I had long avoided this book because of it's length. I just wasn't sure that even a great author like Stephen King could keep me captivated for that long with a stand alone novel. I was told by a co-worker that I was not a true Stephen King fan if I had not read "The Stand", and the gauntlet was thrown down.

I loved this book. From start to finish I was hooked. The first section of the book describing you spread of the "superflu" as well as it's aftermath and the consequences suffered by the main characters was stand alone. It was amazing how he could have written in so many different characters and storylines and still leaving me caring about all of them a great deal. He then manages to tie everything together in a masterful way.

It was definitely a "heavy" read. It took a lot of time and attention, but I was rewarded by the wonderful story that he had put together. This book transcends the decades that have past since it was written and released.(Keep in mind that when this book was written there was no talk of a great bird flu pandemic)

Don't be afraid of the length of the book. If you are a "constant reader" then he will keep you from page one up until the final sentence. This book IS that good.

*** SPOILERS FOLLOW ***
Stephen King nearly gave up on this book because he couldn't figure out how to end it. He ended up writing new chapters which took the book in a new direction, without changing the old ones.

The result is several contradictory sections spliced together. First the characters are told by God (dreams) to travel to Kansas. Once they get there, they immediately are told to travel to Colorado. That's how the first two-thirds of the book are spent, with the original disaster and then the main characters traveling to Colorado and beginning to fix the city up.

Yet God then tells the "good" characters that they sinned by settling down in Colorado instead of killing The Dark Man! So a few of the heroes are sent to the Dark Man's headquarters by God. Even that trip ends up being a waste because the evil destroys itself, while the "good" characters are captured and helpless!

The result is that everything the good characters do is futile and has nothing to do with defeating the villain. The book ends up being a bunch of interesting but disconnected vignettes about surviving the end of civilization. Good & evil never really battle each other.

I first read the abridged version of THE STAND back when I was in high school in 1976. I was amazed by the characters Stephen King created. The story was full of "what-ifs" that really made you stop and think about what it would really be like to be alone in this world.

I immediately purchased the unabridged version when it was published. I enjoyed Stephen King's candid comments on the edition. I was pleased to learn more about the characters I had already come to know, and the addition of little bits of information that added flow to the horror that unfolds in the story.

I highly recommend this book to anyone. I don't believe that you have to be a Stephen King fan to appreciate THE STAND.

I'm not going to bore you with too many details about what the novel is about as everyone else has already covered it, but I would like to say that "The Stand" is my favorite book of all time and although Stephen King's "It" is a masterpiece of a different kind, "The Stand" is definitely his best work.

This is a long one, 1141 pages; it was so thick I cut it in half at Chaper 48 so it was easier to handle. It was a used paperback; so no harm done. I never tired of this reading though, since it is an ageless story of good vs. evil. It is slower in the first half with King really getting into the thoughts and minds of the people involved who survive a Super flu that almost wipes out the entire world's population.

King, however is a great writer and does a brillant job. He really gave me a lot to think about as to why do some people drift toward evil while others drift toward good during their life. Throughout the book King expresses his feelings and his emotions in his characters.

The story is faster moving past the half way point; it becomes very suspenseful and excitng. There is action, romance, happiness, and sadness; I really did enjoy this one. It left me with thinking about the simple things in life and how important they are and how every person has something of value to add to our lives.

King outdid himself here. This (quite dense) story is full of all the beautiful, sublime and horrifying things the reader can easily relate to in their lives. I honestly cannot see how this book could be disliked by anyone partial to any genre. Throughout the story's exposition lies the message of ordinary people finding strength within themselves to "stand" on their own and with like minded individuals for what they believe is right. It works on so many levels. I have read this book every summer for the last 5 years, and I cannot wait until the late June heat comes again to New England and I open to the first page yet again to take in this inspired work of literature. Highly recommended.

I picked this book up after enjoying the genre from Robert McCammon in Swan Song. I thought The Stand started off slow, but kept reading. Glad I did. Turned into my all time favorite book. I read the original version 6 times over the years. This version, I read 4 times. The movie version of The Stand was long, but worth it, and have watched it numerous times. Gary Sinise was great. King turned me into a fan with The Stand and I am a Constant Reader.

Extensive reviews exist on this story already, so I'll just chip in with my few cents worth. I had read The Stand when it was originally published in an edited version many years ago and enjoyed it immensely. When I happened upon the Expanded Edition at a local book sale, I decided that I was ready for another run-through without the extensive edits of the earlier release. Stephen King does not disappoint with this exciting tale of the battle of good versus evil in this post-apocalyptic world. Great story, memorable characters, written in the King style that keeps you engaged from start to finish. I will say that some of the 'new' parts in the expanded edition didn't do much to add to the feel of the story; so I'm okay to recommend that the earlier version is excellent as well and didn't seem to suffer too much at the hands of Mr. King's editors. Either way, great read and highly recommended.

This is his best work. My favorite book by any author. Makes you think about what we do to ourselves and others... Worth every page of this big boy!

I like it. This book is really good. Other reviews have given a synopsis of the story, so there is no need for me to say what has been said a thousand times. Stephen King writes real well here. Not one of my favorites of his, but a very good novel nonetheless. I recommend it to Stephen King fans.

