The fourth installment of Stephen King's Dark Tower series takes us on a completely different but interesting journey. Wizard and Glass delves deep into Roland the gunslinger's past, revealing the most trying and self-defining period of his life.

Wizard and Glass picks up where The Waste Lands left off: the ka-tet trapped aboard Blaine the so-computerized-it's-almost-alive train. In order to stop the train and save themselves, they must stump Blaine with a riddle. All they need is one riddle, but Blaine's database is so vast, this is a nearly impossible task. The way they finally conquer the great mono is both clever and amusing.

The action-packed beginning settles down, and Roland realizes it may be time to let his friends in on his life story, which has thus far remained mysterious. This is where Wizard and Glass takes on a completely different story, which makes up the majority of the book. Even though it halts the exciting Dark Tower story, this flashback is a good tale itself, and it proves to be important in regards to the overall Dark Tower series.

We are now immersed in Roland's world with him as a 14 year old learning to be a gunslinger. Roland has fallen in love with a young girl named Susan, but the two must keep their love a secret. Susan's aunt has sold the girl to the aging mayor who is looking for a young woman to bear him a child. Despite her disgust at the situation as well as the vile mayor, Susan wants to fulfill her duty, though her love for Roland is too strong to fight.

Many more complications arise due to Roland and Susan's being surrounded by enemies. King does an excellent job of elevating the status of the two protagonists by painting other characters as loathsome. The mayor is a creepy old man, Susan's aunt Cordelia is selfish and cruel, and Rhea, the witch who spies on the two with a magic glass, is repulsive. They must also contend with Jonas and his crew, bent on bringing down Roland and his friends. So even though this is a love story, King keeps plenty of action in it while stirring our emotions with a slew of wretched antagonists.

After Roland concludes his tale, the book wraps up with a return to the present, as Roland, Susannah, Eddie, Jake, and Oy continue their quest for the Tower. Here King starts connecting the story to the Wizard of Oz. At first, this is cool in a strange way, but it eventually starts getting overdone. Hopefully, it won't last much longer into the next book. I'd prefer getting on with the original story than continually correlating it with another. Regardless, it does make a nifty way to end this chapter of the series.

The Dark Tower series' midway point takes an unexpected turn, but remains captivating. King brings us into a completely different time and place and then brings us right back into the main part without too much disruption of flow. This may feel like a break in the story, but Wizard and Glass is not one to skip.


Also from Stephen King:

Different Seasons / Dreamcatcher / The Green Mile / The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon / Misery / The Shining / The Stand / Thinner
The Dark Tower Series:
I: The Gunslinger / II: The Drawing of the Three / III: The Waste Lands / V: Wolves of the Calla / VI: Song of Susannah



Recommended: Yes