The Gunslinger, beginning with what I think we can all agree may rest comfortably among the greatest first lines in a novel, follows Roland, a man with a mysterious past and an even more mysterious future, as he chases the man in black (another enigmatic character) across a dead desert. The first half or so of the novel consists mostly of flashbacks, pieced together by the pensive Roland who seems to mostly ruminate on guilt, since he tends to leave so much death in his wake in a world that seems to be governed by violence. Basically: 
 The non linear beginning is effective and mysterious, and while a little slow, it certainly raises a lot of questions. The setting is very Wild West, and there are no machines or electricity, so WHY THE FUCK is Hey Jude being played in a saloon bar?? (This was the moment in which I decided I would keep reading; however, spoiler alert, you're not gonna get any answers by the end. Only more questions). 
 Roland himself is a stone cold badass, and King really, really, REALLY wants us to understand that. We come to understand that his guns are especially significant of his culture and his personality, and damn, can he use them. But he is by no means a one dimensional killing machine. The layers of Roland are very carefully peeled away throughout the novel, but by the end it is clear that we have not yet arrived at his core. This first instalment of the Dark Tower series is relatively short, so it's obvious that the journey has only just begun, both in terms of plot and of character development; and man, has it made me EXCITED to keep reading. I need answers. How do these people know Hey Jude? Where does this reality sit comparatively to our own universe? Was there an apocalypse? What happened to Susannah? WHAT THE HELL IS THE DARK TOWER AND WHY IS ROLAND SO INTENT UPON IT? 
 This is what King does so obscenely well - he creates an urgency for answers and holds them in his covered palm, tantalisingly before us, yet each time we take a step towards him he takes a step back, or throws a curveball and does a little side step instead. It's infuriating and exciting and really, he is such a very talented tease.