By the time I read this opus...which had to be thicker than the Bible and the Book of Mormon combined...I had read "Salem's Lot", "Carrie", and "The Shining". Overall, I had liked them, although I felt King was a flawed writer, and that the ending of "The Shining", otherwise an engrossing book, fell flat. I remember "The Stand" as being similarly engrossing (I can remember sitting on a gas line reading while I waited for my turn at the pump). However, I thought the ending was pitiful...a popcorn fart of a climax when everything that had come before had led the reader to expect a massive and exhilerating explosion of dramatic resolution. I understand it was only a book...a horror book, at that...but I remember at the time feeling horribly cheated, and feeling that I had wasted too much of my life wading through all that paper and ink for such an ending as that. Afterwards, King's faults as a writer were always glaringly obvious to me, and it sometimes enraged me to think that such a mediocre author was considered by some to be "America's Premier Writer" (although I never had any hostility towards King as a person; he always seemed to be a regular guy). I think, as the years passed, he became more proficient at writing (generally speaking)-- I don't remember finding all that much wrong with "Misery", as an example, but I haven't read anything he's done in the years since then.

 LT's Theory of Pets
Has anyone come across this Stephen King title which was never published in book form. It's only available in audio book format and is narrated by himself.

A previously unpublished Stephen King story, now available on audio, read by the author himself.

L.T. has a theory about pets, particularly his Siamese cat. It had been their cat not just his cat, but that was until he came home one day to find a note on the fridge from his wife saying she had left him.

From this simple beginning, Stephen King spins a tale as compelling as anything he’s written, and on this audio he reveals himself as as a gifted live performer as well.

Recorded at the Royal Festival Hall in London, LT’s Theory of Pets is unique: a story not available in book form being read to an audience who will never forget the night they sat enthralled by the world’s master storyteller.

I especially enjoyed his uncut version he released the same time as that excellent TV movie adaptation. Highly recommended reading.

My all time favourite book

This book was LONG...and that's both good and bad. The ending was stupid, but the book was otherwise excellant...I'll probably read it again some day. (It's over 1,000 pages long, so if I'm willing to read it again, it MUST be good.)

Probably the best Stephen King Book I've ever read.I was in my late teens,but I still remember how powerfully this book grabbed me.It was a huge paperback,thick as a NYC phonebook,but I went through it like spit through a trumpet! Great characters,masterful storytelling.

One of his greatest stories! A++++++++

One of King's best books - aside from The Dark Tower books.

This is one of the better King offerings.

not horror as far as I am concerned, and laborously long-winded

Simply the BEST book I have ever read!

The book took some time but it was worth it.

This is easily Stephen King's best stand-alone book, by far, bar none. It is an epic tale, masterfully told in such a way that you want to know what happens next, and you truly care about the main characters. A short synopsis of the story goes something like this: An engineered bug escapes a government laboratory, quickly spreads and kills 99% of the people that come into contact with it. The people that are left start to reform into two groups (us vs. Them, Good vs. Evil) and start trying to rebuild the world. The escape and spread of the virus is masterfully and, amazingly for Stephen King, briefly told. He illustrates the ease with which such a virus would spread in today's world, without boring you to death. The best part of the book is when people start trying to get back together, the good guys in Boulder, the bad guys in Las Vegas, and try to rebuild civilization as we know it, and the struggles not to repeat the same mistakes that led up to the disaster in the first place. For those interested in the book, I STRONGLY recommend that you do NOT read the abridged version! While it's true that all that was taken out was backstory, the backstory is what makes the book such a fun read! If you don't read another King novel, you should read this one.

this is a great book. And though it staggers in a few places, and there is one boring part, i love how he's made this world. I'd recommend this book to anyone to read.

One of the most interestingly written thriller/horror books ever!! You can't put it down!!

Enkidu makes an excellent point. This would be a superb book if it was a quarter as long. King, who when he tries, is a fine writer, has difficulty restraining himself, and often writes twenty words when six would be perfect.

Somewhere in here there is a fine, concise mythological parable about the dark parts of human nature, but it desperately needed an editor. About four-fifths of this book could be cut away.

