Smythe's review of The Stand

James Smythe at gaurdian.co.uk has posted a unique review of The Stand.  (HERE)  The article is the the next installment of his journey to read the King books in chronological order.  Like most King readers, the Stand is a favorite of Smythe's.  And, like many of us,  he discovered the Stand while  he was young.

Smythe begins with the conclusion that The Stand is essentially the book of Job -- with a little fantasy thrown in.

About the line-up, Smythe writes:

Where King's previous antagonists were small fry (or protagonists flipped on their heads), Randall Flagg is never less than pure evil. He has a counterpart, as all evils should: Mother Abigail, 108 years old, who communes with God, and who is the frail good to Flagg's evil. 

Job and Revelation:

And, about the Biblical book of Job (pronounced Jobe) Smythe  offers:

I read once that The Stand was essentially the Book of Job, with the survivors in Job's place: tested by good and evil both; pushed and challenged to see how much they could endure, as if their suffering were a game. There's a little more epic fantasy here than in the Bible, maybe, and it ends not with a war, but with an accident; with the chaos of Trashcan Man finding a weapon, and with Flagg's showing off going to far. But I can still see it. Good wins by default, because evil cannot. Those were the rules in the Old Testament, and they're the rules now.

That's an interesting perspective.  The Stand is very much like Job!  However, in Biblical terms, I think the Stand is more like the book of Revelation.  (No "s" in Revelation.)  Plagues are poured out on the world, evil rises up and people must choose which side they will turn to.  As evil rises, the good must decide if they will  bow down  to evil (take the mark of the beast) or stand up against evil (the mark of God.)  Yet, in the end, man cannot stand against evil alone, only the work of God can end it.  Thus in revelation fire comes from heaven and destroys the enemies of God, while in the Stand, the finger of God brings an end to evil.

What I like about The Stand as end-time fiction is that it does not play the rapture game.  The rapture is a ridiculous view -- new to the scene theologically -- that God will rapture out his people before the Great Tribulation.  In this case, King gets it more right than the Left Behind series!  God does not rapture his people out in the hour of evil, he expects them to "stand."  In fact, Christ clearly said that those  who "stand to the end will be saved." (Matt. 24:13)

Here's a fuller  post of mine on The Stand and the Bible.

An American Lord Of The Rings

As I read this, I keep wanting to shout, "me too, me too!"  For instance, Smythe notes that King said in the introduction that  he wanted to write something like Lord  of the Rings.  He notes, "I didn't read Tolkien when I was a kid, I read this."  YES!  Me too.  I did read Lord of the Rings -- for as long as I could.  I find Lord of the Rings difficult.  I know this will offend many, but it does not connect with me at all.  It seems like they just walk around a lot.  (I just realized that in The Stand. . . there's a lot of walking around!)

That said, what does  connect with me is The Stand.  It is more than an American version of Lord of the Rings, I think it reaches far beyond.  The Stand doesn't build an unknown world as a stage for its characters to play on -- in the Stand, the characters are on our stage.  

Some of my favorite lines (from the Smythe review)

• The Stand is a masterpiece. . . 
• When swine flu broke out in 2009, I lost track of the number of tweets referring to it as Captain Trip.
• About Flagg: "I've mentioned him before – in my Carrie and Night Shift rereads – but here's where he makes his grand entrance."
•  This is my most reread book.
• as I read The Stand again, I realised that I am wholly, totally indebted to King's book.

The Stand

By far fans of Stpehen King have preferred the Stand. It was the book that introduced me to his writing. In many ways the Stand represents his writing well.

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I first read the 1990 restored version and later listened to the original cut version. What is most striking between the two versions was how dry the cut edition was. Wow! And still, it had been a favorite. But King infused his novel with a deeper flavor; both for characters and the destroyed American landscape.

