The Stand

by Stephen King

published 2008

Random House

Summary

This is the way the world ends: with a nanosecond of computer error in a Defense Department laboratory and a million casual contacts that form the links in a chain letter of death.

And here is the bleak new world of the day after: a world stripped of its institutions and emptied of 99 percent of its people. A world in which a handful of panicky survivors choose sides — or are chosen. A world in which good rides on the frail shoulders of the 108-year-old Mother Abagail — and the worst nightmares of evil are embodied in a man with a lethal smile and unspeakable powers: Randall Flagg, the dark man.

In 1978 Stephen King published The Stand, the novel that is now considered to be one of his finest works. But as it was first published, The Stand was incomplete, since more than 150,000 words had been cut from the original manuscript.

Now Stephen King’s apocalyptic vision of a world blasted by plague and embroiled in an elemental struggle between good and evil has been restored to its entirety. The Stand : The Complete And Uncut Edition includes more than five hundred pages of material previously deleted, along with new material that King added as he reworked the manuscript for a new generation. It gives us new characters and endows familiar ones with new depths. It has a new beginning and a new ending. What emerges is a gripping work with the scope and moral complexity of a true epic.

For hundreds of thousands of fans who read The Stand in its original version and wanted more, this new edition is Stephen King’s gift. And those who are reading The Stand for the first time will discover a triumphant and eerily plausible work of the imagination that takes on the issues that will determine our survival.  (goodreads)

My Review

I consider myself a King newbie.  I read my first King book just a few months ago-The Shining-which I loved.  I proceeded to read Doctor Sleep  immediately after finishing, but then decided to take a King break.  I was so happy to sign up for King’s March with Fourth Street Review and Wensend,  and decided I would tackle The Stand.   This scared me because it is SO big, and I downloaded the newly (2008) published version, which is actually longer than the original at over 1,200 pages!  Put very simply, I loved it.  I thought The Shining would be my fav, since I enjoyed it so much, but it is now The Stand.  I couldn’t stop reading, and it was not scary at all, so if you are like me (a big baby) and don’t read horror- this is one you definitely can read.

When I first started, I was a little overwhelmed by the sheer number of characters that were constantly being introduced.  It was made worse by not having a large chunk of time to sit and read and I even stopped skiing to read in the lodge for a while just to stay in stride.

I honestly don’t even know how to go about giving a summary here, but would rather talk about the characters, so if you haven’t read it-go read it NOW-then come back here!  I loved all the characters- good and bad.  Frannie was awesome, but I really wanted her to be just a little more kick ass-even pregnant!  Stu Redman- do they really make them like that?  I had to keep reminding myself he wasn’t older- he seemed too kind to be that young.  Larry- becoming a better man that he originally was- and I will never forget his travels through the Lincoln Tunnel..  I could obviously go on, but I am sure it will all sound very annoying especially if you haven’t read it yet.  I would definitely recommend this book to absolutely anyone who enjoys to read.  And is there really going to be a movie?  Who should star in it?  Suggestions?

I couldn’t resist moving on to another King, even though I don’t want to let go of this one.  I just got The Green Mile and The Long Walk.  Not sure which I will grab first!