The “complete and uncut” version of Stephen King’s “The Stand” is quite possibly the single longest book I have ever read. My paperback version amounted to very nearly 1,500 pages (punctuated by the occasional illustration which didn’t serve to add very much to the story for me!) which, even ... Read review
In 1978, science fiction writer Spider Robinson wrote a scathing review ofThe Standin ... more
which he exhorted his readers to grab strangers in bookshops and beg them not to buy it.The Standis like that. You either love it or hate it, but you can't ignore it...
Postage & Packaging: £2.75 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
In 1978, science fiction writer Spider Robinson wrote a scathing review of The Stand in ... more
which he exhorted his readers to grab strangers in bookshops and beg them not to buy it. The Stand is like that. You either love it or hate it, but you can't igno...
Postage & Packaging: refer to website Availability: Check Site.
In 1978, science fiction writer Spider Robinson wrote a scathing review of The Stand in ... more
which he exhorted his readers to grab strangers in bookshops and beg them not to buy it. The Stand is like that. You either love it or hate it, but you can't igno...
Postage & Packaging: refer to website Availability: Check Site.
In a small Oregon town a group of friends- sensitive Gordie tough-guy Chris and ... more
flamboyant Teddy are in search of a missing teenager's body. Wanting to be heroes in each others' and their hometown's eyes they set out on an unforgettable two-day trek that turns into an odyssey of self-discovery. When they encounter the town's knife-wielding hoods who are also after the body the boys discover a strength they never knew they had...
Postage & Packaging:£0.00 Availability:3-5 working days
After a government-spawned "superflu" wipes out more than 90 per cent of the earth's ... more
population, the devastated survivors must decide whether to support or resist the advances of a mysterious stranger from way down South (heh-heh) who wishes to claim this new world order for himself. Although the six-hour length ofThe Standmakes it nigh-impossible to digest in one sitting, this well-paced adaptation of Stephen King's apocalyptic magnum opus ranks among the best adaptations of the author's work, with strong performances from Gary Sinise, Miguel Ferrer, and especially Jamey Sheridan as a good-old-boy version of Old Scratch. The opening scene, set to the strains of Blue Oyster Cult's "Don't Fear the Reaper," is one of the most chilling things ever shot for television. Director Mick Garris is no stranger to King's world, having also helmedSleepwalkers, the recent television remake ofThe Shining, and the upcomingDesperation.--Andrew Wright
Postage & Packaging:free Super Saver Delivery Availability:Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
After a government-spawned "superflu" wipes out more than 90 per cent of the earth's ... more
population, the devastated survivors must decide whether to support or resist the advances of a mysterious stranger from way down South (heh-heh) who wishes to claim this new world order for himself. Although the six-hour length ofThe Standmakes it nigh-impossible to digest in one sitting, this well-paced adaptation of Stephen King's apocalyptic magnum opus ranks among the best adaptations of the author's work, with strong performances from Gary Sinise, Miguel Ferrer, and especially Jamey Sheridan as a good-old-boy version of Old Scratch. The opening scene, set to the strains of Blue Oyster Cult's "Don't Fear the Reaper," is one of the most chilling things ever shot for television. Director Mick Garris is no stranger to King's world, having also helmedSleepwalkers, the recent television remake ofThe Shining, and the upcomingDesperation.--Andrew Wright
Postage & Packaging:£1.21 Availability:Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
The “complete and uncut” version of Stephen King’s “The Stand” is quite possibly the single longest book I have ever read. My paperback version amounted to very nearly 1,500 pages (punctuated by the occasional illustration which didn’t serve to add very much to the story for me!) which, even at my relatively fast reading pace and frequency, takes a fair while to plow through. Luckily I was in the midst of exams whilst reading it so I was often in ... ...give a brief summary of the plot of a book this long, but thankfully the tale is fairly linear in structure. Somewhere in the American desert in 1990, in a secret Government research installation, a deadly virus which comes to be known as “superflu” or “Captain Trips” escapes into the population. The effects are devastating, with almost the entire population of the States (and by implication the world) killed. But some people, for unknown reasons, ... more
The “complete and uncut” version of Stephen King’s “The Stand” is quite possibly the single longest book I have ever read. My paperback version amounted to very nearly 1,500 pages (punctuated by the occasional illustration which didn’t serve to add very much to the story for me!) which, even at my relatively fast reading pace and frequency, takes a fair while to plow through. Luckily I was in the midst of exams whilst reading it so I was often in need of the distraction!
