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The Wind Through the Keyhole: The Dark Tower IV-1/2 Paperback – November 6, 2012

by Stephen King (Author)
4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 10,013 ratings
Editors' pick Best Mystery, Thriller & Suspense
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Soon to be a major motion picture starring Matthew McConaughey and Idris Elba

In The Wind Through the Keyhole, Stephen King returns to the rich landscape of Mid-World, the spectacular territory of the Dark Tower fantasy saga that stands as his most beguiling achievement.

Roland Deschain and his ka-tet—Jake, Susannah, Eddie, and Oy, the billy-bumbler—encounter a ferocious storm just after crossing the River Whye on their way to the Outer Baronies. As they shelter from the howling gale, Roland tells his friends not just one strange story but two...and in so doing, casts new light on his own troubled past.

In his early days as a gunslinger, in the guilt-ridden year following his mother’s death, Roland is sent by his father to investigate evidence of a murderous shape-shifter, a “skin-man” preying upon the population around Debaria. Roland takes charge of Bill Streeter, the brave but terrified boy who is the sole surviving witness to the beast’s most recent slaughter. Only a teenager himself, Roland calms the boy and prepares him for the following day’s trials by reciting a story from the Magic Tales of the Eld that his mother often read to him at bedtime. “A person’s never too old for stories,” Roland says to Bill. “Man and boy, girl and woman, never too old. We live for them.” And indeed, the tale that Roland unfolds, the legend of Tim Stoutheart, is a timeless treasure for all ages, a story that lives for us.

King began the Dark Tower series in 1974; it gained momentum in the 1980s; and he brought it to a thrilling conclusion when the last three novels were published in 2003 and 2004. The Wind Through the Keyhole is sure to fascinate avid fans of the Dark Tower epic. But this novel also stands on its own for all readers, an enchanting and haunting journey to Roland’s world and testimony to the power of Stephen King’s storytelling magic.
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  1. Print length
    320 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Gallery Books
  4. Publication date
    November 6, 2012
  5. Dimensions
    5.31 x 0.9 x 8.25 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    1451658915
  7. ISBN-13
    978-1451658910
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Stephen King is the author of more than sixty books, all of them worldwide bestsellers. His recent work includes The Institute, Elevation, The Outsider, Sleeping Beauties (cowritten with his son Owen King), and the Bill Hodges trilogy, End of Watch, Finders Keepers, and Mr. Mercedes (an Edgar Award winner for Best Novel and an AT&T Audience Network original television series). His novel 11/22/63 was named a top ten book of 2011 by The New York Times Book Review and won the Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Mystery/Thriller. His epic works The Dark Tower and It are the basis for major motion pictures, with It now the highest grossing horror film of all time. He is the recipient of the 2018 PEN America Literary Service Award, the 2014 National Medal of Arts, and the 2003 National Book Foundation Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters. He lives in Bangor, Maine, with his wife, novelist Tabitha King.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Gallery Books; 0 edition (November 6, 2012)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 320 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1451658915
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1451658910
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 9.6 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.31 x 0.9 x 8.25 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 10,013 ratings

About the author

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Stephen King

Stephen King

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Stephen King is the author of more than sixty books, all of them worldwide bestsellers. His recent work includes NEVER FLINCH, YOU LIKE IT DARKER (a New York Times Book Review top ten horror book of 2024), HOLLY (a New York Times Notable Book of 2023), FAIRY TALE, BILLY SUMMERS, IF IT BLEEDS, THE INSTITUTE, ELEVATION, THE OUTSIDER, SLEEPING BEAUTIES (cowritten with his son Owen King), and the Bill Hodges trilogy: END OF WATCH, FINDERS KEEPERS, and MR. MERCEDES (an Edgar Award winner for Best Novel). His novel 11/22/63 was named a top ten book of 2011 by the New York Times Book Review and won the Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Mystery/Thriller. His epic works THE DARK TOWER, IT, PET SEMATARY, DOCTOR SLEEP, and FIRESTARTER are the basis for major motion pictures, with IT now the highest-grossing horror film of all time. He is the recipient of the 2018 PEN America Literary Service Award, the 2014 National Medal of Arts, and the 2003 National Book Foundation Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters. He lives in Bangor, Maine, with his wife, novelist Tabitha King.

