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)

My Favorite

I have read a lot of Stephen King novels but this one is by far my personal favorite. The story and characters are unforgettable.

Awesome is not enough to describe this author and narrator

I have read this book twice and just finished it on Audible. This is my favorite Stephen King book but I love them all. The Dark Tower series is also a must read. Thank you Mr. King

Greatness!

Epic story! A wonderful journey for the mind that keeps you wanting and anticipating the next moment

great for long runs and really gets you thinking!

great for long runs and really gets you thinking about life! great story and performance by the reader!

couldn't put it down

I came to Stephen King late in life when a book is on Audible absolutely love it but when it comes to reading I just cannot get into it ....a Stephen King book is not just a good read it's a commitment and this is a great commitment you don't want it to end but you don't want to put it down that's double edged sword there's something about a book that has been around for so many years that has touched so many people and so many people have different opinions about this is it you can read this book or listen to it different times and come out with different things each time and pick up different stuff each time in my opinion this is a staple in all libraries and an iconic story and I think everybody can relate to or find personal meaning in it

First Stephen King novel I've read - great choice!

What did you like best about this story?

For anyone looking for an easy read - this isn't one. This is a long epic tale requiring patience and faith. Also, keep in mind Stephen King wrote this in the late 70s. The culture and the way people reference things are quite different now but remember, this book is set in the 80s. Reading it reminded me of reading Tolkien's Lord of the Rings series. It was hard to get into it at first but if you just stick with it, everything will make sense eventually and you'll end up caring so much about the characters that it won't seem so endless. You'll just want to know more and more. When I finished Lord of the Rings, I still wanted to know more about what happened to the characters. I felt the same with The Stand.

One criticism I do have of King is his lack of diversity of characters (I am Asian). Everyone, except Mother Abigail, seems to be white. Even in the 80s, America was quite diverse. Despite this lack of diversity, I still liked the characters he created and their development.

What does Grover Gardner bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

I am new to reading through listening to Audio books. The Stand is only my 4th audio book. I did not like the audio format with the first book I listened to, but I am starting to warm to this format. The first audio book I listened to turned me off audio books because of the choice of the narrator. It was actually the 2nd book to a series. I read the first book but decided to try the 2nd book in audio format. It was a book written in first person and the narrator they chose to read it sounded nothing like I envisioned the character's voice to be. Her voice annoyed me, too! I only finished listening to it because I was on a road trip and I wanted to know what happened. Needless to say, I chose to read the 3rd book in that series.

Despite this bad experience, I decided to give audio books another try once I started commuting long distance to work. One thing I don't like about audio books is the length. Some narrators read slower than I'd like. I was so happy to discover I could speed up the track. Luckily, I didn't mind the narrator of The Stand. With this book being to rich with characters, I actually found his interpretations of them enlightening. It helped me to better visualize the characters. I've also read some commentators who didn't like his voice or his impressions of the characters. I think no matter who narrates a story, some people will like them and some won't. Like with my first audio book - I didn't care for the narrator but I'm sure there are others who thought she was great. You won't know until you listen to it.

If you could take any character from The Stand out to dinner, who would it be and why?

Nick. He was dealt the worse cards in his life and yet he had such resilience and a good heart at that. I know there are people like him out in the world, just wished we had more of them.

one of the best audio books so far.

almost as good as when I read it myself. worth the listen for sure. try it for yourself

The stand

I have seen the movie and now read the book in everyway outstanding.the reader was a very professional and keep you in the book all the time I never wanted to put in down.

My favorite book of all time!

What made the experience of listening to The Stand the most enjoyable?

The length of it - the fact that it was so well done, I really enjoyed it immensely!

What did you like best about this story?

Good will persevere even when people muck it up.

Which scene was your favorite?

The scenes with Nick stand out - but I also like Stu Redman, especially in the CDC - he comes across so clearly and strongly.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

It's already been made and it can't compare to the book. Some of the actors chosen just didn't suit.

Any additional comments?

I've read this book about 20 times - the original shorter version and this version where Stephen King brought back a lot of pages that had been left out in that first publishing. It's awesome that this reading was from that much longer version!

FANTASTIC!

Where does The Stand rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

I would have to put the Stand in the top 3 of my library, possibly at #1 but there are so many great ones it's hard to decide. This is for sure King at his best, and Grover Gardner was wonderful. I usually only listen while at work, but I could not stop listening to this book, only Under the Dome did the same for me.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Stand?

Too many memorable moments to pick 1.

What about Grover Gardner’s performance did you like?

He brought the characters to life.