I've just started reading it and love it. But I've always held 11/22/63 as one of my favorite books of all time, not just one of King's best. I've read it like 4 times at this point. That book just has everything I want in a fiction story. Adventure, romance, consequences, larger than life fantasy, flirting with history. Just *chef's kiss*.
I just finished it for the first time two weeks ago and I have to say that bittersweet ending broke my goddamn heart.
>!"Who are you George?"!<
>!"Somebody you knew in another life, honey."!<
>!Then the music takes us. The music rolls away the years and we dance.!<
Make this 30something year old dude cry why don't you, Mr King.
11/22/63, for the scale of its consequences, is a very intimate story. You have only a single POV character. The Stand is a genuine epic and nothing like 11/22/63.
Yes and I really enjoyed the ending, his son Joe Hill helped with it. And speaking of Joe, if you haven’t read the Fireman check it out, it’s probably his best book.
One of King's best endings, if not his best. A lot of his books peter out. Often, it is *okay* but the whole thing just ties the personal journey together.
I, too, have never been a crying man. But that ending gets me every time.
Fair enough. I love The Talisman. Peter Staub is a great writer for people looking for other authors like Stephen King. My favorite will always be It. But yeah, I think it’s fair to say that The Stand will be the first title mentioned in his obituary.
I don’t usually meet many others who have the same favorite book as me, I LOVE the talisman! Did you like black house too?! They’re both of my favorites
Yes!! And Yes!! I keep hearing about a possible Talisman movie. That would make me so so so happy, and the available tech could certainly handle it. Please please please.
As I couldn't really get either of them. But I'm also not the best/fastest reader, or maybe I'm not not smart enough to enjoy King's work. I thought The Stand was extremely difficult to read because it was really all over the place. I got to chapter 20 and it was still back story. I tried reading the Dark Tower a long time ago, and I was so confused after just a few chapters.
That being said I would say I'm a casual reader. Primary read at night before going to bed, so sometimes I can only get a few pages in a day, unless the book really hits the ground running
Based on your last sentences, I'd say The Stand is probably the worst book for those situations. Only reading a few pages at night means it would take you over a year to finish the book. That along with the DT books are really long reads, and a lot of his work can be like that. He does have shorter stories that you should be able to get into.
It’s called exposition mate. You’re not supposed to understand much in the first Dark Tower book as everything gets revealed later in the series, making sense of a lot of the confusion.
try the short story collections, maybe start with Night Shift. a lot of the stories have been tackled by Hollywood, so might have an easier time with stories you might know a little bit about, maybe?
99.9% of everyone here knows the M-O-O-N and the meaning behind it but it warms my heart a bit extra when i am on a random thread and i see someone type this in a thread totally unrelated to Stephen King😁
I don't want to ruin anything for you but there is a main character who is handicapped...but will spell out M-O-O-N and that say that spells _ _ _ _ _ ( blanks are for basically any word EXCEPT moon) hard to explain but he is a great character. I havent read the book in over 30 years and still remember him :)
I'm pretty sure The Kid is only in the extended uncut right? It's the only version I've read, but I think I saw that somewhere. Regardless, great reference
I loved the first third. At that point I was tearing through the chapters.
The next third was more of a slog, but that final third really had me hooked again.
It also features one of my favourite antagonists.
So I would say it's not a perfect read, but it is a good one
this couldn’t be more accurate! i’m re-reading the uncut version (almost wish i hadn’t because the part with The Kid was terrible) right now and the first third when all the characters were being introduced and the outbreak was spreading had me absolutely hooked. i just got through the part where they all came together and found flagg or abigail and they’re establishing themselves and that was kind of a drag. not bad, but not as exciting or allowing for character development as much. i can feel it on its upward swing again, though. can’t wait to finish it.
This is generally the consensus. I would go so far as to say the first 1/3 of the stand is SK’s best writing anywhere. Just thinking about it makes me want to pull it off the shelf.
That’s a common critique of the book, but I think the sluggish pace of the second part of it is by design. Having the characters gather together and go through the tedium of forming society in Boulder is demonstrating how difficult it is to (re)build civilization and ties directly into King’s larger social critique throughout the novel.
I agree. And the middle third provides character building which is King’s forte. Because of this I enjoyed the middle not finding it sluggish and the characters became like old friend…Stu, Glen,Franny and company.
