The Stand (Hardcover)

The characters in this story are fascinating, multi-dimensional, and deep. They each start out in their own respective locations in the U.S., and come together near the middle of the book. Before the characters even meet one another and the real story begins, you are already intimate (and most likely fond) of each one. Stu Redman, Fran Goldsmith, and Larry Underwood will stay with you long after you put the book down.

The fascinating characters and interesting plot make for a fun reading experience, but in my opinion, the conclusion of the story isn't worth the 1100 pages building up to it. It makes for an effect in which you've grown attached to all the characters, are thoroughly enjoying the book, and suddenly the ending comes, and you can't help but think to yourself, "What, that's IT?"

Nevertheless, this is a novel I would definitely recommend. It would be especially handy to have on a good, month-long vacation.

King's Apocolypse depiction is a bit different here. No one saw it coming, not even the greatest so-called psychics. The world's population is not wiped out merely by explosions - nor does everyone die simultaneously. A deadly virus has escaped a factory and kills, once through, over 99 percent of Earth's people, over a couple of months. Victims are found in horriffic states: bloated necks, black skin, maggots feasting on their remnants and crawling out of their noses and ears and eyes.

THE STAND is not for the faint of heart.

I read the oh-so lengthy uncut version. Because of how long this novel is, King can afford to introduce many different characters. Some novels have attempted to do this. From my observations, their efforts usually fail because their book is too short to allow audiences to get to know and appreciate a plethora of characters. My favorite character was Nick Andros. Oddly enough, he was deaf and mute. But he's worked his whole life to overcome these hardships and shows he is very wise and witty, to an extent. Before the beginning of the Apocolypse, he was taking college courses. He can read lips just as well as Hellen Keller ever could, and once people realize his disabilities, he talks to them by means of pen and paper or pantomiming.

True, people will either love or hate THE STAND, King fan or not, I believe. My favorite novel of his will always be CARRIE, and this is a far cry from the traumatized teen and her world. It is also very different from PET SEMATARY, the second effort of his that I read. THE STAND is beautiful, at times, terrifying, and has a quality that distinguishes it from all other horror novels.

THE STAND's suspense begins practically from the first chapter and draws on and on. Whenever I met a new character, I wondered if they'd make it to the end of the book. This clearing out of people, practically like deforesting, is for the purposes of a Good vs. Evil confrontation.

In 1978, as fans of THE STAND may well know, renowned science fiction author Spider Robinson encouraged that people not read THE STAND. Unarguably, however, this book cannot be ignored. It became so popular that it was republished, unedited, in 1990. I'm pleased I got to read the unedited version, despite the fact that some say this isn't advisable. Because I haven't read the edited version, I'm not quite sure how to respond to this. But I very much enjoyed this version and I've got no difficulty understanding why many call this one of the greatest horror novels of recent years.

Different, it is. But only in the best way possible. :)