- The Stand

"The Stand" is a very entertaining, highly readable story about an apparently world wide pandemic and post pandemic world. The style of the narrative is easily followed modern conversational American English. The book is quite lengthy by the standards of modern American Popular Fiction. Although I enjoyed it very much, it was similar to reading three shorter novels. There are numerous characters and storylines. I feel it is definitely an adult book and speaking as a father, I would not allow my young children to read it at all and although I would allow my high school children to read it, I would insist on parental participation. I have been reading various novels about pandemics and I would have to say that this is my favorite. I liked this far better than "The Andronmeda Strain" although "The Stand is far lengthier. "The End of October" was a good, well written, medium length novel that I also liked. A well intentioned person guided me to "The Eyes of Darkness" by Dean Koontz. Although I liked that novel very much, it is not really a pandemic novel as far as I am concerned. As far as movies, I am enthralled by what seems to be a forgotten 1959 movie "The World, The Flesh, And The Devil". It is not exactly a story about a pandemic, but in some ways it is a distinction without a difference. Of the popular modern contemporary male American authors of fiction, Stephen King is definitely among my favorites. I have read several of his novels. I put this at or near the top of the list. I also enjoyed 11 22 63 very much and a collection of stories combined in one work called "Four Seasons". This work under review has many interesting aspects to it. The story goes beyond the pandemic episode and has a metaphysical "Good Versus Evil" aspect to it, parts of which I found fascinating. Parts of the story also have a "Lord of The Flies" feel to it. Parts of the story have a dystopian sense. Due to the length of this novel and the fact that it is mostly easily followed, I purchased both the book on Kindle and an accompanying audiobook narrated by Grover Gardner. Mister Gardner is one of my favorite audiobook narrators and he does his usual professional job on this book. I often listened while commuting. When possible I read along and the narration was very faithful to my Kindle version. I am glad that I did both read and listen. In summary I am quite glad that I read and listened to this book. It is one of my favorite Stephen King novels and probably my favorite pandemic novel to this point in time. Probably the most difficult part of this reading experience is the length of the book. But the book is highly readable and makes a very good candidate for an audiobook. Grover Gardner did an excellent job. Due to the length of is book I intend to take a break from Stephen King. But he is a very good author and I fully intend to return to his writing in the future. Thank You for taking the time to read this review.

"The Stand" is a novel set in 1990 after a flu strain called Captain Trips breaks out in the world, causing 99% of the population of the world to perish. The survivors are called by an angelic and demonic being in their dreams to come to them to create a new society. The angelic being, an old woman of 108 in Nebraska, leads her people in the city of Boulder, Colorado, in peace and happiness. The demonic being, Randall Flagg, leads them in hate and fury, and kills all who oppose him. As more people follow their leaders, they must fight for what they believe in, and for the fate of all of humanity. "The Stand" is a novel about death. "The Stand" is a novel about rebirth. "The Stand" is a novel about the pure good of the world. "The Stand" is a novel about the evil of the world. This novel has so many elements to it, yet is still written masterfully by Stephen King, allowing the plot to be organized and appealing to a reader. Not only that, but the characters within the novel are relate able. The Trashcan man, though seemingly insane, may appeal to those who live in rough situations. Stu Redman can relate to those who don't have much, and have lost much as well. Glen Bateman can relate to the people of intellectual pasts, and so on, and so forth. The meat of the plot is excellent, with Captain Trips annihilating nearly all of human and other forms of life on Earth. Also, the Mother Abigail vs. Randall Flagg plot line can be traced back into the bible. With the likes of Elijah vs. the Priests of Baal, or Daniel vs. The people of Babylon. In all of these stories, a providential power delivers them from their Devilish enemies. The same thing is found in "The Stand". Mother Abigail is not unlike any Old Testament prophet anyone has ever read about, with Randall Flagg literally being described as, "He ain't Satan', she said, 'but he and Satan know of each other and have kept councils together of old." (King, 515). This biblical sort of good vs. evil plot is done beautifully by King, as he truly does write very moving plot through this age old tussle of good and evil. To conclude, "The Stand" is also a story about love, hate, envy, and sadness. Whether this love is love between a friend and a friend, a lover and a lover, or a follower and a leader, there is so much of that love element in the novel. This love probably comes from the immense amount of sadness that comes from the story, and love comes from that sadness. Sadness for those that are lost, or the things that are gone. And from the love, will come the envy and the hate. The envy of what isn't theirs, the hate over what isn't theirs. Overall, "The Stand" is an incredible, and fearfully realistic, post apocalypse world about rebuilding, fighting, and finding there own inner peace.