I’m relatively late to King’s books, but remembered vaguely reading “The Stand” as a teenager and had always been curious to read it again. It’s hard to give a brief summary of the plot of a book this long, but thankfully the tale is fairly linear in structure. Somewhere in the American desert in 1990, in a secret Government research installation, a deadly virus which comes to be known as “superflu” or “Captain Trips” escapes into the population. The effects are devastating, with almost the entire population of the States (and by implication the world) killed. But some people, for unknown reasons, appear to be immune. These lucky – or perhaps unlucky – people find themselves having strange dreams, some of an old woman in Nebraska who calls herself Mother Abigail, and others of a strange and evil person known as the Dark Man or the Walkin’ Dude. Some of the survivors find themselves drawn to the sanctity of Mother Abigail, others to Las Vegas where the Dark Man resides. The novel follows several of the survivors as they make their way to their destinations, and describes the battle between good and evil that follows.
In a nutshell, that’s the book. It’s about the build up to a simple fight between good and evil, perhaps God and Satan and the threat of Armageddon itself. The way the survivors pool into two camps ready for the final confrontation draws directly from such religious symbolism and as such the idea of the book is not particularly original or revolutionary, but the focus is much more on the disease and the progress of the survivors rather than the battle itself. Without wishing to give too much away, when the dénouement comes, it all seems to be over remarkably quickly, especially since we’ve spent over a thousand pages in anticipation of it.
What is remarkable is the clever use of the man-made disease as the catalyst for wiping out the population, and the intricate development of character and location King uses throughout. In a preface to the book, he explains that the abridged version had to lose some of this development which, whilst not detracting from the plot, would have compromised the atmosphere considerably. As each chapter for the first part of the book focuses on a different character as they progress towards Nebraska or Las Vegas, either alone or in a small group, we get plenty of time to see the development of each character, such that by the time we visit them again a few chapters later we are keen to know what will befall them. Cleverly, there are not too many principal characters that we become easily confused, but not too few that we become over-familiar. Each is lovingly portrayed to the reader – the relationship between simpleton Tom and deaf-mute Nick Andros is particularly touching; hard-nosed musician Larry suddenly finds himself having to deal with serious responsibilities for the first time; Stu Redman goes from beer swilling redneck to leader of the forces of good and husband and father. Each character is not just on a physical journey, but also perhaps a spiritual and personal one. Even the “evil” characters are often presented with affection – the ‘Trashcan Man’ delights in setting things on fire but as we learn of his childhood suffering we cannot help but sympathise; ditto teenager Harold whose crush on neighbour Fran turns to murderous hatred when her relationship with Stu develops, but the signs that Harold is not totally without redemption are always maintained.
Also wonderful is the sense of location – the heat of the desert, the desolation of a deserted New York City, the homeliness of Mother Abigail’s house. In the midst of the devastation caused by the plague, the rebuilding of community comes over as an important focus – we share the character’s fear that the children born to the survivors will contract the virus on birth as well. But also crucial is the fact that the book presents to us the world we know in a whole new light, forcing you to imagine just how you might cope if everything you took for granted was suddenly ripped away and yet you yourself were left alone to cope. It is a daunting and quite frightening prospect.
If you are put off by King as a “horror” writer, then I would advise you still to give this a try. It is not gory or out-and-out “let’s make you jump”. Some parts are indeed chilling, particularly when dealing with the Dark Man and his allies, and some of the writing conjures up thoughts which may be depressing and unsettling, such as the loss of family and friends and the fear of isolation. But it is not slasher horror or simply gruesome for gruesome’s sake – though there are one or two slightly stomach-churning descriptions of cities littered with corpses.
