Book Review: The Dark Tower book 2: The Drawing of the Three by Stephen King

"What we like to think of ourselves and what we really are rarely have much in common..."
                         - Stephen King, The Drawing of the Three

So, I finished The Gunslinger (book 1 to The Dark Tower series). I liked the first book, and I decided to read the second book. I want to know the next chapter of the story, I want to know the next stop for the gunslinger. I, was hooked to this fictional world bizzaro penned by Stephen King.

The journey continues, and the Dark Tower is getting closer, but is the second book any good? Is the story becoming more interesting? Or is the series on the path of downward spiral? Let's find out.

Synopsis:

Following the end of the first book (The Gunslinger), the protagonist, Roland Deschain continues with his quest for the Dark Tower. In the previous book, The Man in Black showed Roland 3 cards that are connected to Roland's quest for the Dark Tower: a prisoner, the lady in shadow, and death.

After his encounter with The Man in Black, Roland continues with his journey. Ill fortune brings Roland to be attacked by monsters on the beach, and he sustained heavy injuries. As Roland struggles to survive, a mysterious door appeared on the beach. For Roland, the only hope of survival and finding the Dark Tower, all depend on the secrets behind this door. New allies, friends, and the future destiny for Roland's quest will all be revealed in The Drawing of the Three...


What I think about this book:

In my opinion, I think The Drawing of the Three is a bit better than The Gunslinger. The reason is, this book introduced some very interesting, and complex characters into the story. There are a lot of

character developments in the story, and sometimes their stories spammed into our world. Also, Stephen King's use of words, and his style of writing seem to have changed a little bit (for the better). Descriptions of images are lively and vivid, but Stephen King also took his readers inside the heads of his characters. As a result, the personalities of these characters are flashed out quite well. Overall, this book is an exciting ride powered by impressionable story telling.

Themes such as drug addictions (or addictions in general), racism, justice, and dealing with past hurts dominate this book. All characters in this book are flawed, and they are in constant struggles with something from their pasts. These character portraits painted them in realistic lights.

I like The Drawing of the Three, and I am liking this series more and more. This is why, I definitely want to read the next installment, and find out what's in store for Roland and his friends on their journey to the Dark Tower.