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A review by tabatha_shipley
The Stand by Stephen King
4.0
My audiobook from the library returned (because it took me 3 weeks to get this far). Don't worry ... I have a hold to get it back and finish it and I have a GREAT memory for plots so I'll be good. But that's why this one stalled out at 62% for so long.
What I Didn’t Like:
-Odd choices made about what to include and what to cut. For example, why do we need to know that Mother Abigail remembers the smell of a room after sex but not get front-row seats to a small girl breaking her arm? King always seems to have an obsession with talking about the things people don’t normally talk about (for good or for bad) including difficulties in the bathroom. It’s a weird thing to bring in.
-Definitely scenes that could be cut. I feel like if this was anyone besides King, this book would’ve been a lot shorter. But if you choose to read this book you already expect that, I think. It’s going to be a JOURNEY.
-Some of the flu aspects are … questionable. But this is fiction, so you can forgive some of that.
-The ending almost felt like it was going out of order. Almost like it ended more than once if that makes sense. Each one is good and necessary … but it’s strange to have that shocking feeling that there’s still more story.
What I Did Like:
+Characters are well written. All that build-up is for a reason. You need enough time with a character to start developing opinions about the inherent goodness or evil of each person. Ultimately, this book is good vs evil on an epic scale. You need time to draw conclusions so that the ending rocks you to your core.
+Ideas about the post-apocalyptic world are well done. The things that work vs the things that don’t. I’ve read a lot of post-apocalyptic things and I don’t think I’ve EVER had someone talk about bread before. It’s GREAT to see that brought up.
+The ending(s) deliver. They give you some satisfaction and some questions.
+Morality questions. Come on, you knew they were coming. They’re well written and they work for the story. My favorite? Dayna’s conversation in the office. It’s not the most famous, I don’t even remember it making the movie, but in print it’s POWERFUL.
Who Should Read This One:
-Do NOT tackle this beast if you’re not ready for a JOURNEY. This is over 1000 pages. You are getting up close and personal with characters who may not make it.
-BUT if you like dystopian and you want good vs evil on a HUGE scale … this is a great book.
My Rating: 4 Stars. It was EPIC and it’s worth the read. But I can’t say 5 star because you really need to be ready for that word count.
What I Didn’t Like:
-Odd choices made about what to include and what to cut. For example, why do we need to know that Mother Abigail remembers the smell of a room after sex but not get front-row seats to a small girl breaking her arm? King always seems to have an obsession with talking about the things people don’t normally talk about (for good or for bad) including difficulties in the bathroom. It’s a weird thing to bring in.
-Definitely scenes that could be cut. I feel like if this was anyone besides King, this book would’ve been a lot shorter. But if you choose to read this book you already expect that, I think. It’s going to be a JOURNEY.
-Some of the flu aspects are … questionable. But this is fiction, so you can forgive some of that.
-The ending almost felt like it was going out of order. Almost like it ended more than once if that makes sense. Each one is good and necessary … but it’s strange to have that shocking feeling that there’s still more story.
What I Did Like:
+Characters are well written. All that build-up is for a reason. You need enough time with a character to start developing opinions about the inherent goodness or evil of each person. Ultimately, this book is good vs evil on an epic scale. You need time to draw conclusions so that the ending rocks you to your core.
+Ideas about the post-apocalyptic world are well done. The things that work vs the things that don’t. I’ve read a lot of post-apocalyptic things and I don’t think I’ve EVER had someone talk about bread before. It’s GREAT to see that brought up.
+The ending(s) deliver. They give you some satisfaction and some questions.
+Morality questions. Come on, you knew they were coming. They’re well written and they work for the story. My favorite? Dayna’s conversation in the office. It’s not the most famous, I don’t even remember it making the movie, but in print it’s POWERFUL.
Who Should Read This One:
-Do NOT tackle this beast if you’re not ready for a JOURNEY. This is over 1000 pages. You are getting up close and personal with characters who may not make it.
-BUT if you like dystopian and you want good vs evil on a HUGE scale … this is a great book.
My Rating: 4 Stars. It was EPIC and it’s worth the read. But I can’t say 5 star because you really need to be ready for that word count.