The Stand

By: Stephen King

Narrated by: Grover Gardner

Length: 47 hrs and 47 mins

Publisher's summary

This is the way the world ends: with a nanosecond of computer error in a Defense Department laboratory and a million casual contacts that form the links in a chain letter of death.

And here is the bleak new world of the day after: a world stripped of its institutions and emptied of 99 percent of its people. A world in which a handful of panicky survivors choose sides - or are chosen. A world in which good rides on the frail shoulders of the 108-year-old Mother Abagail - and the worst nightmares of evil are embodied in a man with a lethal smile and unspeakable powers: Randall Flagg, the dark man.

In 1978, Stephen King published The Stand, the novel that is now considered to be one of his finest works. But as it was first published, The Stand was incomplete, since more than 150,000 words had been cut from the original manuscript.

Now Stephen King's apocalyptic vision of a world blasted by plague and embroiled in an elemental struggle between good and evil has been restored to its entirety. The Stand: The Complete and Uncut Edition includes material previously deleted, along with new material that King added as he reworked the manuscript for a new generation. It gives us new characters and endows familiar ones with new depths. It has a new beginning and a new ending. What emerges is a gripping work with the scope and moral complexity of a true epic.

For hundreds of thousands of fans who heard The Stand in its original version and wanted more, this new edition is Stephen King's gift. And those who are listening to The Stand for the first time will discover a triumphant and eerily plausible work of the imagination that takes on the issues that will determine our survival.

Cover artwork ©2020 CBS Interactive Inc.

©1978 Stephen King (P)2012 Random House

Critic reviews

"A master storyteller." (Los Angeles Times)

"[The Stand] has everything. Adventure. Romance. Prophecy. Allegory. Satire. Fantasy. Realism. Apocalypse. Great!" (The New York Times Book Review)

"As brilliant a dark dream as has ever been dreamed in this century." (Palm Beach Post)

What great heros and villians

Would you consider the audio edition of The Stand to be better than the print version?

I have read this book as well as listened to it. I think the audio is more exciting and I got a sense that the characters were multi leveled. Not all good or bad. You get to know them and even understand why they would do things that were unwise

What about Grover Gardner’s performance did you like?

He did a great job. Not so theatrical that you want him to back it off a notch, but such that you know which character he is protraying even before he tells you

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Way too long for one sitting (it is Mr. king's longest book) but I did enjoy each of the parts and did not consider putting another book on in between sections

So much story, well performed. Gripping.

loved it, story was great from start to finish. so much content for the price as well.

So good!

Fantastic! The reader was amazing and sucks you in from the very beginning! And of course Stephen King’s detailed writing leaves you with a perfect picture of what’s going on!

Great story and narration, stopped playing though.

Great book and narration but it stopped playing around chapter 90. No one ever answered my emails about why, I ended up re down loading and it did OK then.

Too Close to Reality

It's like Stephen King knew we would be faces with this pandemic today. Great book and movie.

47 hours for one credit.

"The Stand" has been one of my favorite book since I first read it 20 years ago. The characters are like old friends or family who I think of throughout my life. As I meet new people, I find mysrlf thinking, "she reminds me of Nadine Cross," as if Nadine were someone I really knew, way back when.
"The Stand" was a long book to start with, and this unabridged version is longer still. So when I was thinking about books I'd like to add to my audio library, I looked it up. I use audiobooks to pass time while working alone at night. So, the longer the better (if its a good book.) And this is a great book.

I always used to give King short shrift. Used to..

Grover Gardner was a fantastic narrator for this story. It took me about a week to finish it, but, by the time I was half way through, I was listening very closely and as often as I could. My only complaints are so small that I don't even feel comfortable voicing them.
This has been a fantastic listen.
Great story. Great use of a credit.

Yes, Audible, I have enjoyed this program.

Top notch King.

I love when I am surprised what details, and this book did just that. I am very glad that I decided to get the stand because of the details. I've seen the TV mini-series probably close to a hundred times however the novel took my breath away. I recommend it to everyone.

Wow what an adventure!

Long but very good. I've always loved this story and I can't wait for the new mini series :)

The Stand

This is the first time that I read the book in any format. I saw the TV movie some time ago when it was broadcast. I was surprised how much I remembered. Listening to the book now gave me a slight chill due to its content and what the U.S. is going through now with Covid-19. It was just to eerily similar. I really enjoyed the narrator and will seek out other books that he narrates.

Yes, it is a long listen, but I found it engaging enough to listen to it in nice chunks.