Customer reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars
10,013 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the stories compelling and worth reading. They describe the book as wonderful, enjoyable, and a great addition to the Dark Tower series. Readers praise the mesmerizing prose and fluid language. The characters are well-written and develop throughout the story. The pacing is described as fast-paced and emotional.

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Story qualityReadabilityAdditionWriting qualityCharacter developmentRead pacePacingFun to read
732 customers mention "Story quality"676 positive56 negative

Customers find the stories engaging and worth reading. The three stories are distinct, but all feature familiar characters and lore. Readers describe the book as a pair of campfire tales set in an intriguing world.

"...This story is a good fit with others in the Dark Tower series." Read more

"...It's not only what happens, actually, it's the how, the execution that makes it good: there is a proper crescendo, it's mystical as it should be, it..." Read more

"...All three stories are distinct and different, but all are filled with trademark SK characters and story lines that weave in and out of each other..." Read more

"...The Skin man part of the story is a beautiful glimpse inside the world as it's breathing it's last breath before the fall of Gilead and civilization..." Read more

708 customers mention "Readability"697 positive11 negative

Customers enjoy the book's readability. They find it entertaining and a satisfying read. The book is described as one of Stephen King's better novels, with vivid descriptions and a nice bridge to book 5. Readers appreciate the craftsmanship and sense of completion.

"Excellent and a must read for any Dark Tower fan. I only recently learned of this book, but I am so glad I was able to read it." Read more

"...So my conclusion, for what it's worth, is that yes, this book is good, and I would keep an eye on whatever King will publish in the next months and..." Read more

"...I was surprised by the craftiness, beauty, and arc of this novel...." Read more

"...what you have is three hundred pages of fireside fantasies and a nice little bridge between the colossal love story which comprises Volume IV:..." Read more

320 customers mention "Addition"320 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the book. They find it a great addition to the Dark Tower series and a perfect fit for the characters. The story is enjoyable and makes them miss the original series.

"...That’s an appropriate choice for a series that has always been about the power of stories, and indeed, in many ways, The Wind Through the Keyhole is..." Read more

""The Wind Through The Keyhole" is a delightful addition to Stephen King's Dark Tower universe...." Read more

"...Of course I absolutely LOVED the series and really was just waiting for an excuse to read it again...." Read more

"Really good book. Stays in line with the series. I thought it was a very good story and very well told. I read the whole Dark Tower story years ago...." Read more

172 customers mention "Writing quality"157 positive15 negative

Customers enjoy the book's writing quality. They find the prose mesmerizing and the language fluid. The tone suits the book well, and the voice is clear, powerful, and lyrical. Readers appreciate the rich visual and emotional tapestries in the story.

"King's writing is always refreshing after being with others. This story is a good fit with others in the Dark Tower series." Read more

"...Clarity is always good, there is nothing worse than an unintentionally confusing story, but there are limits; if you pass them and really start..." Read more

"...admit that I am a fully dedicated fan of Stephen King's unparalleled writing abilities. But my true addiction is to Roland Deschain and his ka-tet...." Read more

"...But because the stakes aren't as high this time around, that tone suits the book nicely...." Read more

131 customers mention "Character development"122 positive9 negative

Customers enjoy the well-written characters in this book. They find the Roland character to be particularly engaging, and the new characters exciting. The story is likable and the voice of the novel is strong. Overall, readers praise the author's talent as a fiction writer.