Originally published in 1978, The Stand is one of Stephen King's better works (if not his best). For the uninitiated, the concept of novel is a military germ warfare experiment gone bad, resulting in the mass near extinction of human life and other species. The few survivors are diverse, but all seem to have a mystical urge to group in competing good v. evil camps. As other comments have noted, The Stand is lengthy (over 1000 pages); however, this allows for a more complex story and character development. The admittedly weak ending causes a loss of a star, but the ride there is worth it.

This is my second favourite King novel. I read the uncut version so it stretched to over 1,500 pages. I have no idea which bits were excluded in the original but none of it should have been because it was all necessary to the story. I absolutely adored the philosophical ramblings about how to rebuild the world and how not to make the same mistakes again. However, you could see that the human race is doomed to make the same mistakes over and over again. I loved and identified each character and because the book was so long you really got to know them. I was a little daunted when I first started to read it but there was not a point in the book where I wasn't completely into it.

best book ever written by mr King

Among King's very best. This gargantuan novel clocks in at over 1100 pages in PB and I still wanted more. The story involves the end of the world after 99% of the population has been killed by a mysterious virus. The survivors pick up the pieces in an epic adventure. The Stand is not so much a hack and slash tale as it is a very human story with believeable characters. Don't be intimidated by the length of this novel. It will captivate you all the way through.

My favorite novel of all time. The ultimate good vs. evil story with an assortment of remarkable and unforgettable characters. Most of my friends dismiss his writing and say that he writes nothing but junk. I find this funny since they have never read any of his work. If you base his work by the crappy movies made over the years no wonder people think he stinks. They also ignore the fact that he has sold millions books -- one friend had the nerve to say to me, that King does not write anymore. The publishers just put a few ideas in a computer and come up with a variation on his previous books. King is a genius. This story especially gives your insight into every type of character imaginable. I do not want to give a major part of the storyline away but remember the Swine Flu? King tried to warn us! Ok, I will admit that his in-depth descriptions might gross out the faint at heart but believe me it is all vivid to the story. If you read only book by him I strongly recommend this one.

M-O-O-N spells this book rocks

A long, epic novel, but you fly right through it.

Stephen King does have a knack for creating nuanced characters. His build up to the climax is impressive, and made me read this book over the course of 3 days. I disliked the resolution however- the characters he developed so carefully were thrown over for a quick solution. He overuses the "hand of God" thing too much, and it felt like a copout here. Up to that point, though, I loved the story and the characters, and really cared about them. The climax felt oddly hamhanded compared to the rest of the novel.

Awesome book. There are scenes that come to me out of the blue and scare the wits out of me. I can not go into port-o-johns anymore for fear of some "sweet treat" waiting there for me. It's been a few years since I last read it and I still have nightmares about the aftermath of a plague or war with mass death and destruction.

the stand is a long book, over 1000pages, but it keeps the reader enthralled until the final word. worth reading again and again. steve

The utmost pinnacle of Stephen King's career. A great read.

There's nothing like a Stephen King book to put one's own problems in perspective. THE STAND is the best "what if" book I've ever read, (and I read constantly), you just can't be too concerned with a leaky faucet, car trouble, or anonymous phone calls with a 'super flu' to keep you occupied. But seriously folks...this book will make you think about your priorities and count your blessings. I've read it more than once, separated by years and vastly altered circumstances, and it is astounding how, with changing times, age, and experience, different parts of the story affected me. For instance, before children, during a pregnancy, or after a child has started school you may react to various story lines differently than you did before, like I did. Therefore, if it's been a while, I recommend you read it again and again. If nothing else, it will present your troubles in a new light.

The Stand is my favorite King book.I still have nightmares as a result of reading this book.

The most interesting thing about The Stand is King's ability to develop main characters. There are approximately twenty main characters in the novel, yet I did not have any problem distinguishing them. I felt like I really knew the characters as real people. It was also good how King does not have a complete conclusion. It is left to the reader to make up the ending.

This was a great book. It's surprising that he could have kept it up for over 1000 pages.

My favorite book! I loved it!! Very long, but it went by in a snap. Lots of cool characters and this book made me think about the world I live in and the battle between good and evil.

This is one of Stephen King's best, and epic story of good vs. evil, with a great sci-fi doomsday plot. King characters are very real, three dimensional people. I love the way he interjects humor into his horror.

My favorite book of all time.