Disclaimer: I've never read a Stephen King novel before. I've avoided him because horror isn't my thing. Having read this first novel, I am a fan of his writing ... but not of his content.
Second disclaimer: Apparently Stephen King has written several versions of The Stand, and this one isn't the original ... so if anything I say doesn't seem true, keep in mind that I've only read this one version.
Okay, on with my thoughts on the book:
First, Stephen King is an incredible writer. INCREDIBLE. When I taught writing, I had an article written by King in which he advised that fledgling writers use fewer adjectives and stronger verbs ... wow, did I see this in his writing. Every word he writes is perfection; his words are perfectly chosen, and it's easy to sink into the world he creates. He is genuinely one of the top ten writers of his generation.
Second, his characters are incredible. He builds their backgrounds and feeds out the details about their lives so skillfully that the reader feels he or she knows the characters ... bad guys are sometimes pitied, and good guys aren't always particularly nice. But the characters feel real; often they're haunted by their past actions ... some change for the better, others change for the worse. Some characters only appear for a couple pages, but they serve to show just how horrible this plague would be to the world.
On the other hand, King doesn't pull any punches ... some of his material takes the reader right up to the line where cruelty begins, and he takes a big step across that line. A four-year old who falls into a well and suffers four days with broken bones before he dies of exposure. Weird sexual stuff. It's a big much for me, and that's why I'm giving the book 4 stars. But I loved the overall story of good vs. evil and survival after the plague.
Apparently this is one of King's less gory novels. I'd love to read more of his work, but I'll choose carefully ... this was as much gore as I can take.
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A Little Late to the Party: Retro Review
Reviewed in the United States on September 16, 2019
I have been quite late to board the Stephen King train, but I am glad I finally have. Better late than never right? Maybe King’s works intimidated me just a little bit. Especially his gigantic tomes. However, I am happy to say that the more I read the more I truly love Stephen King, and his masterfully written works.I will keep the synopsis of The Stand by Stephen King brief, because I am sure everyone at least knows the basic premise. I read the Complete and Uncut Edition, the only edition I can find without shelling out a lot of dough, and if Mr. King felt that it was of value to reprint issues of the original 1978 edition I most certainly think he would do so. I also believe that if King didn’t believe the Complete and Uncut Edition was not superior there would be the choice between both editions at book stores. It makes sense. A lot of people would buy both just to see differences. I know I would. Which would mean more money for the publisher, and Stephen as well. So I feel that the Complete and Uncut edition is worth reading the extra pages considering it is King’s full vision of The Stand.The Stand is an epic story of massive proportions! The amount of characters throughout are immense, diverse, some you love, and some you hate. The year is 1990, and the world is about to be nearly obliterated by a pandemic, plague, or virus. Take your pick. When something goes awry at a military base in California death soon follows the path of a family into Arnette, Texas. From here the telephone game of deadly infectious disease is set into motion.There are some that are unaffected by the Captain Trips virus, and their stories are who we follow. Stu Redman, Frannie Goldsmith, Harold Lauder, Nick Andros, Tom Cullen, Lucy Swann, Nadine Cross, Lloyd Henreid, Trashcan Man, Mother Abigail, the mysterious dark man Randall Flagg, and my personal favorite Larry Underwood. Now that is not to say there aren’t others, Glen, Ralph, Sue, Dayna, Judge Farris, and I could go on. The characters in this epic novel are expansive!Following the lives of survivors King weaves a story that at the core is about survival, and good versus evil. As all of the survivors begin having strange dreams they casually may mention it to others, and they believe it is pure coincidence. However, as more and more join together their dreams are too much alike to be coincidental. They all set out on a journey across the United States to answer their dreams, to see what happens next, and to make their stand.I honestly do not believe any review of this epic masterpiece that has enthralled readers for many years can be praised properly in a simple book review. I was attached to The Stand from the start of chapter one! I had a difficult time putting it down, and now I understand the hype of this novel, why it has impacted so many readers lives, and inspired others to go on to adapt this work into mini series. I plan to watch the newest mini series, and rewatch the 1994 mini series as well. However, I believe I will revisit this blog, and add my comparisons at a later time. It is quite a lot of information to digest! Nevertheless, a fantastic piece of literature to have linger on the mind for a long time to come.Overall, I give The Stand Complete and Uncut by Stephen King five perfect stars out of five! I cannot find any fault in the novel, I loved so many characters, and even though Larry is my favorite Nick and Tom come in close behind. I also absolutely enjoyed picturing these characters as my own, and if I had control of casting actors who I thought would play the character the best. The Stand is absolutely an epic journey that I am happy to say has become one of my top five Stephen King novels I have read to date! Until next time, my friends.
Reviewed in the United States on September 16, 2019
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Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on November 4, 2022
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on September 16, 2019
I will keep the synopsis of The Stand by Stephen King brief, because I am sure everyone at least knows the basic premise. I read the Complete and Uncut Edition, the only edition I can find without shelling out a lot of dough, and if Mr. King felt that it was of value to reprint issues of the original 1978 edition I most certainly think he would do so. I also believe that if King didn’t believe the Complete and Uncut Edition was not superior there would be the choice between both editions at book stores. It makes sense. A lot of people would buy both just to see differences. I know I would. Which would mean more money for the publisher, and Stephen as well. So I feel that the Complete and Uncut edition is worth reading the extra pages considering it is King’s full vision of The Stand.
