Spoilers I suppose:
The Dark Tower has a (very) brief section where the characters find themselves in the world of The Stand, but it has zero bearing on the overall story and it's over pretty quickly. It's more of a nod to the SK-verse than it is an actual plot point.
As for The Stand... interesting that Larry is your most hated character. For what it's worth, in my opinion he has the most satisfying arc of anyone in the book.
If the switching back and forth from people's perspectives is a turn off for you, it does kind of streamline the story in the second act when they all get together.
Thanks, it's good to know that it's not a prerequisite at least.
As for disliking Larry, it's not really any specific attributes of his, but just the fact that his chapters tend to go off into rambling inner monologues that derail the flow of the story. He seems like a guy that could make practically anything into something tedious to listen to.
I read The Stand when it first came out and hated it. Several years later I reread it and really liked it. Then I watched the miniseries and liked it. I’ve reread it every couple of years since and long ago somehow it became my favorite book of all time.
Definitely feels like I have an unpopular opinion but I hated The Stand. I trudged my way through, hoping I’d see what everyone else enjoyed about it but it never happened. Took me all of March of this year to read and finish. Would not recommend to anyone.
Here in germany its split into 3 books (not actually book they are all together forming a 1200 pages monstrosity).
I really really like the first book. I disliked the second book. And the third was ok, had some really good parts.
Looking back the stand was a bit disappointing. So many said its their favorite SK book. Its not mine. Wouldnt read it again.
I loved 11/22/63! My favorite!
I read The Stand about a month ago before starting the Dark Tower. I didn't love The Stand but I'm happy I read it just as a SK fan. My favorite of his is Duma Key out of the 10 or so I've read. I say keep trying with The Stand.
I am currently reading the stand for the second time. The first was probably 15 years ago. I love all the world building and character development. One little bit that I really likes was when he told the stories of the people who survived Captain Trips, but died in the next two weeks.
Other way around for me. Liked it at the beginning, but gradually disliked it as more stuff got introduced that went nowhere. I think it is the one novel that shows the most that he is writing without knowing himself where it's going.
So you liked it at first, but disliked it more as it went ... do you think that means that if I disliked it first, I'll like it more as it goes? Like our preferences are opposites.
I had quite the opposite experience. I read it for the first time probably 15 years ago and couldn’t recall my overall impression. However, I remembered sooo many details and cool things from the beginning of the book. About 2 months ago I decided to reread. Just before I started I realized that although my memories of the first half of the book were crystal clear I couldn’t remember a damned thing about the latter half. And during the reread I saw why. The latter half of the book ranks amongst the WORST king works there are. I love King SO MUCH. I’m not a hater- he’s my favorite. But the stand is one of my least favorite books by him. So if you’re anything like me, if you didn’t like the first half, maybe you should call it quits. I think it’s downhill from there.
I read the unabridged version of The Stand years ago and found the experience atrocious from start to end. If you’re not enjoying it yet, feel free to let it go. Huge fan of Shining, IT, novellas, etc, this was just not my speed. Tried the Dark Tower as well, and couldn’t get into it.
I'm a little late, but I definitely agreed with your take on "The Stand" my first read through! I was shocked it was at the top of so many "Top 10 SK" lists. It was my least favorite too.
That said, I picked it up a second time for no discernible reason, and it is suddenly my favorite. I cannot explain this fully. I think I've had a more mature grappling with death since my first read, and so empathize with the whole situation much more. The POV may objectively change too quickly, but now that I know these characters from my first read, I have fallen in love with all of them so completely on my second.
Also, I find the prose stronger in "the Stand" than in "The Shining," "Carrie," or "Pet Sematary," which I have also reread this past month. I'm listening to the audiobook and love the narrator. I am also taking it very slowly and soaking it all in.
The Stand was the second SK book I read, after Night Shift, back in 1983 or so. It remains my favorite and I've probably read it 20 times. But it also feels *really* dated to me know, moreso than his other earlier works. It is vital to the Dark Tower series I'd say. If you're going to watch a TV version watch the early 90s one; it's much better than the recent version.
But just read it. It ain't gonna kill ya, and you'll get to spend more time with Glen Bateman and Kojack that way.