If you loved the movie then you NEED to read this book. But be prepared it is LONG!!! But very well written.

This is BY FAR the longest book I have ever read. And I read half of it, put it down, and finished it about a year later. But looking back, it's a masterpiece. King builds each character to the point that you feel like you know each individual personally. If you can stick with it for the 1000+ pages, I promise it will be worth your time in the end.

Stephen King struck gold with this one. Every nuance and turn is well thought out. It is amazing how well King understands the human mind, both the good side, and the bad. You almost feel as if you know the people he describes. All in all, this is a must read for fans of the genre.

This is his most epic stand-alone novel. The government accidentally lets loose a "superflu" being developed for biological warfare, and civilization breaks down as most of the world's population die.

Several individuals who are immune try to rebuild society in the aftermath. A supernatural aspect is introduced in that two avatars arise, one for good and one for evil. The evil one, a white guy, Randall Flag, wreaks much havoc. The good one, a saintly, elderly black woman named Mother Abagail, seems little more than a figurehead.

The superflu survivors all end up either in her camp in Boulder CO, struggling to form a new republic; or in Flagg's camp in Las Vegas NV, recovering technology and forming a police state. Eventually the good guys have to go after the bad guys.

I found the book compelling, but a few things kept me from really getting into it. First, the unconscious sexism. It just seems glaringly unrealistic that all the competent types with useful skills rebuilding society are all men: the women are all keeping house for their men and trying to get pregnant.

Frannie is the biggest female part, and she's so naïve that 16 year-old Harold is in charge of their survival until he loses her, like she's a commodity, to Stu Redman.

Second, the parameters of Flagg's supernatural power in particular seem inconsistent, not well defined. Flagg initially seems so omnipotent that it's unclear how the Boulder camp can stand against him. He knows everything they're doing. So why doesn't he just wipe them out?

Later, he can't even predict his own people. Likewise, Mother Abagail's messages from God are no help at all.

My third gripe: a fair amount of "contrived" stuff helps the action along. Two characters keep journals for no reason other than for their secrets to be spilled. Dead people show up in dreams to give the living crucial information. People get mildly clairvoyant and know when to avoid danger. Incredibly skilled dogs show up to nurse the injured back to health.

Oh, well. If you can overlook this stuff, it is a compelling read.

I read this book about 20 years ago, and it's one of those stories that has stayed in my mind all these years. I commute by train every day and to this day, whenever someone sneezes or coughs, flashbacks of this story come to mind..I watched the miniseries on TV as well, it was just okay, can't compare to the book. I'm thinking of getting the expanded edition to enjoy it all over again..A MUST READ!!

One of the greatest novels out there. Try Detained Differences along with this novel, you wont be upset.

One of the greatest novels out there. Try Detained Differences along with this novel, you wont be upset.

A very enjoyable read. If you like stories that cover a lot of ground geographically and present memorable images you should read this. King was peaking when he wrote this.

A very enjoyable read. If you like stories that cover a lot of ground geographically and present memorable images you should read this. King was peaking when he wrote this.

Everyone else has provided such a wonderfully detailed synopsis of what happens in The Stand. There's no way I can improve on what has already been said.

I just want to add my voice (and that of my daughter, as well) to those who believe this is King's best novel ever. I originally read the abridged edition, and was somewhat intimated by the length of the unabridged version. Once I started, I couldn't put it down. King has such a wonderful way of describing events and places and people that stimulate your own imagination ... you can actually *see* everything he describes.

My daughter is currently reading it again for the 2nd time; I have to admit I've read it at least 3 times. Yes, you know what's going to happen. But there is always something new every time you read it that you didn't quite catch the first time.

I realize not everyone liked it. That's fine. People are entitled to their opinions. I'm not trying to coerce anybody ... I just want to add my voice to those who enjoyed The Stand. Stephen King will always be "king" to me!!

Be warned!: if you value your time and sanity, do not read this book!

I've often wondered about abandoning books. As a youth I thought it was almost criminal to stop reading a book in mid-read. I figured everyone had something worthwhile to say and, besides, the book might get better. My best example is Sir Walter Scott's Ivanhoe. The first seventy pages or so are tedious but after that it becomes a great historical adventure/romance.

But as I get older I find I no longer have the patience or the time to spend with a book that just doesn't interest me that much. Some books are just so awfully bad it's hard to justify spending so much time with them (Battlefield Earth by L. Ron Hubbard springs to mind). Some books I feel I'm not prepared for yet. Some books just seem to have a lot of promise and eventually go straight downhill. The Stand by Stephen King is one such book.

Let me give you a description of my experience so you'll understand my revulsion:

First, the book opens with a scene describing some awful/weird happening going on. The opening is full of action. It is kind of disorienting. You're not sure who these characters are or why they are going through what they're going through. It is a great opening scene. It is intriguing and makes you want to keep reading to understand what is going on here.

Then the characters are introduced. Background is given on each character while sections are interspersed explaining the larger story concerning the epidemic. You get to learn about the characters, believe in them, understand them, care for them, and worry about what will happen to them when the epidemic hits them. By the time the epidemic starts affecting all the characters Stephen King has got you where every author wants you, a rapt listener to his tale.