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Primary Story

A superflu sweeps over the world, leaving on a remnant to survive. In America, peope begin either dreaming about an old black woman (Mother Abigail) or are drawn to Las Vegas where the Dark Man is calling them. He intends to take this opportunity to rule the world. Those drawn to Mother must restart society. A favorite part of the book is the Free Zone's efforts to clear out buildings and get the electricity going again. Also the use of motorcycles, since roads and clogged with cars. Mother Abigail disappears for a while, then reappears to announce that those she has chosen must go to Vegas and take a "stand" against evil.
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The Dark Tower

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Wizard and Glass makes a particular connection to The Stand when Roland and his band find themselves in the world touched by the plague. Yikes, I remember as I read, characters are now moving through other novels by the same author. How neat.

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Strenghts of the Stand:

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The stand draws the reader in as King slowly takes the nation (presumeably the world) apart with his super-flu. This isn't as intense as it was when I first read it, because the book is so popular everyone kind of knows what is going to happen. But remember, there was a time when we didn't know what would emerge from the rubble. What would happen after everyone died? What was up with those strange dreams?

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Both plot and characters make the Stand a good read. You want to like Stu, but characters like Herold strike more at home. Stu taking Fran and the intense rage from herold was strong. That King allows for conflict within thier own circles makes the story come to life.

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I am hopeful that Under the Dome will be "Stand" like!

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Favorite Characters:

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Mother Abigail, Stu, Larry, Fran, Flagg, Herold, Glenn, The Kid, the Trashcan Man.

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Question:

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I have always wondered something about The Stand: Why was it necessary for the men to go take their stand in Vegas? Once Flagg had the bomb, the finger of God stopped him, not the men. They didn't really take much of a stand, they just got captured. So they were there to witness it, but what 'stand" did they really take?

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Adaptations:

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• The original novel was put on audio, with Grover Gardner narrating. Personally, I don't like his narration, which is dry. It is out of print. I do not know why the complete and uncut edition was not put on audio. Of course, some websites claim to have a copy. . . but not a legal one.
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• Available as an e-book.
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• King himself wrote the script for the 2004 mini-series. Which, in my opinion, was fantastic. The mini-series faithfully brought the novel to life.
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• A comic book. http://marvel.com/comics/The_Stand
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Editions:

• The Stand, hadcover
• The Stand, paperback
• The Stand Complete and UnCut, British edition (true first edition)
• The Stand Complete and UnCut, hardcover
• The Stand Complete and UnCut, paperback
• The Stand Complete and UnCut, leatherbound. (Good luck getting a copy of that!)

How to identify a first edition (Bev Vincent):

The Stand 1978 Doubleday 5.75 x 8.5 x 1.9"

