jennasommer92's review against another edition
4.0
Giving this a very solid 4.5, only because at times Book II was a slog for me to get through. I still loved this book…it was epic, scary, sad, heartwarming, and I loved getting to know the characters. The Stand will stick with me for a long time to come.
sequoviah's review against another edition
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
oxygen's review against another edition
3.0
Definitely a journey and a half. I am glad I forbade myself from starting any other book while I was reading this because I knew if I ever put it out of my mind like that I would definitely never finish it.
I struggled quite a bit making it through, and at times found there were just an overwhelming amount of characters to keep track of, especially having paused on reading it a couple of months midway before picking it back up.
There definitely were a few moments in this, as well as 'IT' which made me cringe, not necessarily in the 'blood and gore' kind of way, but I am aware this is a very early book for King.
I have yet to explore his more recent works but I'm hopeful he has had plenty of time to put some of those things behind him since writing the Stand.
Overall, I'm impressed with the seamless blend of reality and low-fantasy, the characters feel very human and multifaceted (although many of the women do come off as a bit damsel-in-distress-esque at times) and the latter third of it felt surprisingly hopeful. Not for everyone, and I wouldn't say it is a favourite book of mine, but definitely interesting if you have the reading stamina for a brick like this one.
I struggled quite a bit making it through, and at times found there were just an overwhelming amount of characters to keep track of, especially having paused on reading it a couple of months midway before picking it back up.
There definitely were a few moments in this, as well as 'IT' which made me cringe, not necessarily in the 'blood and gore' kind of way, but I am aware this is a very early book for King.
I have yet to explore his more recent works but I'm hopeful he has had plenty of time to put some of those things behind him since writing the Stand.
Overall, I'm impressed with the seamless blend of reality and low-fantasy, the characters feel very human and multifaceted (although many of the women do come off as a bit damsel-in-distress-esque at times) and the latter third of it felt surprisingly hopeful. Not for everyone, and I wouldn't say it is a favourite book of mine, but definitely interesting if you have the reading stamina for a brick like this one.
ferrisscottr's review against another edition
5.0
Epic, brilliant, mind blowing...a true work of art. {that was my review the first time I read the book}
--------------------------
First time re-reading. I wanted to do it last year but the pandemic was still too new and thought it would change my opinion of the book at that time.
Nope - that didn't happen. My opinion is the same. It's epic and brilliant and mind blowing still. There are a couple million reviews already out there on this so not going to go into too much detail.
I loved the writing. This book was 1200 pages in hardcover and not once did it feel like a long book. I wish it was another 1000 pages. Every page was fresh and I could not stop turning those pages over and over again.
The setup was brilliant - super flu kills off something like 99.4% of everyone and society has to restart. Some drawn to Mother Abigail and some drawn to Randall Flagg.
The characters (like most King books) are what shine the brightest. They are fully formed, they grown, they develop, they are multi-dimensional, they are interesting - amazing!
If you list off my top books of all time this comes in quite nicely at #2, my second favorite book of all time (and I've read thousands). Right after Pinkwater and right before Lonesome Dove.
The complete highest possible recommendation, the greatest book by this generations greatest novelist.
--------------------------
First time re-reading. I wanted to do it last year but the pandemic was still too new and thought it would change my opinion of the book at that time.
Nope - that didn't happen. My opinion is the same. It's epic and brilliant and mind blowing still. There are a couple million reviews already out there on this so not going to go into too much detail.
I loved the writing. This book was 1200 pages in hardcover and not once did it feel like a long book. I wish it was another 1000 pages. Every page was fresh and I could not stop turning those pages over and over again.
The setup was brilliant - super flu kills off something like 99.4% of everyone and society has to restart. Some drawn to Mother Abigail and some drawn to Randall Flagg.
The characters (like most King books) are what shine the brightest. They are fully formed, they grown, they develop, they are multi-dimensional, they are interesting - amazing!
If you list off my top books of all time this comes in quite nicely at #2, my second favorite book of all time (and I've read thousands). Right after Pinkwater and right before Lonesome Dove.
The complete highest possible recommendation, the greatest book by this generations greatest novelist.
hairpull's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
3.5
book_mark_shelf's review against another edition
4.0
This novel was ‘M-O-O-N, that spells’ great! Not going to lie, the size of the book was a little intimidating but I was determined to get through, and it wasn’t too difficult, I found it quite easy to get lost in the authors world.
