[Lurking Libertarian]

If you're going to read it, my recommendation would be to start with Book II: The Drawing of the Three.

I posted my comment before I read yours, but we agree on that. I like vol. 1 (I first read it as a series of separate novelettes published in The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction in 1979-80 or thereabouts), but it becomes a very different work once the other characters come in (and Roland's world impinges on ours). Then it takes another leap a few volumes later when Steven King becomes a character in his own work...

[OddLane]

I took a bit longer to get around to it, but I did start reading it long enough ago to read the original version of The Gunslinger.

Personally, I think it's an improvement upon the original. However, I still think that it doesn't really lift off until the second book.

I just got a friend of mine to start reading the series-with The Drawing of the Three-and she's hooked.