Rating: 
Summary: definately outStanding, even for King
Review: I saw one reader who had read 3 whole books of King's. Honey, I envy you. I own & have read every book written by King more than once. There is only one of them that I disliked. That is probably too strong of a word, after all, I did finish it(more than I can say about some of the books I've read!) This is without a doubt the one I like the most. I enjoy the originally released version just as much as the "new" updated version. If you can't find the conflict or the sheer horror he was trying to convey, maybe you should read it again(or quit reading anything but straight fiction) I truely feel sorry for you. The conflict by the way is between God's servant(the tiny lady who has only her belief), & the Devil's agent, or sheer evil if you prefer, Randall Flagg. Who by the way, has all kinds of extra little nasty powers, magic if you will. Not exactly fair is it? The Stand, of course, is at the very end, where all they have left is thier belief in Good, or God. I won't tell you how it ends, that is left as an exercise for the reader. I am more than a little curious what type of bland reading the people who dissed this book tend towards reading. Did you never learn to think for yourselves? Does Everything Have to be pointed out to you? Yes, I know, everyone is entitled to thier own opinion(however uneducated or dull it may be) By the way, I do tend to read almost anything I can get my hands on, & usually enjoy finding something to keep out of all of them! Choosing ony one of King's books as my favorite, is like only eating one Hersheys Kiss. I guess it would be a tie between The Stand & The Shining. Another one for you to read if you haven't yet! Please!
Rating:
Summary: Still Relevant After All These Years
Review: I first read "The Stand" 20 years ago. It was my first Stephen King novel and it has remained my favorite book of all time! I read it in 5 days; I just could not put it down! As a small child, I lived in Western Utah at a military installation and learned more about chemical and biological agents than most people do in their lifetimes. This book has such a ring of truth to it that I was chilled to the core while reading it. If you remove the spiritual elements of the story, you have a very frightening picture of what our future might look like! I recommend "The Hot Zone", by Richard Preston for an even more realistic look at how fragile we humans really are. In the meantime, I will continue to read "The Stand" every few years, probably for the rest of my life, and watch the mini-series on occasion. The show launched Gary Sinese's career, and even now I still refer to him as "Stu Redman"!
Rating:
Summary: RIVETING 5 STAR READ
Review: All I can say about this book is that I first read it ± 20 years ago when it first came out and then again a few years later, and again a few years later. When the 'uncut' edition came out, I also bought it and re-read it again, for the ? time. A truly wonderful book that left me feeling alright with the world - Good will always triumph over Evil, at a slight cost. I would recommend this for ANYONE who is feeling bored with all the 'other' books available. A definate must for the book collection because everytime you re-read it, you still feel good at the end, no matter how many times there is a re-read.
Rating:
Summary: Well written.....
Review: To me, a sign of a extraordinary writer is one that can draw you in and make it to where you simply can't stop reading. This book did it. The characters are laid out in a way which makes you either instantly love them or instantly hate them. I wish there were more writers like Stephen King.
Rating:
Summary: The outSTANDing
Review: A great reading. Outstanding sociological novel on the formation of a human society. Good and evil are presented at their pure initial state. The stand is a journey to your worse nightmare, but a nightmare where hope keeps sprouting.
Rating: 
Summary: And painted in THIS corner...
Review: As with IT, King has taken an engaging set of characters and some nicely established tension and fumbled at the end. The detour into the supernatural did nothing for the book; the story was more compelling when it centered on the effects of the disease. The supernatural did not add to the tension in the book, nor did it help convey any compelling philosophical points. Read The White Plague by Frank Herbert to see how it should have been done.
Rating:
Summary: outSTANDing
Review: The Stand (uncut) is perhaps the best King book I've read, to date. I don't know where the 400 pages which didn't make it into the original were culled from as the entire storyline was necessary. My only complaint is that I do think this book should have been even longer.... we seemed to rush to the conclusion after the nuclear apocalypse, when clearly, there was more social commentary which could have been done. Like Ayn Rand's "Atlas Shrugged" I will read this book several more times to fully grok it.
Rating:
Summary: It "Stands" The Test of Time
Review: I first read this book when it was published approximately 22 years ago. Prior to picking up the un-cut version and [after all of this time], I would recall scenes from the story as if I had read it just yesterday. This is a mark of an exceptional story (let alone author).While in the process of re-reading the new un-cut version, I find that I am again captured by the same intense emotion that I experienced 22 years ago. Personally, if you have not read any version of this story, I would highly recommend it. It's definitely a good read! I hope the following comments will help: 1. Be patient while Mr. King introduces and establishes the characters (for there are many). You'll be thankful he took the time. 2. The reader must accept and believe in the [ongoing] spiritual war between good and evil (and understand what that means). The Walking Man is more than a commercialized, prepackaged "devil". 3. Reflection is key. The complete horror is not handed to the reader on a silver platter. It's when you are able to make the connections to what is familiar that it becomes truly scary. 4. Don't become overly analytical. That can spoil any book (or anything else in life for that matter)!
Rating:
Summary: A Worthy Recommendation!
Review: This book is excellent. It started out slow, so that you can understand where things started, and then the juicy parts progressed! For anyone who calls this boring, you must not have an imagination! I couldn't put it down, it kept me on the edge and wanting more. I had chills when the characters began to take a stand against evil! This book was not only imaginative, but very spiritual. It made me think about how the world would be if a plague came over us. I got so into it and became really emotional and sympathetic towards the characters. This book is highly recommended by me!
Rating:
Summary: Definately read this book!
Review: I thought that this book was really well written. It is the first Stephen King book I have read, so I couldn't say it was the best one he wrote. I thought that Mother Abigal was a good character to put as the ultimate "good" because she has out-lived everyone she has ever know, been around long enough to know how people feel on the inside (like Harold), and just feels like she is someone that you could trust with anything. Like I said, it is the first Stephen King book I have read, but I plan to read a lot more!
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