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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It has been many years since I read this book and just seeing the title compounded with current ads for a series based on it…all make me want to read it one more time. One of King’s best.
This was the first book to really hook me. I read it when I was a sophomore in high school and read the unedited version when it came out later. To this day, it is one of the greatest novels I’ve ever read. This book is to Stephen King what Born to Run is to Bruce Springsteen.
A large number of diverse and well crafted characters make this post apocalyptic story interesting and engaging. The drive to keep on living, cope with loss of loved ones and having to choose between good and evil make this story engaging. It is a long book but is filled with enough emotional drama and action to keep the reader interested. I enjoyed this book very much.
If you like thrillers with a bit of science fiction, his one is for you.
It was a little slow. But, it was worth reading.
Still one of my favorites even though all the film adaptations have tainted it.
I’ve read this book 5 times. I love it every time.
One of my favourite books to have ever read. I’ve read it three times and it never ceases to amaze me at how it holds me in place.
This was the very first Stephen King book I ever read while in high school! I was immediately enraptured with the characters and held my breathe a lot as they navigated a world after Captain Tripps. Eerily, some of it almost feels like Covid19 looking back.
For the most part, the characters are easy to believe and I actually cared about them. The original TV movie with Molly Ringwold was not bad but it did not do justice to the book. I have the original book released and then the extended content book and will never part with them. I recommend this book!
I loved the battle between good and evil.
I read the extended edition by accident. This one was 700 pages more than the original, so this book took a few months to get through, but I looked forward to jumping back into the book when I had a free moment.
Do NOT read while Covid is still a thing! I read this book in mid 2019 – and it’s absolutely terrifying with the plague like issues we’re dealing with. If you ever want to sleep a restful sleep again, for the love of God, please wait until Covid blows over!
One of my favorite books of all time. Grand in scope but initiate feel.
Love, love love this book
having read this 30 years ago i would have to say it is one that still stands out in my mind as being the end of the world. This is one of my favorite books by this author and i have read about all of them. A good long read.. enjoy
Very relevant story.we are experiencing almost the same thing now.
“The Stand” is perhaps one of the most relevant books of 2020. Although COVID-19 is not anywhere near as virulent or deadly as Captain Trips (the super flu that killed off 99.9999% of humanity in this story), it IS a pandemic – although without the mystical and sinister elements of “The Stand.” Stephen King covers a lot of ground here. Part science, part science fiction, with a healthy dose of the apocalypse, King weaves a riveting story with his usual flair. A classic good vs evil tale, “The Stand” is a must-read for anyone that enjoys a great end-of-civilization story!
In my early teens, circa 1990-ish, The Stand didn’t have nearly the following that it does today. From the storyline to the plot and character development, I got so sucked into this book I was guiltily reading after bedtime with my trusty flashlight – never got caught, though! As is typical of ‘America’s Master of Horror,’ Stephen King, his attention to detail is in a place all his own. A must-read for any horror genre fan. I had to read the extended edition as soon as it came out, and I was amazed at my different, more adult take on it. I definitely love this book.
Since most everyone already knows what this book is about, I’m not going to add a book synopsis to this review. Although it took me many months to read this book, I highly enjoyed it. It took me so long because the print is small and Stephen King can get very wordy in his books. It was a lot to take in at a time. I loved how this book was a combination of many stories. Each character has their own back story that is very detailed. How these people from different backgrounds come together to fight a bigger evil is heartwarming.
The story flowed well and the chapters switched between characters and location often which made for a more interesting story. You didn’t feel stuck in one spot for very long. Stephen King is a very detailed story teller and leaves nothing out. He also does a great job keeping secrets and shocking the reader. I look forward to reading more of his work.
What a great book. This book withstands the test of time.
One of my all time favorites and I’ve read it many times.