Blurb:
Stephen King's apocalyptic vision of a world blasted by plague and tangled in an elemental struggle between good and evil remains as riveting and eerily plausible as when it was first published. A patient escapes from a biological testing facility, unknowingly carrying a deadly weapon: a mutated strain of super-flu that will wipe out 99 percent of the world's population within a few weeks. Those who remain are scared, bewildered, and in need of a leader. Two emerge - Mother Abagail, the benevolent 108-year-old woman who urges them to build a peaceful community in Boulder, Colorado; and Randall Flagg, the nefarious "Dark Man," who delights in chaos and violence. As the dark man and the peaceful woman gather power, the survivors will have to choose between them - and ultimately decide the fate of all humanity.
Review:
Reading this book, just after the global pandemic of COVID-19, I thought, added to immersing yourself into the apocalyptic world of ‘The Stand.’ Most of what was described, like the symptoms of ‘Captain Trips’ and the how quickly it spread across the world, was quite baffling because it had me thinking of what would have happen to our world if COVID-19 was not controlled, at all?
Even thought the blurb identifies that it takes out 99 percent of the world, this novel is set in America. Post Captain Trips, there were a number of survivors that have a mixture of terrifying and peaceful dreams, but these were not just dreams! These dreams identify the main leaders and drivers for good and evil. Mother Abagail, a religious elderly woman, anticipates to build a peaceful community and rebuild the world, then there is Randall Flagg (The Dark Man) who is all about chaos and dictatorship. Which leader would you join? Looking at some of the characters, you see why people join both!
There were many characters discussed in the this novel and found myself getting a little confused at the start. Each ‘lengthy’ chapter was focused from one of the characters point of view and I had to flick back pages to remind myself where I had left off with this character. I know this can be annoying at times, but stick with it because when the characters join there respective sides (Mother Abagail or Randall Flagg), it gets easier to immerse yourself.
Talking about characters, you ever get invested in a character so much you think you have the novel planned out, but then they are killed off! Yea, that happened me and I’m not going to lie, there was a tear or two.
There was a lot of adventure, action and angst in this novel to which I really enjoyed. But because of the confusion in so many characters (which is possibly just myself), I have rated this book 4 stars.
Blurb:
Stephen King's apocalyptic vision of a world blasted by plague and tangled in an elemental struggle between good and evil remains as riveting and eerily plausible as when it was first published. A patient escapes from a biological testing facility, unknowingly carrying a deadly weapon: a mutated strain of super-flu that will wipe out 99 percent of the world's population within a few weeks. Those who remain are scared, bewildered, and in need of a leader. Two emerge - Mother Abagail, the benevolent 108-year-old woman who urges them to build a peaceful community in Boulder, Colorado; and Randall Flagg, the nefarious "Dark Man," who delights in chaos and violence. As the dark man and the peaceful woman gather power, the survivors will have to choose between them - and ultimately decide the fate of all humanity.
Review:
Reading this book, just after the global pandemic of COVID-19, I thought, added to immersing yourself into the apocalyptic world of ‘The Stand.’ Most of what was described, like the symptoms of ‘Captain Trips’ and the how quickly it spread across the world, was quite baffling because it had me thinking of what would have happen to our world if COVID-19 was not controlled, at all?
Even thought the blurb identifies that it takes out 99 percent of the world, this novel is set in America. Post Captain Trips, there were a number of survivors that have a mixture of terrifying and peaceful dreams, but these were not just dreams! These dreams identify the main leaders and drivers for good and evil. Mother Abagail, a religious elderly woman, anticipates to build a peaceful community and rebuild the world, then there is Randall Flagg (The Dark Man) who is all about chaos and dictatorship. Which leader would you join? Looking at some of the characters, you see why people join both!
There were many characters discussed in the this novel and found myself getting a little confused at the start. Each ‘lengthy’ chapter was focused from one of the characters point of view and I had to flick back pages to remind myself where I had left off with this character. I know this can be annoying at times, but stick with it because when the characters join there respective sides (Mother Abagail or Randall Flagg), it gets easier to immerse yourself.
Talking about characters, you ever get invested in a character so much you think you have the novel planned out, but then they are killed off! Yea, that happened me and I’m not going to lie, there was a tear or two.
There was a lot of adventure, action and angst in this novel to which I really enjoyed. But because of the confusion in so many characters (which is possibly just myself), I have rated this book 4 stars.
visp's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
in2earth's review against another edition
5.0
This book means so much to me. It's the epicenter for my adult reading life. It introduced me to Stephen King in the most multifaceted way that kept me bound to him for years searching for the high that this book gave me. The lengths King goes to craft his characters is truly genius. I have never loved or feared a cast more than these folks. I haven't read the book in over 7 years, but the opening scene still haunts me. Do yourself a favor and if you are going to take this journey and read the unabridged copy.
lauren_stephh's review against another edition
dark
emotional
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/injury detail, Death, and Violence
Moderate: Rape, Racial slurs, Murder, Gun violence, Sexual assault, and Racism