The Stand by Stephen King Book Review 

my favorite book by him! the scale is huge and the characters are beyond great

What a phenomenal review! The book is now in my thriftbook cart to buy next month. I probably won't get to the book until next year, so the spoiler, spoiler, spoiler, won't have any issue. LOL One of my friends had already told me to read this, but didn't go into the depth you did, and now I'm wondering if a lot of what you mentioned was lost on her. Again, great review!

I've been waiting for your thoughts on The Stand ever since you created the channel. So glad you decided to make a long video! Superb!

Loved it! I hear a lot of people match Stu with Frodo, I personally draw more parallels with him and Aragorn. He seems more “Kingly” and the warrior type like Aragorn. I always felt Frannie was more of the Frodo character overall. I also felt Tom obviously went through it as well

Just finished it! WOW! I must say I was, no pun intended, literally blown away! This book was an epic journey that left me totally questioning humanity's ability to recover from an apocalypse! But 100% loved it .....and yes the characters will stay with me too. I keep thinking about them even after I shelved my book....ending was fab! Randell Flagg is looking for new blood to exploit....he's a delicious monster!

The premise for Larry's character is so great; in a way, Captain Trips was the best thing that ever happened to him. But as great as Larry's arc was, I've got to say that Nick and Tom are still my favorite characters. Their pairing was such a perfect wrinkle (one could talk but not read or write, the other could read and write but couldn't talk). Also, that scene with Nick and Mother Abigail discussing God's will produced my single favorite line in the book. And this isn't discussed much, but Tom's extended section with Stu towards the end was a great thematic coda for the book. If you remember, Harold had a similar injury to Stu (broken leg) but was left to die by Flagg and Nadine without any remorse or sympathy. Yet as simple and as witless as Tom was, he did the opposite when he discovered Stu. Some people have complained that that particular section of the book took too long and detracted from the conclusion, but I think it revealed a lot about the nature of good and evil, and how making the right choice is often a longer and more difficult road to travel. Parallel scenarios, with different choices that explain exactly why Flagg's people perished and Mother Abigail's survived (mostly). Despite the momentum stalling during the middle of the book, The Stand remains in my Top 10 and it's 1994 adaption is still one of the better King adaptions to exist.

This video was good. The ending of the book was far too abrupt in The Stand. After 1300 pages the reader is looking for something more nuanced in the finale. The hard truth is that this book needed to be longer. It really should have been 2 pieces. At the end of the second long section it should have gone onto a second volume. This second part could spend way more time with the evil group in Vegas and how all their dynamics work and then have a much longer, better developed Stand as the climax that involved more of a battle including everyone on both sides. I also wish the speaker in this video would have mentioned The Kid, who played a big role in Trashcan Man's journey to Vegas. The Kid's whole story was cut out of the original version and then included in that 3rd addition he mentions. I'm sure I'm not gonna get a lot of support in making a 1400 page book way longer but that's really what the characters deserved, and I think people would have been fine with reading some more King, they always are. God bless.

You hit the nail on the head, I mostly agreed with you, especially the pacing in Book 2 and how the ending played out. I was so... upset with how anti-climactic it was when it came to Las Vegas. I expected there to be an actual stand against good vs evil, but it was barely there. It annoyed me how Mother Abigail left and came back days(? weeks?) later and just told the 4 men to go to Vegas with the clothes on their back and nothing else. First off -- that must have been harsh on them. Second, they *barely* played a role when they got to Vegas. I kept trying to assess the situation, maybe they were there to bring everyone together to be destroyed and make them suffer, but the "hand of god" would have already been activated somehow with the nuke Trash man brought with him. I don't know, I thought it was extremely lazy. And how Stephen King wrote Frannie's character was GREAT in the beginning, but then she just turned into a sobby mess who cried in every scene she was in, and as a woman, i wanted to throw the book across the room every time Stu had to comfort her. I really expected more bad-assness from Fran. At least we got Dana. However, I really did like the book. I was definitely critical of some parts, especially how King kept sexualizing every woman introduced, but I know there's something good there. I literally just finished it some hours ago and letting my thoughts marinate.

Great review brother . I love your channel keep it up I know you will.

A post script here: I can't understand why people feel Nadine is insane (which does happen, in Vegas). Her childhood was a mess, and at she always feels possessed, not completely in charge of her life. As she ages, Flagg fills her head with romantic thoughts, that her life will be complete when they are together. Of course, this is all fantasy; Flagg just needs a virgin to deliver his child. It was heartbreaking when she realizes Flagg had been stringing her along, from her lonely childhood, cheating her out of more mature relationships in her teens and beyond. Nadine, like Harold, was not evil - they were both manipulated at vulnerable times in their lives. This is Kings genius: making his bad guys human, even likable at times, and giving "constant reader" a chance to get to know these characters as people, (warts and all, as the saying goes), and not just cardboard plot devices. Nick Andross was my favorite character in The Stand, even when in the Free Zone he considers putting the kibosh on the first amendment. Again, King give us real people, and not tin-gods (all of his good-guys have a major flaw or two). I'm old enough to have had the pleasure of reading Kings books as they were published, so The Stand was his third for me. Unfortunately, after what he does to certain characters, I can never really trust King again, including the fan-favorite, "It". I would recommend reading the 1978 version first, then use the unabridged book as a kind of companion piece...

I’d never given much thought to the Lord of the Rings comparison but now I have I’d say Boulder is more like Rivendell than The Shire!

My favorite King novel so far! In fact, you have convinced me to tackle the Dark Tower series and some of the other books that tie into the series! Thanks for sharing!

