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)

Enlightening

I was in Korea when the Pandemic, Covid 19 hit. Had I read this story while I was there, my review might be different, but in coming back to the states during the outbreak and in seeing the chaotic responses and complete lack of reliable responsibility demonstrated by our people during this ongoing epidemic I found this to be a frightening and very realistic take on what might happen, and seems to be happening at a far slower rate only without Stephen King's famous monsters thrown into the mix, though that would make it more interesting. Covid hit South Korea before it hit the states, and the country pulled together as a society to fight it, winning for the most part as masks are already built into their culture due to high pollution levels, and due to their ability to contact trace. It hit the U.S. a month after them, but people in the U.S. were already being fed lies, claiming it was a hoax, saying masks didn't work, people were offered acting jobs as protesters in prime areas where the virus would spread, including many of my friends who work as actors and musicians. False cures were being popularized online, even going so far as to tell people it could be cured by gargling salt water. A blatant lie which anyone with a passing grade in biology could spot. Unfortunately the number of people who believe these lies has only proved to me how badly our school systems have been failing us. A popular tactic in war is to give the enemy too much information so they can't pick out what's true from what's false. It didn't happen in Korea, because they protect their citizens from things like that, but in America they'd look at that kind of protection as censoring, and the restriction of information, even if that information happens to be false. It seems like that is exactly what happened in the U.S. The people were given so much information that many of them still don't know what's right from wrong. In the book Captain Trips travels fast, and people get sick at various rates. By the end we still don't know if they survivors are simply carriers, or if having the shine made them immune somehow. With Covid we know you could be sick for two weeks without any symptoms, passing it on to those you know and love without even realizing it, and that's scary. Imagine finding out you've infected an entire town two weeks after the fact. Then add a death toll to that, and understand that you've now inadvertently murdered those highly susceptible to it. That's a lot of fear and guilt which unfortunately couldn't be delved into in this book, Captain Trips took no prisoners, did he? Still, I liked the beginning chapters, they were crafted with disturbing accuracy... Ironically I just got a phone call saying the man I love might have been exposed to covid and needs to quarantine. I spent the last hour setting up our house to keep him from exposing the children or myself. If there's ever been a scarier time to read this book, I wouldn't know it. I went on about the beginning already and I apologize for the distraction. Back on topic: What I really liked was the journey home near the end. Tom has always been my favorite character of this tale, but up until now I had only seen the movie, after reading the book I like him that much more. Usually when reviewing Stephen Kings books I try to find the connections between his stories, sometimes appearing as Easter Eggs. If I'm right this one connects to Dr. Sleep and by extension The Shining. Though I had difficulty keeping on the lookout for them in this book, as I repeatedly found more connections with reality than with his other books. Places the characters went, area's I'm familiar with were an eerie welcome. It isn't often I find a book that manages to scare me. Desensitized is what they call it. I've watched a lot of horror movies and read a lot of scary stories growing up, but this one hit so close to home that it did the trick. Not the same kind of fear I'm used to, but scary all the same... Funny but he mentions the characters coughing in the book, and it always gives you that odd feeling of foreboding, when you just know... It's the same feeling I get right now when I hear someone cough at the store, or over the computer while my kids are in class. If you haven't read this book, and you'd like a good scare, now's the time to read it... and stay safe out there. Captain Trips is no joke.

It's a classic right?

The performance was top notch. I'm glad I ground through it but I always find something wrong or bothersome about Stephen King stories. Overall the book stands up pretty well except for Rambo IV and Kings attempt at making up song lyrics.

One of King's best!

Look in the mirror you'll see Randall Flagg standing behind you.

Easy listening. Easier to read.

Great tale of good vs evil that ends with a twist

Definitely recommend this book. It is a classic story of good vs evil that is read beautifully. Steven King’s story comes to life in a way the movie (miniseries) could not.

If you have a few weeks (spoiler)

The narrator was great have no complaints. I have to say except for the ending it worth getting. The movie, as long as it is has nothing on the book in terms of characters and their points of view. They really build the scenario for you. Although I prefer the movie’s ending over the book by a lot.

One for the ages

This is probably my favorite Stephen King novel. Written in the 1970s, King’s epic apocalyptic saga still holds up to repeated listening today, and in fact seems pretty topical given the current state of the world. Death comes not on a pale horse, but a microbe. I’m glad they put the full unedited version on Audible. It’s long, but the listening goes by so quickly I finished it in maybe a week.
It’s Mr. King, so it’s not for the faint of heart, weak of stomach, or those averse to profanity. But for everyone else, I highly recommend it.

The Stand Delivers!

Don’t let the length of the book deter you. I was questioning listening to it and I’m glad I did. The narrator does a fantastic job. Steven King is a remarkable storyteller. The quintessential battle between good and evil is played out in your ears and it’s mesmerizing to imagine these characters being real. Loved it.

Captivating!

This book will have you listening every spare moment you have! I enjoyed it so much! Narration was on point as well!

I've read almost everything Stephen King

this is by far my favorite. guilty of a little rambling at times but an amazing read.

awesome listen

it was very good would suggest listening to. not as long as it sounds wish it was longer