The Stand

By: Stephen King

Narrated by: Grover Gardner

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 more than five hundred pages of 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 read The Stand in its original version and wanted more, this new edition is Stephen King's gift. And those who are reading 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.

Critic reviews

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

"A master storyteller."
—Los Angeles Times

“An undisputed master of suspense and terror.”
—The Washington Post

“King is one of the most powerful storytellers we have. His work satisfies on first reading and is even better the second time around.”
—Chicago Tribune

“Crackling . . . with explosive climaxes.”
—The Boston Globe

“[For] those who like their horror on a humongous scale.”
—Los Angeles Times

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

“Peerless imagination.”
—The Observer (London)

Finally!!!

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

A classic is a classic, no matter in what form.

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

This is THE book that gave birth to so many in this genre...

Any additional comments?

Finnally, after waiting for years to get this book on audio, it's here!!! And if you have been living under a rock and have not read this masterpiece already, get to it now!!!

Excellent Story, Acceptable Narrator

Life, Death, Religion, and Civilization; lofty topics to tackle in a thriller. It's no surprise that Stephen King deftly rises to the challenge and delivers an epic of...well...epic proportions.

The most impressive thing about this novel in my opinion is the fact that there was no point in the 48 hour novel that felt like the story was stalled or lagging. The plot kept moving forward; slowly, patiently, but with great skill and expertise. I was especially fascinated by the themes of civilization and religion; I found myself deconstructing and analyzing many of my own thoughts on these topics. I've always been of the opinion that Stephen King is a genius, but if I'd had any doubts, this book would have put them to rest.

SO: Deep, thoughtful, chilling, entertaining, fun... there's the good news.

Don't worry - there's no "bad" news, per se.. more like mediocre. For such a famous, long anticipated tome such as this, you would think it would be insured that the narration was second to none; and that's not how I found it. It was fine, and it didn't ruin the book; I still recommend this wholeheartedly. Mr. Gardner did a good job creating the different voices of the characters, and for the most part kept them straight, which I'm sure was no small task. Still, I've experienced enough spectacular readers that this was a let down. Finally, and most egregious, Mr. Gardner would (from time to time) mispronounce a word that had no business being mispronounced. I was really surprised these errors could have made it through to the finished product.

Still, if hearing saguaro pronounced with a hard "G" doesn't set your nerves on edge, you'll be fine; and even if it does, the performance as a whole is not bad.

Overall, I really, really enjoyed this one. Thanks, Mr. King.

What can I say!!

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

I'm so excited to finally have The Stand on Audio and I got it for free with my credits. I have been wanting to purchase it for awhile but the price of the audiobook was over a hundred dollars even used. Thank you Audible I listen at work and this book will make my day enjoyable and I can share it with my friends. One of the best Stephen King books of all time. Definitely a classic!

3.8 Star Story Performed Brilliantly; Bang 4 Buck

Would have never been able to get through this much fiction as a read (I tried a few times and never got into double digit chapters), but Grover Gardner delivers an incredibly entertaining performance which made it addictive to listen too over 45+ hours.

It's funny to listen to something from the early 80's with ears that have come from the same time but have been trained to live in 2019. Sometimes this would lend a chuckle to my listen.. While some other times my eyes practically rolled out of my head. It's the later that would really bring into focus for me some of the issues I had forgotten or just plain didn't notice back then. Specifically how King writes the women characters will likely turn off some listeners.

Story wise, it's bit of a mixed bag. On the positive side it wrestles with a compelling and interesting hypothetical post apocalyptic world which honestly caused me to fantasize. Thanks in large part to Gardner, many of the male characters are absolutely endearing and charming; which unfortunately also highlights how poorly conceived the female characters are. Despite some short comings, the Stand, especially as performed by Gardner, delivers an entertaining story that falls just a little short in the later chapters.

This version of the book is an elongated "director's cut" err "author's cut" which may have been more than was needed for an already loooong tale. But I worked a hemp farm over a summer while listening and it gave me a whole lot of listening entertainment value that helped the days of mindless labor pass by quickly.

Love it

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

I have not read the print version because I am a very busy person just looking at the size of the book frightened me....lol So when I saw it on audio I was very pleased and took it with me to the gym, while I drove from place to place, and then realized I could not stop listening. I listened while I cooked, while in my garden, while I worked.. shhhh and had a hard time turning it off. Very entertaining!!

Who was your favorite character and why?

I have a hard time pin pointing which character is my favorite. I liked Nick Andros and Larry Underwood for the obvious reasons they are the

Have you listened to any of Grover Gardner’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No

Any additional comments?

I highly recommend listening to this book. Very good character development I felt like I knew these people and did not want this story to end. Stephen King is a great writer and Gardner Grover does a great job narrating!!

Great Story

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes, it is a compelling work that I have read over and over. It is a solid story, not my all time favorite from King but close.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Stu, his honesty, drive and love make me admire him.

Did Grover Gardner do a good job differentiating all the characters? How?

He did an good job, but is not my favorite. John Slattery did a great job on Duma Key. But I would have loved to hear Gary Sinise do The Stand.

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

Stu or Mother Abigail!

excellent speaking

really liked the voice actor.. what word is used here? reader? anyway, I liked how distinct and consistent their voice for different characters were. Laws, yes.

SUPER FANTASTIC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I was so sad when the story ended i wanted more and more it was greatttttttt!

Chilling portrayal of a devastated America

I am a long time Stephen King fan and I've read the hard copy of The Stand probably half a dozen times. I wasn't thrilled by the narrator but he did do a good job and the story continues to stand the test of time. Still scary and chilling and super creepy. One of King's best.

Outstanding narration!

It would not have been the same story with a narrator of lesser skill. BRAVO!