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A Little Background: I came across my mother's copy of the original The Stand in Elementary School when I was looking for something to read at the time. I was about 11/12 when I wanted to read this book because at the time my parents and I watched The Stand's miniseries that was on rerun. My mom was vocal at the time that it didn't live up to the book. So, with the combination of this, it got curious, and I asked if I could read the book. She told me that the book was too hard to understand as well as it is long. When she flashed me the book to show me how thick it was, it didn't deter me. But I quietly dropped the subject and forgot about the book until 2009 after my mom died from Breast Cancer. When I was cleaning out her room, I came across The Stand book again. At the time, I was already a Stephen King fan after reading Pet Sematary, Firestarter, Carrie, and Christine. When I looked over the book she had, it was old, faded, the pages yellowing, thumbprints burned on some pages, and was barely holding together due being read so often. After finding this out, I went on a quest to look for a copy to call my own, and this is how I got into one of the longest books I've ever read.
A quick synopsis: The tale opens with security guard Charles Campion panicking and packing up his family in an attempt to prevent themselves from getting the deadly influenza strain. The lethal and deadly strain, developed in a secret U.S. Department of Defense laboratory, escapes the facility due to Campion. The disease infects the U.S. while being dubbed "the superflu" or "Captain Trips" by the news.
The Review:
The Stand is a wild ride.
The story follows a variety of different people and how they feel throughout the pandemic that has taken place. Each character has its own set of problems. There are no clear cut good or bad characters. While it may seem like there is, a lot are morally gray, and this is something that I enjoy with these characters. There are some biblical references, but they are minor compared to everything else that takes place. The Stand is a mix of fast-paced and somewhat of a slow burn when it comes to its telling. It introduces the characters that started the pandemic then slowed down to world build. There are 1436 pages and packed with several twists and turns. This story keeps you on your toes and at the edge of your seat. I cannot recommend The Stand enough because of where it takes you.
Books, Kindle version, and Audiobook:
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