"...All throughout this book we see how stories help various characters...." Read more

"...It well displays his talents, even at a young age, and has a similar sense of adventure and uncertainty as the other Tower books...." Read more

"...and context to the reader's understanding of Mid-World and its beloved characters...." Read more

"...The novel finishes on a great note with more development of the Roland character and a nice bridge to book 5...." Read more

73 customers mention "Read pace"53 positive20 negative

Customers enjoy the book's fast pace. They find the changes in setting and pacing natural and push the story forward. The book holds their interest for hours and keeps them excited.

"...of such rich visual and emotional tapestries that time seemed to disappear for this reader; indeed, Tim Stoutheart is a very deserving addition to..." Read more

"...It will read quickly and sweep you back into Roland Deschain's world as if you never left it." Read more

"...In the end, the climax is less than spectacular, and since Roland is telling the story, obviously he wins in the end...." Read more

"...beautifully written and paced. 2.) all told with the soft spoken 'thankee sai' Mid-World dialect...." Read more

55 customers mention "Pacing"40 positive15 negative

Customers enjoy the book's pacing. They find it draws them in and keeps them distracted from reality. The story flows well, keeping readers hooked and falling right into it.

"...Still Alive, a recent short story from King, which I found powerful, moving, rather un-King-ish in its tone and in its subtleness, but very King-ish..." Read more

"...of that theme, as stories are used for comfort, for knowledge, for distraction, for teaching, and for so many other purposes - entertainment not the..." Read more

"...The characters as introduced in this story seemed silly and shallow, and certainly did not come across as the strong competent people I came to..." Read more

"...I was not disappointed in this book at all. It was lovely to go back to Roland’s world…or at least return to the feel of his world...." Read more

54 customers mention "Fun to read"54 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the book. They find it entertaining and enjoyable, like reuniting with old friends. The book makes them laugh, cry, and wish it would never end.

"...often told him, though King intertwines some heavy hints and fun connections that suggest this ancient story is perhaps not all fictional...." Read more

"...Both stories are very well-written and entertaining...." Read more

"...This story is good. It has weight and is entertaining by itself...." Read more

"...It's nice to see old friends again, and revisit The Dark Tower 'verse after a break from it...." Read more

good book but unnecessary
4 out of 5 stars
good book but unnecessary
was a good book but i think it was unnecessary in the storyline of the dark tower series
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Top reviews from the United States

  • cherwoo
    5.0 out of 5 stars Roland tells a great story
    Reviewed in the United States on February 14, 2025
    Verified Purchase
    King's writing is always refreshing after being with others. This story is a good fit with others in the Dark Tower series.
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  • Tom Schneider
    5.0 out of 5 stars Three stories for the price of one
    Reviewed in the United States on January 20, 2025
    Verified Purchase
    Excellent and a must read for any Dark Tower fan. I only recently learned of this book, but I am so glad I was able to read it.
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  • Stefano Buffoli
    4.0 out of 5 stars Trying to be objective here
    Reviewed in the United States on May 2, 2012
    Verified Purchase
    More or less all Constant Readers know the facts: Stephen King starts the Dark Tower series, writes four books that are generally regarded as excellent, wild, visionary Lord-of-the-Rings-meets-The-Good-the-Bad-and-the-Ugly stuff, then stops for a while, because he's not sure where to go with the story - until he has a road accident. This event changes his personal priorities, and he resolves to finish the saga writing the final three books, which unfortunately are now generally regarded as vastly inferior to the first four.

    Now, I did appreciate the ending of the Dark Tower anyway. I am aware lots of people will not agree on this, but then again a lot will, it's one of those love it or hate it things. While I was reading it, while I was seeing it unfold in front of my eyes, I thought that yes, that was the only possible ending; I slapped myself on the forehead and thought "Of course!". It's not only what happens, actually, it's the how, the execution that makes it good: there is a proper crescendo, it's mystical as it should be, it really feels like the end of the journey and you are there with Roland. And in a seven book saga where the final destination, that mysterious Dark Tower, is always looming on the horizon, where every event is propelled by this obsession of the main character for the Tower, this is what makes the difference: how it all ends, the sight waiting for you at top of the mountain. A bad ending will disappoint you enough to look back at the whole series and hate it, and you will leave the place full of spite and resentment. A good ending will make you forgive the flaws and you will leave happy (and sad, because the story doesn't continue further).

