Stephen King wrote it when he was very young, and it didn't get published until years later. He didn't write the second until years after that, and the improvement in quality shows. He's a much better and more seasoned writer in the second book. It really goes into high gear. And the third and fourth books are simply amazing.

The final three books are the most polarizing. People usually either love them or hate them. I ended up loving them, but it took me awhile to get to that point. I had a good period of time where I wasn't sure how I felt about them.

But all in all, the series is one hell of a ride.

The book tends to be incoherent at spots. A lot of information is left out which makes it difficult to follow.

had a voyeuristic feel into King's own life. I really didn't like them for that reason. I feel that I have read better fantasy (Martin, Moorcock, and Zelazny to mention three favorites). I have been meaning to reread World of Tiers by Phillip Jose Farmer which served as inspiration for Zelazny's arguably superior Chronicles of Amber. Except for Martin, most fantasy I read as a teenager in the late 1970s. I may be stuck in that time period. I could never get into Jordan. I have been encouraged to read Sanderson by my daughter.

I guess a point of clarification. Martin is more traditional fantasy, while Moorcock, Zelazny and Farmer deal with alternate worlds with different levels of technology and formation of the world (whether SF or Fantasy based). Moorcock, Zelazny, and Farmer are more like precursors to King's Dark Tower which King takes many of the elements developed in those earlier works.

For me, Gunslinger built the "world" other books were the meat.
I'm used to this from Sci-Fi addiction for 50 yrs.
It can be tedious and sometimes not worth it, but King is good.
Many times I've had to go back and reread due to this.

But never got into the Dark Tower Series. Just didn't do it for me.

But he does like to crossover characters into other books. So every now and then you will see them pop up elsewhere.

Joe Hill's books. At one time it was cool, but I am kind of burned out on both series and shared universes. Just too much to keep track of.

I call it the bible of Stephen King. Most everything he had written has a little bit here and there throughout the whole series. I have read the whole series including one he wrote later as a side story with Roland and the others.

I read the entire series, 1 right after the other. I felt bamboozled after reading. No payoff, however there are some good books in the series. I am a huge fan of Steven King. He is so prolific that he has to have some stinkers I guess.

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You won't like the ending to the series. It really, really sucks.

I didn't read it, but a friend who did told me what it was.

I love reading his characters, but his books tend to have lousy endings, and this didn't surprise me.
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I like fantasy, and got sucked into the story line, and the characters, but I’m also a huge fan of Kings writing, so I tend to forgive story line flaws That being said, I’ve read better. I like it better, a lot better, than say Game of Thrones.

I’ve never been able to read the Harry Potter Series. Just can’t