$12.95

"First Edition" on CP
T39 on page 823

Original Bookcovers: http://www.stephenkingshop.com/covers/TheStand.htm

Swan Song And The Stand

This was originally posted 10/10/09. I'm reposting it with some corrections and some new quotes. In other words. . . this is the complete and uncut version of this article! I love both these novels!
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A King Like Review Of SWAN SONG:
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In The Library Policeman, Liberian Mrs. Lortz give realtor Sam Peebles a hefty dose of reality. In response to his suggestion that her signs might be a bit harsh -- over the top -- she responds by telling him what kids really read. "According to the poll. . . Their favorite novel was a paperback original called Swan Song. It's a horror novel by a man named Robert Mccammon. We can't keep it in stock, Sam. They read each new copy to rags in weeks. I had a copy put in Vinabind, but of course, it was stolen. By one of the bad children." Four Past Midnight, The Library Policeman, p. 431 (HB)
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Now, that's pretty close to a good review -- in the world of Stephen King. If a prudish librarian doesn't like the book -- it's must be good. She probably wouldn't like Dracula, either.
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Swan Song and the Original Edition of The Stand:
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Swan Song, by Robert Mccammon, is often compared to Stephen King's The Stand. Of course, when it was written the world only knew of the old version of The Stand. King had not yet shown his full hand on this masterpiece.
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Swan Song Stands On It's Own!
I should point out that Swan Song stands on its own. It is not a rip-off of The Stand. It moves in its own directions. Mccammon is no hack! There's an interesting blog entry titled, "Swan Song is Not Like The Stand." The author writes, "I was perusing McCammon’s Facebook page and one of his fans posted a question asking (I’m paraphrasing) the author why he never really discussed Swan Song. McCammon answered that it was because when the novel was originally released there were critics who lambasted the novel for being similar to King’s."
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I agree with his sentiments as further stated: "McCammon’s novel is a quality read and is good enough to stand up on its own; it is unfortunate that McCammon should feel shameful for writing such a great book and always have to go on the defensive every time Swan Song is brought up in conversation. The criticism should instead be directed towards the critics who were so unimaginative that they could not differentiate between the scenarios of McCammon’s to those of Stephen King."
http://readingwriting.wordpress.com/2010/01/09/swan-song-is-not-like-the-stand/
Comparing The Two
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By comparing the two novels, I am not saying they are the same! I am not suggesting either author took ideas or themes from the other. I am simply pointing out some common things between the novels. Like comparing Salem's Lot to Dracula.
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It is interesting for me to note how personally intertwined these books are for me. In fact, when I first posted this article, I noted that both The Stand and Swan Song have sympathetic black female characters. Some of you rightly pointed out the error of my way! Sister Creep isn't black! That startled me. How had I made that mistake? Well, the answer was simple: I had recently read The Stand, and Mother Abigail was on my mind. Sister -- Mother . . . somehow she was a street-smart mother Abigail in my imagination.
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Both novels are long, sweeping novels of good and evil. The primary difference I noted was the way in which each author got rid of the bulk of society. Mccammon used nukes. King used the "super-flu." Years ahead of Swine Flu or SARS, he imagined a world wide plague that would devastate the countryside.
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By the way, note the importance of women in both novels. In Swan Song it's Sister Creep, and, of course, in The Stand it's Mother Abigail. God is also a main character in both novels!
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Of interest: King does not use nukes to end the world, but they do play a critical part in the plot. It is Trashcan man who brings the nukes to Vegas, and God himself who pushes the button.
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King never moves into high places. He doesn't concern us too much with the government (except when Stu is taken captive). The story is told simply from the views of the main characters. But Mccammon takes is right into the oval office and Air Force One. I like the president in Swan Song.
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Brian Schwartz at You're entitled to my opinion writes, "It’s not hard to see the influence of Stephen King. There are too many parallels between The Stand and Swan Song. That does not diminish the power of this story, its characters, or the barren wasteland that is America after it is nuked. While the stories are similar, the characters are remarkably different. Besides, a tale can be retold in a number of ways and be enjoyable." http://brian1984books.blogspot.com/2006/05/swan-song-by-robert-mccammon.html
I do wonder if Mccammon was inspired by The Stand. So which one's better? Why bother -- both are worth multiple readings.
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Craigs Book Club rightly notes, "Epic in scope, Swan Song approaches 1000 pages. This may turn some off, but the pages are full and not a word is wasted. Fans of The Stand may scoff at the similar plot, but I can say that, even as a fan of The Stand myself, I was able to lose myself in this horrible world and forget all about Stephen King's."
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Available Editions:
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Strangely, I went to look for a hardcover copy of Swan Song, since the paperback was experiencing a pretty ugly death. But Pocketbooks offers no hardcover that I can find. Turns out there is a hardcover edition from Dark Harvest. Back in the day, it was $21.95. Now, it's looking more like $147 to $943 -- IF you can find it.
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In fact, a book this good begs a questions:
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1. Where's the audio edition?
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2. Where's the movie? (mini-series) The Stand mini-series will soon become dated. Maybe it's time to give Mccammon's novel a shot (instead of remaking The Stand).
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Differences:
Again, Brian at yourentitledtomyopinion, pointed out some itneresting differences between the two novles in the area of landscape. He has done some great work reviewing these two books.
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he writes: What sends The Stand above and beyond the others is the deconstruction of society that unfolds in the first third of the book. In Matheson’s tale, some of that deconstruction is told in flashback. In Swan Song, society is wiped out in an instant by a nuclear blast. King’s book starts with men lazing about a small town Texas gas station. As the flu spreads, we read as Americans first become suspicious that what is happening is more than your average flu epidemic. That suspicion turns into fear as the Army begins quarantining cities and killing those who resist. Finally, with their ranks decimated by the flu, the military gives way to the mobs who also eventually succumb to the virus."
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and:
"Another striking difference in The Stand versus other post-apocalyptic fiction is the quiet beauty of the post-apocalyptic world. McCammon’s world is scorched. Matheson’s is haunted. Cormac McCarthy paints an even bleaker picture in his book, The Road where the world is dead and covered in gray ash."
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http://brian1984books.blogspot.com/2006/05/swan-song-by-robert-mccammon.html
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See also: Swan Song Is Not Like The Stand: http://readingwriting.wordpress.com/2010/01/09/swan-song-is-not-like-the-stand/
Please feel free to add in the comments section any similarities you see between the two books.

