This is the way the world ends: with a nanosecond of computer error in a Defense Department laboratory and a million casual contacts that form the links in a chain letter of death.And here is the bleak new world of the day after: a world stripped of its institutions and emptied of 99 percent of its people. A world in which a handful of panicky survivors choose sides — or are chosen. A world in … world in which good rides on the frail shoulders of the 108-year-old Mother Abigail — and the worst nightmares of evil are embodied in a man with a lethal smile and unspeakable powers: Randall Flagg, the dark man.
In 1978 Stephen King published The Stand, the novel that is now considered to be one of his finest works. But as it was first published, The Stand was incomplete, since more than 150,000 words had been cut from the original manuscript.
Now Stephen King’s apocalyptic vision of a world blasted by plague and embroiled in an elemental struggle between good and evil has been restored to its entirety. The Stand : The Complete And Uncut Edition includes more than five hundred pages of material previously deleted, along with new material that King added as he reworked the manuscript for a new generation. It gives us new characters and endows familiar ones with new depths. It has a new beginning and a new ending. What emerges is a gripping work with the scope and moral comlexity of a true epic.
For hundreds of thousands of fans who read The Stand in its original version and wanted more, this new edition is Stephen King’s gift. And those who are reading The Stand for the first time will discover a triumphant and eerily plausible work of the imagination that takes on the issues that will determine our survival.
From the Hardcover edition.
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When I read this book I became many different characters. I believe that this is King’s greatest book of all time. The scary part is that this is something that has the possibility of actually happening.
I’ve read The Stand many times over the years, and it holds up well. In retrospect, it feels like this book really kicked off the post-apocalyptic genre.
When 99% of the population is decimated by the release of a government-created superbug, the survivors find themselves being drawn together via hidden forces. Two camps form, one in Denver, one in Las Vegas, representing the classical good and evil incarnations of mankind. The big showdown at the end is quite explosive.
If you enjoy settling into an exciting world inhabited by interesting and relatable characters, and read for a good long bit, The Stand is a fantastic, thick tome to pick up.
One of my all time favorites. I have read this book over and over! The story and the characters are unforgettable. Stephen King at his finest!
Epic in every sense of the word. Definitely one to pick at least once in your life. Such an amazing experience to read this book with such a huge amount of vision to create all the characters that come alive in your mind but also the pain and suffering each endure on their own journey through the apocalypse.
King at the height of his epic novel game. The Stand is expertly plotted and peopled with complex characters. It’s a long one and for fans of suspenseful stories. It’s also laced with hope and redemption that make this epic worth the time it takes to read it.
HOW have I never read this before??? I’m only a 5th of the way through and already want to give it a hundred stars!
A book blogger, Mrs Bloggs Books, recommended after she read my book Tipping Point, because she saw similarities; I had heard of it, as one has heard of most of Mr King’s books, but didn’t even know what it was about – when she told me, I filed it on the TBR list. Only just got to it, and am so absorbed that it’s taking me away from writing, telly, everything – if you’re a fan of post apocalyptic fiction and you haven’t read it yet, you absolutely must!!!
I have the unabridged edition, an additional 400 pages or so from what i remember, and it was a phenomenal book. i read it in about a week. it is the book that solidified me as a die hard, forever Stephen King fan and book collector.
This book is one of my all time favorites. It has almost everything, a love story, personal sacrifice, good vs evil, survival, all the complexities of human relationships, great heroes and antagonists, and enough horror to keep you up at night either from fear or because you just can’t put it down. This is a book that keeps you thinking for a very long time after the last page has been read. I kept wondering how I would survive in that world. The only thing I can think of that this book is missing is a sequel.
This was the first book to take me out of my comfort zone. I was in my 30’s yet still sort of a scaredy cat. Stephen King was one of my sister’s favorite authors so she finally talked me into reading it. From then on he was and is one of my favorite too.
Love Love Love – this book!
I loved this book! Such an amazing story!
This was such a wonderful book. I loved how it ended.
if you dig King, this is one of his best ……….. & frighteningly apropos
Possibly the best novel of modern times. King outdoes himself.
The Stand is one of my favorite Stephen King books. Long and involved, but scary and very good.
I have read “The Stand” 4 times now; the original release twice and now the uncut version twice. I can only say thank you Mr. King. I’m sure, at some point in the future I will again crack the pages and read again…
This book is even more relative today than when it was written. This is a great read!
My favorite author
One of my all-time favorite reads. I used to hide the paperback behind my text books when I was in high school. It’s a true master piece and it just gets better with age.
Possibly the best book I’ve ever read.