Disclaimer: I've never read a Stephen King novel before. I've avoided him because horror isn't my thing. Having read this first novel, I am a fan of his writing ... but not of his content. Second disclaimer: Apparently Stephen King has written several versions of The Stand, and this one isn't the original ... so if anything I say doesn't seem true, keep in mind that I've only read this one version. Okay, on with my thoughts on the book: First, Stephen King is an incredible writer. INCREDIBLE. When I taught writing, I had an article written by King in which he advised that fledgling writers use fewer adjectives and stronger verbs ... wow, did I see this in his writing. Every word he writes is perfection; his words are perfectly chosen, and it's easy to sink into the world he creates. He is genuinely one of the top ten writers of his generation. Second, his characters are incredible. He builds their backgrounds and feeds out the details about their lives so skillfully that the reader feels he or she knows the characters ... bad guys are sometimes pitied, and good guys aren't always particularly nice. But the characters feel real; often they're haunted by their past actions ... some change for the better, others change for the worse. Some characters only appear for a couple pages, but they serve to show just how horrible this plague would be to the world. On the other hand, King doesn't pull any punches ... some of his material takes the reader right up to the line where cruelty begins, and he takes a big step across that line. A four-year old who falls into a well and suffers four days with broken bones before he dies of exposure. Weird sexual stuff. It's a big much for me, and that's why I'm giving the book 4 stars. But I loved the overall story of good vs. evil and survival after the plague. Apparently this is one of King's less gory novels. I'd love to read more of his work, but I'll choose carefully ... this was as much gore as I can take.

THE STAND by Stephen King. WHAT IS THIS BOOK ABOUT? The story begins with a virus killing 99% of the population. We meet several survivors in separate towns. They stay in town a while, then begin traveling on motorcycles, bicycles, or walking. The travelers start out alone or with one other person. Along the way they join with others. A man called Randall Flagg is creating his own empire, dictator style, with evil intentions. His headquarters are in Las Vegas, Nevada. Survivors with criminal tendencies are drawn toward Flagg. Good folks are drawn to Boulder, Colorado, where they form a community called the Free Zone. REVIEWER'S OPINION: Before I read any Stephen King, I thought most of his books would be about monsters, horror, screaming, slashing - things in horror movies. I was wrong. I'm finding a lot of depth and interesting character development. His bad guys are not all that different from some of the serial killers in mainstream crime fiction and thrillers. The Stand has some paranormal, not a lot. Several characters have psychic dreams or a psychic sense at times. The Stand is one of Stephen's longest books. The paperback is 1439 pages. I was never bored. I became attached to the characters. In the preface Stephen says "When I speak (which is as rarely as possible), people always speak to me about The Stand. They discuss the characters as though they were living people, and ask frequently, "What happened to so-and-so?"... as if I got letters from them every now and again." Personally I feel that way. I'd like to think about the characters in the future. Stephen makes everyday conversations interesting. There are many characters in this book, but it didn't feel like too many. We are with a guy in Arkansas for 25 pages, then a guy in New York for 12 pages, then a woman in Maine for 11 pages. I like a linear time line and I like scenes with natural endings. And most of the time the scenes met these requirements. My biggest problem with Stephen's book "It" was stopping scenes in the middle of action and jumping around in time. I'm pleased to see the author used "better methods" in this book. This is a post apocalyptic world. By the end of the book some of the good guys die, but others have happy endings. Normally I would avoid books with this setup because I don't want to be depressed. Other authors might tell this story with deep digging into grief and loss. This book was not done that way. I was pleased that I was not depressed. I was pleased to see a romance. A couple meets, they eventually get together, and have a happy ending. For those whose don't like abusive husbands, you'll like this. This is the way guys should be. He cares for her happiness. There is a homosexual rape scene in detail. Also there is a telling (after the fact) of women held against their will and repeatedly raped. This is the expanded edition published in 1990. Much was cut for the 1978 edition. Stephen added back cut parts and a lot of new writing for the 1990 edition. I would not want to read the cut version. IS IT PERFECT? NO. I had a few questions that were not answered, such as why Flagg was losing his powers, and what was the purpose of the pregnancy. Also I did not like Flagg's ending. I wanted something worse to happen to him. The narrator Grover Gardner did an excellent job. DATA: Narrative mode: 3rd person. Unabridged audiobook reading time: 47 hrs and 52 mins. Swearing language: strong, including religious swear words and racial slurs. Sexual language: moderate to strong. Number of sex scenes: about 14, most briefly described. Setting 1990 - 1991 various U.S. locations. Book copyright 1978 and 1990. Genre: apocalyptic paranormal fiction. Ending: happy for many of the good guys, bad for most of the bad guys. OTHER BOOKS: For a list of my reviews of other Stephen King books, see my 5 star review of Carrie posted 5-11-12.

