Should you read the original Gunslinger or the Revised and Expanded Edition?

Summary

• The remastered edition of The Gunslinger corrects continuity errors and is more cohesive with the rest of The Dark Tower series.
• The original version, while imperfect, is an interesting read for comparison's sake and to explore Stephen King's creative process.
• Whichever version you choose, both introduce readers to Roland of Gilead and the iconic world of the epic Dark Tower universe.

Those who begin their journey with Stephen King's The Dark Tower serials often have a question: you need to read the original version Gunslinger or a revised and expanded edition? The Dark Tower the series is the main work of one of the most successful and influential writers in history. a series featuring seven main books, one stand-alone book, one short story, and countless references to his other novels. The Dark Tower universe is Stephen King's greatest work, and if he never wrote another book again, he would be a legendary writer of this series alone.

The series started with everything Gunslinger, Introduces readers to Roland of Gilead, an archetypal loner and heroic figure, The Dark Towers gunslinger and the last of the world. His life quest is to reach The Dark Towernot just his world, but the nexus of all worlds and protect it from the forces of chaos that would destroy it. Along the way, he meets companions who help him in his quest, but the first, Jake Chambers, becomes an integral part of the first book. of course Gunslinger also introduces Stephen King's greatest villain: The Man in Black, aka Randall Flagg. This is the beginning of an epic story, but there are two different versions of the novel, leading to questions about which is better.

Why You Should Read The Dark Tower Revised and Expanded Edition: The Gunslinger

It's more cohesive and fixes some durability issues

Revised and expanded edition for those who want to be comprehensive Dark Tower: The Gunslinger is the best way to go. Stephen King released a revised and expanded edition in 2003decades after the original version was released. The original version Gunslinger It was published in 1982, and King was never quite happy with it because it's a revision—that is, a novel that combines several short stories into a whole. The original stories were published between 1978 and 1981, and King realized he had enough to combine into an entire novel; then it was the beginning of a long series The Dark Tower.

He said because it was original Gunslinger was a made-up novel, and something King envisioned would never create anything coherent Dark castle the universe created continuity errors with later books and generally didn't feel cohesive. The expanded and revised edition corrects many of these continuity errors and makes the first book feel more like a staple of the rest of the series. It's the equivalent of the director's cut, which King believes is the best version of his story and the version he always wanted to tell.

The original version
Gunslinger
It was published in 1982, and King was never quite happy with it because it's a revision—that is, a novel that combines several short stories into a whole.

It should be noted that some die-hard fans of Stephen King cut their teeth on the original publication Gunslinger I didn't like some minor changes of words and it's fair to argue that a few lines don't come across as hard-hitting as the original. Still, the revised and expanded edition cannot be denied Gunslinger fits the whole series better. For this reason, those who wish to enter more easily into the complex lore of the world should read the revised and expanded edition of the book. Gunslinger.

Why You Should Read The Original Version of The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger

It Reads Interesting in Comparison

said that it's still worth reading the original, shorter version Gunslinger. Although this is an imperfect version of the story, there are several plot holes that lead to later conflicts. The Dark Tower the series is a great read nonetheless. Reading the original as a first book certainly doesn't detract from the overall tale, and really doesn't cause any story problems later on, but only for the incredibly sloppy reader. However, the most interesting way to read it is after you've finished the entire series, to see where Stephen King's parts have been changed and expanded upon and why.

The Dark Tower series is Stephen King's great workthe story, the universe that consumes him and takes up more space in his brain than anyone else's. Watching him transform a story is a glimpse not only into one of the world's most prolific authors, but into the creative process itself. Some of the parts he changed were to better reflect the character of Roland of Gilead. Others had to fix transitions backwards that later caused continuity errors. And still other parts simply revised things he wasn't happy with.

Watching him transform a story is a glimpse not only into one of the world's most prolific authors, but into the creative process itself.

In the end, It doesn't matter if you read the revised and expanded edition of Gunslinger or original – if you can still find it, that is. The Dark Tower universe is vast and inclusive, and no matter which version of the first book you read, it still does a great job of introducing you to the world and character of Roland of Gilead. Regardless of what is on each version's pages, the only thing that really matters is that they both begin with the iconic first line: “The man in black ran across the desert, followed by the shooter.”

The original version
Gunslinger
harder to find now, it is still available in online digital editions and in print editions where used books are sold.