The Drawing of the Three by Stephen King is the second book in the Dark Tower series. After having read The Gunslinger, I was not that impressed with how the series started. In fact, I even said that I was clearly not a big Stephen King fan. The best book I’ve read from him till this day was Under the Dome. Well, with The Drawing of the Three, you can color me impressed. Very, very impressed. This is one of the finest books I’ve read in a very long time that doesn’t deal with elves and dragons. Many readers have said that the Dark Tower series gets only better with every book and after reading The Gunslinger, this wasn’t so hard to believe. It wasn’t that the introduction to the Gunslinger was horrible. It just felt really lackluster for an introductory book for a series of this magnitude. Everything has been redeemed in my opinion with The Drawing of the Three.
The book starts off a couple of hours later right after the ending of The Gunslinger. Roland’s quest to find the Dark Tower actually begins (sorta) and for that to happen, he needs the help of three other individuals. Now, it’s really hard not to spoil things here but I’m guessing by looking at the book cover, you should already have surmised that Roland will somehow have to travel through magical doorways to seek said individuals. The idea behind this is brilliant yet I’m sure some readers will think that this is hardly anything original. Well, this book was first published in 1987 and so it clearly shows the brilliant mind of the author.
As you could have guessed, each individual behind that doorway with which Roland has a connection to all have different personalities and personal problems. Technically, there are three doorways and so there are three different stories altogether. I loved each and every one of them! Because this whole concept with the doors is new to the readers, the author spends a lot of time going over things with the first character that Roland connects to. The funny thing is how conversations can go because Roland is so different, being as he is from a different time. I really don’t want to write too much because it will only spoil things. I never had a problem writing reviews but here, I’m having a problem finding words because everything seems like a possible spoiler!
The atmosphere and setting with The Drawing of the Three is amazing. In Roland’s world, everything is bleak and dreary. This lends to a very isolated feeling and you can actually feel the struggles of the characters and what they are having to go through. However, I feel that this second book is actually another introductory book in the story. Hopefully with Roland finally having drawn the three, his adventure in search of the Dark Tower can finally begin. Technically, I know that the author has about five more books to complete his story but I’m hoping the next book the real adventure would begin.
What makes The Drawing of the Three so special is that it has a little bit of everything. It shows that this world really is full of unique and special individuals and at any moment, their life could be changed by some event. The writing is also very solid. There really wasn’t a boring part throughout the book. Everything is just so gripping and part of it is you genuinely want to find out what happens next! This sounds absurd when I write it but for those who have read a book that you felt it was literally too hard to put down, you’ll know what I’m talking about. Stephen King really knows how to blend so many different elements together in a book and actually making them stick. Right now, Roland still feels like a little mystery to me. Sure, I know his overall demeanor and what he’s about but I feel as if there is so much more that the author is holding back for later. But whatever the case, this book has definitely sparked my interest in the Dark Tower series. Luckily for me, every book has already been released so no waiting! Did-a-chick?
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