Book Review: The Stand by Stephen King
Paperback Writer here.
So, I feel like I'm the only person who has never read Stephen King's The Stand and when Loki found out that I was reading it, he got very excited and told me that he was jealous that I was reading The Stand for the first time.
I shrugged and grinned at him, not knowing what I was in for.
I already knew the basic premise of the novel from reading his On Writing; good vs evil in the aftermath of a devestating "superflu." But I did not know that a.) it clocks in at nearly 1200 pages and b.)that it would be so f'ing good. I am so jealous that I did not write this book.
Seriously.
And yes, it is comprised of multiple characters and even divided up into three books, but I cared about each and every character. I wanted to know who would live and who would die. So much so that I forced myself not to skip to the end to see who did die and if they actually defeat King's uber-villian, Randall Flagg.
I know that they just made a mini-series out of this book (and when I say "just made" I really mean in the past fifteen years. Hey, that's recent enough for me! Loki and I will have to rent it just to see if it is anything like the book.
Okay, so anyway, a big bad supervirus kills 99.99 percent of the Earth's population. The good guys are drawn to Mother Abigail in Nebraska while the bad guys are drawn to Randall Flagg in (wait for it) Las Vegas. People die (which ones? I won't tell), alliance are made and broken, communities are set up and then there is the final showdown where the hand of god comes down to...read the book. I guarantee you won't be disappointed.
It's easy to read (not in it has a lot of easy words) but it's easy to fall into and I can tell you that reading 400 pages in a weekend won't phase you.
So, go on. Go get it - I recommend it in paperback and getting the complete and uncut edition.
posted by Paperback Writer @ 2:16 PM
5 comments
5 Comments:
I vaguely remembering seeing the miniseries and enjoying it. Perhaps I will read the book. Thanks. (Is that available as an eBook?)
I want to re-read it at some point. I did enjoy the mini-series, though I saw it about 5 years after I read the book, so I don't know how it would hold up to having the book fresh in your mind.
Browsing through the reviews, I just have to say I feel that way about almost all of Stephen King's books and characters. I always get so wrapped up in caring about the characters and almost all of his books make me jealous that I didn't write them or think of the ideas first. A very good book. The miniseries is pretty okay as well.. not as good as the book for sure, but because it was made by Stephen King, it sticks pretty close. :)
I have read The Stand many times over the years. I can't think of another novel I have read with such a great array of characters. It remains the best novel I have ever read. The first time I read it, I was actually a little depressed at the end just because it was over. I wanted to read more about those character's lives, and I also knew it would be a long time before I read another novel as good.
The mini-series is one of the best translation's to screen that there is out there. So it is good.
The Stand is awesome. It's really one of his classics. And, now you have met the Man in Black.
Randall Flagg just so you know is in the Dark Tower series. He's the dark wizard that Roland *The Gunslinger* is after. Oh, and he pops up again out of the Dark Tower books and here once again. It's the more fantasy novel something dragon's eye. Just thought might want to know.
If you do go and read on the DT series. Dark Tower be sure and read a few more of his novels. Some do tie into Dark Tower.
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