The Stand
Published: 3, October 1978
Author: Stephen King
Genres: American, Fantasy, Fiction, Horror, Literature, Metaphysical, Post-Apocalyptic, Science Fiction, Suspense, Teen, Thriller, Young Adult
Check the summary of this book here:
The Stand Summary
The Review:
Stephen King's The Stand is a post-apocalyptic dark fantasy book. The narrative revolves around a devastating catastrophe of engineered influenza and its consequence, in which the few people who survive are divided into groups, each guided by a figure of good or evil, and appear destined to battle. The author wanted to write an epic in the vein of The Lord of the Rings but set in modern-day America.
Because of the enormous number of characters and plots, he found the novel challenging to write. But, at 1,152 pages, Stephen King's The Stand complete and uncut edition is his longest stand-alone work, surpassing his 1,138-page novel IT.
By the time I was writing this post, the book had sold 4.5 million copies (19 January 2022.) This novel is regarded as one of the author's greatest, and sure, it is quite good if you can actually finish it.
I was fortunate enough to watch the 1994 television series based on this novel, but it was a watered-down version that was only watchable because the screenplay was written by none other than Stephen King himself.
I was unaware of the most recent adaptation of this novel as a television miniseries, but I will definitely watch it as soon as I can.
Marvel Comics' graphic novel version of this book was likewise a hit, and I enjoyed it much.
I read this book a long time ago and was hesitant at first because I couldn't make sense of all the diverse characters with such complex backgrounds. But I kept reading, occasionally going back, and eventually, I found myself tethered to the plot.
A story that begins so descriptively and deeply will suddenly stir in your dreams as you sleep, and I had to put this book down for a few days because I began to have dreams in which I found myself trapped in the same universe as these characters, for every page turned is a shadowy journey of the stuff that waits patiently for the unfortunate people of this legend.
Some spirits are powerful, while others are ineffective. Even the weakest souls, however, warn us and speak of our own crimes, flaws, and burdens to bear, that we should all be wary of white in our hair.
The Stand was a significant bestseller years before the extended variation was released; there was no purpose for the larger version to be created other than to freshen sales in the eyes of many readers, but as an author myself, I understand why it was published.
It had to be published in its trimmed version a long time ago since the publishers demanded that the author cut at least 300 to 400 pages from his real book, which he had to do in the end.
But now that he has the freedom to do anything he wants and publish as many pages as he wants, he went ahead and did it. Because a book is like a child to its creator, and I am proud of him for finally getting the book published the way he desired.
I have already read both versions, and despite the fact that the first edition was already a lengthy novel, I found it to be immensely engaging.
I have to mention something that will make a reader decide whether to read the first version or not. The extended version is far too large for the average reader.
For me, it was like returning to a location I had missed as a child but only had the opportunity to see after I had grown up, and it was like hunting for signs and things that I had wanted to see in the first place.
I was not disappointed, but as I previously stated, it is not for the average reader, and if you have previously read the earlier edition, you may not enjoy it as much as I did due to the way it seems stretched and modified.
I should clarify that it is not actually stretched or whether fillers were added to make it feel larger; instead, so much new material is added to the story that a reader who remembers the first book thinks it isn't the same, even though it is the same book with all the missing material that was supposed to be in it in the first place.
Like there's a character in the enlarged edition who was totally removed out of the original; that character is uninteresting as a good man or a villain, and we already know he brought nothing but a detour that added no additional dimension to the novel's overall ambiance and tone. However, this is just my perspective, and others may enjoy this feature.
Now something about the features that I loved. The extended version is fantastic since it includes backstory and Easter Eggs from previous Stephen King works. If you're a fan like me, you'll see those small connections every time you read.
The personalities, the battle, and the build-up of the pandemic are all fascinating. Flagg is also in this one, and Stephen King aficionados and ardent readers are familiar with him, so I won't say anything about him for the benefit of new readers.
Another feature of these novels is that you may locate and read something new each time you read them, even if you've already read them many times.
Because I know Stephen King nearly always includes secrets and Easter Eggs in his novels that are related to his previous novels, I find myself searching things up to see if they lend context to events that occurred in earlier works.
At the author's epic narrative, you'll smirk and frown, but I'd wait till you're mature enough because things do become gory. If you enjoy this author's approach, I recommend placing this book at the top of your to-read list.
Final Thoughts:
I was going to give it ninety-five points but then I recalled how big this book was and how much effort Stephen King, the great author, put into it, so I revised it to a full hundred points. I know it doesn't matter to many readers, but it doesn't matter to me either since the author deserves all the admiration and respect for what he has accomplished; just try writing one complete page of a tale and then try to recall how many pages this book has.
Here you will discover misery, loss, and tragedy. You'll also discover togetherness and warm beer cans. It's a battle of good over evil, love versus hate. There's a lot of sex and violence in this massive work, but it's evenly divided across the pages.
I'm torn about what to advise people about which version to read because both versions were fantastic in their own right. And I believe I just supplied the solution a few lines ago, so it should be easy for both old and new readers to determine after reading that. So I'm not going to say anything further, and it's up to the readers to decide.
Synopsis:
“The tie-in edition of the nine-part CBS All Access series starring Whoopi Goldberg, Alexander Skarsgard, and James Marsden.
When a man escapes from a biological testing facility, he sets in motion a deadly domino effect, spreading a mutated strain of the flu that will wipe out 99 percent of humanity within a few weeks. The survivors who remain are scared, bewildered, and in need of a leader. Two emerge--Mother Abagail, the benevolent 108-year-old woman who urges them to build a peaceful community in Boulder, Colorado; and Randall Flagg, the nefarious "Dark Man," who delights in chaos and violence. As the dark man and the peaceful woman gather power, the survivors will have to choose between them--and ultimately decide the fate of all humanity.”
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Rating: 100/100
Recommended: 100/100 Yes.
Buy the Kindle Version Here
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The Stand (2020 Limited Series) (NR)
The Stand (1994) (NR)
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