    But even if I liked the ending, I did agree with the general view on the second batch of books. I was particularly disappointed by Wolves of the Calla, which, I thought, was horrible (while my personal favorite in the series is The Waste Land. If you can come up with characters like a giant cyborg bear with an antenna on its head and a sentient psychopath train that loves riddles and TALKS IN CAPS, you are a brave writer; but if you manage to make those character actually believable, alive and scary, you must also be very good at what you are doing).

    At some point I became fairly sure that King in recent years had lost his touch. He did obviously develop his taste for meta-elements in stories - something he always had, really, look at Desperation and its twin book, at RF/MB as the recurring bad guy that pops up in various worlds: stories that resonate, events and characters that come back, the music of chance, as Paul Auster would say. All nice and interesting, but his books as a whole seemed bland lately, and kind of, well, uninteresting and meh. Maybe the accident somewhat scared him, or scared his talent away, I thought. Maybe he did need the alcohol and the drugs to write good books, I guess it's true for many writers. Well, I would have to live with it, the world has moved on, I would never read again books like The Waste Land, It or The Stand.

    And then by chance I read Herman Wouk Is Still Alive, a recent short story from King, which I found powerful, moving, rather un-King-ish in its tone and in its subtleness, but very King-ish in its view of the world, of good and evil. So I went on and read 11/22/63, which turned out to be an AWESOME novel. I won't say it's the single best one he wrote, but I would definitely put it on par with his best work. It's insanely gripping, finally (finally!) I felt again that compulsion to keep reading until four in the morning, just to know what happens next. There is the right amount of surprises along the way (what does this No Suspenders guy want?) and some of the scenes were just so incredibly convincing, effective and scary (the guy with the hammer...).
    Just like that, the Good King was back, different from before but in many ways better than before. What happened? I wondered. Maybe he just sat it out and now he's fine again, maybe he just needed some time, maybe some other event triggered it. I'll never know.
    With some expectation and trepidation, I then turned to The Wind through the Keyhole. King back to the world of the Dark Tower really seemed like those news that look good at first but actually are bad. As if Led Zeppelin were back and writing new songs, but then the new songs suck and you end up hating Led Zeppelin because they just didn't leave alone the good memory you had of them. And King already did this, partially, with the final three books of the Dark Tower (although to be honest in his case it's different, he didn't have a choice, he had to finish the saga somewhat).
    Then again, the rest of the stuff he wrote recently is marvelous, I thought. Is it possible that he managed to pull it off? And, maybe there is something in there about the final destiny of Rhea of the Cöos...
    So I read it. Like it has been said repeatedly, it's a sort of a fairy tale and a story within a story. It is much smaller in scale compared to the rest of the Dark Tower books, not in terms of size, but more in terms of style, and the kind of events it depicts. More than another volume of the saga it's kind of an interlude.
    What does it do well? For a start, it's an absolutely enjoyable fairy tale. Often King is working with material that in other hands would feel stale, as in not original, been there done that. But in this case, again, it's the execution that counts, that ability he has to describe a cyborg bear so vividly that it comes alive in your head. As for this one book, how many dragons have been breathing fire in fantasy and horror stories? Still, King's dragon seems very real, it behaves like a real animal would, it is first and foremost a very believable huge beast. And the tiger is another good example:

    In the cage, pacing slowly around a hole in the center, was an enormous tyger.
    It saw the staring, gapemouthed boy and approached the bars. Its eyes were as large as Points balls, but a brilliant green instead of blue. On its hide, stripes of dark orange alternated with those of richest midnight black. Its ears were cocked. Its snout wrinkled back from long white teeth. It growled. The sound was low, like a silk garment being ripped slowly up a seam. It could have been a greeting . . .