1978 The Stand Journal 12

I like this picture.  Photo credit: http://www.freakingnews.com/Stephen-King-Books-Pictures--69-2.asp

Grover and Me:
I just finished the last tape of The Stand.  Yes, I listened to it.  It was read by Grover Gardner, and was fantastic.  At first Gardner seemed stiff, even dry, I found that I really liked him as the book progressed.  We became fast friends!

Gardner reads with a certain reserved energy.  Though he does not overpower the story, he is very engaged in what he is reading.  As one blogger commented, Gardner doesn't get in the way of the book!  He doesn't try to outperform the story. 

His voice is crisp, every word pronounced correctly, and well paced.  His inflections are always appropriate, but again, not distracting.  I think Gardner is quickly becoming one of my favorite readers!   

Pacing The Conclusion:
The Stand ends with a bang. . . and then it keeps going.  I really like the way King ended the Stand.  He didn't simply tie things up with the bad guys demise -- he spent time (considerable time) letting us see the world after Flagg.  The conclusion (a good hundred pages, I think) includes Stu and Tom meeting back up, and Tom's nursing Stu back to health.  It is touching, and again, not rushed.  Even in the chopped version I was reading, King gives this section room to breath.  He doesn't feel in a hurry to end the book -- and the reader isn't anxious for it to end, either.

The long journey home for Tom and Stu is the highlight of the last chapters of The Stand.  But there is more even after they reach the Free Zone.  Will Stu and Fran stay?  What about Larry's child?  On that note, what about Fran's?  Will the super-flu knock out the next generation?  These are things King deals with nicely in the last pages of The Stand.

I have read many reviews of The Stand, and no one ever mentions how much space King gives his characters at the end of the novel.  Usually King spends considerable time building characters at the beginning of a book; but here he lets us live with them a little bit longer.  Further, I have heard many people say they do not like the way King ends his books.  Try the Stand!  I think it is brilliant.  Though the "plot" has been carried out, King still sees more story ahead.  And the reader can imagine a million stories that could come out of The Stand.  It is surprising no one has thought to do a TV series based on the world of The Stand. 

Nukes And Our Children
Stu and Fran discuss the issue of bringing children into this new world.  But it's not really a "new" world!  In fact, the "toys" (kings word) are left behind -- nukes.  Two things need to be destroyed: The nukes, and the plant that created the super-flu. 

Now it's interesting that nukes are seen as the problem, since the essentially saved the Free Zone's hide.  There is a hint of anti-war sentiment that flows throughout The Stand.  Not that good should roll over and refuse to fight, but simply a fear that by over-building our military complex, we might be forcing our children's hands.

God:
God turned out to be a pretty important character in The Stand.  When The Bomb actually goes off, it is unclear for a moment if God did it, or Flagg did it!  Flag was playing with a blue ball of fire when Trashy showed up with his toy.  It is that same ball of fire that strikes the bomb.  But later dialogue makes it clear that it was the work of God.

What kind of God do we encounter in The Stand?  At the mid point, Fran paints the picture of an evil God who would destroy so much of His creation.  But as the Stand progresses, we begin to see a purpose unfolding.