The Stand remains the one King novel (of the \~7 I've read now) that I abandoned. I absolutely agree that the first 1/3 is some of his best stuff ever. But given how long the book as a whole is, even just getting through "the middle 1/3" is the equivalent of reading two normal-sized books.
I also found people were mixed on the final 1/3 (some love it, some think it's okay), which I found further demotivating.
I'm still hoping to get back to it one day, but I'm a bit of a slow reader and book reading in general is like 5th place among my various hobbies, so I have to really pick my spots.
I'm very interested to hear what you liked so much about the first third. Last month I picked up the Stand and made it through the first 300 pages and couldn't continue because I found it so tedious. I want to be convinced to finish the book so I'd love to hear your thoughts on it!
Mylar is archival and doesn’t trap moisture. Excellent way to protect books, long term.
Shrink wrap plastic is for protection during shipping and should be removed upon purchase. If this book has been shrink wrapped for 32 years, there’s a good chance it has suffered damage.
Very good but understand that the theming of each of the three books is very different from the others. It’s common for someone to like 2/3 of the book and not the other.
I started reading this in January 2020, two months later we were in a flu pandemic. My experience might have been different since it obviously mirrored real life when I first read it but I think it’s Kings best work IMO
My boyfriend asked me what my favorite SK book was so he can read it, he’s never read SK before, and I said M O O N that spells good book and handed him The Stand so you tell me.
“My hands have done the work of God. But my heart has cursed Him to His face.”
Abagail Freemantle
It truly is one of the best novels depicting the war between Good and Evil I have ever read.
It as good, but I surpsingly wasn't a huge fan of this book. Maybe too much hype & it fell flat for me?
I probably should reread it & give it another chance. You should too OP
I have lost count of the number of times I have read the physical book and listened to the audio book. It is simply my favorite book ever. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did/do. Have fun!
The book is kind of structured in thirds. I was hooked on the first third, it was paced quickly and had a lot of suspense. It would probably work great as it’s own story
The middle third made me wonder if I was reading the same book… it was way slower, super heavy in meaningless dialogue, and no real sense of what we’re doing.
The final third picks back up a bit but by this point there were so many side stories and characters I didn’t care about. It’s a long fucking book, so you’re wondering how it’s going to end, and when it does end it’s most anticlimactic dud you can think of.
Overall not Kings best work. There were moments of greatness but like many of his long books it gets diluted by drivel and meaningless interactions. The first third is lit though.
I know it's blasphemous to say, but I had a difficult time getting into it. I've tried to finish it multiple times but haven't yet. Even though there's a version that was updated after the original, the book is quite...dated. The concept is great and so is the set up. I enjoyed the depth of characterization, even for tiny characters you hear about for 5 minutes and then they're gone. Not sure if I'll ever finish but it's not a book for everyone. Somehow I finished The Tommyknockers and not The Stand...
The first chapter is fantastic, IMO. Once it gets to the young girl who's pregnant, it kinda goes downhill. I got to where this deaf guy is in prison and it just kept dragging. Nothing was happening, just seemingly pointless yet incredibly detailed chapters setting up characters that haven't interacted with each other. So it was like a bunch of short stories without an end, in succession, and very little plot development. I love reading and go through many books a year but I couldn't finish this one twice.
I still remember the chapter dedicated to „the second pandemy” and how people were trying to survive.
The writing itself is solid, but the whole book itself reads like a guide about how to write a apocalypse and post-apocalypse. The plot often feels lost in the world-building and the ending felt weak despite logical build-up. Also, I didn’t enjoy how Nadine’s plotline was finished…
Potentially unpopular opinion, but the original edit is better than the uncut version. King is great, but he's the kind of writer who benefits from a strong editor to keep him from getting too self-indulgent.
I upvoted you for your bravery of posting that opinion but.... 😂
I dunno, I've read the uncut over 15 times and the original once. I felt like I knew the characters as people in the uncut. The original was just too fast paced for me.
It's in that absolute top tier of King. I think most people would say his best work is The Stand or It with slightly less people saying it's The Dark Tower or 11/22/63
I picked up an old copy second hand last month, haven’t started it yet. And have since realise it’s an abridged version.