I loved the stand, I loved spending time with each of the characters, and if it had gone on for another thousand pages (or a second book) where we really could have sunk our teeth into a war of survival against the baddies and Flagg, I would have been totally into that.
The Stand is filled with his best characters. I didn’t care for Larry at first but I grew on him, which I think is the point. He’s a piece of shite at first but knows he needs to be a better person
The first time I read it I thought it was just an ok book. It just was not what I expected it to be, and so many people swore by it. I recently reread it and enjoyed it much more the second time around.
I hated Larry, but while I don’t think his arv pays iff as well as most do he does go through transformation and end as someone more noble.
I didn’t think The Stand was great but I think mainly because the hype had me expecting more. Looking back on it, I feel more fondly than I did right when I finished.
definitely don’t let Larry put you off, and if you got this far you may as well finish the ride.
I’m on Book 3 of The Dark Tower now (and LOVING it) and I can’t tell that The Stand lent anything to it. what little we got of The Man in Black so far in DT did more for me than anything of Flagg in The Stand. maybe there is payoff later when the books link in other ways.
I'm curious if you're reading the unabridged version? That may be why you feel there is a lot of extra bloat. I personally liked that version better, because of all the details, but that was after I read the original version first.
Yeah, I'm reading the "complete and uncut version." I did see that the introduction recommends reading the regular version first, but this was the only one for sale at the book store so it's the one I got. Once I started reading it I wondered if I should've just ordered the cut version online.
I’d say it’s also a good prereq to the dark tower because it gives us such a solid look at one of the major players in that series and lets us spend a lot of time and almost understand them before they start to cast their shadow over the dark tower story. I will say that the book starts to pick up as you move along. I also found Larry’s passages slow for a long time. Nick Andros is one of my favorite fictional people of all fiction though, and I think the book is worth trying to finish just to spend more time with a lot of these characters. Bail if you feel like it’s not worth it, it is a loooooong story. King once described it as his lord of the rings, and I think that is appropriate.
It's funny to see such different preferences. Seems most people dislike IT ending, but to me it's one of the best endings in any book I've ever read! I'd take that ending over the stuff in the middle any day.
Took me 3 tries to get through it. Once at 16, once at 20, and finally got it done at 23. I would always fall off in the middle. If you can get through to the point where everyone meets up, then it all starts rolling again. It's good I promise!
I just finished it a few weeks ago for the first time. I complained about the long chapters and character build up.. by the end of it I was so glad I finished it. What helped me what getting it in audiobook too. I’d switch off reading and listening. The audiobook seemed to take away the slog of the long character building chapters. Hang in there. Long days and pleasant nights.
Also, the uncut version is what I read. Id recommend that. I learned that my favorite chapters were ones that weren’t even in the original.
By now you must know it isn't a prerequisite for The Dark Tower series. Sure, there's a bit where the context is specifically from The Stand, but the world will not end or even bend if you don't know it already. On the other hand, how is this your first time encountering the bloat? I suppose that depends on what you've read!
By now you must know it isn't a prerequisite for The Dark Tower series. Sure, there's a bit where the context is specifically from The Stand, but the world will not end or even bend if you don't know it already. On the other hand, how is this your first time encountering the bloat? I suppose that depends on what you've read!
for most of us, it's actually 'For those of you that like The Stand at first, did you dislike it when you finished it?'
Act 1 was great. how captain trips spread, the devastation it wreak upon the world etc etc.
Act 2 slowed considerably.
Act 3 is vomit inducing.
So I wonder if that means that since I didn't like act 1, I should like act 2 more, and then act 3 the most. Or if it means I'll just dislike it more and more until I tear the book in half.
I think you should drop the stand, honestly.
The writing style doesn't really change much, and it stays consistent throughout. There's still abkut 1000 pages left and you're gonna be trudging your way through them. Not worth your time if it's not your cup of tea.
I personally liked the stand, from the beginning to the end so I can't relate, but I've read other books that I've hated before and they don't really get better. If they do end up getting better, then more often than not, the ending will not somehow redeem all the time you wasted reading the first part.
