Current Events > Finished reading The Stand by Stephen king SPOILERS

(+) Yeah! (+)

It was the unabridged version.

I've heard a lot about how he's not great great at endings, but I've liked his endings from what I've read enough (I've read It, Pet Sematary, Salem's lot, Mr Mercedes trilogy, 11/22/63). But yeah, the ending here really didn't hit it for me. A literal Hand of God is... Not great.

Other than that I really liked it. I love character-driven books, and of course King absolutely delivered as always. Tom Cullen and Stu were likeable, Larry Underwood and glen Bateman had great growth arcs (Larry's cut short by the Hand of God, imo). Randall Flagg was a good villain, Nadine Cross had a nice tragic arc, And Lloyd Henreid was a good example of why people chose to live under Flagg's rule and what it did to them

One of the most striking parts of it to me was the chapter when King wrote about the "2nd wave" of people who died who weren't fit to live in a post-apocalyptic world. Really excellent stuff there.

---

baby can you dig your man

---

I actually enjoyed the ended a lot o my second read through. I mean, it's not like King shied away from the whole "God does what God wants" throughout the entire book and he made all the characters seem like pawns in some fucked up chess match.

I thought it was rather fitting based on everything leading up to that point.

---

One of the most striking parts of it to me was the chapter when King wrote about the "2nd wave" of people who died who weren't fit to live in a post-apocalyptic world. Really excellent stuff there.

I really enjoyed that part also. When I saw they were making it in to another tv show I was really hoping that part was going to be an entire episode. I probably think about that part more often than any other part.

I get that its about the journey and not the destination thing man that ending blows.

---

The tunnel part with Larry is still nightmate fuel for me.

Also I dont know why I watched thr remake show, it was prob the worst thing ive watched.

---

Eat More Beef posted...

I actually enjoyed the ended a lot o my second read through. I mean, it's not like King shied away from the whole "God does what God wants" throughout the entire book and he made all the characters seem like pawns in some fucked up chess match.

I thought it was rather fitting based on everything leading up to that point.

I agree! It's why I wouldn't call it a Deus ex machina either. King has several books that are about large forces of good vs evil manifested in people, like It and Salem's Lot. But I feel like the protagonists in those books did more at the end. But I loved Bateman's death scene, holy shit that was a great cap to his arc.

---

FF_Redux posted...

The tunnel part with Larry is still nightmate fuel for me.

Also I dont know why I watched thr remake show, it was prob the worst thing ive watched.

I only saw the first few episodes as they were released before my subscription for whatever it was on ran out. It had its moments... like the scene with Frannie moving the body down the stairs. Surprisingly hot. Whoopi sucked as Mother Abagail.

Drpooplol posted...

But I feel like the protagonists in those books did more at the end.

yeah, the thing about The Stand's ending is nobody really accomplished anything

Stu spends the entire final arc stuck in a ditch with a broken leg
>__>

---

HylianFox posted...

yeah, the thing about The Stand's ending is nobody really accomplished anything

Stu spends the entire final arc stuck in a ditch with a broken leg
>__>

I think that's why i liked Glen's ending. He's the only one who really faced down The Walking Dude and didn't puss out.

---

The strongest part of the book is definitely when everyone's on their own. There's a noticeable decrease in quality when they meet up in Boulder. I don't love the ending either, but I do love the epilogue. I think the entire theme of the book is summed up perfectly when he shouts, "I'VE COME TO MAKE YOU CIVILIZED!"

I also agree that the best chapter is the second wave one. Really, all of the chapters about it spreading. It's disappointing but unsurprising to hear they didn't adapt that. It'd be tough to film, but I think it could be done with Flagg and Mother Abigail acting as the narrators.
---

Oh, one other random thought: when i imagine Flagg's voice, I heard it as the narrator from The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth lmao

---

I imagine it as having the slightest southern accent. A bit like a raspy McConaughey.
---

Bump

---

HylianFox posted...

baby can you dig your man

Hes a righteous man!

My favorite chapter in the whole book was about the people who survived the plague but died from real bizarre events, like wasn't there some kid who died riding his bike? Been a while.

pegusus123456 posted...

I imagine it as having the slightest southern accent. A bit like a raspy McConaughey.

So Flagg from the Dark Tower then?

What the hell ever happened with that TV show that nobody watched?

---

BeyondWalls posted...

What the hell ever happened with that TV show that nobody watched?

It ended.

It is kinda funny how that remake came and went without any fanfare whatsoever

---

HylianFox posted...

It is kinda funny how that remake came and went without any fanfare whatsoever

cuz it was the worst utter shit ever made

---

NeoShadowhen posted...

One of the most striking parts of it to me was the chapter when King wrote about the "2nd wave" of people who died who weren't fit to live in a post-apocalyptic world. Really excellent stuff there.

I really enjoyed that part also. When I saw they were making it in to another tv show I was really hoping that part was going to be an entire episode. I probably think about that part more often than any other part.

You should read Dies the Fire.

Read up to meeting at Corvallis if you like, but stop there imo.

---

The first half, two thirds or so is great but it really does go downhill once the whole apocalypse/plague stuff is done and it's just a community coming together and dealing with a rival one they don't like that they don't even do anything to beyond send some people to so they can die with it. The religious stuff sucks and King does the thing he likes to do where his villains, even if they seem threatening and impressive at first, just kind of turn into stupid losers towards the end.

---

Definitely agree that the best parts IMO were about the spread of the virus.

Also remember when the Kid shoved his gun up the trash can mans butthole and made him jerk him off? I member

---

AvlButtslam posted...

Definitely agree that the best parts IMO were about the spread of the virus.

Also remember when the Kid shoved his gun up the trash can mans butthole and made him jerk him off? I member

That was definitely something... Of everything king wrote to make him seem fucked up, that bit worked the most lmao

---

Drpooplol posted...

One of the most striking parts of it to me was the chapter when King wrote about the "2nd wave" of people who died who weren't fit to live in a post-apocalyptic world. Really excellent stuff there.

Yeah, actually. On a recent listen to the audiobook that chapter got me too.

---

My life for you.



---

no great loss

---

harold got pwnt

---

a-c-a-b posted...

My life for you.

<img src="" />

It's weird. I pictured him as middle-aged and the 90s adaptation did too, but poor Trashy is 22 at the most.
---