I have been quite late to board the Stephen King train, but I am glad I finally have. Better late than never right? Maybe King’s works intimidated me just a little bit. Especially his gigantic tomes. However, I am happy to say that the more I read the more I truly love Stephen King, and his masterfully written works. I will keep the synopsis of The Stand by Stephen King brief, because I am sure everyone at least knows the basic premise. I read the Complete and Uncut Edition, the only edition I can find without shelling out a lot of dough, and if Mr. King felt that it was of value to reprint issues of the original 1978 edition I most certainly think he would do so. I also believe that if King didn’t believe the Complete and Uncut Edition was not superior there would be the choice between both editions at book stores. It makes sense. A lot of people would buy both just to see differences. I know I would. Which would mean more money for the publisher, and Stephen as well. So I feel that the Complete and Uncut edition is worth reading the extra pages considering it is King’s full vision of The Stand. The Stand is an epic story of massive proportions! The amount of characters throughout are immense, diverse, some you love, and some you hate. The year is 1990, and the world is about to be nearly obliterated by a pandemic, plague, or virus. Take your pick. When something goes awry at a military base in California death soon follows the path of a family into Arnette, Texas. From here the telephone game of deadly infectious disease is set into motion. There are some that are unaffected by the Captain Trips virus, and their stories are who we follow. Stu Redman, Frannie Goldsmith, Harold Lauder, Nick Andros, Tom Cullen, Lucy Swann, Nadine Cross, Lloyd Henreid, Trashcan Man, Mother Abigail, the mysterious dark man Randall Flagg, and my personal favorite Larry Underwood. Now that is not to say there aren’t others, Glen, Ralph, Sue, Dayna, Judge Farris, and I could go on. The characters in this epic novel are expansive! Following the lives of survivors King weaves a story that at the core is about survival, and good versus evil. As all of the survivors begin having strange dreams they casually may mention it to others, and they believe it is pure coincidence. However, as more and more join together their dreams are too much alike to be coincidental. They all set out on a journey across the United States to answer their dreams, to see what happens next, and to make their stand. I honestly do not believe any review of this epic masterpiece that has enthralled readers for many years can be praised properly in a simple book review. I was attached to The Stand from the start of chapter one! I had a difficult time putting it down, and now I understand the hype of this novel, why it has impacted so many readers lives, and inspired others to go on to adapt this work into mini series. I plan to watch the newest mini series, and rewatch the 1994 mini series as well. However, I believe I will revisit this blog, and add my comparisons at a later time. It is quite a lot of information to digest! Nevertheless, a fantastic piece of literature to have linger on the mind for a long time to come. Overall, I give The Stand Complete and Uncut by Stephen King five perfect stars out of five! I cannot find any fault in the novel, I loved so many characters, and even though Larry is my favorite Nick and Tom come in close behind. I also absolutely enjoyed picturing these characters as my own, and if I had control of casting actors who I thought would play the character the best. The Stand is absolutely an epic journey that I am happy to say has become one of my top five Stephen King novels I have read to date! Until next time, my friends.