I'm obsessed with your book shelves! I'm digging your channel! I found you from the Bev Vincent. Keep it up!

Great review. Definitely need to read the Stand again soon.

This is an amazing review!

Ending spoilers: The Hand of God came from the magic blast Flagg shot at Whitney for speaking out against the untried execution of Larry, Glenn, and Ralph. That is why they were there. The comic made the hand's appearance from the ball of lightning a lot more subtle than the 1994 miniseries where it may as well have been a giant yellow hand right out of a Simpsons episode. I also believe Flagg reemerged in another timeline, another level of the Tower if you will. possibly in the past, hence the sinister connotations of, "I'm going to teach you to be civilized."

I love ur reviews bro .. good work 😁

The last part with Stu and Tom made me cry several times. The ending makes sense if you understand LotR. Sam and Frodo proved themselves to God (Eru), in which case he stepped in and destroyed the Ring by knocking Gollum in. The four men that travel to Vegas prove to God that they are righteous and willing to take a stand against insurmountable evil, just like Sam and Frodo. Larry and Brent being prepared for execution is an identical scene to the scene in Mount Doom in terms of how the scene works and plays out. Also yes, Stu is Frodo, Abby is Gandalf, and Harold is Gollum.

Not just my favourite King novel, but my favourite novel of all time. It and 11.22.63 run it close, but to date, it's never been beaten.

I personally wouldn’t consider Flagg or Walter to be a “low level demon” . I think he would definitely be a high ranking member for sure .

I just started The Shining yesterday! Love your videos man 🙌

currently reading it after giving it up couple of weeks back. and i'm enjoying it.

What you said about the lack of globalization was very true. I think King should've gone a little bit farther from the U.S. with a plot like that. I also agree with you on the ending. He didn't know how to finish the mess he created

The uncut version of the stand is my number 1 favorite book from Stephen king 💙💙💙

I think it is mentioned somewhere in the novel that Flag would deal with the problems outside USA, but much more later, maybe 10 years after he is done with boulder and overal united states

The Stand is awesome One of Stephen King’s truly bests Randall Flagg is my all time favorite SK villain

Great review! I just got finished reading The Stand and you can definitely see the influence of LOTR. Tom and Nick are definitely my favorites but l found Frannie annoying. I never forgave Glenn for leaving Kojak behind! I would NEVER leave my dog behind! As someone who lived in Boulder, Colorado l found it ironic that the place that’s frequently referred to as “The Boulder Bubble” and the “People’s Republic of Boulder” is the remaining center of civilization. I agree with the people who say the book bogs down in the middle. The First and Third Books are the best. The Second is necessary though to set things up for the finale though. The Finale was disappointing though. It seemed like King just copped and ended it hastily to just get it over with. Why were spies even sent? It was heartless and futile and seemed a waste. Same with sending the Final Four. What was their purpose? Just to go there to die? It would have been better if they had actually DONE something! The very ending though where Stu comes back and he and Frannie leave and there’s hope for a new generation is actually good. Throughout the book l thought about what l would do in the same situation and l would have left as well so l could relate to that. And the ending with Flagg is classic King. He loves leaving things hanging. My next journey with him is The Talisman and the Dark Tower.

I think that the reason why Stu and company were sent out west was because God wanted a sacrifice. He wanted to make sure that they had faith in Him and wanted to do His will.

Yes! I loved King’s LOTR references… my favorite epic of all-time! One thing I will say about the ending… I was thinking that because those two charterers were there before the explosion… that it brought everyone in that area together on one spot to watch. This destroyed them all in one BOOM. However, since it was an atomic bomb, it probably would have destroyed them anyway. So maybe if it were a different less catastrophic bomb, but still a deadly one… idk. Incredible book!!!! Ending was eh, so so. But overall, incredible story archs. Greatest I’ve read in a long time!!

there were a lot of times where I felt like it was a bit a drag . but Stephen king is so Damn good I guess he can do that and get away with it.

I bought the newest release like a month ago and honestly it does look rlly long and interesting but I have a lot of King books that are waiting for me

Where would you place this book in your top 50 (51 now) list? In my opinion the first half of the book is top 5, the complete book is top 15 maybe

I believe Gary's last name is pronounced sin-NEES. Hope this helps! P.S. I also think Gary nailed Stu. 😉 😌

The walking dude Aka RF. Harolds ending was phenomenal

I'd love to get your thoughts/review of _'Under The Dome'_ 😃

I'm 400 and some pages in .and by far my favorite characters are nick and stu . But I choose nick as the very favourite

I just ordered the book and saw you uploaded the review video 😂

Are you the guy with the jail life channel

23:36 I've always read the four walkers to be sacrifices for an Old Testament god. Flagg wanted to make an example of those four, who were brazenly walking straight to Vegas, so he called everyone, from the farthest outposts, back to watch their deaths. This was the perfect time to have a bomb go off and wipe Flagg and his followers off the face of the map (at least until the epilogue). Stu had to fall by the wayside to bear witness to what happened, otherwise no one in Boulder would know half as much.

This is the one that broke my infatuation with Stephen King. :(

The Talisman was very Lord of the rings

Swan Song is way better. The Stand was a little boring. Ive read all the Lord of the Rings books and it was mostly just walking

Lord of the rings is classic and "the stand" Is the most overrated peice of not only of King's career but most probably in literature history.

I do not understand? Everyone loves this 📖. I hate The Stand.

Dude, you sound just like that hippie teacher from Beavis and Butthead