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jessica's Reviews > The Stand
The Stand
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goodness me, this book was a chore. it took me nearly a month to finish and by the 12 day mark i was really regretting reading the unabridged version. and along the way, i realised that this is a classic case of me liking the idea of the book so much more than the book itself, which is so unfortunate.
i thought the beginning started off really strong. i was enjoying seeing how the plague affected everyone differently and the lengths everyone had to take to survive the mass confusion and looming death. oh, and nick. nick is the best thing to come out of fiction since i dont know when. and although an attachment to a character is enough motivation to finish a book, its sometimes not enough to actually enjoy the book entirely.
what really made me check out was when the dreams started becoming a major focal point to the plot. i just could not get behind the whole mother abigail vs. randall flagg story line. i understand that stephen king has wonderful and deep messages in his books, but if im not really engaged with the story, then im not going to invest the extra time to try to analyse everything. so i know i missed out there, but i cant bring myself to care more about it.
so what began as an interesting story turned into a very religious subtext of good vs. evil. its an ambitious story, but one i just wasnt quite feeling by the end.
� 2.5 stars
i thought the beginning started off really strong. i was enjoying seeing how the plague affected everyone differently and the lengths everyone had to take to survive the mass confusion and looming death. oh, and nick. nick is the best thing to come out of fiction since i dont know when. and although an attachment to a character is enough motivation to finish a book, its sometimes not enough to actually enjoy the book entirely.
what really made me check out was when the dreams started becoming a major focal point to the plot. i just could not get behind the whole mother abigail vs. randall flagg story line. i understand that stephen king has wonderful and deep messages in his books, but if im not really engaged with the story, then im not going to invest the extra time to try to analyse everything. so i know i missed out there, but i cant bring myself to care more about it.
so what began as an interesting story turned into a very religious subtext of good vs. evil. its an ambitious story, but one i just wasnt quite feeling by the end.
� 2.5 stars
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Reading Progress
January 6, 2019
– Shelved
January 6, 2019
– Shelved as:
to-read
Started Reading
January 20, 2019
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Finished Reading
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Amber
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rated it 4 stars
Jan 31, 2019 06:04AM
Amazing book! I love his work!
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I have the unabridged version too. I picked it up once to try and start it then was like, “this will take me a thousand years� and put it down. That sucks you had to spend so much time on a not great book. It’s enormous.
I just finished reading this for the second time , amazing book , I loved every moment of it
I didn’t know there were two versions until recently, as mine is the original 1980s shorter version which was good.
amber - yay! so happy you enjoyed this!! :)hayley - yeahhh. i feel ya. i honestly would have dnf'd it around the 40% mark if it hadnt been a book recommended by a friend. oh well.
matthew - thats awesome!! so glad you love this so much!!
adrian - i wish i had known there was a shorter, original version before picking this up. oh well.
have you read "Swan Song" by Robert Mccammon? same theme, but i thought a much better written story
reading now and it's one of my favorite books.
richard - no, ive never heard of it, but that sounds like a wonderful recommendation. thank you!rosanna - yay!! so happy you love this so much! :)
I loved the abridge version but even that one took me 3 months
jessica wrote: "richard - no, ive never heard of it, but that sounds like a wonderful recommendation. thank you!rosanna - yay!! so happy you love this so much! :)"
welcome
I read it when it came out in the '80s and was blown away, but then I've been partial to post-apocalyptic fiction. Haven't re-read it and I'm not sure how well it would hold up. I've got the unabridged version in ebook, so maybe someday I'll get back to it.
I was amazed at this book. A grand cast of characters, a great sweep of events. Masterfully narrated. And ... I intend never ever to read it again. never.
joey - yeah, its a beast of a book.susan - hopefully you love it just as much the second time around! :)
raymond - hahaha. i completely understand that!
Stephen King's are mostly hit or miss for me...Nothing in between. Nice Review!
thank you! and yeah, i feel the same way about king.
They’ve just announced a new tv show adaptation, so hopefully that’ll be more accessible! I do find some of his books a real struggle (like this one), but others I love.
I really like King (apart of my liking Swan Song over the Stand), but I thought "It" with all it's jumping back and forth (between memories) initially much harder to get into then The Stand
M-O-O-N spells "you are a crazy person."
My first and last SK book. Totally not worth it. It took me months to finish it
aw. im sorry this didnt work out for you either, ana. :(
I feel like I've been listening to the audio book (unabridged version too!) of this for 83 years! I feel exactly the same way as you - I had high hopes following the first 10 chapters and then things suddenly became quite stagnant.
ohhh nooo. while its nice to know that im not the only one who struggled with this, im sooo sorry this isnt working out for you. :(
I’m currently reading it and struggling. Was just introduced to the trash can and had to put the book down before finished the chapter- I’m committed now but I honestly feel bored. I like stories that keep me on the edge of my seat, half of the time with this one it’s so long before we come back around to s character I forget their story line 🤦🏻♀�. If you like plague type book I recommend � the blood artists� finished it in a day
This book kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time strange how its all different for different people though
There are a few (I won’t name them as being a huge King fan it feels blasphemous 😂) books of his that I fall deeply in love with, feel a strong bond and then towards the end I grow tired and critical and uncommitted, a bit like a relationship we’ve all experienced at some point ha! This is why I find it hard to explain my love of this Author, for its not his writing or him I’m moved by but instead the characters he creates who seem almost to real to ever part ways with, and I can feel almost depressed when finishing a book I’ve thoroughly experienced and lived! But.,. Theres those few books were I’ve just fell out of love and just find I’m reading a 3 hr monologue rather than story 🤣🤣 I do hope I make sense here 🤦🏼♀�
Same here. I DNFed it today after a couple of months of torturer ever since they reached Boulder, which is where it turned heavily religious! Such a waste of a good plague plot. :(
I definitely struggled. Took me nearly three months. I completely agree with your review.
This is the exact point I am at, and so I came to GR to see if anyone else felt the same :)
Watch the mini-series
alright! youve convinced me. lol.
Good. Let me know what you think.
Wow you put my exact feelings into words! I, too, thought the book started off strong & then it just became a chore due to the turn of focus in the story line.
This review is exactly how I’m feeling. I’m reading it nonstop for the sole purpose of finishing because I’m about half way done. First half was good, but i have no interest in the dreams either. I’m here for post apocalyptic story and staying only bc I’m feeling like a completionist
Hi Jessica, wonderful review. Now it's time to turn to McCammon's Swan's Song. I'm reading that book for months and I think it's the better dystopian novel :-) all the best Peter
Finished it because I felt obligated but 1000% what I thought!!