God's will is a major theme of The Stand.  God is portrayed as Sovereign; beyond our understanding, and able to tell the future.  God is shown as active in the affairs of men (he is not far off, unconcerned with us).  Now here's an interesting theological note: In the Stand, God is willing and ready to act.  He is completely capable of stopping evil.  He is not threatened by Flagg.  But before he will act, he requires that men also take their Stand.  He desires to use humans as much as possible in order to carry out His will.  Glen Bateman puts it together for us, saying "If there's a God, and I now believe these must be -- that's his will.  We're going to die and somehow all of this will end as a result of our dying."

God is not only presented as all powerful, but as Just.  Tom Cullen puts it pretty succinctly when he says, "It was the bad man killed Nick.  Tom knows.  But God fixed that bad man.  I saw it.  The hand of God came down out of the sky."  Now why did God kill the "bad man"?  Tom tells us!  "Fixed him for what he did to Nick and to the poor judge.  Laws yes."

Nods in other King works:

• Freemantle: Mother Abigail's last name is Freemantle.  In Duma Key the main character is named Edgar Freemantle.
• Hemmingford Home is also the setting for 1922.  It is the hometown of Ben from IT.  Hemmingford Home is also seen in The Last Rung Of The Ladder.
• In Wizard and Glass, Blane The Mono stops in the world of The Stand. 
• Night Surf sort of serves as a prologue to The Stand.
• The evil character Flagg appears in The Eyes of the Dragon and The Dark Tower.  If he is the Devil himself, then he is also in Needful Things.
• Wikipedia notes something really cool: "In the denouement, Stu and Tom happen upon an abandoned Plymouth Fury with the initials 'A.C.' engraved on the keychain. Arnie Cunningham was the owner of the 1958 Plymouth Fury in Christine. The car is found empty with no apparent driver."
• Wikipedia points out that radio signals from Arnette, Texas, are also heard in The Tommyknockers.
• And. . . "Charles Decker's teacher in Rage, Mrs. Jean Underwood, is said to be a relative of Larry Underwood."
• Finally, Wikipedia says that "Stuart Redman has a dream of a corn field with a creature with red eyes staring at him, this is a reference to "Children of the Corn".

REPOST : 1978 The Stand Journal 7: Spiritual Tones

I am re-posting this.  CNN has an article on King and religion (HERE) in which I am quoted discussing children, Stephen King and faith.  


There are spoilers here. In particular, I am looking at the spiritual tones of Chapter 36 .

The Stand is an intensely spiritual novel. That is obvious just from the cover, which shows good and evil hacking it out. Later editions of the paperback have also included a horse and rider; reference the horsemen of the Apocalypse.

The 1978 edition walks you slowly toward the spiritual elements. The uncut version is quicker to the draw. King calls the book in his introduction a "long tale of dark Christianity."

King gave John Marks at Salon an interview in October of 2008. In that interview he discussed at some length the spiritual elements of The Stand. (HERE) 

Important to the discussion at hand, King says: "It's an effort to say, let's give God his due here. Too often, in novels that are speculative, God is a kind of kryptonite, and that's about all that it is, and it goes back to Dracula, where someone dumps a crucifix in Count Dracula's face, and he pulls away and runs back into his house. That's not religion. That's some kind of juju, like a talisman. I wanted to do more than that. I wanted to explore what that means to be able to rise above adversity by faith, because it's something most of us do every day."

TYPES -- Abagail and Moses:

Mother Abagail is a type of Moses. Typology in the -- theological sense -- explores connections between the Old and New Testament. Usually the study draws between old Testament characters/objects and the Messiah. Thus Noah, Moses, The Ark of the Covenant, the Tabernacle, are all types of Christ. This is not exclusive, though. John the Baptist is a type of Elijah.

I am not reading the Moses theme into the book. It's there! First, it's in the text itself. Mother Abagail references the burning bush account in detail. Like Moses, she is humble and does not consider herself worthy of the task. But she is also smart enough to know that it would be unwise to argue with God.