It took me 3 starts and stops to finally get through it - once I did get into it I could not put it down! I reread it and then got the unabridged addition and have read it a number of times. It is my all time favorite SK book! The number of characters and varied plot lines are a lot if you are not used to that type of writing (I wasn't that is why it took me so long to get it and love it). I don't feel it is a prerequisite for the DT series but it has great tie in characters. As for watching adaptations - none are as good as the books IMO.
Sounds like you are close to when things really get moving, give it a shot and at worst, you will have finished a really long book! (may even really like it in the end like I did)
I read The Stand for the first time this year. I did persevere through the whole thing, and I didn't enjoy it, nor at the end did I feel like I liked it.
I read IT right afterwards and enjoyed that much more. I've read often on this sub that most folks either like The Stand or IT, and don't like the other so much.
So if you've not read it yet, IT might be more your jam.
Later this year I also read Robert McCamon's Swan Song, which has some strong similarities with The Stand. I enjoyed Swan Song much more than The Stand. Might be worth a try for you too.
Before The Stand, IT was actually my least favorite SK book. Really liked the beginning and ending, but a lot of the middle was meh. I think I just have weird tastes.
It took me three tries before I could finish it. I tried it the first time when I was young and had not read many books and gave up around 70 pages in. Same thing on the second try a year or two later. On my third attempt, once I made it past the first 100 pages or so, I couldn't put it down and it's still one of my favorite SK books. Probably read it three times now.
Spoilers I suppose: The Dark Tower has a (very) brief section where the characters find themselves in the world of The Stand, but it has zero bearing on the overall story and it's over pretty quickly. It's more of a nod to the SK-verse than it is an actual plot point. As for The Stand... interesting that Larry is your most hated character. For what it's worth, in my opinion he has the most satisfying arc of anyone in the book. If the switching back and forth from people's perspectives is a turn off for you, it does kind of streamline the story in the second act when they all get together.
I'll go one further with Larry Underwood - I think it's one of the best character arcs I've ever seen in any fictional work!
Larry is my favorite King character
Thanks, it's good to know that it's not a prerequisite at least. As for disliking Larry, it's not really any specific attributes of his, but just the fact that his chapters tend to go off into rambling inner monologues that derail the flow of the story. He seems like a guy that could make practically anything into something tedious to listen to.
I read The Stand when it first came out and hated it. Several years later I reread it and really liked it. Then I watched the miniseries and liked it. I’ve reread it every couple of years since and long ago somehow it became my favorite book of all time.
Definitely feels like I have an unpopular opinion but I hated The Stand. I trudged my way through, hoping I’d see what everyone else enjoyed about it but it never happened. Took me all of March of this year to read and finish. Would not recommend to anyone.
thanks for saying this. i too, will not recommend especially to newbies starting on Stephen King literature.
Here in germany its split into 3 books (not actually book they are all together forming a 1200 pages monstrosity). I really really like the first book. I disliked the second book. And the third was ok, had some really good parts. Looking back the stand was a bit disappointing. So many said its their favorite SK book. Its not mine. Wouldnt read it again. I loved 11/22/63! My favorite!
I read The Stand about a month ago before starting the Dark Tower. I didn't love The Stand but I'm happy I read it just as a SK fan. My favorite of his is Duma Key out of the 10 or so I've read. I say keep trying with The Stand.
Duma Key is killer. My favorite thus far.
To be fair, Larry is supposed to be an annoying and insufferable douche at the beginning. He grows and changes a lot over the course of the book
I am currently reading the stand for the second time. The first was probably 15 years ago. I love all the world building and character development. One little bit that I really likes was when he told the stories of the people who survived Captain Trips, but died in the next two weeks.
Other way around for me. Liked it at the beginning, but gradually disliked it as more stuff got introduced that went nowhere. I think it is the one novel that shows the most that he is writing without knowing himself where it's going.
it does show that he didn't know what to do with the story. by act 2, it was nothing to do with Captain Trips anymore.
Well to be fair the book isnt about Captain Trips, at all
So you liked it at first, but disliked it more as it went ... do you think that means that if I disliked it first, I'll like it more as it goes? Like our preferences are opposites.
