The Wind Through the Keyhole

The Dark Tower

By: Stephen King

Narrated by: Stephen King

Length: 10 hrs and 26 mins

Publisher's summary

For those discovering the epic best-selling Dark Tower series for the first time—and for its legions of dedicated fans—here is an immensely satisfying stand-alone novel and perfect introduction to the series.

Beginning in 1974, gaining momentum in the 1980s and coming to a thrilling conclusion when the last three novels were published in 2003 and 2004, the Dark Tower epic fantasy saga stands as Stephen King’s most beguiling achievement. It has been the basis for a long-running Marvel comic series.

Now, with The Wind Through the Keyhole, King has returned to the rich landscape of Mid-World. This story within a story within a story finds Roland Deschain, Mid-World’s last gunslinger, in his early days during the guilt-ridden year following his mother’s death. Sent by his father to investigate evidence of a murderous shape-shifter, a "skin-man", Roland takes charge of Bill Streeter, a brave but terrified boy who is the sole surviving witness to the beast's most recent slaughter. Roland, himself only a teenager, calms the boy by reciting a story from the Book of Eld that his mother used to read to him at bedtime. "A person's never too old for stories," he says to Bill. "Man and boy, girl and woman, we live for them."

Sure to captivate the avid fans of the Dark Tower epic, this is an enchanting introduction to Roland’s world and the power of Stephen King’s storytelling magic.

Please Note: This audio edition of The Wind Through the Keyhole ends with a short preview of Stephen King's The Dark Tower VII, read by George Guidall, followed by a brief introduction and the first chapter of King's Doctor Sleep, both read by the author.

©2012 Stephen King (P)2012 Simon & Schuster

great book

I really enjoyed the captivating storyline, I have enjoyed the whole series so far

Hard to follow

I often got lost in what was happening and who was talking. Ill end up buying the book.

Some good side stories with a couple of problems

I liked this book quite a bit overall - it's a couple of nested side stories that do a very good job at taking you back into the world of the Dark Tower and shedding some light on its part and its overlaps with "our" world. There are just a couple of things dragging it down a bit. Storywise, the main issue is that the titular central story boss down for a while in the middle. That's not too bad, though, it picks back up again and has a lot of enchanting fairy tale-like elements to enjoy. A bigger issue is the narration. I don't think Stephen King is outright bad, and it's interesting in some ways to have an author narrate his own work. But compared to the high tier narrators of the other books in the series, he falls much tonally a lot of the time, making it easier to lose focus in some of the slower sections. That could be better, but the material is strong enough that the book is still a solid recommend.

Great to go Back to Midworld but...

If you could sum up The Wind Through the Keyhole in three words, what would they be?

Great journey home

What did you like best about this story?

The creativity of it and just the whole new adventure with a great Ka-tet

How could the performance have been better?

Hiring a professional voice over actor. This was a major disappointment not to have the usual narrator do the story. Stephen King has shown many times he is NOT an actor. All voices are read the same tone and with no emotion at all. I am very upset by this point. I was so looking forward to this book and this part ruined it. I hope it wasn't just plain cheapness that didn't allow for a professional voice over actor or perhaps Stephen Kings ego. Very unhappy about this point.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

I enjoyed the whole story from begining to end. Aside from the voice work it was great and really hope there are more adventures to come with these characters.

A children's story from the Dark Tower universe

What did you love best about The Wind Through the Keyhole?

I have read all of the other books in the Dark Tower series and enjoyed all of them. When the graphic novels started appearing on the market, I drew the line -- part of what was so great about this series was a sense of reality brought on by the large gaps in the readers' knowledge, and I did not want those gaps clumsily filled. For this reason, I was skeptical about this new Dark Tower 4.5, but it has far exceeded my expectations. It was a true pleasure to hear Stephen King tell the tale of Tim, a story Roland heard from his mother as a young child in Gilead. I found this particular gap in the Dark Tower series delightfully filled by his new narrative.

A very entertaining listen.

Would you listen to The Wind Through the Keyhole again? Why?

I might, yes. I plan on listening to all the Dark Tower books again in order.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Wind Through the Keyhole?

I enjoyed how the Man in Black made an appearance.

Which character – as performed by Stephen King – was your favorite?

I think Stephen King did a better job reading this book then most are willing to give him credit. He did I good job with all the characters, but if I was to pick a favorite I would have to say young Roland.

Any additional comments?

If Stephen King happens to be reading this review, thank you for writing this book. Another story of Roland was an unexpected treat.

It was like reuniting with an old friend.

Any additional comments?

If you liked The Dark Tower this is a must read. It was great to hear a little more of the tale. I would love for King to do another one like this. For those who didn't read the original novels, I really feel like you could read this and enjoy it as a stand alone book.

Authentic Voice from Stephen King

I've been reading a lot of reviews that the narration is bad from Stephen King for this audio book. I have to disagree. Maybe I'm just used to of listening to Stephen King's voice, but I don't mind and really don't find him annoying. In many ways, it gives authenticity of the Dark Tower series.

Sure, King is nowhere close from the late Frank Muller (RIP), but I enjoy listening to King's voice. I've read all of his books and King has narrated a great number of his novels, such as Bag of Bones, On Writing, and many other of his short stories. By narrating more of his materials, the constant reader gets an insight of what characters should resemble in the author's imagination.

As for the story in "The Wind Through the Keyhole", it took me a while to get into the book. I have forgotten how complex the Dark Tower series and how Roland tells his story within another story. It's brilliant how all of his stories intertwined with each other and you finally get a bizarre outcome.

I felt soft hearted when I heard Roland, Eddie, Jake, Susannah, and Oy, again.

This is why we are "Constant Readers."

In order to comprehend the full story, one needs to read from book one (Gunslinger) and read the complete series.

The Dark Tower series is the best set of books that you will ever read and or, listen to.

great intro to dark tower series

I love listening to king read his own work. This was another enjoyable listen, and I am looking forward to trying the dark tower series next.

Not compulsory, but good anyway. Do lot let King read his own work :(

Not compulsory for the rest of the Dark Tower series, but a very good Stephen King book.
However, please do not let King read his own books. He comes out as bland and boring. Amazing writer, awful narrator.