So the second part begins--a major event has occurred and you want to know how these characters will deal with it. But a nagging voice inside your head keeps wondering when this story will pick up steam. There is plenty to see and experience but you start to wonder if maybe it isn't just a bit too much. There are so many characters to deal with and you start wishing that Stephen King didn't feel the need to go into minute detail about each characters' idiosyncracies and thoughts and lives. When every character is important, none of them are. But the story is so strong at this point that you let that voice subside for awhile.

Now you find yourself at page 300 or 400 and you're still not exactly sure where this story is going. A story concerning an epidemic hitting the world, decimating 75 or 80% of the population, and the consequent anarchy and loss experienced is a gripping tale. But Stephen King keeps inserting these annoying glimpses about something supernatural. By page 200 or 300 you don't need something completely new inserted. The story was interesting just as a tale of survival in a post-apocalyptic world. Why do we need some pabulum about prescience and good vs. evil now? You start to feel tricked by the author. It's almost as if he had this idea about writing some grand epic on good vs. evil, chose a vehicle (the epidemic) to tell that tale, and when the background tale was better than his original conception he refused to let go of his original idea.

But, like a Scientologist who figures, "I've spent a lot of time and money believing this, I might as well keep on going," you read on.

I've got a pretty good memory and I think I'm an attentive reader. But after awhile you either start to forget the characters or you just don't care. When that happens, reading becomes a chore, not a pleasure. I would read The Stand right before going to bed and it would truly help in putting me to sleep. I wanted to scream at Stephen King to bring back the good story he had going, not this cosmic good vs. evil stuff. I was interested in how people could live after such a disaster (a great, human story) not some banal metaphysical rubbish. Now there's some evil man trying to conquer the world with cosmic powers and some annoying, saintly woman who is somehow going to stop all this because of her faith in God.

Stephen King, you robbed me of several hours where I could've been sleeping or farting or reading a better book. Needless to say, I abandoned the book. I couldn't go on. Around page 700 I gave up. The story wasn't interesting anymore. The characters became flat and mere vehicles to further the cosmic agenda. You fooled me again, Stephen King.

Stephen King is not a bad writer. People who refuse to read him or disdain him because he writes horror are snobs. But he is far from being a great writer. Some of his worst qualities are abundantly in evidence in this novel: prolixity (get an editor once in a while, please?); lack of discipline (stories told not because they need to be told, but because they can be told); and an obsession with the minutiae of everything to the point where the story becomes obscured. But the worst sin Stephen King commits in this novel is abandoning a good story for a poor one. He should've let his muse take him where she would and not allow his own internal editor try to make this into something it was not.

If you like Stephen King read The Shining or Four Past Midnight. He has done some good work in the past. But this horrible, tedious, pointless novel should be left for future literary critics to disembowel.

I admit it. I am one of those people (just like in the not-so-recent poll everyone keeps referring to on here) who believe that this is Stephen King's greatest literary work. A bit long......yes. A book oozing just about every emotion that one could experience in the face of death and the end of the world.......check. Vivid characters that seem so real you still think of them more than your mother..........affirmative. This book has it all (maybe that explains why it's 1100+ pages) and the fact that King wrote this earlier in his career is quite impressive. His portrayal of the ultimate struggle between Good and Evil will have a place in my heart (not to mention my bookshelf) until the end of times (hopefully, not tomorrow).

It's easy to be drawn deeply into this book, to feel so connected to the characters that to finish it is a kind of death. I still feel slightly depressed and it's been about a week since I finished it. King is constantly underrated and glossed over by elitist critics (such as Master Snob Harold Bloom, who never published any fiction worth reading), but this novel is truly a masterpiece and deserves respect. You know the plot - a superflu kills 99% of the population. The survivors migrate west to Colorado and Vegas, attempting to rebuild society, trying to figure out the meaning of their collective dreams. What is the "good" dream really about? Who is the "dark man"?

King created several strong characters. Among my favorites are Glen, Tom, and Kojak; I still grieve for Nadine, Harold, and Trashcan Man, all clever and pathetic in their own ways - and I believe many readers can sympathize with them. Trashcan Man began to thrive in Vegas, only to regress to his former ways and thought patterns because of a random comment made by a person from his new life. You can feel on top of the world, feel as if you're "fixed"...until you hear those words again, which trigger painful memories ("unquiet corpses come back to life"), and you might lose all progress made up to that point. You realize how fragile you are, and this can be terrifying.

Nadine and Harold are both disturbed souls, though Harold is driven more by revenge and Nadine is driven by evil. Nadine is tormented by and attracted to the dark man, but she is also drawn to Larry, who is desperate to make the right choices this time around to atone for his pre-plague life of darkness. The lines "Only this time the boy would catch her. She would let him catch her. It would be the end. But when he had caught her, HE HADN'T WANTED HER" are ones I can imagine Nadine replaying in her head as she travels over the mountains. She mourns for lost chances, acceptance, and goodness as she yields to her fate.

Along with the powerful theme of good vs. evil, a number of characters sacrificed themselves (for good and evil), seeked redemption, and many "innocents" were rewarded (such as Tom and Kojak). And remember that the devil is not all-knowing, but he does not want anyone to know this.