The Stand” by Stephen King is an epic story of survival, hope, and a battle between good and evil that will have you gripping the edge of your seat. After everything we’ve been through in the last few years, this book hits home in a big way, cranking up the horror to a whole new level. Trigger warning — this book shows us a world that’s a complete mess, torn apart by a deadly pandemic. King doesn’t hold back, crafting a narrative so real it’ll send shivers down your spine. The superflu virus, Captain Trips, spreads like wildfire, leaving only a handful of survivors in its wake. It’s a brutal wake-up call for humanity, forcing them to face their own mortality and make sense of a world turned upside down. King introduces us to a diverse bunch of characters, each with their own quirks and haunted pasts. From Stu Redman, a tough Texan with a heart of gold, to Frannie Goldsmith, a pregnant young woman determined to protect her unborn child, these characters leap off the pages, carrying their own hopes, fears, and personal demons. As the survivors navigate this post-apocalyptic world, two forces emerge from the chaos. On one side, you’ve got Mother Abagail, this wise and mysterious old lady who rallies the survivors in Boulder, Colorado. She’s all about unity, compassion, and hope, and her ability to inspire people with her home-spun ways is really endearing. On the flip side, there’s Randall Flagg, a dark and charismatic figure who’s practically the embodiment of evil itself. He preys on the desperate and vulnerable, tempting them with power and control in a world gone mad. What comes next is a clash of epic proportions. It’s a battle between good and evil, not just out there on the battlefield, but deep inside the hearts and minds of our characters. They must confront their own demons and make choices that will shape the destiny of humanity. Friendships are forged, love blooms, and sacrifices are made in the face of overwhelming darkness. King’s ability to create a vivid and immersive world is second to none — he creates landscapes real, you’ll swear you’re right there alongside the characters. From the haunting streets of plague-ridden New York City to the serene beauty of Boulder, the settings become characters themselves. King’s words breathe life into these places, making you feel the despair, hope, and terror as if you were walking alongside our heroes. At its core, “The Stand” is a tale of the indomitable human spirit and the power of community. It reminds us of the importance of connection and shared humanity, especially in times of crisis. And let me tell you, this book hits close to home, especially given the recent global pandemic. The parallels are hard to ignore, and you can’t help but feel the fear and uncertainty that the characters experience. King’s storytelling taps into those fears, drawing us into a world that feels eerily familiar and timely. In a nutshell, “The Stand” is a powerhouse of horror fiction. It captures the very essence of our shared human experience, delving into our deepest fears while also offering a glimmer of hope. Stephen King’s genius shines through every page, crafting a narrative that will stick with you long after you’ve turned that final page. Trust me, you won’t forget it.

As always SK hits with great story telling. Yes it's long but never gets off track and well worth the read. On to the next book or do I need a break after that one?

Let me start by saying I am not a huge King fan. I have read probably about ten or twelve of his books. I had heard from several people that this was his best work, and I am also a huge fan of the post apocalyptic genre, so I wanted to take this story on. It is a rather daunting task at over a thousand pages. But the characters are well developed, and the plot sucks you in, so somewhere in the middle you start liking the idea that the book will not be ending any time soon. There is quite a bit of discussion over the differences between the older version, and this new one, which has quite a bit added to it. I have not read the original, but can detect, and have also read up on some of the additions. There are some that seem unnecessary, and others that change the tone of the book somewhat. But overall it makes for a richer story, and if you are enjoying it than more details are a good thing. King does a good job of portraying a fairly vivid picture of a post apocalyptic world, and the characters are very easy to get attached to. The events that lead to the demise of the world as we know it are explained fairly well, and are believable. If you like this kind of genre, then you should at least give this book a try, because it is basically the godfather of this type of story, with a bit of king's unique style to boot. It does get a little philosophical at points, and this may get annoying to some readers, but it is hard to strip society down to bare bones without getting into human nature. Now the only part I am not crazy about, that also feels forced at times. There is a magic/supernatural element to the book. It is not a huge part of it, but in a story that is at least mostly plausible, it was a little annoying when first introduced. As a contrast to this dark side of things there are some religious undertones too, so that is worth knowing as that can be an issue for some. Both aspects are not overly emphasized in the book though, and should not be a deal breaker necessarily, even if those things tend to bother you. Even though this book is very long, it does not feel that way when reading it, and that is an accomplishment in itself. Also, although it slows down at a few parts, the end is exciting and feels deliberate. There is nothing worse than an ending that simply fizzles out after an investment like this book takes to read. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes King or the post apocalyptic genre. And even if you do not typically like King, it is still worth a read, because while there is some gore in it, this story is about much more than that.

