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Notes from the (Bibliographic) Underground

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   L.A. Noir: The Struggle for the Soul of America's Most Seductive City

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knitist, September 28, 2008 (view all comments by knitist)
The Stand is one of my all-time favorite books and it could be studied as one of the finest novels by American authors. Truly one of the best examples of character development and growth, The Stand brought so much to life that I always felt transported to another place and time. While definitely a long book, the time invested is not wasted - it is an epic masterpiece.

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Guardsman Bass, May 29, 2006 (view all comments by Guardsman Bass)
"The Stand" is a landmark amongst Stephen King novels. King himself has commented, perhaps half-jokingly, that to quite a few of his fans, he could have died in 1980 and the quality of his work would not have suffered for it. It is certainly one of my favorite Stephen King novels.

The overarching plot is a striking combination of apocalypticism and horror. A terrible disease annihilates 99% of the human race, leaving human civilization in ruins. In America, the survivors in the wake of the disease are "called", within their dreams, to two prospective figures. On the side of the good, there is the prophetic Abagail Freemantle, a 108 year old Nebraskan black woman. On the darker side, people are drawn to the enigmatic Randall Flagg, a powerful, demonic being with terrible powers. Eventually, this leads up to the namesake of the book; a 'stand'.

This overview, of course, does not mention what really makes "The Stand" as great as it is; the developed, realistic characters and their complex interactions, the great attention to detail, and the subtle depictions of the main figures. Flagg is not "The Devil", but he is a subtle being with demonic undertones and power. Similarly, Mother Abagail is a prophetic figure, but she is also human, and makes mistakes. All of this makes "The Stand" a highly enjoyable read.

Be warned, however; the book (and particularly the Uncut version) is quite long. Furthermore, King takes considerable time to develop the situation and characters, so, at least to some, that might strike as "very slow development." I recommend, however, that you read it; it is one of the high points of King's career, and a multigenre masterpiece of a novel.

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Product Details

ISBN:

9780451169532

Author:

King, Stephen

Publisher:

Signet Book

Location:

New York :

Subject:

General

Subject:

Fiction

Subject:

Fantastic fiction

Subject:

Research

Subject:

Horror

Subject:

Horror tales

Subject:

Horror - General

Subject:

General Fiction

Subject:

Biological warfare -- Research -- Fiction.

Edition Description:

First Signet printing.

Series Volume:

no. 38

Publication Date:

May 1991

Binding:

Mass Market Paperbound

Grade Level:

General/trade

Language:

English

Illustrations:

Yes

Pages:

1168

Dimensions:

6.88x4.20x1.81 in. 1.07 lbs.