This novel really makes you think about the end of the world, and whether you would stand for good or evil. King, the dark genius, describes the growth of evil:

"Far away over the mountains was another cloned creature. A cutting from the dark malignancy, a single wild cell taken from the dying corpus of the old body politic, a lone representative of the carcinoma that had been eating the old society alive. One single cell, but it had already begun to reproduce itself and spawn other wild cells. For society it would be the old struggle, the effort of healthy tissue to reject the malignant incursion. But for each individual cell there was the old, old question, the one that went back to the Garden - did you eat the apple or leave it alone?"

The plague gave humanity another chance. They could build a superior society, choosing not to repeat mistakes from the past, or they could throw away this great opportunity to start over by giving in to the old ways. This chance is so rare that to waste it would be the worst mistake. And yet, inevitably, humans cannot be "good." The dark is too tempting, too consuming, and will always exist.

This was a great purchase! arrived on time and in excellent condition! Would definately recommend this seller and would do business again! Book is exactly all i thought it would be! Thank You for the great service! Grade A 5 + stars across the boards!

The Stand was one of the greatest pieces of literature I've ever read. I first read The Stand back in 1982 and immediately re-read it because it was so massive. When the complete and uncut version was released in 1990, I read it again. The concept is a simple one - the government accidentally releases a plague and most of the population is wiped out. This is frightening for the simple reason that an accident like that could happen at any time. As far as the writing is concerned, the characters are extremely vivid - you feel as if you've known these people for years. The graphic descriptions of events as the world as we know it is winding down and expiring are breathtaking in their magnitude. You are there! Mr. King was quite young when he wrote this masterpiece and, as big a fan as I am of his, I don't believe he has yet created anything more powerful than The Stand.
The Cydronium Chronicles
Swan Song

I just finished "The Stand" for the third (and possibly last) time. It's one of those books that I pick up every 5 or 10 years (since I was 12!) to return to King's vision of a world decimated by a "superflu." There's so much to like in the first 1000 pages--love, hate, tragedy--that I keep hoping the ending will somehow change or become more palatable to my tastes.

Unfortunately, King wraps up the big showdown between good and evil in a couple of pages with, quite literally, the "hand of God." Probably the most disappointing "deus ex machina" of all time. And don't get me started on the superflu that somehow returns to attack the survivors' newborn children--if it really was such a killer "superflu," it should have burned itself out with the last of the victims months before. How can the newborns catch it, then? Is it just floating around in the air? And, if the child of an immune person and a non-immune person has a sort of "half-immunity," then shouldn't there have been thousands (millions?) of people that met these same criteria ALREADY AT THE START OF THE BOOK?

Great build-up, but toss all logic out the window after you turn the 1,000th page.

This book has some points that deserve 5 stars, others that deserve two stars.

Reasons to make it a five-stars book:

-The way the author describes characters, world and action is outstanding. You literally see the world Stephen King has created for you. This is without doubt the result of research and study.

-Even though the author uses many characters the story is still interesting enough to keep reading. This is important because it is a well known fact that the more characters you have in a story the least impact you will have in the audience, unless... you are skillful as is Mr. King at presenting so many characters long enough to entertain us but not so long to bore us.

-There are spots of sheer genius in the narrative. Some images are painted with such creativity and impact that they are worth reading twice. Also some comments, insights and descriptions stay far away from clichés and are very very "nice" or entertaining to read.

Reasons to make it a two stars book:

-The book is too long. Longer that it should have been in my opinion. Sometimes the author describes too much about things that aren't very important or relevant to the action of the story. Sometimes he tries to give us everyone's biography -I didn't see the point of that. It is alright to have some good point of reference about character's lifes but when the author starts speaking about the father of the father of the father (he doesn't exactly do it this way, but that's how it felt to me). The problem with this descriptions is that the whole point of the story, the action of the story, the problem of the story is delayed. This makes reading difficult some times.

-Now, the main reason this book SHOULD be given a two stars status is that the climax is an absolute disapointment. I read hour after hour of this long long book because of the promise of a good climax. Through out the narrative the author paints us an all powerfull villian that will be devastating and it paints very weack heroes to face the villian. We -as readers- are anxious to see how this turns out... I don't want to spoil it for you, but the climax does not live up to the promises. Actually, I wouldn't even call it a climax.

To sum up, King's work is most of the time fast, creative and captivating. I guess we should thank the author for this, because the end of the book was such a big dissapointment that the only reason to read it at all was the beginning and the middle of it. I would like to sit in front of the author and ask him, what the heck were you thinking when you wrote that climax. Did you know in advance that's how it was going to be and you still wrote it? Why? Why? Why? It's beyond me.

The Stand is a novel written by Stephen King. In the introduction to a newly released edition, the author admits that though it has never been his favorite novel, it is usually The Stand that his fans feel most strongly about. Generally, the readers fall into either one of two categories of emotional reaction: they love it or they hate it. Before I explain which side of the fence I'm on and why, here is a synopsis of the book's storyline.

A virus cooked up in some secret government laboratory (Mr. Tripps is the name of the disease), escapes the confines of its quarantine and begins to infect the world. By the time its viral rampage is over, Mr. Tripps has been fatal for most of the world's population. In the United States, where the events of the novel take place, those with an unexplained immunity to the virus begin to have mysterious dreams that lead them either to Las Vegas, Nevada or Boulder, Colorado. The Stand is a classic good versus evil tale. The good guys trek to Boulder and the bad to Las Vegas, where they prepare for a final, climactic showdown.

