Wizard and Glass

I have to be honest here – I did not finish Wizard and Glass. Thirty pages into the book and I decided that enough was enough. The fourth volume in the Dark Tower series may also be a standalone novel, but it is as bad as most sequels.

The story begins with a group of adventurers stuck on a sentient conveyance. They then challenged this bio-mechanical contraption to a riddling contest, with defeat culminating in their deaths. If this silly scene does not deter you from reading on, the chaotic patter that passes for dialogue would surely bring you to your senses.

Over the years, King’s devotion to character development has enabled him to create well-fleshed out characters in It, Carrie, and Salem’s Lot. Unfortunately, for Wizard and Glass, his attention to detail becomes obsessive, with disastrous effects. His characters’ endless flashbacks to their earlier lives distract the reader from what is an already haphazard storyline.

Stephen King has reached the stage in his literary career where anything he churns out will make the bestseller lists. Still, one might expect an immense talent like he to respect himself to not produce such drivel, and enough decency not to make people pay money for it.

Stephen King may be a word wizard, but Wizard and Glass makes me want to put a shard of glass to my wrist. My advice to anyone who wants to go it a go: Do not litter. Put trash where it belongs.

Rating: 1.5/5