Back in 1978, Stephen King was well on his way to becoming the biggest selling author of all time. On the back of three great classics that were Carrie (1974), ‘Salem’s Lot (1975) and The Shining (1977), King had already established himself as the Master of Horror, a title to which, even today, he has become a bit tired with. He had now hit the big time, didn’t need to worry about money or work again – he had achieved his lifelong dream (becoming a full time writer). The Shining had become his first bestselling hardcover novel, perhaps influenced by the fact that Brian DE Palma’s 1976 adaptation of Carrie had become a box office success, allowing audiences to discover King in a new medium that they might not have done so had it not been for the movie. His first three published novels had been hard-core horror novels, all three contemplating his status as the King of Horror. King’s next novel would be a change of pace. It would still include elements of the horror genre, a genre in which he had spent his entire life surrounded by, even as a child, but his next novel would also have elements of science fiction and would actually become a sociological look at the human race. But first, he would have to kill them all. On the heels of the Shining, King had been inspired by the Patty Hearst case (a case that involved both kidnapping and terrorism), to write a novel surrounding these events, but not long into the novel, he gave up, after having seen on the news, a chemical spill that had happened in Utah. Not long after this, King’s mind started working overtime and he came up with a novel about something similar that would wipe out the human race, allowing only a few remaining characters to be left behind and deal with the tragic events that had been enforced upon them. Wanting to write an epic on par with Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings, King went about creating a vast landscape in which he left nothing out, allowed nothing to bypass the story – this would become the ultimate epic novel. The Stand begins with this primary thought. The basic premise of the novel is that a government research facility, after having spent time creating a super flu bug (Captain Trips as it is known in the novel) to be used in biological warfare, is accidently released on to the base. Everybody dies except for one man, Charles Campion, a security guard, who grabs his family and evacuates that base, heading across Northern America, unaware that he has the flu like virus, infecting everyone he comes into contact to. So King weaves out his tale, introducing us to a multitude of characters, some good, some bad, showing us the effects of Campion’s actions, watching minor characters contract the flu, watching them suffer through the eyes of our main characters, all of diverse backgrounds. King is clever in letting us see how the virus takes hold, how it acts as a chain mail across all of America, letting us get to know the characters, watch the human race become extinguished through their eyes, letting us see their pain, letting us get attached to them so that we can go on the journey that they will inevitably have to take. King is a genius at creating a wide variety of characters, and not since Dickens, has any writer ever managed to capture a whole society of characters that all can be identified by the reader. Of the good, there is Stu Redman (an everyman from East Texas, the main character pretty much of this large epic), Fran Goldsmith (a young pregnant girl from Maine, who becomes one of the main heroines of the piece), Larry Underwood (a singer from New York), Nick Andros (a deaf mute who passes through Shoyo, Arkansas), Glenn Bateman (a retired college professor that taught sociology and is one of the characters that King uses to speak his own thoughts on society and bring about theories of what will likely happen now that over 99% of the world’s population is dead), Tom Cullen (a man who is more like a boy due to a very low IQ. He develops a great relationship with Nick, learning new things through Nick’s teaching. He spells every word M-O-O-N), Ralph Bretner (a farmer who always seems to see the lightness in everything, never thinking himself superior to anyone, he ends up becoming one of the main heroes of the peace) and Mother Abigail (a 108 year old from Nebraska, who still makes her own biscuit. The main characters dream of her, using her as a guiding force of help along the way. She is a prophet of God and for a short while leads them until letting them make it on their own). There are also plenty of main characters who are on the side of evil: Lloyd Henried (a killer/robber who ends up in prison as Captain Trips spreads across America, being left to die until he is saved by his new leader), Harold Lauder (a friend of Fran’s. Before the flu hit, Harold was the butt of jokes, hated by everyone, even his own parents. He has a crush on Fran and loves her, and