I enjoyed this book to a certain extent. It is a very long novel, so there was ample room for character development, which meant that even if I could not relate, I still did care about what happened to them.

* SPOILER ALERT *

For example, there is a character in the novel called Harold. In the story, he starts out as a cliché fat kid with a crush on this beautiful girl. However, as they make their way to Boulder he shows a bravery and a resourcefulness that just makes you want him to get the girl. And you expect that that is what will happen. But in one of those rare instances, King proved unpredictable. At the end of Harold's tale, the loner ends up dying alone. I had always thought I would enjoy unpredictability until I read Harold's fate. It killed me.

I enjoyed King's vision of the apocalypse, which seemed quite original, considering when he wrote the novel. If written a couple of years ago, it would seem cliché. I have since seen The Stand's influence in other end-of-the-world tales. I also liked the way he switches points-of-view between the good and the bad guys. It made me care about the fate of some of the antagonists.

My complaints about the novel are that it is too long, minor characters are too well developed, and that the final, climactic showdown I mentioned earlier was anything but climactic. Concerning the book's length: I have come to tolerate this kind of rambling from King, and so skim over parts which are boring, so it was not really that much of a problem. Regarding the over-developed minor characters: This also I have come to expect and ignore. As the virus rampages through the land, King, with way too much detail, explains the lives of several victims caught in its pestilent snare. I cannot name any of them because they die so suddenly and the novel moves on as if nothing happened.

However, the thought occurred to me that perhaps King, by making these smaller characters familiar to the reader, makes their deaths a little more disturbing and affecting. I think perhaps he was trying to get past the common practice in novels or action movies of making death to be something trivial or unimportant. I think, though, that he forgot that to the general reader fictionalized death will always be trivial and unimportant. It takes real life for the finality of death to hit close to home. Entertainment can never do it so he should have refrained. I must admit though, that I read the unabridged edition. It is still telling that an editor would not allow all of that extra sub-plot in the original.

As for the anti-climactic climax: it seems to me that King gave up on the tale or else had a deadline he had to keep. I will not spoil the ending by divulging it, though it needs no more help in that area.

And my final judgment? Excluding the Dark Tower series, it's my favorite of King's.

** I qualify this review for those that have seen the mini-series first **

I became interested in the book after seeing the mini-series. While I think that the book version is much better than the movie, as I do with most book-movie conversions, I feel that the book was spoiled for me by previous encounter with the story.

This is a LONG book. I'm used to long books, but this one has been the longest because I already knew the story. While I did plod through the whole book, from start to finish, I have to say that it takes a strong will and a lot of patience to do so. I don't think it was worth the effort.

If you haven't seen the mini-series, then I wholeheartedly recommend this book to you.

Good Points
The complete, uncut edition has illustrations, a new beggining, and new ending.

Bad Points
Long - over 1100 pages, but in those pages is a great, mesmerizing story. If your one of those people who can only read up to 200 or so before you quit, then this book is not for you, but if your a constant reader who can come up to the challenge of this book, consisting of a mind-boggling raunchy 1100 pages, then it's for you baby.

General Comments
Out of all the King books I've read so far, The stand complete and uncut, is my favorite out of all of them, so far that is. It is about (Synopsis): A chemical warfare facility in California who apparently, have a chemical spill. They kill all the occupants inside, of what will later be known as "SuperFlu" or "Captain Trips." Charles Campion, the guard of the facilitation escapes, but he has a container of the new Superflu made, and spreads it across America, killing 99% of all occupants.

However, a few people are immune to the virus, and start having very vivid and lucid dreams, all being similar or identical, of walking in a corn field and seeing an old, black woman playing the guitar on a rocking chair on a wooden porch, saying: "Name, come here, your welcome anytime". Or dreams of a certain "Dark Man" who is said to be The devils imp.

Eventually, the survivors split into two groups, one is good in Boulder, Colorado with Mother Abigail (Black woman), and the other one evil, who runs off to Las Vegas with Randall Flagg, otherwise known as "Dark Man", "Walkin Dude", or just "Randy."

In the end they're is a final battle between good and evil, and I'm not going to tell you which side wins, find out for yourself, it will be the worth the wait.

During the whole book, there is a lot of adventure, romance, realism, destruction, sex, apocalytipsm, prophecy etc...

The new uncut edition is filled with illustrations, subplots, more character suspenseful , more dialogue, and sideplots and a new beggining, and a new ending, making King's best novel, better.

Maybe my expectations were too high when I read this book after hearing my mother tell me how excellent it is, but I was really diappointed, especially because I really enjoyed Kings Gunslinger series (the only other King books I have read). I really got into it in the beginning, but then I got bored. It just seemed like nothing was happening except what had been happening for the last 100 pages. It picked up again and I got into but then I got bored again. Again, nothing new seemed to be happening. I have nothing against long books (I've read my fair share of them) but the author really has to keep the excitement going or it just becomes tedious. The ending of this book was the biggest diappointment of all. In my opinion it was just stupid and anticlimatic. It's like King decided it was time to end this thing and didn't really know where to go anymore. Overall, it was an interesting read and I will say that it makes you think a little. I don't really wish to disuade you from reading it, but I just don't really think it was as great as everyone else seems to think.

