(review of isbn 0451210875)

bookshelves: weird-horror-urban-fantasy

The first part is awesome, the final battle and the last part are awesome. The 400 page flashback is not. There is no need for it. King grinds his narrative to a halt for no reason. Everything we need to know about Roland has been thus far expertly SHOWN in his actions and mannerisms. The flashback is worst than unnecessary, it is down right insulting. It's as if King didn't have enough faith in his own characterization or in the intelligence of his readers, and so he felt as if we had to ...more

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3 comments

10/04/07

Mathew rated it:

Read in January, 2004

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...more

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10/27/08

Jackie rated it:

bookshelves: fantasy, horror, post-apocalyptic

Read in January, 1997

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,...more

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04/16/08

Bonnie rated it:

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...more

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1 comment

12/04/07

Liza rated it:

bookshelves: done

Read in January, 2008

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 i...more

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01/16/09

trishtrash rated it:

(review of isbn 0340696613)

bookshelves: fantasy-fiction, horror, illustrated

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 cha...more

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12/31/08

Barry rated it:

(review of isbn 0451194861)

Read in December, 2008

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...more

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04/01/09

Jacki rated it:

Read in April, 2009

It was really hard for me to rate this book, because there were parts that I LOVED- some of Stephen King's best stuff IMO- but there were other parts that I was just confused and annoyed.

I was totally crazy about the beginning and the end, when we were with Eddie, Susannah, Jake, Oy and Roland. Especially the end- with all the Stand and Oz refrences. I was kind of cheering out-loud with each new reference. Awesome.

My problems came with the middle section. I liked most of ...more

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12/31/08

Rob rated it:

bookshelves: fiction, speculativefiction

Read in July, 2008

Along with The Drawing of the Three, Wizard and Glass is the best of the Dark Tower series.

The book takes place a long time ago, back before the world moved on. Roland is a teenager, and, just after winning his guns from Cort, he was sent East, to the coast, far from the center of his kingdom, to be safe from the wizard Martin. He travels with his two closest friends, Alain and Cuthbert, and he falls in love with a girl.

The book is a love story, and one of strategy and intr...more

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02/28/09

Dreadlocksmile rated it:

Read in October, 2006

Stephen King's novel "Wizard And Glass" is the forth instalment of the seven part epic "Dark Tower" series. The novel runs for a whopping 840 pages out of the series total of 3712 pages. Within the book you also have the usual introduction by Mr. King that's well worth the read, running for just six pages. There's also an Afterword at the end, giving the reader a little more insight into the writing of the book.

Anyway, by now you are already well into the epic jo...more Stephen King's novel "Wizard And Glass" is the forth instalment of the seven part epic "Dark Tower" series. The novel runs for a whopping 840 pages out of the series total of 3712 pages. Within the book you also have the usual introduction by Mr. King that's well worth the read, running for just six pages. There's also an Afterword at the end, giving the reader a little more insight into the writing of the book.

Anyway, by now you are already well into the epic journey of the Dark Tower series, with a good understanding of the five major characters (including Oy that is). The book begins exactly where we left off, with the massive cliffhanger at the end of "The Waste Lands". King tackles this well, bringing about a good introduction into this next book.

From here on in, we are sent back in time to when Roland was a young gunslinger, as he tells the story of his past and how he got to where he is now. This is basically the whole novel, which is nicely book-ended on either side.

Roland's tale brings out a whole new and complicated side to the character that we have been getting to know over that last three novels. The story shows further the honour of being a gunslinger, as well as how they are perceived. Cuthbert and Alain play large roles within the story, as does Roland's first love. His entire background and upbringing shows how this previously secretive character has grown into the man he is now.

At this stage through the series, I would say that this novel delivers by far the most insight into the characters enriching the series immensely. It is certainly not the fastest of paces, but is an enjoyable read that is difficult to put down.

Personally, I found the ending to the novel a little rushed, and dare I say forced? I know what you're thinking...840 pages and I think it's rushed! I won't spoil it for you, but the way the novel is constructed, left King with a quick fire ending that didn't really reflect the importance and build-up to the situation. Well, that's what I think anyway!

The next instalment in the series is entitled "Wolves Of The Calla".(less)

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04/22/09

Maxidad rated it:

Read in May, 2009

After suffering through four books in this series, I have no idea why I am still reading. Wizard and Glass goes back and forth between the gunslinger's current quest for the Tower, and his past when he was 14. King's imagery of the present post-apocalyptic Mid-world is a joke. I understand that much of this is supposed to be a metaphysical journey where there really are no rules, but it comes across as amateurish and, frankly, stupid. A psychotic Monorail train that likes riddles. Really? Red 'W...more

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03/02/09

Nick rated it:

(review of isbn 0452279178)

bookshelves: trashy-genius, westward-ho

Read in March, 2009

This prequel narrates more of Roland's youth, and partakes more of the Western genre than any of the others in the series I've read so far (even more than the gunslinger). It's a cross between Lonesome Dove and The Once and Future King, with knights carrying massive six-shooters and wearing serapes. It gets a little randy at times, which got frustrating--though the sex was not necessarily gratuitous and seemed to serve the story well. Certainly not a morality play. King really is coming into...more

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11/25/08

Christine rated it:

(review of isbn 0451210875)

Read in December, 2008

If goodreads offered half stars, this would get 3.5 stars instead of three. The bookend parts are fabulous, especially the beginning battle with Blaine the Mono. The problem is that the flashback story, meant to illuminate Roland's character, is really long and drags a lot. I actually had to push myself to read it, which very rarely happens to me. The battle scenes at the end of the flashback is actually really well done, but in the beginning it's as if we have to start completely over again...more

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03/13/08

Scott rated it:

(review of isbn 0606298061)

Read in March, 2008

Excellent book, best in the Dark Tower series yet! King doesn't really ever break any new literary ground (ever), but this has parts Star Wars (Gunslingers=Jedi), Romeo & Juliet (star crossed lovers). If only Hollywood movies could be this good!

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02/27/09

JoAnne Johnson rated it:

(review of other edition)

bookshelves: currently-reading

Has a copy to sell/swap — Read in February, 2009

I am almost done with this book.... And 'so far' I think out of all the books in the Dark Tower series, that this one is slower paced for sure. It starts out a page turner and goes flat in the middle and picks up speed again towards the end. I think that telling Roland's history (his 3 friends, Cort and Susan) and how he became who he is now was important, and I am glad King took that route with this book. I can NOT wait to get to the end and find out what happened to everyone from his youth!....more

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05/08/09

Kitty rated it:

I am having a tough time to accept this book as a part of the dark tower series. All the previous three books is the journey to the dark-tower, and all of a sudden, Roland has to tell his tale. I didn't find the beginning 400 pages interesting, until the "demon moon" shows up, because that's where the plot is, and it gives a reason why Roland wanted to find the dark tower. the parallelism between wizard of oz is evident and smartly written towards the end of the book, when they requ...more

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06/05/09

Monica rated it:

(review of other edition)

Read in June, 2009

This really is separate book stuffed into the Dark Tower series. While the ka-tet isn't making much progress along the beam, we flash back for almost all of the book to Roland's first adventure, and learn about Susan Delgado. It was quite compelling once King got into that story--as he did with his usual speed.

Prediction (I don't know): I'm betting Roland will find Susan again. It's happened before in this series.

Things I want to happen: The story starts with Roland and ...more

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