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)

great read

loved this book..could not put it down. Mr. king at his finest. I highly recommend it.

Hightly Recommended

M-O-O-N...that spells highly recommended. This is my favorite book and I try to read/listen to it at least once a year! The character development is on point and I cannot recommend anything higher than The Stand.

New Stephen King Favorite!

Fantastic book, great story, great characters. Long but never boring! I Highly recommend this classic!

King’s best work

For those that like post apocalyptic stories this is the holy grail! I was a bit worried about the narrator at first but turned out to be great! The story is full of twists and turns and the characterization is amazing. It’s almost like you feel what they are feeling!

great story

I've never been into sci-fi and so I actively avoided Steven king, but this book made me want to read all of his work. More than twice as long as any book I've ever listened to, yet at no point was the story lagging or boring. Plan on reading again to see if I missed anything.

The Stand is King's Finest

If you could sum up The Stand in three words, what would they be?

End of Everything

What other book might you compare The Stand to and why?

The Earth Abides. It also about how people must cope after a catastrophic incident.

Which scene was your favorite?

The scene in Fran's mother's parlor. She tell her mother she is pregnant. Her mother berates her, but her father sticks up for her.

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

Are you feeling well?

A great book, we'll read. Kept me entertained be

A great book, we'll read. Kept me entertained beginning to end.

This is Stephen King doing what he does best, creating charters and worlds that wrap you up in sincere emotions and tangible struggles.

Fantastic story!

Fantastic story and, as always, fantastic writing.
Stephen King is so good at story telling and character development - I felt like I knew these characters. Lightening up the darkest places with his signature wit, I laughed out loud at times. Almost 50 hours of listening flew by! The narrator is also fantastic - has to be one of the best listens I ever had with audible.

Good Book.

The book was good the second time around.
I love the extras in the book.
the narration was good also.

Reincarnated Psychic Hitler

Before I start, I did enjoy the book. Lots of story and very well told. It is similar to most other post-apocalyptic stories with few differences. The biggest is the villain. He is like Legion from the Bible filled with Hitler's psychotic and fevered mind. I didn't think he was very enjoyable. He knew stuff, did stuff, and saw stuff that isn't ever explained other than he might be the Devil-incarnate. Not the scariest thing King has ever written and can be pretty predictable for post-apocalyptic buffs. I still recommend it but it does get long sometimes. Enjoy the journey.