I would imagine that The Stand is a novel that I have reread more than any other. It's a bit surprising because King's work in general does not particularly appeal to me. I find his liberal and politically correct characterisations a bit off-putting. I think that the main reason this story attracts certain readers so much is the same as why most apocalyptic tales appeal: there is dissatisfaction with how our world is evolving and, either a conscious or an unconscious desire to sweep the slate clean and start over. King has the skill to create such a scenario and make it very believable. Considering the kind of monsters who rule the US now it is not hard to imagine that there is a 'Project Blue' out there somewhere. I don't ascribe to belief in the physical manifestation of representatives of the forces of 'Good' and 'Evil' so that aspect of the story does not appeal as much. There are all sorts of ways that humanity could be brought to the brink of extinction, but King's is very plausible, which makes it so absorbing.

It's hard to say which of King's novels is the best, but for a long novel, this has got to be it. Don't start reading this end-of-civilization story if you want some free time in the next little while.

Why is it that most people love to read about the total destruction of civilization? We can't help following the few survivors on a great quest to solve a mystery--breaking into banks, taking jewelry, etc. All rules gone! The appeal of easy wealth? But it's all worthless without civilization.

Anyway, read this story. I loved it. You'll never look at Las Vegas the same way again.

Also, along the same lines is "Swan's Song," by Robert McCammon. Swan Song

Another highly recommended end-of-world novel is Walter Miller's "Canticle for Leibowitz." A Canticle for Leibowitz (Bantam Spectra Book)
Still another is "Lucifer's Hammer," by Larry Nivin & Jerry Pournelle Lucifer's Hammer

This, hands down, is the most eclectic work of horror ever written. The characters are deep, the story lines intertwined, and the situation is described to realistically. A must read of all!!

I read this book in the original pulp paperback form as a kid. I liked it so much I read it again a few years later while waiting for King's latest book. Then the unabridged version was released and I had to read it again. Definitely my favorite book of all time. I would so love to see someone like Peter Jackson do a serial big screen production of The Stand that would match the quality of the book.

This book makes me wanna belive in God and be a better man. It has been 3 months since I read this book but the characters are still vivid in my mind. Nick Andros , Stu Rudeman, Frannie Goldsmith I think I know them better than I know some of my friends. I still miss them. It is a huge book and I am sure some people will feel a little intimidated by it. But trust me when I say that once you start reading it, you won't want it to ever end.

In my opinion this is not a typical King book. There are no blood oozing monsters chasing people, and no talking heads without a torso. This book is about good and evil and human nature. This book will make you think about a life without all the most basic things we have taken for granted. This book made me cry and made me laugh but most importantly this book made me think and thinking is what makes us Human.

I have read it three times and will certainly read it again. I have given this book to at least 2 people who do not even like SK novels and they also gave it rave reviews. READ IT!!!!!!

I read this in 1990, when my mom sent it to me. I was deployed on an aircraft carrier in Desert Storm. It's a long book, but I had lots of time. It is still my favorite book of all time.

This was an interesting apocalyptic story with a plethora of diverse characters. I have read a bunch of mediocre books this year (spring 2007) and wanted/needed a book I could get lost in, that would continually call me back throughout the day. I'd had The Stand sitting on my shelf since last summer, just waiting. I picked it up, and it did the trick. This is the classic story of the battle between good and evil, between God and the Devil. The characters need to choose which side they're going to be on, though they don't necessarily realize the spiritual implications of their choices, at least at first. I appreciated Stephen King's character descriptions. He assumes we can think. He describes the characters in unobtrusive ways; we know what they're like without having to be told in so many words.

I rated this book a 4 instead of a 5 for two reasons. Firstly, I didn't like the way King described the sex scenes. It seemed that the intent was to get the reader aroused. I don't mind reading stories with a sexual aspect, but when the author seems to be deliberately trying to get the reader involved in it, it's distracting to the story. I won't recommend this book to certain people because of this. Secondly, I thought there were two many random descriptions of people that essentially had nothing to do with the story. Learning about them did help me to understand a bit more about what was going on throughout the country, but mostly it was distracting to the story.

Overall, I highly recommend this book. Stephen King grabbed me from the first page.

I read "The Stand" when it was first published and loved it. The author stated that it was in an incomplete form, edited out many things.

As a Constant Reader of SK - I have waited patiently for this book in its true form, or as SK would say, "His way, his words - all of them."

Although the subject matter may turn some people off. It is a great read and "The Stand" will remain with you long after you put the book down. Which is what the author wants.

Thank you Stephen King for your amazing stories and never giving up writing for your ever "Constant Readers."

I read the shorter version of the novel as it was originally published, and although I found much to enjoy, I do not wish that I had read the expanded version. Stephen King's apocalyptic epic starts with a bang and sustains impressive narrative drive during the initial outbreak of the superflu and the rapid collapse of society that follows. Once the survivors begin segregating themselves to the emerging communities of Boulder (under the prophetic Mother Abagail) and Las Vegas (under the demonic Randall Flagg), the plot stagnates. The final showdown with Flagg is disappointingly underwhelming and conventionally religious. There's still enough good stuff here to fill two or three novels of more moderate length, but in the end King's achievement doesn't quite eqiual his vision.