I had quite the opposite experience. I read it for the first time probably 15 years ago and couldn’t recall my overall impression. However, I remembered sooo many details and cool things from the beginning of the book. About 2 months ago I decided to reread. Just before I started I realized that although my memories of the first half of the book were crystal clear I couldn’t remember a damned thing about the latter half. And during the reread I saw why. The latter half of the book ranks amongst the WORST king works there are. I love King SO MUCH. I’m not a hater- he’s my favorite. But the stand is one of my least favorite books by him. So if you’re anything like me, if you didn’t like the first half, maybe you should call it quits. I think it’s downhill from there.
Agree! I found the first part of the book really compelling. The last part much less so.
I read the unabridged version of The Stand years ago and found the experience atrocious from start to end. If you’re not enjoying it yet, feel free to let it go. Huge fan of Shining, IT, novellas, etc, this was just not my speed. Tried the Dark Tower as well, and couldn’t get into it.
I'm a little late, but I definitely agreed with your take on "The Stand" my first read through! I was shocked it was at the top of so many "Top 10 SK" lists. It was my least favorite too. That said, I picked it up a second time for no discernible reason, and it is suddenly my favorite. I cannot explain this fully. I think I've had a more mature grappling with death since my first read, and so empathize with the whole situation much more. The POV may objectively change too quickly, but now that I know these characters from my first read, I have fallen in love with all of them so completely on my second. Also, I find the prose stronger in "the Stand" than in "The Shining," "Carrie," or "Pet Sematary," which I have also reread this past month. I'm listening to the audiobook and love the narrator. I am also taking it very slowly and soaking it all in.
No. The end is the worst SK ending ever written and the Stand is awful and no.
You are partly right. The ending is terrible. Not as bad as It, but terrible. On the book in general, to each his own.
The Stand was the second SK book I read, after Night Shift, back in 1983 or so. It remains my favorite and I've probably read it 20 times. But it also feels *really* dated to me know, moreso than his other earlier works. It is vital to the Dark Tower series I'd say. If you're going to watch a TV version watch the early 90s one; it's much better than the recent version. But just read it. It ain't gonna kill ya, and you'll get to spend more time with Glen Bateman and Kojack that way.
I loved the stand, I loved spending time with each of the characters, and if it had gone on for another thousand pages (or a second book) where we really could have sunk our teeth into a war of survival against the baddies and Flagg, I would have been totally into that.
The Stand is filled with his best characters. I didn’t care for Larry at first but I grew on him, which I think is the point. He’s a piece of shite at first but knows he needs to be a better person
Never finished it. And I enjoyed and finished the unabridged Moby Dick.
Jeez
The first time I read it I thought it was just an ok book. It just was not what I expected it to be, and so many people swore by it. I recently reread it and enjoyed it much more the second time around.
I hated Larry, but while I don’t think his arv pays iff as well as most do he does go through transformation and end as someone more noble. I didn’t think The Stand was great but I think mainly because the hype had me expecting more. Looking back on it, I feel more fondly than I did right when I finished. definitely don’t let Larry put you off, and if you got this far you may as well finish the ride. I’m on Book 3 of The Dark Tower now (and LOVING it) and I can’t tell that The Stand lent anything to it. what little we got of The Man in Black so far in DT did more for me than anything of Flagg in The Stand. maybe there is payoff later when the books link in other ways.
I'm curious if you're reading the unabridged version? That may be why you feel there is a lot of extra bloat. I personally liked that version better, because of all the details, but that was after I read the original version first.
Yeah, I'm reading the "complete and uncut version." I did see that the introduction recommends reading the regular version first, but this was the only one for sale at the book store so it's the one I got. Once I started reading it I wondered if I should've just ordered the cut version online.
I’d say it’s also a good prereq to the dark tower because it gives us such a solid look at one of the major players in that series and lets us spend a lot of time and almost understand them before they start to cast their shadow over the dark tower story. I will say that the book starts to pick up as you move along. I also found Larry’s passages slow for a long time. Nick Andros is one of my favorite fictional people of all fiction though, and I think the book is worth trying to finish just to spend more time with a lot of these characters. Bail if you feel like it’s not worth it, it is a loooooong story. King once described it as his lord of the rings, and I think that is appropriate.