becomes jealous and full of hate when she revokes this love and ends up with another of the main characters instead), Nadine Cross (a school teacher who has visions of the Dark Man, visions that they would become lovers and eventually married. She loves Larry also, but can’t allow herself to act upon this love as her heart and mind belongs to the Dark Man), the Trashcan Man (a psychopath who has developed an obsession of burning everything in his path. He is one of King’s most interesting and memorable characters. His loyalty to the Dark Man knows no bounds “my life for you”, yet he ends up becoming something of an anti-hero), Randall Flagg (the Dark Man, the Prince of Evil, the antithesis of Mother Abigail, he is gathering his troops to Las Vegas and trying to create an army that will eventually wipe out those that stand against him. He is one of the greatest villains in the King universe and has appeared in more than one of his novels). Had this been a book written by any other writer, the premise of the novel would probably have been the characters get together, stand against the Dark Man and his minions and save the day. But this is a King novel, a novel of epic proportions. We don’t just see the Stand that will ultimately take place, we see a large cast of characters coming together, creating a new world together, creating a new life together and King shows every single point of this. The world building in this novel is fantastic, on par with the greatest of fantasy novels (including Tolkien). You really get to know the characters, to love them and hate them, feeling like they have become a part of your family. You feel enriched by them, allowing yourself to be taken on this journey with them, fighting for your own survival as well as theirs. When King first wrote this back in 1978 and sent it to his publishers, they were shocked by the size and scope of the novel. They replied back to him, saying they would have to cut the book by about four hundred pages in order to sell it. King was distraught by this, but as he was still establishing himself as a bestselling writer, he felt he had no choice but to succumb to Doubleday’s wishes and so he himself cut over four hundred pages out of the book, missing out a lot of what made the book very important. The Stand was eventually published in 1978 and quickly went on to become King’s masterpiece, the book all fans seemed to love and say was his best. King has actually gone on record as saying “to some fans, I could have written nothing after The Stand, and they wouldn’t have cared.” Fast forward to 1991 – King was toying around with the idea of releasing The Stand as it was originally intended. After receiving permission from Doubleday to go ahead with this idea, King began working on an updated version of The Stand, changing the premise of the book from the late seventies into the early nineties, including new background like HIV/Aids, changing the sociological background of the characters, without allowing them to change in anyway. As he says in his forward to the new version, “you won’t find the characters behaving any differently or going down roads and on journeys that they never went on before”. It was the same story but it was bigger and it was allowed to become complete. And so The Stand: The Complete and Uncut Edition was released in 1991 and this is the version fans say is the one to read. Not having read the original edition, I can only go on hearsay that this is the version that is far superior and much more enjoyable. This is the one I have read four times. Is The Stand King’s greatest book? In my opinion, it isn’t. As far as I’m concerned, King would go on to write even greater books, but this is definitely one of his most memorable, most exciting works. It is also, along with The Dark Tower series, the one book that seems to have a lot of fans in such diverse thought – some say it is a book that is a work of genius, an epic masterpiece that flows high on every level (I am of this thought) and some say it is too long, not worth the hype, boring and they couldn’t get through it. Whatever your way of thinking becomes, it is most certainly a book you have to read at least once in your lifetime. Despite its length, I would go on to say that it is a perfect place to start for readers just getting into King. It includes all the elements that make him one of the greatest writers of all time – fantastic, realistic characters, a great premise of a story, writing that takes you in, grabs you and doesn’t let you go, and great world building that allows you to feel that you are actually there with the characters, going along with them for the journey. While this book is not my all-time favourite of King’s (that says more about the brilliance of his future works than about this actual novel), it is definitely in my top ten and one I enjoy coming back to again and again. For me this really is the perfect five.