The massive attention to detail that King has in his descriptions probably won’t appeal to everyone as it can make parts of the book flow quite slowly. And a book of this magnitude is certainly a daunting prospect for all but the most voracious reader. But it is well worth persevering through the slower moments, even though the rapid conclusion may leave you feeling a trifle deflated. In part, that reflects the desire simply to know what happened next, which can be seen as a massive positive. When it comes to it, this is a stunning tale of the human spirit, determination in the face of utter annihilation and the power of love.
Stephen King – The Stand (Complete and Uncut): available from amazon.co.uk for around £7 - £8, 1,440 pages (paperback).
Advantages: Completly good book Disadvantages: Is a bit long but is worth it
...novels but I thoroughly enjoyed The Stand it is an excellent book.
In 1978, before the "complete and uncut" edition, before the miniseries, before the author became known as the "King of Horror!!!" (emphasis on triple exclamation), Stephen King's The Stand hit bookstores. It was a monster of a book, weighing in at 823 pages (the general public had no way of knowing that almost a quarter of the book had been cut prior to publication), in Doubleday's ... ...King's best-loved book, but at the time, the novel shocked many. Previously, King had only released three other novels, the relatively short Carrie, 'Salem's Lot, and The Shining, and a short story collection, Night Shift. The biggest question was this: was the book's length justified? It was. The Stand begins its narrative in a quiet Texas town known as Arnette. There, we are introduced to one of our main characters, Stuart Redman, a quiet, downtrodden ...
robin_best 03.09.2001
· Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of The Stand - Stephen King
Advantages: Scary, believable, taut and compelling Disadvantages: Drags a bit in places
...for this, his contribution to the "Disaster Novel" genre. (NOTE: This review applies to the ORIGINAL release of the novel, not the "Special Edition")
It begins innocuously enough, with an army officer running away from his base. But he has left it too late, and he carries a new disease into the world. Over the next months people begin to die, in small numbers at first, then in their hundreds, thousands and finally millions. The survivors, a disparate ... ...a choice; to join with the forces of evil, personified in Flagg (one of the best fictional villains in living memory) or to take a "Stand" for good, personified by Aunt Abigail, an old wizened black woman with a fundamentalist approach to her faith. Soon all the survivors are lined up on one side or the other, and the final battle for their future destiny is set up when the main characters must take their own "Stand" The questions of faith posed ...
williemeikle 31.08.2002
· Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of The Stand - Stephen King
...all-time greatest, but I think The Dark Tower series is peaking that now. The thing about ‘The Stand’ that makes it such a great book is not the actual plot itself – but the very possibility of the plot. What is even more frightening is that King wrote this during the 70’s – today it is even more possibly with our technology…think about that for a while, eh? ‘The Stand ‘ is probably one of the greatest ... ...to study – effectively emptying the entire world bar a few people and seeing how they fare. The plot – The government has created a virus – a very deadly virus to be exact – and in the words of Harold Lauder, a character in the book: “…Then one day some bright spark said: ‘look what I made...it kills almost everybody isn’t it great?’” This virus, soon to be known as ‘Captain Trips’ ...
phoenixcage 15.04.2002
· Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of The Stand - Stephen King
Advantages: Gripping, King at his best Disadvantages: The mini series they made from it...
...written some really tedious ones, The Stand is most definitely the former.
I had mixed emotions about this, my favourite book of all time, reaching the top 100 books list in the UK. I was delighted, because it meant that the Brits don't just read trash and books that they think they should read because they're 'classics'. But on the other hand I was disappointed at how predictable my taste must be!!! I had never met anyone who had read it before!
... ...read The 'uncut' version is even thicker but, if you can face it, it is definitely worth it. In the uncut version the characters are explored a great deal more and the story contains even more depth. As this is quite an 'old' book now you would have to buy it at a bookstore or on the web, I doubt supermarkets would stock it however it does seem to be a favourite at airports!
For those of you who have never read the book, allow me to 'tickle your ...
Mini_Minx 27.07.2003 (06.08.2004)
· Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of The Stand - Stephen King
Advantages: great premise, good characters Disadvantages: unsatisfactory ending
...mystical figure which is called the DARK MAN, an embodiment of the absolute evil. In the desert Nevada there will be the decisive battle and the fate of mankind is at stake.
