The man in black informs him that the “death” and “life” cards are not for him. Represented are the hanged man (the gunslinger), the sailor (explained to be Jake because no one threw him a line), the prisoner, “the lady of shadows,” death, Dark Tower, and life.

After a rabbit dinner, they break out the Tarot cards, which Roland is told to lay down one at a time. The man in black leads Roland to “a Golgotha, place-of-the-skull.” Surrounded by the remains of dead animals, under a sky bluer than the gunslinger has seen in a while, the man in black puts him to work gathering firewood that he then magically ignites. Make sure to bookmark the HQ page for the schedule and links to all of the chapter discussions as they go live! This chapter's got symbolism abound as we finally get some “answers” about the man in black and Roland's quest-so let's begin our palaver over Chapter 5, the final chapter of The Gunslinger:Ĭhapter 5: The Gunslinger and the Man in Black The plan is to read a chapter a week, and each Tuesday we will meet to discuss major themes, motifs, and reactions.

*Remember: While this is a reread, please avoid spoilers in the comments. Let’s see if this equal parts Western, mystery, horror, science fiction, and fantasy epic still packs a punch. It’s been 38 years since Roland’s quest began in The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction and four years since the last Dark Tower: The Wind Through the Keyhole (2012). Thank you for joining me on a reread of what Stephen King has called his magnum opus, The Dark Tower series featuring Roland of Gilead, the gunslinger. While I don't expect our conversation to last many years, let's pick the momentum back up for a week as we close out Book I of The Dark Tower. Now that we've had enough time to mourn the fall of Jake in Chapter 4, we finally catch up with the man in black.

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