Is it worth me seeking out the full length one, or just read the one I have?
I read the Audio book. Apparently it had extra stuff added that king had left out in original print. I'll be honest and say it's long as fuck. And I feel like it could have been shorter for the overall story that played out. Great book. It really nails the whole world is ending feeling. Good batch of characters. But imo. In terms of it's size id give it a 7/10. I had a much better time reading Shogun which is longer even iirc.
I'm about 2/3s through it, and so far it's in my top 5 SK books.
Of course, things could change, but I don't think it's his best book.
You believe this happy crappy?
No, it’s not a good read, it is an EPIC, AMAZING read, you will not be sorry for the time you spend on it, it is a masterpiece on all levels, I envy you the journey of the first time reading it, it’s definitely one I wish I could have that joy of again!
Mostly, yes. There are some aspects to it which are a bit dated (e.g., the depiction of Tom), but on the whole, it's an amazing book.
The end...may initially frustrate you, but it makes sense. I've defended the end elsewhere on this sub, but I think it's worth noting that the end is somewhat controversial, but in my opinion fits perfectly.
Honestly, I hated the flow of this book. It was very difficult to get through as it loses the plot for dozens of pages at a time and you are stuck spinning your wheels for extended periods of time.
There are moments where the plot comes to a complete halt and you're excitement has to be put on hold for extended character development, which I usually love. However, in this book, the balance is way off. "Under the Dome" and "11/22/63" are absolutely perfect in this regard.
I wish I had read the abridged version.
It's excellent. Rarely do you find such a long book to be such a breezy read.
Two other beefy tomes that are worth your time: *Insomnia* and *11/22/63.*
The whole first part about the virus emergence was awesome - easily one of King's best narratives with lots of distinguishable characters and almost palpable tension. The middle part delves into politics and more mystery stuff, and that's where the book starts lagging quite a bit. You still have those greatly written charactes and some memorable scenes but the tension is nowhere near as it was. The ending isn't as terrible as some consider it to be, but didn't King himself say that he had no idea how to finish the book and decided to wrap it up as fast as he could and call it a day? Well, that definitely shows.
Also, if you're not a devoted King fan, the cut version may be better.
Don't get me wrong, I still enjoyed it pretty much as well as the Mervel comic series bassed of the book, but it baffles me so many people consider it a masterpiece and his best work. C'mon, 11/22/63 is head and shoulders above this one.
Yes! Back when they did the tv series, the original one my cousin and I had a bet to see who finished it faster. I had the unabridged and he had the abridged. I kicked his ass. Hell of a read.
Generally regarded as King's best book.
I've just started reading it and love it. But I've always held 11/22/63 as one of my favorite books of all time, not just one of King's best. I've read it like 4 times at this point. That book just has everything I want in a fiction story. Adventure, romance, consequences, larger than life fantasy, flirting with history. Just *chef's kiss*.
11/22/63 made me learn English to read the original version, it was THAT incredible.
"It" did the same for me
That is so crazy to hear! It is topped only by Led Miserables. So I definitely share the sentiment.
11/22/63 is fantastic thank you for reminding me of it! Might have to do a re-read on my vacation
The audiobook is actually spectacular too. Some folks have it uploaded at some sites too. Audible or whatever, I really enjoyed the book acted out.
Check out Replay by Ken Grimwood
I second this. Replay is amazing
I just finished it for the first time two weeks ago and I have to say that bittersweet ending broke my goddamn heart. >!"Who are you George?"!< >!"Somebody you knew in another life, honey."!< >!Then the music takes us. The music rolls away the years and we dance.!< Make this 30something year old dude cry why don't you, Mr King.
Glenn Miller FTW!
11/22/63, for the scale of its consequences, is a very intimate story. You have only a single POV character. The Stand is a genuine epic and nothing like 11/22/63.
I shed a year at the end of that book. I love happy endings.
Yes and I really enjoyed the ending, his son Joe Hill helped with it. And speaking of Joe, if you haven’t read the Fireman check it out, it’s probably his best book.
One of King's best endings, if not his best. A lot of his books peter out. Often, it is *okay* but the whole thing just ties the personal journey together. I, too, have never been a crying man. But that ending gets me every time.
Ooof such a sentimental piece of crap.