If Mother Abagail will not argue or curse God, Frannie is not so timid! When told of the Stand, Fran bursts out with, "Killer God!. . . Millions, maybe billion -- dead in the plague. Millions more afterward. We don't even know if the children will live. Isn't He done yet? Does it just go on and on? He's no God, He's a demon, and you're His witch!" p.613

Abagail says about going to Colorado: "I've been told in a dream by the Lord God. I didn't want to listen. I"m an old woman, and all I want to do is die on this little piece of land. It's been my family's freehold for a hundred and twelve years, but I wasn't meant to die here any more than Moses was meant to go over into Canaan with the Children of Israel." p.337

Mother Abagail also heals Fran as a "sign" she is a true prophet. p.614.

Later in the novel she struggles with pride. King explains: "I always in my mind equated Mother Abagail with Moses."

By the way, Stu is later used as a "type" of Elijah as he relives the story. Elijah was fed by ravens -- Stu is fed by Kojak.

The Stand as Apocalyptic Literature:

King tells Salon: "Americans are apocalyptic by nature. The reason why is that we've always had so much, so we live in deadly fear that people are going to take it away from us." That's insightful! I agree wholeheartedly.

The Stand is Apocalyptic in nature because it is a story that deals with end time themes. It does not pretend to actually be a prophecy of any kind! It does not employ much symbolism, but is straightforward in its telling. No poetry or riddles! You have to go to The Dark Tower for that kind of stuff.

DREAMS:

"Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions." Joel 2:28

Several features of apocalyptic literature appear in the Stand. Dreams, for instance, are an important aspect. In The Stand, Dreams are used to direct the characters. Dreams are important to Joseph in the Old Testament, the book of Daniel and to Joseph, Jesus' step father. Revelation, Ezekiel and other prophetic books are not the result of a "dream" but "vision."

In The Stand, the dreams seem straightforward. But the symbolism is there! Mother Abagail's home represents safety, while the corn fields represent the unknown where evil lurks. So characters are called in from the dangerous corn to the safety of the home. Now, it's interesting that once they reach this safety, it turns out to only be a rally point -- the journey is only paused.

Biblical Imagery:

The plague is not just an "accident." Abagail sees the plague itself as the judgment of God. "God had brought down a harsh judgment on the human race. Some might argue with such a harsh judgment, but Mother Abagail was not among their number. He had done it once with water, and sometimes further along, he would do it with fire. Her place was not to judge God, although she wished He hadn't seen fit to set the cup before he lips that He had. But when it came to matters of judgment, she was satisfied with the answer God had given Moses from the burning bush when Moses had seen fit to question. Who are you? Mose asks, and God comes back from that bush just as pert as you like: I AM who I AM."p.317 .

In just this one passage we have the following references:

1. The plague as judgment.

2. The flood of Noah's day. (Water)

3. The final judgment. (Fire) These two references together are probably drawn from the theology set forth in 2 Peter. "long ago by God's word the heavens existed and the earth was formed out of water and by water. By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed. By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire , being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men." 2 Peter 3:5-7

4. The cup. Jesus prayed that the 'cup" be taken from him. The cup being the cross, or his mission. Abagail sees her mission as a cup.

5. Moses and the burning bush.

The flood in Genesis 6-9 is a world wide event -- like the superflu. The idea of a "plague" -- sickness in this case -- comes from Moses' account in Exodus. There were 10 plagues, ending in the Angel of Death on Passover night. On that night, many died. The children of God were allowed to escape, only to face Pharaoh on new grounds.

PLAGUES:

In Revelation we are told that God gave the two witnesses the power to bring plagues down on the earth. There is also a plague of hail, described thusly: "From the sky huge hailstones of about a hundred pounds each fell upon men. And they cursed God on account of the plague of hail, because the plague was so terrible." Revelation 16:21

In terms of outlining the apocalypse (in Biblical terms), we would have to say that Mother Abagail is not a Tim Lahay pre-millenialist. That is, she does not think the children of God are raptured out before the tribulation. Here's how Abagail puts it: "I"m ready to go right now if You want me. They will be done, my Lord, but Abb's one tired shufflin old black woman. Thy will be done." p.323 She'd love to be taken out -- but she is ready -- like Christ in the Garden -- to endure suffering for the work of God.

