Monthly Archives for November 2017

The Gunslinger, The Road and Mobile Apps

So, it’s  been a long time since I’ve posted here, and today marks something new—trying out the WordPress app. 

But, let’s move along. This week, I started reading Stephen King’s The Gunslinger. The decision to read it followed watching the movie with Idris Elba and Matthew McConaughey, an OK movie, despite faltering at the box office. It one of those movies that probably would work better as a TV series, and I understand that’s in the works.

If you’ve followed this blog for some time you might be surprised I haven’t read the novel beforehand.  But, I haven’t read much Stephen King at all. Something I hope to remedy. 

I like it, it’s bleak desert setting with a blend of fantasy, Western and science fiction. The gunslinger himself is the quintessential Western movie hero, like Clint Eastwood’s nameless rider. Then of course you have the fantasy quest trope with the gunslinger in pursuit of an evil wizard and seeking the secrets of the Dark Tower.  King hints at Arthurian legend.

What strikes me, however, is the sort of understated prose and the story arc’s similarity to Cormac McCarthy’s The Road. There are moments when I think of that bleak novel, and I wonder if McCarthy read King. It certainly feels like it.

Just some random thoughts for now.

Until next time…

—Todd