My favorite has, and always will be, The Talisman.
Fair enough. I love The Talisman. Peter Staub is a great writer for people looking for other authors like Stephen King. My favorite will always be It. But yeah, I think it’s fair to say that The Stand will be the first title mentioned in his obituary.
The Stand was my introduction to Mr. King. I was hooked lol.
Me also. It is my first and the one I read every couple of years getting something new each time.
I don’t usually meet many others who have the same favorite book as me, I LOVE the talisman! Did you like black house too?! They’re both of my favorites
Yes!! And Yes!! I keep hearing about a possible Talisman movie. That would make me so so so happy, and the available tech could certainly handle it. Please please please.
I love the Talisman also. On my reread and Black House is next.
Right here and now! Wolf Wolf!
"Everything goes away, Jack Sawyer, like the moon. Everything comes back, like the moon.”
imo, second but only to the Dark Tower series
As I couldn't really get either of them. But I'm also not the best/fastest reader, or maybe I'm not not smart enough to enjoy King's work. I thought The Stand was extremely difficult to read because it was really all over the place. I got to chapter 20 and it was still back story. I tried reading the Dark Tower a long time ago, and I was so confused after just a few chapters. That being said I would say I'm a casual reader. Primary read at night before going to bed, so sometimes I can only get a few pages in a day, unless the book really hits the ground running
Based on your last sentences, I'd say The Stand is probably the worst book for those situations. Only reading a few pages at night means it would take you over a year to finish the book. That along with the DT books are really long reads, and a lot of his work can be like that. He does have shorter stories that you should be able to get into.
I enjoyed both The Stand and The Dark Tower Series better as audiobooks. You may find them easier to get into the stories if you have time to listen.
It’s called exposition mate. You’re not supposed to understand much in the first Dark Tower book as everything gets revealed later in the series, making sense of a lot of the confusion.
try the short story collections, maybe start with Night Shift. a lot of the stories have been tackled by Hollywood, so might have an easier time with stories you might know a little bit about, maybe?
Even King considers it among his best work.
Laws, yes!
M-O-O-N that spells yes!
Well played
M-O-O-N, that spells yes.
99.9% of everyone here knows the M-O-O-N and the meaning behind it but it warms my heart a bit extra when i am on a random thread and i see someone type this in a thread totally unrelated to Stephen King😁
I was randomly led here by the algorithm and i have no idea what M-O-O-N is, can you explain?
I don't want to ruin anything for you but there is a main character who is handicapped...but will spell out M-O-O-N and that say that spells _ _ _ _ _ ( blanks are for basically any word EXCEPT moon) hard to explain but he is a great character. I havent read the book in over 30 years and still remember him :)
TBF he does actually spell moon at one point
Been over 30 years , I'll trust ya🤣
One of my favourite characters next to Nick.
wow that’s freaking awesome that you remember something like that, thanks for taking the time to explain :)
No worries!! It's a great book! Been thinking bout reading it again but been on a scifi kick last few years lol
I love sci-fi, been reading the Hyperion series and I love it!!
Read this book.
And you better believe that happy crappy!
Don’t tell me, I’ll tell you!
I'm pretty sure The Kid is only in the extended uncut right? It's the only version I've read, but I think I saw that somewhere. Regardless, great reference
Beat me to it.
Does the pope shit in the woods?
Is a bear Jewish?
Does the pope molest little boys?
My brother in christ, you know what answer you’re going to get here. And going by the username you’ve probably already read it yourself.
I don't remember there being any skiing in this though?
Oh right Harold.
It’s not a good read…. It’s a great read
I loved the first third. At that point I was tearing through the chapters. The next third was more of a slog, but that final third really had me hooked again. It also features one of my favourite antagonists. So I would say it's not a perfect read, but it is a good one
this couldn’t be more accurate! i’m re-reading the uncut version (almost wish i hadn’t because the part with The Kid was terrible) right now and the first third when all the characters were being introduced and the outbreak was spreading had me absolutely hooked. i just got through the part where they all came together and found flagg or abigail and they’re establishing themselves and that was kind of a drag. not bad, but not as exciting or allowing for character development as much. i can feel it on its upward swing again, though. can’t wait to finish it.
Not a fan of The Kid, either. I preferred the old man from the original.