The Stand. Ein Meisterwerk. Ich lese gern Endzeit-Thriller. Aber ich erfuhr erst über die Kindle-EN-Bestsellerlisten, dass ein Stephen King mal ein Buch in dieser Richtung verfasst hat. Der Preis für ca. 3 Euro auch noch unschlagbar günstig. Die Bewertungen sehr gut. Also heruntergeladen. Und später gelesen. Ja, das Buch umfasst in der Kindle-Version 1300 Seiten. Aber irgendwann, spätestens ab 33 %, hofft man eigentlich, dass das Buch nie zu Ende gehen möge. Zumindest ging es mir so: je näher ich dem Ende kam, desto weniger wollte ich, dass dieses Buch jemals ein Ende hat. Stephen King ist in diesem Buch einfach ein Kunststück gelungen: man beginnt, sich mit den Protagonisten anzufreunden. Als wären es die besten Freunde. Man beginnt, mit den Protagonisten zu leben. "Was würde Stu jetzt tun?" ... Bzw. man beginnt sich zu fragen, was wäre, wenn man in einer ähnlichen Situation wäre. Gleichzeitig passieren manchen Protagonisten Dinge, die einen mitfiebern lassen. A la "Neeeein, das kann der King doch nicht tun." ... Und ich gebe zu, ich habe King 1-2 mal "gehasst", dass er so mit seinen "Helden" umgeht. Die Story ist in drei Teile aufgeteilt. Zuerst vernichtet King 99.5 Prozent der Menschheit. Einfach so. Schon bevor diese Epidemie um sich greift, werden die wichtigsten Protagonisten vorgestellt. Ebenso deren emotionale Befindlichkeiten. Das schleppt sich vielleicht etwas zu Beginn. Aber als dann die "Supergrippe" richtig ausbricht ist jeglicher Zweifel vergangen. Vor allem Nick hat es mir in dieser Situation angetan: ein taubstummer Charakter, der immun ist, während um ihn herum eine ganze Kleinstast stirbt und Insassen in der Gefängniszelle sitzen ... Im zweiten Teil geht es um das Heranwachsen und Zusammenwachsen einer Gemeinschaft. Das Neugründen einer Gemeinschaft. Dies ist der längste Teil und mag vielleicht manchen Lesen verschrecken. Aber er ist interessant, weil es um existenzielle Fragen der Menschheit geht. Diktatur? Oder doch lieber Demokratie? Im dritten Teil kommt es dann zum ultimativen Kampf Gut gegen Böse und das mit sehr bescheidenen Mitteln auf der Seite der "Guten". King gelingen Horror-Szenen, die will man sich nicht einmal im Alptraum vorstellen. Wie z. B. die "Flucht" aus dem toten New York nur durch einen Tunnel möglich ist, der ... natürlich ... voller Leichen ist. Ein "Leseerlebnis", das mir garantiert in Erinnerung bleibt, so intensiv und packend wird diese Szene von King beschrieben. Mir blieb mehrmals beinahe das Herz stehen und eigentlich wollte ich nicht weiterlesen. King schafft es auch, "übernatürlichen" Kram ins Buch einzuflechten und mich nicht abzuschrecken. Das sage ich so, weil ich davon immer abgeschreckt werde. Mein Gedanke dann: "Oh nein, nicht so etwas." ... Aber hier gehört das einfach dazu. Hier sind die Charaktere die wichtigsten. Stu, Nick, Larry, Fran, Glen, Tom, ja ... der Tom. Ich mag Tom. Jeder Leser wird Tom mögen. ... That spells M-O-O-N!!! Laws, yes! Ich muss zugeben, dass ich nicht weiß, was ich lesen soll, nachdem ich DIESES Buch gelesen habe. Es ist einfach zu groß.

Nonostante la lunghezza possa intimorire, il libro si legge benissimo, in pieno stile King la suspense è tale che quasi non ci si accorge di averlo finito. L'edizione Kindle è realizzata molto bene, sono presenti anche le immagini del libro originale.

Gran libro

O livro é sensacional e muito gostoso de ler, apesar de enorme - mas essa é uma característica das obras de Stephen King. Recomendo demais a leitura!