This was the question that came to mind when my roommate asked if I had anything to use as target practice for when we would go shooting. Well, that was not the exact question. More of a theoretical situation, really. Suppose you are being shot at, and you have a paperback copy of the stand in your pocket, and that's where the bullet hit, would Stephen King's really thick novel be enough to stop the bullet and save your life? I was determined to find out.

Some reading this may be more horrified by the fact that I would be willing to even think of shooting such a beloved book. And I agree, based on seeing it's affect, that shooting a book is a very violent act. Yet I didn't feel any remorse in shooting it. I do admire Stephen King as a writer, though. I read several books of his (before and after reading the Stand) that I did enjoy a great deal, and hope he keeps writing more books. I like King's style, and something tells me that he would be amused to know that I shot his book. But I didn't like the Stand because I felt that it failed to deliver on it's promise of an "apocayptic confrontation between Good and Evil." I was waiting for our heroes to make the stand, which is a very powerful phrase and title for a book. *** vague spoilers follow *** Well, the heroes stood, and that's pretty much all they did, just in time for the most shameless deus ex machina ending I've ever come across. All the bad guys died in a way that wouldn't have made any difference if the good guys had been there to make their stand or not. I read about three hundred pages of tedious ad hoc committee meetings to get to that? Disapointing. I expected so much more. *** end of vague spoilers ***

But perhaps the book had other virtues. Maybe, just maybe, this 1,168 page book could save someone's life if they were being shot at. Just to make one thing clear: I, in no way, advocate the use of fire arms to maliciously deface intelectual property. I wouldn't have tried this on the Scarlet Letter which is 272 pages and which I equally disliked. I was going to shoot the Stand in the name of Science and public safety.

My roommate and I took it to an outdoor shooting range to test such a possibility. I mounted it up on a dirt berm, and used my roommate's .45 rifle to shoot it. No wimpy guns here, could this book stop a bullet or couldn't it?

Four bullets hit the Stand. Two bullets grazed the side. One went through the "h" in "Stephen" and curved up through the top before reaching page 450. The last bullet hit just below center, making a perfectly shaped O. What took me two months to get through, that bullet blew through in a tiny fraction of second. The bullet exploded out the back, ripping a two inch hole through the back cover, and finally ending in a puff of dirt behind it.

So the answer is no, my friends. 1,168 pages are not enough to save your life from a .45 slug. I wish I could say otherwise. If they had I would have given this book a higher rating.

The several hundred pages that Stephen King added to this version of the Stand will enthrall King fans. The characters and scenes are fleshed out and believable.
If you are not a King fan or only enjoy the occasional King story, this version isn't for you. The beginning is ponderous and it takes Mr. King a while to build up the tension in the story and come to grips with the good vs. evil confrontaton of his post-apocalyptic world that so many readers and reviewers have found enthralling. For such readers, the earlier (and shorter) version should be much more enjoyable.

Everyone has probably heard of this book (or at least the TV miniseries that aired in the 90s), but if you haven't read The Stand yet I would recommend it. The story starts in the summer of 1990, June, and slowly introduces the main characters (both the good guys and the bad guys) in the days prior and during the superflu epidemic. The Stand is the classic good vs. evil story. The virus, a creation of the U.S. government, escaps its underground laboratory in the California desert by way of a scared, panicky Army guard by the name of Campion who takes his family and flees eastward. By some glitch of bad luck (for the rest of the country) he was able to escape his security post prior to the lab's automatic containment procedures. He sets in motion the beginning of the end for everyone, except those lucky (or unlucky) survivors that are immune to the flu. At first, no one is aware the flu is anything to worry about, as it comes across as the common cold or flu, but that changes as people start dying left and right. King gives a thorough description of how society falls apart as 'Captain Trips' (as the flu is called) sweeps through the country and how the main characters get caught up in the madness during those brief few weeks it ran its course.

If that wasn't bad enough for those left alive to struggle to survive in this desolate landscape, they also have to contend with the "Dark Man", the "Walkin' Dude", that "Imp of Satan" who is marshalling all the bad apples left in America in, what city but Las Vegas. On the other side is Mother Abigail, a 108 year old woman from Nebraska representing good. All the survivors have terrifying dreams of a faceless man, sometimes a red Eye, the dark man. But, there are those who also have dreams of endless cornfileld and an old black woman sitting in a rocker on her front porch singing hymns and strumming on a guitar. The dark man and Mother Abigail are both calling to different types of people that will result in a showdown, a Stand of good vs. evil.

Once I started reading, the book pulled me in and King describes the characters in such detail that you almost feel like you know each one personally and feel for them as they slowly come to realize that the society and life they knew slowly crumbles around them. You feel their shock at the chaos in the aftermath, the numbness as loved ones die before their eyes, the terror of it all. He is able to describe what the characters go through and feel so well, you understand the emotions they feel because you are going through it with them. You see the desloation and bleakness of the cities and towns through their eyes, how they are empty of all life, now just huge tombs for the dead. King breathes life into these characters, and you end up sympathizing for the characters and their situation. Even the ones that end up siding with the dark man (for example, Trashcan Man. I won't go into detail, but you'll understand if you read the book). All the characters have a choice. They can side for good or they can side for evil. The dark man never forces anyone to come to him, though he utilizes all the pyschological terror and fears in dream to try to sway each person to his side, everyone that sided with him came willingly.