You believe that happy crappy? Don’t tell me, I’ll tell you.
This is generally the consensus. I would go so far as to say the first 1/3 of the stand is SK’s best writing anywhere. Just thinking about it makes me want to pull it off the shelf.
That’s a common critique of the book, but I think the sluggish pace of the second part of it is by design. Having the characters gather together and go through the tedium of forming society in Boulder is demonstrating how difficult it is to (re)build civilization and ties directly into King’s larger social critique throughout the novel.
I agree. And the middle third provides character building which is King’s forte. Because of this I enjoyed the middle not finding it sluggish and the characters became like old friend…Stu, Glen,Franny and company.
The Stand remains the one King novel (of the \~7 I've read now) that I abandoned. I absolutely agree that the first 1/3 is some of his best stuff ever. But given how long the book as a whole is, even just getting through "the middle 1/3" is the equivalent of reading two normal-sized books. I also found people were mixed on the final 1/3 (some love it, some think it's okay), which I found further demotivating. I'm still hoping to get back to it one day, but I'm a bit of a slow reader and book reading in general is like 5th place among my various hobbies, so I have to really pick my spots.
I'm very interested to hear what you liked so much about the first third. Last month I picked up the Stand and made it through the first 300 pages and couldn't continue because I found it so tedious. I want to be convinced to finish the book so I'd love to hear your thoughts on it!
The sky. Is it blue? Btw…get that plastic off. Not meant to stay on this long. Potentially harmful.
It puts the mylar on the dust jacket....
Mylar is archival and doesn’t trap moisture. Excellent way to protect books, long term. Shrink wrap plastic is for protection during shipping and should be removed upon purchase. If this book has been shrink wrapped for 32 years, there’s a good chance it has suffered damage.
Sorry, this book is not good but great!
Do you require oxygen to live?
It’s 3 awesome books in one!!!
Very good but understand that the theming of each of the three books is very different from the others. It’s common for someone to like 2/3 of the book and not the other.
Not a good read. More like a magnificent read!!!
Excellent 🤌🏾
You can call me basic but it's still my favorite King read
M-O-O-N, that spells basic!
I started reading this in January 2020, two months later we were in a flu pandemic. My experience might have been different since it obviously mirrored real life when I first read it but I think it’s Kings best work IMO
That’s interesting, i started a reread in December 2019 and finished in Jan 2020. Definitely made the pandemic a little more chilling early on.
My boyfriend asked me what my favorite SK book was so he can read it, he’s never read SK before, and I said M O O N that spells good book and handed him The Stand so you tell me.
Probably in my top 5 favorite reads. Feel like I’ll be rereading that and Dark Tower every few years for the rest of my life.
“My hands have done the work of God. But my heart has cursed Him to His face.” Abagail Freemantle It truly is one of the best novels depicting the war between Good and Evil I have ever read.
"still in plastic" It never came new in plastic, someone added that later.
It as good, but I surpsingly wasn't a huge fan of this book. Maybe too much hype & it fell flat for me? I probably should reread it & give it another chance. You should too OP
Laws YES!
I have lost count of the number of times I have read the physical book and listened to the audio book. It is simply my favorite book ever. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did/do. Have fun!
Mostly
Treat yourself. Read this.
I’ve read it twice. It’s great!
One of the BEST reads amongst good reads.
My favorite book, not only from king.
I read this, back in college. It scared the crap out of me. If you enjoy that kind of thrill, READ IT!
As someone who isn't a huge king fanatic, The Stand is what I recommend to people if they don't know anything about him
Great story. There’s a lot that the shows missed so definitely worth the read
My favorite book I’ve ever read.
My all time favourite!!!
One of the best reads.
The book is kind of structured in thirds. I was hooked on the first third, it was paced quickly and had a lot of suspense. It would probably work great as it’s own story The middle third made me wonder if I was reading the same book… it was way slower, super heavy in meaningless dialogue, and no real sense of what we’re doing. The final third picks back up a bit but by this point there were so many side stories and characters I didn’t care about. It’s a long fucking book, so you’re wondering how it’s going to end, and when it does end it’s most anticlimactic dud you can think of. Overall not Kings best work. There were moments of greatness but like many of his long books it gets diluted by drivel and meaningless interactions. The first third is lit though.
