The flashbacks are some of my favorite parts of The Dark Tower, so getting a whole book that spends this much time in Roland’s past worked really well for me.
I liked hearing about his old teachers, his old friends, and the life he had before we met him walking across the desert. Roland already had my attention as this dangerous, determined gunslinger. I wanted to know more about where all of that came from.
Wizard and Glass picks up with the situation involving Blaine, but much of the book takes us back to a younger Roland. He tells his companions about his time in Hambry with Cuthbert and Alain, where he met Susan Delgado and became caught up in trouble much bigger than the three young gunslingers initially understood.
I was happy to spend time there.
By this point, we’ve followed Roland through enough danger to know what he’s capable of. Going backward lets you see him when he still had people around who knew him as a boy. He had teachers telling him what to do, friends who could call him on his shit, and feelings that could get in the way of his judgment.
Cuthbert was the one I especially liked.
He brings a different personality into those scenes. He jokes, he talks, and he pushes against Roland’s seriousness. Having somebody around who knows Roland that well makes their interactions interesting. Cuthbert can see him as a friend, with all the frustration and loyalty that comes with that.
I like getting that side of a character we’ve already spent so much time following. You can hear about an old friendship, but watching the people actually deal with each other tells you a lot more. Their disagreements matter because there’s history behind them. They know each other’s strengths, and they can also get on each other’s nerves.
Alain belongs in that picture too. The three of them have their own way of working together, and spending time with Roland’s earlier companions helps fill in a part of his life that I wanted to know about.
His upbringing was already interesting to me. Cort, the training, and even those earlier memories of David the hawk stayed with me. There’s a harshness to the way Roland was raised that fits the man he becomes. Wizard and Glass gave me more time with that younger version of him and the world those lessons came from.
Then there’s Susan.
Her place in the story lets you see Roland dealing with something his training doesn’t make simple. He can be capable and dangerous while still being young and caught up in how he feels about somebody. Knowing the older Roland makes those scenes interesting because you’re watching a part of him that isn’t always easy to see later.
The trouble around Hambry gives all of those relationships something to push against. There are people with their own plans, things the boys don’t fully understand yet, and consequences attached to the choices they make. Being trained as gunslingers doesn’t mean they’ve already figured out how to handle everything.
I can understand somebody wanting to stay with Eddie, Susannah, and Jake and keep moving toward the Tower. This book spends a long time away from that part of the journey. For me, though, Roland’s history was something I wanted more of, so the change in direction was welcome.
I already liked following the man. I liked getting to know the boy and the people who were there with him.
Cuthbert, the old friendships, and the chance to spend more time in Roland’s past are what made Wizard and Glass work so well for me. These are the kinds of flashbacks I enjoy because I’m interested in the people in them, and King gave me plenty of reason to stay with this part of the story.
Who I’d recommend it to: Readers who want to understand Roland better and enjoy stories about old friendships, first love, and the experiences that shape someone. If his past has interested you from the beginning, there’s a lot here to get into.
Caution: Much of this book is an extended flashback, so expect the main journey to pause for a while. There’s violence, sexual coercion, and disturbing material.
Discussion question: Did you enjoy spending this much time in Roland’s past, and which of his old companions stood out most to you?
— Cory Lane