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It's funny to see such different preferences. Seems most people dislike IT ending, but to me it's one of the best endings in any book I've ever read! I'd take that ending over the stuff in the middle any day.
Took me 3 tries to get through it. Once at 16, once at 20, and finally got it done at 23. I would always fall off in the middle. If you can get through to the point where everyone meets up, then it all starts rolling again. It's good I promise!
Do you have any idea about what page that is? If it's not too far from where I am, I'll stick with it.
I just finished it a few weeks ago for the first time. I complained about the long chapters and character build up.. by the end of it I was so glad I finished it. What helped me what getting it in audiobook too. I’d switch off reading and listening. The audiobook seemed to take away the slog of the long character building chapters. Hang in there. Long days and pleasant nights. Also, the uncut version is what I read. Id recommend that. I learned that my favorite chapters were ones that weren’t even in the original.
By now you must know it isn't a prerequisite for The Dark Tower series. Sure, there's a bit where the context is specifically from The Stand, but the world will not end or even bend if you don't know it already. On the other hand, how is this your first time encountering the bloat? I suppose that depends on what you've read!
By now you must know it isn't a prerequisite for The Dark Tower series. Sure, there's a bit where the context is specifically from The Stand, but the world will not end or even bend if you don't know it already. On the other hand, how is this your first time encountering the bloat? I suppose that depends on what you've read!
for most of us, it's actually 'For those of you that like The Stand at first, did you dislike it when you finished it?' Act 1 was great. how captain trips spread, the devastation it wreak upon the world etc etc. Act 2 slowed considerably. Act 3 is vomit inducing.
So I wonder if that means that since I didn't like act 1, I should like act 2 more, and then act 3 the most. Or if it means I'll just dislike it more and more until I tear the book in half.
lol, the latter. honestly, if Act 1 doesn't interest you, Acts 2 and 3 will bore you to death.
I think you should drop the stand, honestly. The writing style doesn't really change much, and it stays consistent throughout. There's still abkut 1000 pages left and you're gonna be trudging your way through them. Not worth your time if it's not your cup of tea. I personally liked the stand, from the beginning to the end so I can't relate, but I've read other books that I've hated before and they don't really get better. If they do end up getting better, then more often than not, the ending will not somehow redeem all the time you wasted reading the first part.
It took me 3 starts and stops to finally get through it - once I did get into it I could not put it down! I reread it and then got the unabridged addition and have read it a number of times. It is my all time favorite SK book! The number of characters and varied plot lines are a lot if you are not used to that type of writing (I wasn't that is why it took me so long to get it and love it). I don't feel it is a prerequisite for the DT series but it has great tie in characters. As for watching adaptations - none are as good as the books IMO. Sounds like you are close to when things really get moving, give it a shot and at worst, you will have finished a really long book! (may even really like it in the end like I did)
I read The Stand for the first time this year. I did persevere through the whole thing, and I didn't enjoy it, nor at the end did I feel like I liked it. I read IT right afterwards and enjoyed that much more. I've read often on this sub that most folks either like The Stand or IT, and don't like the other so much. So if you've not read it yet, IT might be more your jam. Later this year I also read Robert McCamon's Swan Song, which has some strong similarities with The Stand. I enjoyed Swan Song much more than The Stand. Might be worth a try for you too.
Before The Stand, IT was actually my least favorite SK book. Really liked the beginning and ending, but a lot of the middle was meh. I think I just have weird tastes.
Hmm. For some reason I want to recommend you try Duma Key, but I can't put my finger on why. Still, there it is.
The synopsis sounds pretty interesting. I'll check it out.
It took me three tries before I could finish it. I tried it the first time when I was young and had not read many books and gave up around 70 pages in. Same thing on the second try a year or two later. On my third attempt, once I made it past the first 100 pages or so, I couldn't put it down and it's still one of my favorite SK books. Probably read it three times now.
Omg I’m the opposite, the beginning of that book is like fucking CRACK. The second half is just agonizingly brutal for me to get through
When the characters come together the story really gets going. Hang in there.