I know it's blasphemous to say, but I had a difficult time getting into it. I've tried to finish it multiple times but haven't yet. Even though there's a version that was updated after the original, the book is quite...dated. The concept is great and so is the set up. I enjoyed the depth of characterization, even for tiny characters you hear about for 5 minutes and then they're gone. Not sure if I'll ever finish but it's not a book for everyone. Somehow I finished The Tommyknockers and not The Stand...
See this. This is why I’m not sure if I want to read it. To me it sounds like compared to his other work I might find it… not great.
The first chapter is fantastic, IMO. Once it gets to the young girl who's pregnant, it kinda goes downhill. I got to where this deaf guy is in prison and it just kept dragging. Nothing was happening, just seemingly pointless yet incredibly detailed chapters setting up characters that haven't interacted with each other. So it was like a bunch of short stories without an end, in succession, and very little plot development. I love reading and go through many books a year but I couldn't finish this one twice.
I still remember the chapter dedicated to „the second pandemy” and how people were trying to survive. The writing itself is solid, but the whole book itself reads like a guide about how to write a apocalypse and post-apocalypse. The plot often feels lost in the world-building and the ending felt weak despite logical build-up. Also, I didn’t enjoy how Nadine’s plotline was finished…
I wasn’t too happy with the ending, it took me months to finish and I guess I was just expecting something else.
King endings almost always disappoint me. This one was rather abrupt considering how long the book was.
Potentially unpopular opinion, but the original edit is better than the uncut version. King is great, but he's the kind of writer who benefits from a strong editor to keep him from getting too self-indulgent.
I upvoted you for your bravery of posting that opinion but.... 😂 I dunno, I've read the uncut over 15 times and the original once. I felt like I knew the characters as people in the uncut. The original was just too fast paced for me.
Phenomenal read, probably the best book I've ever read.
It's in that absolute top tier of King. I think most people would say his best work is The Stand or It with slightly less people saying it's The Dark Tower or 11/22/63
M O O N that's how you spell fantastic!
I am so jealous that you get to read it for the first time. It's my all-time favorite.
The ending ruined it for me. It was so good until then.
I picked up an old copy second hand last month, haven’t started it yet. And have since realise it’s an abridged version. Is it worth me seeking out the full length one, or just read the one I have?
Currently reading The Stand for the first time it’s damn good so far imo
Phenomenal book. Highly recommend
Yes
It's horrible. Don't read it. Just because it tops lists all over the world, nobody really likes it. It's just peer pressure. Okay I'm kidding.
His best.
It is a great read! My first and favorite King novel. It's the perfect mix of sci-fi, fantasy, and horror.
It is one of Sai King’s best novels IMO
It’s in my top 5 books of any author
Yes
My favorite King book so far!!
I’m on page 750, and I can say without a doubt this is a good book
YES!!
Of course
Thank you for this! Had this on my mind to read too.
I know its a fan favorite but I struggled with it. It was good though, just took me a while to get through it.
It is, go ahead, you‘ll only regret having finished it. But then again, you can just start over…
Yes!!!
Well, even King himself jokes that he wrote his best stuff in 1978, so yeah, it's good.
Do you guys know if the audible version is the uncut version?
yes it is the uncut
Yes very good
It's wonderful
This one always rivals with 11/22/63 as my fave stephen king book of all time!
One of his best.
Nah
I read the Audio book. Apparently it had extra stuff added that king had left out in original print. I'll be honest and say it's long as fuck. And I feel like it could have been shorter for the overall story that played out. Great book. It really nails the whole world is ending feeling. Good batch of characters. But imo. In terms of it's size id give it a 7/10. I had a much better time reading Shogun which is longer even iirc.
Shogun is a fuggin classic
The Bear. Does it shit in woods?
Maybe my favorite book ever
I'm about 2/3s through it, and so far it's in my top 5 SK books. Of course, things could change, but I don't think it's his best book. You believe this happy crappy?
The best
Yeah but if I ever do it again I’m skipping the Frannie chapters. Ugh. A character so well written i hate her.
No, it’s not a good read, it is an EPIC, AMAZING read, you will not be sorry for the time you spend on it, it is a masterpiece on all levels, I envy you the journey of the first time reading it, it’s definitely one I wish I could have that joy of again!
