The Stand/Stephen King

I know several Fort mods count this as one of their faves. (Myself included). I was reminded again how easy it would be to come true, when SARS hit.

So many good books have the good vs evil theme and The Stand carried off well without being preachy. I enjoyed the book, but was let down with the TV movie version of it.

I read this book just six months ago when someone suggested I read it. I hated it. Never I have I been more disappointed in a book. I've read a lot of King books over the years, and this was easily the worst. I know I am VERY alone in my thoughts on this book as it seems beloved by all, but I don't get what is so great about it. It's slow, completely predictable, and a lot of it seems forced (relationships, movement of plot) to me.

Did you read the "new, unabridged" version, or the regular version? The new version has more than 150 pages of filler that didn't make the original cut, for what seems like pretty good reason.

I read the unabridged version with all of the edgy stuff restored.King made it his thing to get book restored after the editors had done their magic on it early in his career- when he had no say.A lot of the stuff that was cut had to do with the crazy guy who blew up stuff who'se name escapes me . ( I'm too lazy to go hunting for it)


It reminds me of the Gunslinger books, which I also enjoyed...

I disliked the movie too. The casting was all wrong. Molly Ringwald was so not Frannie.It was like a Disney version of the happy hooker or something.
There is just too much that goes inside the characters heads to do the book justice.

Pretty sure I have the older version, the one I read is my brother's, second issue in 1980. There are elements of it that I did enjoy, but it wasn't worth it for me and completely not up to the standards he set for me in other books or the hype that I had received about it.

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Originally posted by enygma
.... I disliked the movie too. The casting was all wrong. Molly Ringwald was so not Frannie.It was like a Disney version of the happy hooker or something.
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:lol Do you believe she also had the Sally Bowles (sp?) part on Caberet? Ugh!

Wow, Hazy, I thought I was the only one who hated this book. I couldn't believe I kept reading it, I kept hoping it would get better, but it never did. I thought a lot of it was just filler to make it really long and impress everyone with how many pages there were! :laugh
Since I didn't like the book I didn't even bother watching the movie.

I loved The Stand, and it's one of those books that I read at an impressionable age and it haunted me for years. Still does in a way.

Every time I'm on a road trip in the middle of nowhere, I half expect to see people walking toward Colorado!

I love The Stand too. It's one of a very few books that I've read multiple times.

enygma...did you know that Stephen King has re-written The Gunslinger? I haven't bought it yet, though I probably will this weekend. It can maybe tide me over until Book 5 comes out this winter. :)