Story: A horrible plague, dubbed the “superflu,” has been released from a lab in California. As approximately 90+ percent of the population dies of the disease, something much more sinister is beginning to happen. Survivors are being drawn to Boulder by the vision of “what has to be the oldest woman in America” or to Las Vegas by the vision of “The Walkin’ Dude.” When both communities are re-established, the showdown between good and evil must begin.
Review: The term “epic novel” truly applies in this situation. At over 1100 pages, it is a gargantuan book, especially by paperback standards. I first read what was to become known as the “edited” version of “The Stand” way back in the late 1970s. I was instantly engrossed and immediately became what King aficionados call a “Constant Reader”. I have read this novel at least once every year since then.
King draws us in immediately by beginning the novel with the story of the escape of a deadly flu virus from its originating laboratory and the panicked flight of the front gate guard, Charlie. From there the superflu spreads rapidly, eventually taking out more than 90% of the population, human and animal alike. But that turns out to be the easy part… Characters from all over the country are drawn together through need for human contact and discover that they’re all having pretty much the same dreams. Dreams about Mother Abagail, an elderly woman who lives in Nebraska, and dreams about the Dark Man, an evil presence no one can quite put their finger on. As the story unfolds, the reader finds that King is building toward the ultimate confrontation between good and evil.
It’s a huge story, laced with the type of details one can expect from the author. King writes his characters so clearly, describing them with nuances that the ordinary person can immediately relate to. The fact that he is such a prolific author makes this story even more mind-blowing – after having written a novel of this scope, I’d be bereft of ideas for years to come! The writing is earthy, true-to-life and utterly horrifying. I wouldn’t recommend this novel to the reader who is easily frightened, faint-of-heart or tends toward hypochondria, because you’re going to lie awake for a good long while after putting this book down.
The mini-series based on the book was pretty darn good and they included all the major elements, but it doesn’t hold a candle to the novel. Be prepared for his epilogue to give you a serious case of the willies. If you read only one Steve King book in your life, make it “The Stand”.
Year: 1978
Author: Stephen King
Publisher: New American Library
Pages: 1148
