The Stand by Stephen King (1978). 5/5 stars.
The Stand is widely accepted as Stephen King’s greatest work. A post-apocalyptic story, The Stand was written in Colorado on the edge of the bible belt near chemical dumps and chemical weapons development, and King says he drew inspiration from a radio preacher claiming “once in every generation, a plague will fall among them.” King then developed this into a central idea which merged spirituality and technology in a post-apocalyptic world. A “long dark tale of Christianity,” according to King, this book combines all the exciting and thought-provoking elements of a post-apocalyptic world into a surprisingly optimistic story about being born again; as a person and a society.
In our current reality of the coronavirus pandemic, this book is relevant, informative, and insightful. It forces the reader to consider a world where a virus completely wipes out everything humanity relies upon; including electricity, transportation, communication, food production and distribution, and essential services like the police, medical services, and government. It also compels the reader to consider how the fictional characters cope with losing loved ones amidst fear, chaos, and confusion. These characters must forge new relationships with strangers for survival, and their determination inspires the reader to consider their own strengths and weaknesses. In short, this book not only forces the 2020 reader to consider a more horrific alternative to the current reality but helps the reader to prepare for the worst-case scenario. Although this book is graphic, disturbing, and dramatic, the angst of the fall that shakes you to the core is redeemed by a joyful and uplifting hope that quenches the soul.
Divided into three books, the first book witnesses the fall of man; the aftermath of an antigen-shifting virus that kills 99% of the population in two weeks. The second book witnesses the pilgrimage of remaining humanity to their destinations; the good to Boulder, CO, and the evil to their dark leader in Nevada. The good are called by dreams and visions to their spiritual leader, an old black woman by the name of Rita. The evil are also called by dreams to seek out and find their dark leader, a mysterious creature who goes by the name of Randall Flagg. The second book also negotiates the rebuilding of civilization from scratch. Finally, the third book finalizes with the characters making their stand. As Rita says “you will go, and you will not falter, because you will have the Everlasting Arm of the Lord God of Hosts to lean on. Yes, with God’s help you will stand.”
This story follows a long list of characters, some who will perish, and some who will stand. See my article on all the juicy spoilers here. This is not daunting, however, as each character is developed slowly, and each one leaves a lasting impression. The complete and uncut edition of The Stand fully polishes each character, putting “the chrome on the Cadillac,” as Kings states. King builds the foundation of these key players and continues to build them in layers throughout the book so the readers connect with and experience them. King even mentioned in the forward that fans still ask him about the characters as if they were real.
In regards to King’s writing style, what I liked most was the pacing of the book. It moved from character to character in a natural way, reflecting King’s method of writing “one word at a time.” There was no great agenda, no great push or rush towards an end goal. You are just along for the ride, wherever King decides to go, that’s where he goes. Because of that, this book felt natural, and I never felt forced to keep reading it. It was like a steady stream of thought, flowing around and through this fictional world.
What I liked least about this book was the absence of Randall Flagg throughout most of the book. Obviously, King wanted to keep him a mysterious character, existing only in dreams and nightmares, but hands-down the best writing in this story was a beautiful stream of consciousness while Flagg walked down the US-51 highway.
Allow me to clarify and emphasize this for importance. In a book loaded with action, mysticism, romance, and fantasy, the most exciting part of this book was a man simply walking down a highway.
That is a testament to what King is capable of in his writing. So, getting back to what I was so disappointed in was that I didn’t get to experience more of Flagg’s consciousness, and didn’t get to experience more of who Randall Flagg even was until part three of the book. And although it infuriated me, it also kept me reading to find this dark man Flagg again, just like all those helpless souls who pilgrimaged to him. Just like them, even though I knew he was evil……I wanted more of him.
I recommend this book for anyone curious about what drives humans to form and forge civilizations, how humans grow and adapt to a collapsing society, how people cope and build resilience in the face of danger, and how to come to terms with impending danger and death. I also recommend this book for non-Stephen King fans, as this book is not horror, but just a great novel.
Get the full uncut edition here: https://amzn.to/343Wtsz
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