The Stand is an epic story of massive proportions! The amount of characters throughout are immense, diverse, some you love, and some you hate. The year is 1990, and the world is about to be nearly obliterated by a pandemic, plague, or virus. Take your pick. When something goes awry at a military base in California death soon follows the path of a family into Arnette, Texas. From here the telephone game of deadly infectious disease is set into motion.
There are some that are unaffected by the Captain Trips virus, and their stories are who we follow. Stu Redman, Frannie Goldsmith, Harold Lauder, Nick Andros, Tom Cullen, Lucy Swann, Nadine Cross, Lloyd Henreid, Trashcan Man, Mother Abigail, the mysterious dark man Randall Flagg, and my personal favorite Larry Underwood. Now that is not to say there aren’t others, Glen, Ralph, Sue, Dayna, Judge Farris, and I could go on. The characters in this epic novel are expansive!
Following the lives of survivors King weaves a story that at the core is about survival, and good versus evil. As all of the survivors begin having strange dreams they casually may mention it to others, and they believe it is pure coincidence. However, as more and more join together their dreams are too much alike to be coincidental. They all set out on a journey across the United States to answer their dreams, to see what happens next, and to make their stand.
I honestly do not believe any review of this epic masterpiece that has enthralled readers for many years can be praised properly in a simple book review. I was attached to The Stand from the start of chapter one! I had a difficult time putting it down, and now I understand the hype of this novel, why it has impacted so many readers lives, and inspired others to go on to adapt this work into mini series. I plan to watch the newest mini series, and rewatch the 1994 mini series as well. However, I believe I will revisit this blog, and add my comparisons at a later time. It is quite a lot of information to digest! Nevertheless, a fantastic piece of literature to have linger on the mind for a long time to come.
Overall, I give The Stand Complete and Uncut by Stephen King five perfect stars out of five! I cannot find any fault in the novel, I loved so many characters, and even though Larry is my favorite Nick and Tom come in close behind. I also absolutely enjoyed picturing these characters as my own, and if I had control of casting actors who I thought would play the character the best. The Stand is absolutely an epic journey that I am happy to say has become one of my top five Stephen King novels I have read to date! Until next time, my friends.
A Little Late to the Party: Retro Review
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on September 16, 2019
I have been quite late to board the Stephen King train, but I am glad I finally have. Better late than never right? Maybe King’s works intimidated me just a little bit. Especially his gigantic tomes. However, I am happy to say that the more I read the more I truly love Stephen King, and his masterfully written works.Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on September 16, 2019
I will keep the synopsis of The Stand by Stephen King brief, because I am sure everyone at least knows the basic premise. I read the Complete and Uncut Edition, the only edition I can find without shelling out a lot of dough, and if Mr. King felt that it was of value to reprint issues of the original 1978 edition I most certainly think he would do so. I also believe that if King didn’t believe the Complete and Uncut Edition was not superior there would be the choice between both editions at book stores. It makes sense. A lot of people would buy both just to see differences. I know I would. Which would mean more money for the publisher, and Stephen as well. So I feel that the Complete and Uncut edition is worth reading the extra pages considering it is King’s full vision of The Stand.
The Stand is an epic story of massive proportions! The amount of characters throughout are immense, diverse, some you love, and some you hate. The year is 1990, and the world is about to be nearly obliterated by a pandemic, plague, or virus. Take your pick. When something goes awry at a military base in California death soon follows the path of a family into Arnette, Texas. From here the telephone game of deadly infectious disease is set into motion.
There are some that are unaffected by the Captain Trips virus, and their stories are who we follow. Stu Redman, Frannie Goldsmith, Harold Lauder, Nick Andros, Tom Cullen, Lucy Swann, Nadine Cross, Lloyd Henreid, Trashcan Man, Mother Abigail, the mysterious dark man Randall Flagg, and my personal favorite Larry Underwood. Now that is not to say there aren’t others, Glen, Ralph, Sue, Dayna, Judge Farris, and I could go on. The characters in this epic novel are expansive!
Following the lives of survivors King weaves a story that at the core is about survival, and good versus evil. As all of the survivors begin having strange dreams they casually may mention it to others, and they believe it is pure coincidence. However, as more and more join together their dreams are too much alike to be coincidental. They all set out on a journey across the United States to answer their dreams, to see what happens next, and to make their stand.
I honestly do not believe any review of this epic masterpiece that has enthralled readers for many years can be praised properly in a simple book review. I was attached to The Stand from the start of chapter one! I had a difficult time putting it down, and now I understand the hype of this novel, why it has impacted so many readers lives, and inspired others to go on to adapt this work into mini series. I plan to watch the newest mini series, and rewatch the 1994 mini series as well. However, I believe I will revisit this blog, and add my comparisons at a later time. It is quite a lot of information to digest! Nevertheless, a fantastic piece of literature to have linger on the mind for a long time to come.
Overall, I give The Stand Complete and Uncut by Stephen King five perfect stars out of five! I cannot find any fault in the novel, I loved so many characters, and even though Larry is my favorite Nick and Tom come in close behind. I also absolutely enjoyed picturing these characters as my own, and if I had control of casting actors who I thought would play the character the best. The Stand is absolutely an epic journey that I am happy to say has become one of my top five Stephen King novels I have read to date! Until next time, my friends.
Images in this review
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