    Don't you just perfectly see a tiger in your head, a fairy tale tiger, after this brief description?

    Another good thing is the absence of what someone has called 'overwriting'. It's the single most annoying element of King's style in his recent books: a tendency to always make everything very explicit, something like putting the word (sarcasm) between brackets after any sarcastic question that any character happen to ask, in case someone doesn't get it. This is a problem that 11/22/63 has, actually (but not Herman Wouk). A small example. Let's say that King wants to show how ignorant and illiterate a political extremist group of the Sixties can be; he does that with the content of a flyer that has many spelling mistakes, distributed by one of these groups:

    During the Thursday night telemcast of the Billy James Hargis so-called "Cristian Crusade," Channel 9 will give are-time to GENERAL EDWIN WALKER, a right-wing fascist who has encouraged JFK to invade the peaceful peoples of Cuba and who has formented anti-black, anti-integration "HATE-SPEAK" all over the south. (If you have doubts about the accuracy of this information, check the "TV Guide.") These two men stand for everythig we fouht against in WWII, and their Fascist RAVINGS have no place on the are-waves.

    Now, this would be enough, the spelling mistakes are clearly visible, I understood what King wants to tell me; but no, his main character will comment:

    I briefly pondered the misspellings, then folded the flyer and put it in the box where I kept my manuscripts.

    Why this comment? Just in case I didn't notice the misspellings myself, I guess. It may seem like a small thing, but on the long run it's annoying. It's a bit like constantly being suggested that you are stupid and you need help. And there is more to it, there are the repetitions. How many times can you say 'The past resonates' before the average reader starts thinking 'I know it does, stop repeating it!' Clarity is always good, there is nothing worse than an unintentionally confusing story, but there are limits; if you pass them and really start explaining everything (everything!) as if the readers were completely unable to catch anything that is even slightly subtle... well, the book obviously loses strength.

    I am glad to report there is nothing like this in The Wind through the Keyhole, and I really hope King will just get rid of this style feature for the future, it was the only real flaw I could find in 11/22/63, in every other respect, like I said, an AWESOME book.

    Another good thing is that The Wind through the Keyhole tells us interesting stuff about Roland and sides of his personality that were not previously explored. Because the story is really about Roland, there is no space for Eddie or the other usual sidekicks; and it's also about what it means to be a gunslinger.

    Anything bad to report? Not really, not exactly. As I said this is more of an interlude rather than an untold chapter of the quest for the Tower; so I wouldn't say it's a terribly dramatic or powerful book, and it's not very likely to become your favorite Dark Tower so far; but then again, I don't think it is meant to do that. Actually, I appreciate the way King has chosen to go back to that world, sort of on tiptoe, and being careful not to destroy anything valuable, just modestly adding a few things that were left out.

    So my conclusion, for what it's worth, is that yes, this book is good, and I would keep an eye on whatever King will publish in the next months and years. There. I am a Constant Reader again.
    22 people found this helpful
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  • James Tepper
    5.0 out of 5 stars Superb story within a story within a story
    Reviewed in the United States on April 27, 2012
    Verified Purchase
    Stephen King's latest, "The Wind Through the Keyhole: a Dark Tower Novel", is a return to the people and places of the "Dark Tower" series, SK's seven volume Magnum Opus that was begun in 1978 and completed in 2004. The ending of the seventh book (which was fairly controversial- some fans hated it, while others loved it) didn't leave much room for a sequel. Now, 8 years after the "final" ending, we have not a sequel, but a sort of an "intrquel", a compact novel (at just 300 pages on my iPad, I believe it is the shortest novel since his 272 page debut, "Carrie", that SK has ever published) that revisits Roland, Jake, Eddie, Susannah and Oy during a brief interlude just in between the events in the 4th novel in the series "Wizard and Glass", and the fifth, "Wolves of the Calla", each of which runs about 750 pages (and for what it's worth, were my favorites in the entire DT opus).

