SCARY, EXCITING, AND INTRIGUING

Advantages: Completly good book
Disadvantages: Is a bit long but is worth it

...introduced to other characters: Fran Goldsmith, recently pregnant and unsure of how to handle it; Larry Underwood, a drugged-out rock star who maybe wants to get his life back together; Mother Abagail, a 108-year-old woman who has a special relationship with God; Nick Andros, a deaf-mute wanderer; Harold Lauder, an adolescent boy with debilitating hang-ups and delusions of grandeur, Lloyd Henried, a criminal who knows only how to follow; Glen Bateman, a pragmatic, pessimistic scholar, many more. Eventually, we will see these people meet, fall in love, fall into hate, kill one another, save each others' lives. America crumbles; these are the tattered remnants of a once flourishing society. Now, in order to recreate society, they must learn to rise above the plague that has decimated their world, to combat the realities of a now empty landscape...

robin_best 03.09.2001 · Read review
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Review of The Stand - Stephen King

Top of the pops it aint

Advantages: Beautiful music and vocals, classic tracks,
Disadvantages: Specialised taste.

...Mimi, introduces herself in this song to her new neighbour the poet Rodolfo. Quando m'en vo'(When I go along the street people stop and look at me) Also from La Boheme, Mimi this time is trying to get her former lover, Marcello, jealous. Ebbe? N'andro' Iontana (Well I shall go far away from here) From an opera with a name which has derisory connotations these days 'La Wally' Wally the heroine expresses her intention to leave the Tyrolean village which is home rather than marry her father's choice of man. Un be divider(One fine day we shall see a plume of smoke) Puccini's Madame Butterfly, set in Nagasaki with the female lead character Cio-Cio-San singing of her hope that Pinkerton, the American naval officer and the father of her child will return and marry her. I think many readers would know the basic tune of this aria even if...

grafter123 26.02.2008 · Read review
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Review of O Mio Babbino Caro: Famous Soprano Arias from Italian Opera - Various Artists

Come Over To The Dark Side...

Advantages: A very thrilling read which leaves you in suspense.
Disadvantages: A little long for my liking.

...and paranoid as time goes on. There are many other characters, including Nick Andros - a deaf-mute, who ends up being a leader of voted in by other members of his group; and Tom Cullen - a young man with learning difficulties who is happy playing with his cars - until a session of hypnotherapy reveals some shocking secrets. Throughout the book I felt that the reading was easy. I did however feel that towards the end of the book there had been a little too much padding out of the story, although this may be because I have the uncut version. The book is illustrated, albeit with slightly abstract black and white drawings. Personally I am not sure whether I prefer illustrations in books such as these or not, as I do feel they help break up the blockish chapters, but they also tend to distract me from my own perceptions of the story...

J4M1721 08.02.2007 · Read review
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Review of The Stand - Stephen King

could this really happen

Advantages: Compelling reading
Disadvantages: Ending lets it down

...of them over. When Stu investigates, he discovers that Campion's wife and child have died of some strange disease inside the car, and that Campion is on his last legs. What Stu doesn't know is that what Campion has is extremely infectious and has just delivered the death warrant on most of America - and possibly the world. As the virus starts to spread, you are introduced to other characters: o Fran Goldsmith, teenage, pregnant and unsure o Larry Underwood, drugged-out 'rock star' o Mother Abagail, an excessively old and unnervingly mobile 108-year-old woman who has a special relationship with God Nick Andros, a deaf-mute hitch-hiker Harold Lauder, wet dreaming teenager Lloyd Henried, a criminal who knows only how to follow; Glen Bateman, a pragmatic, pessimistic scholar, many more. Eventually, we will see these people...

mrnasty10 24.08.2002 · Read review
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Review of The Stand - Stephen King

Quite Simply The Finest Book Ever Written

Advantages: The most fantastic book of it's kind EVER
Disadvantages: The uncut edition is some 1,200 pages

...the characters to life so that you can almost 'see' them. The story commences in Arnette, Texas and the affable Stuart Redman. The story basically centres around a plague, nicknamed 'Captain Trips' that over a period of weeks wipes out 98% of the population worldwide. We then follow the exploits of Redman, Fran Goldsmith, Harold Lauder, Nick Andros and co. as there collective paths inevitably meet, drawn together by mysterious dreams. The dreams themselves centre around two figure, a representation of good and evil. The former being Mother Abigail, the oldest woman in America and a servant of God. The latter, Is 'The Dark Man' or Randall Flagg, who turns out to be the embodiment of pure evil. The remainder of the population, including the ones we know get drawn to either the good or the dark side, which will eventually culminate in the ultimate...

daddycash 06.05.2003 · Read review
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Review of The Stand - Stephen King

Model Singers , model Music .