The book was hard to put down, their world became my world. If there was any fault in the book it would be the explicit language and scenes in some parts of the book. And the ending was somewhat disappointing but the first 1000 pages more than made up for that. Oh, that was another matter I forgot. The book is extremely lengthy, at 1100+ pages, but it moves along and it doesn't seem so bad.

The Stand is so corny and cheesy that it's almost frightening. You feel like you are watching an old vaudeville show. King tries to completely manipulate the reader to care about the good characters and to loathe the bad ones. The pop culture references are endless at times, and the stereotypical American character types are blatant.
This is all a shame because King takes a fascinating premise that is loaded with possibility and potential horrors, and then he pours loads of ketchup on the tempting steak, making a greasy burger out of it.

Most of Stephen King's fans choose this as his magnum opus. I prefer The Shining, or Salem's Lot. This book is just not a great book. And it never seems to stop introducing new characters. The survivors of the virus are cookie cutter "character" types. You have the Gary Cooper hero, a girl next door, the jaded rock star, the idiot, a pimply nerd (named Harold, of course)... Give me a break, please.

The whole formula smacks of The Wizard of Oz. ("Can I go with you, mister, to see the old black lady, so she can help us?" says one character, as if he was talking to young Dorothy on the yellow brick road.)

I admit that this novel has some intense set pieces, including a harrowing scene involving the Lincoln Tunnel. And it must have been a big pleasure for King to be able to wipe out the world population and have a few people start over.
This is an entertaining tome at times, but it is entirely too long, not to mention cheesy and overrated.

I just finished this monster of a book and I have never enjoyed a better one. I hope to never enjoy a better one. I just couldnt put it down. The storyline flowed beatifully and it downright scares the hell out of you at times (the superflu reminds me of the bird flu or the black plague in Europe). Stephen King tells the story beautifully. This is his masterpiece. The best work he has ever done bar NONE. I give this book five stars because it takes you through all the emotions, something a lot of books dont do. Buy this or check it out at the library. A must read.

......another wonderful story......
........you will not want to put it down.......
.....even not for a minute.....

......another wonderful story......
........you will not want to put it down.......
.....even not for a minute.....

I have read other books by King, and frankly, hated them. I promised myself I would never read another book by Stephen King ever again. My mom then convinced me to read The Stand, convinced I'd enjoy it. She was right.
I have never read a better book in my life. Mind you I am only 14, but I have read hundreds of books, most good, but alot of crappy ones. King writes with such brilliance I thought I would never see again after reading John Grisham novels. Plus, I love the storyline, and it grabbed by attention right from the get go.
Even if you hate Stephen King, like I do, read The Stand. You won't regret it, I surely don't: I would call the Stand the best book I have ever read in my life.

A mysterious plague concocted in the government labs in the U.S. breaks free and is set loose upon the world. A few short days later, 99.4% of the world's inhabitants have perished leaving tiny pieces of humanity strewn throughout the United States. The book follows a slew of characters: An East Texas good-ol'-boy trying to do right in this new world; A weather-beaten California musician, mired in a past of drugs and disappointments on a path of self-discovery, trying to make good of his life; A mysterious woman with whitening hair before her time, with a clairvoyant young boy idiot-savant who doesn't speak much, but can play a tune forever after he hears it; A man who sees religion in fires, who's greatest love is the science of the flame, living for the next great burn . . . . All of these people, in this post-apocalyptic world, try to move on with their lives after the unthinkable.

Does this story sound interesting to you? Because, to me - this is the story I enjoyed and wished continued. Sadly - this story ends around page 250. After page 250 is a different story. And, to be blunt, it's a very bad story. I can't imagine what Stephen King was thinking - I can only imagine that he ran out of good ideas, got a semi-decent one, and ran about 750-800 pages on that weak story line. This book is 750-800 pages too long.

If this were a 300 page novel it would have received five stars. Sadly, it's not.

I won't ruin the rest of the story for you, but I'll give you a little hint. Everybody alive in the world begins to have dreams. The same dreams. There is a dark man (evil) holed up in Las Vegas (give me a break) and there is a 108 wise black woman (good) who people eventually float toward. Technology is the banner of the evil side, and reverting to a time with hand-pumped water and outhouses is the side of good. No - this is not a joke, this tired, boring story idea composes the rest of the book.

Stephen King must have read the book of Job in the Bible and fashioned a good verses evil, "The Devil and God make a bet" sort of story. The rest of the book is not only messily handled, but worst of all the rest of the story is predictable. Beyond that, the story has a blah happy ending, and King kills off one of the only two characters I had built up any emotional attachment to. The rest of the characters in the book held no interest to me - really, in the climax, I just didn't care what happened to the characters.

Eventually, I finished this book - and I was glad it was over. In fact, I wish it had ended much earlier. But, this book was as highly recommended from someone who's opinion I respect as a book can be and I persevered. I wish I hadn't.

One star out of Five. I would give it less if I could for killing a very interesting premise and destroying the promise of the first 300 pages.