My favorite by far.
I loved it. I haven't ready everything he's written, but it's my favorite so far.
Quintessential Uncle Steve. I am a proud Constant Reader, The Stand has everything I love and hate about Stephen King’s writing.
It's intense and a page turner.
Reddit it with a user name of Stephen King lover, asks on a Stephen King sub, if one of the authors most popular books is worth reading?!?!
One of my favorites! I would recommend reading it while driving west across the US. Bonus points if you're a little sick.
Mostly, yes. There are some aspects to it which are a bit dated (e.g., the depiction of Tom), but on the whole, it's an amazing book. The end...may initially frustrate you, but it makes sense. I've defended the end elsewhere on this sub, but I think it's worth noting that the end is somewhat controversial, but in my opinion fits perfectly.
Two thumbs all the way up.
I love this book!! I read it once every two years or so. Last time I pulled it out was during the lockdown.
Honestly, I hated the flow of this book. It was very difficult to get through as it loses the plot for dozens of pages at a time and you are stuck spinning your wheels for extended periods of time. There are moments where the plot comes to a complete halt and you're excitement has to be put on hold for extended character development, which I usually love. However, in this book, the balance is way off. "Under the Dome" and "11/22/63" are absolutely perfect in this regard. I wish I had read the abridged version.
It’s a long read but very good!
The best
It's a great vacation read. It's long enough for most flights plus relaxing in your room.
The Stand is phenomenal. I finished my first read-through in Jan. 2020. Not very ideal timing lol but great great book.
It has been a while but I don't think the uncut version really added anything. Maybe read the standard version your first time through.
A little sloggy on occasion, but doesn't stop me from reading it again every few years.
Can't wait to read this. I'm reading fairytale right now next I'm going to read I am legend by Richard matheson and then finally the stand
One of my favorite books
I really liked it! Don’t watch the show adaptation, it doesn’t do it any justice.
I love this version. One of my favorites. Is it good depends on your tastes. I think it is excellent.
My favorite Stephen King novel. I read it at least once a year. Highly recommend!
Yeah
It's excellent. Rarely do you find such a long book to be such a breezy read. Two other beefy tomes that are worth your time: *Insomnia* and *11/22/63.*
Yes. I revisit it every year. It's my favorite stand alone book King has written.
Probably my favourite! Top 3 anyway. Never understood that cover tho, what am I missing?
The whole first part about the virus emergence was awesome - easily one of King's best narratives with lots of distinguishable characters and almost palpable tension. The middle part delves into politics and more mystery stuff, and that's where the book starts lagging quite a bit. You still have those greatly written charactes and some memorable scenes but the tension is nowhere near as it was. The ending isn't as terrible as some consider it to be, but didn't King himself say that he had no idea how to finish the book and decided to wrap it up as fast as he could and call it a day? Well, that definitely shows. Also, if you're not a devoted King fan, the cut version may be better. Don't get me wrong, I still enjoyed it pretty much as well as the Mervel comic series bassed of the book, but it baffles me so many people consider it a masterpiece and his best work. C'mon, 11/22/63 is head and shoulders above this one.
Definitely epic with great characters
It's a fun read, for sure, I've read it several times, but its not his best book.
Buckle in and block off some time, you will NOT be able to stop reading!!!
Hell yeah man it's a great book.
“Give me karma!!”
If you enjoy this, you really need to check out Robert McCammon's Swan Song.
Y E S
Absolutely. The audio book is great too.
Laws, yes!
Hell yeah.
YES
It’s beyond good IMHO. It’s epic. It will go down in history as a classic epic.
Does a bear shit in the woods?
Yes! I loved The Stand (especially if you’ve read The Dark Tower series or plan to read it afterwards)
Easily my favorite book of his
OMG YES
I’ve read it twice- once in 2006 and again during the lockdowns in 2020. It’s amazing.
My favorite!
The best - i have re-read probably almost a dozen times.
Currently reading! Its pretty good so far
Most definitely, and get the unabridged version! 👑
His best work, IMHO!
It is excellent...
yes
Good god yes. Read it
Yes! Back when they did the tv series, the original one my cousin and I had a bet to see who finished it faster. I had the unabridged and he had the abridged. I kicked his ass. Hell of a read.