Advantages: Classical masterpieces that will remain so.
Disadvantages: not for modernday air heads

..., amongst others . 7) Ebben ? .... ne andro lontana - Caralani . --------------------------------------------- Taken from La Wally . 8) You Live On In My Heart - Ennio Morricone ( Lyrics by Rebecca Knight ) . ----------------------------------------------- Taken from Cimema Paradiso . Ok Mr. Morricone is no Beetoven , but he has written some fantastic film theme music , such as this . 9) Chanson Boheme - Bizet ------------------------- Taken from the opera Carmen - the Gypsy Musicians song. 10) Remember Me - Phil Coulter ------------------------------- A modern day classic , that will surely go from strngth to strength with recognition. 11) Stranger In Paradise - Borodin ( lyrics by R. Wright and G.Forrest ) ------------------------------------------------- Taken from Kismet . 12) Ode II Joy - Beetoven...

CaptainKidd 01.07.2002 · Read review
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Review of Beyond Imagination - Operababes

On Which Side Will You Stand?

Advantages: A brilliant adaptation of a brilliant book
Disadvantages: May give some people nightmares (how true could some of this be?)

...and some kind of civilization for everyone in the area. They decide to send scouts into Vegas just to see what is happening. One of these scouts is Tom Cullen, a retarded man who befriended Nick Andros, a deaf mute member of the committee. Some leave Boulder to join Flagg in Vegas. Before they do, they try to destroy what the others have formed in Boulder. However, their act is not completely successful. Mother Abigail returns to send four men out to Vegas to confront Flagg and his associates and to Stand. She does not state whether they will be successful or not. She also states that one will not make it as far as Vegas. And so four lonely men set out to meet their fate which is now in the hands of Mother Abigail's God. I am not going to give any more of the plot away as that would not be fair to you, my lovely reader. My...

bonsi6337 03.01.2007 · Read review
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Review of Stephen King's The Stand (DVD)

A Long Stand ... but well worth it

Advantages: Compelling descriptive power, gripping storyline
Disadvantages: Daunting prospect at 1,500 pages ...

..., 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...

Drooboy 16.06.2004 · Read review
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Review of The Stand - Stephen King

A great intro to classical music

Advantages: All good strong performances with some absolutely glorious
Disadvantages: Some of the arias do not show the singers at their best

...doesnt sound too sentimental. Lakmé, opera Ou va la jeune indoue? Composed by Leo Delibes Performed by Munich Radio Orchestra with Edita Gruberova Conducted by Gustav Kuhn > Beautiful, rather more dramatic than Joan Sutherland and also nice clear diction and glorious soft singing La Wally, opera (dramma musicale) in 4 acts Ebben? Ne andrò lontano Composed by Alfredo Catalani Performed by Munich Radio Orchestra with Ghena Dimitrova Conducted by Lamberto Gardelli > a dramatic performance of this aria. Could do with clearer diction. Her high notes are terrific and hugely exciting. The recorded sound is very good here with the orchestra big and proud. La bohème, opera Che gelida manina Composed by Giacomo Puccini Performed by Rome Opera House Orchestra with Nicolai Gedda Conducted by Thomas Schippers...

operalover2000 05.04.2008 · Read review
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Review of The Most Famous Opera Arias

trips baby, Captain Trips...

Advantages: great read
Disadvantages: a bit long

...and comes back with all sorts of dangerous goodies for the Dark Man. The key character to the book, I believe… Lloyd Henried: The Dark man’s right hand man. Found by Flagg starving in a Phoenix jail-cell and is totally faithful throughout the novel. Not really a bad man but still feels a debt to Flagg. Nadine: Referred to as ‘The earths child’, she is a strange and quixotic young woman. Most noted for the strand of white in her hair, she is promised to the Dark Man and is to be his Bride. Harold Lauder: Once a silly and bullied young man. Becomes a traitor to the Free zone when he serves the Dark Man. Is rewarded for his service by being killed though. Nick Andros: A deaf-mute man; is originally the leader of the free Zone, along with Mother Abigail. Is killed toward the end of the novel by a bomb…who...

phoenixcage 15.04.2002 · Read review
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Review of The Stand - Stephen King