    To do this, King very effectively uses the old "story within a story" structure, only this time it's really a story within a story within a story. The enclosing tale finds the ka-tet rushing to find shelter from a kind of deadly Mid-World subzero tornado or hurricane called a starkblast whose imminent arrival is signaled by Oy's behavior. The group frantically gathers wood for a fire and takes refuge in the only solid stone structure that they find in a deserted town. Roland tells them that they are going to be holed up, hunkered around the fireplace for at least a few days, and Jake asks Roland to tell them a story. If you've read Wizard and Glass, you know that the bulk of that wonderful, bittersweet novel was also relayed via Roland telling the ka-tet a story about when he was a boy. So trapped by the starkblast, Roland proceeds to tell them another story about his days as a teen-aged newly minted gunslinger (that takes place shortly after the events in Wizard and Glass), when his father sends him and friend, Jamie, to investigate mysterious murders and rumors of a shape-shifting monster terrifying the town of Debaria. This tale is the story within a story. While there, Roland and Jamie meet 11 year old Bill Streeter, the sole survivor of the monster's most recent attack in which his father is killed.

    Roland comes up with a plan to uncover and capture the shape-shifter, that involves locking Bill into a jail cell for protection, and promising to wait with him as his plan unfolds. During the night in the cell, Bill asks the young Roland for a story, and Roland tells him a story that his mother used to read to him when he was about Bill's age (only a few years ago). That tale is a magical story about a young boy just about Bill's age and is called "The Wind Through the Keyhole", and is the longest section of the book.

    All three stories are distinct and different, but all are filled with trademark SK characters and story lines that weave in and out of each other self-referentially. It all fits with and feels so much like Wizard and Glass that it is hard to believe that The Wind Through the Keyhole was written some 15 years later. Perhaps best of all, as King states in the very short forward, one need not have read Wizard and Glass or any of the other DT novels to be able to follow and fully appreciate this one (given a few facts that SK lays out in the Foreward). For those who have read the rest of the DT novels, we learn a bit more about the young Roland, his relationship with his mother, the "current" Roland, and billy bumblers. We also meet new and old characters from the DT universe, all the while being entertained with the centerpiece story that is a beautiful sort of Stephen KIng fairy tale, in a similar vein to his "Eyes of the Dragon".

    Very Highly Recommended for DT fans and others who just like a good story.

    JM Tepper
    7 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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  • Uriel
    5.0 out of 5 stars no es lo que esperas
    Reviewed in Mexico on June 22, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    No es una historia tradicional de la Torre oscura, pero la magia que tiene Stephen King para crear mundos es inegable. Aunque no hayas leído otro libro en la serie ampliamente recomiendo este
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  • Ioan Radu Apostol
    5.0 out of 5 stars 11/10
    Reviewed in Sweden on October 9, 2023
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    It's the crown jweel for King
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  • MIGUEL ANGEL
    5.0 out of 5 stars Todo correcto.
    Reviewed in Spain on November 21, 2020
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    Todo correcto.
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  • Jhonatam
    5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing story
    Reviewed in Brazil on March 27, 2019
    Verified Purchase
    Read it just after finishing Wizard and Glass (Dark Tower volume IV) and enjoyed a lot on the histories contained on the book - specially the way SK nested them one into another.
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  • Bespectacled
    5.0 out of 5 stars Good, intact, genuine piece in insecure package
    Reviewed in India on January 6, 2020
    Verified Purchase
    Received it within hours of ordering!!! Packaging could do better but hey, the book arrived in one piece without dents, bends and dogeared pages. Print is good. Surprisingly the spine or the book page edges weren't affected in the insecure packing. All of this matters right- specially if you're a collector and this was the only book missing from your dark tower series collection like in my case! Print and page feel is awesome. The way it should be. No weird duplicate feeling. Do yeah phew! Yet to read it!!!! :-D
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