THE STAND, Stephen King's vision of the last battle between good and evil was so far only as an strongly abridged version available. This published uncut edition makes new and old readers acquainted with the extent of his apocalyptic model. Many people call this novel Stephen ... ...happen if about 99.4% of the population gets wiped out by a plague? How do the survivors organize themselves again? A lot of post-apocalyptic science-fiction has been written but from all books offering this subject THE STAND is without doubt one of the most excellent ones, which is mostly due to Stephen King's talent to create interesting characters, of which you will find dozens in this amazing book...
It begins as a sudden severe epidemic wiping ...
Ronny 13.05.2001
· Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of The Stand - Stephen King
Would you read it again?
Story
Characters
Readability
How does it compare to ...
Similar reviews »
Reviews which might be of interest for "The Stand - Stephen King"
Advantages: catchy, intriguing, you won't put it down Disadvantages: pretty depressive as somewhat realistic in parts
for you to wade in.
In books the Good always wins, in a way or another, however, the victory is not final, in some time the Evil will always come back and try again and again. The idea of Evil is appealing and attractive, but it won't last long, which is why it can re-occur endlessly. Funny is that this (the almost forced victory of the Good) implies that IF the Evil would have won, the Good would be helpless and subdued forever without any chance for rebellion.
So if the Evil won, that would be the real end of everything and this is the reason why the Evil will never make it, because we want the show to go on, don't we.
And you know what? The book gave me bad dreams.
StephenKing - The Stand
This is a review of the bigger, longer and uncut version of The Stand, as the author states in his intro that there also was ...
Advantages: Great book, very well written, great plot Disadvantages: none!
forever, and the war between good and evil comes to a head.
There has been a movie made that is based on the book, however it isn't nearly as good as the book itself, which is of a much better quality.
The Stand is available in 2 versions, normal, and the complete and uncut edition. If you are an avid reader like myself, then i would reccommend the uncut edition, it contains much more detail, and even more twists in the story line, this is probably better for all the StephenKing fans. The shorter version is still very good, and recommended for all other readers, especially newbies to StephenKing. ...
Advantages: A very thrilling read which leaves you in suspense. Disadvantages: A little long for my liking.
and characters. (This is the same for film and television versions of any books I read, as I tend to pick up on the parts that are omitted, and my o/h is not impressed when I inform him of the missing parts half way through a film?)
I have only read this book once, and although I enjoyed it very much, I would say it is a little long for my liking. I finish books fairly quickly, but this one took a little more effort towards the end. I would definitely recommend it for die-hard StephenKing fans, but not those who prefer lighter reading.
The Stand is available from almost all good book shops and online stores in both hardback and paperback, the cheapest I found being the paperback on Amazon for £6.29 with free delivery. ...
Product Information for "The Stand - Stephen King" »
Product details
Type
Fiction
Genre
Horror
Title
The Stand
Author
Stephen King
ISBN
0340951443; 0385121687; 0450045528; 0517219018
Manufacturer's product description
A man crashes his car into a petrol station bringing with him the foul corpses of his wife and daughter. Before long the plague that killed them spreads across America and the world. It is a long time before a few stunned survivors emerge, slowly and painfully, to build a new world.
Compare The Stand - Stephen King to other similar Horror Books »
Stephen King's claim to fame ; Superb atmosphere ; Sublime plot ; A vivid imagination that stretches all supernatural boundaries ; Probably responsible for some of the best horror films of the 70's and 80's
Some unessesary background in the first half ; Kubrik mucked up the story too much ; Could have been much more (*)
A nice gripping and readable novel ; A terrific tale of survival ; Very atmospheric ; The characters thoughts and feelings are projected well to the reader
Suddenly stops flowing towards the middle ; King can be slightly over obsequious towards the main character (*)
![Stephen King's The Stand [DVD] [1994]](http://picnica.ciao.com/uk/81427120.jpg "Stephen King's The Stand [DVD] [1994]")
![Stephen King's The Stand [DVD] [1994]](http://picnica.ciao.com/uk/77953982.jpg "Stephen King's The Stand [DVD] [1994]")
![Stephen King's The Stand Dvd [1994] | Ferrer](http://picnica.ciao.com/uk/106090554.jpg "Stephen King's The Stand Dvd [1994] | Ferrer")