A Very Real Devil!

"The devil isn't real -- the Bible's employment of such a character symbolizes the evil and sin inside of us." I had to go to a Bible University to learn that kind of garbage. The Bible never argues that the Devil is simply an idea -- he is a real being.

In The Stand, Nick suggests the idea that the Darkman isn't real. Abagail's thoughts run like this: "There wasn't really any Satan, that was their gospel. There was evil, and it probably came from original sin, but it was in all of us and getting it out was as impossible as getting and egg out of its shell without cracking it. yes, that had a good modern sound to it; the trouble with it was that it wasn't true. And if Nick was allowed to go on thinking that, the dark man would eat him for dinner."

Nice! I wish I could have gone to class with Mother Abagail, she would have served up that theology professor for her own dinner.

Abagail tells the five before hey leave to take their Stand, that the darkman "who is not a man at all but a supernatural being." p.614

Fire!

We should not overlook the use of fire as a symbol. . In The Stand, how does the end come for the wicked? Fire! The nuke in Las Vegas is set off by the finger of God himself! "Larry! The Hand of God!" . . . "and the thing in the sky did look like a hand" p.763 Expresses, possibly, the image of judgment coming from the finger of God. In Exodus Pharaoh's magicians declare that the plague is the "finger of God" and cannot be reproduced. (Ex. 8:19). Now get this, Jesus said that he drove out demons "by the finger of God." (Luke 11:20)

"And the righteous and unrighteous alike were consumed in that holy fire." 764 Compare to Jesus saying God causes the rain to fall on the righteous and the unrighteous, Matthew 5:45

Reverse Themes:

The Stand runs backward from typical end times theming as it nears the end.

In the Bible, localized plagues are warnings of a great world wide final judgment of fire. In the Stand, the plague is world wide, but the judgment of fire is localized.

Compare the Las Vegas scene to this: "They marched across the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of God's people, the city he loves. But fire came down from heaven and devoured them." Rev. 20:9 Now, here we have the wicked taking a "stand" against God. But fire comes from heaven and destroys them. So the journey is made by the wicked, who stand ready to attack the righteous.

Dark Themes:

In The Stand, what happens in America is supposed to be the prelude to a world wide conquest by Flagg. To accomplish his purposes, though, he needs a child. To get a child, Flagg has determined he must have a virgin. Of course, there is no immaculate conception here! . However, things do not go as Flagg planned! Not only does he lose his bride, his people get fried. But the expanded version makes it clear that this is not the end of the conflict. The darkman simply moves on, and the story continues.

Oh, and while noting dark themes -- how about the discussion of Flagg crucifying people! Yikes!

THE STAND

The idea of "The Stand" doesn't make sense to me! It is a plot turn that possibly doesn't work. Why must they go and "stand" when in the end God is going to send Trashcan man to bring ultimate doom?

Of course, Mother Abagail sees the need to "Stand" as an act of faith. Jesus spoke of the need to "stand" in his famous Olivet discourse when he discussed the signs of the end of the world. He said, "he who stands firm to the end will be saved." Matt. 24:13

Further, the manner in which Abagail sends them out is at least reminiscent of Jesus sending out the 12 into Israel.

Abagail's instructions:

1. The destination: "Go west"

2. The provision: No food, no water, not clothes.

3. The transportation: By foot.

4. The time: Immediately.

5. The warning: One will fall.

Compare to Jesus' instructions: "Do not take along any gold or silver or copper in your belts; take no bag for the journey, or extra tunic, or sandals or a staff -- " Matthew 10:9-10

"yes, with God's help you will stand." p.614

"Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand" Eph. 6:13

CBS The Stand: We're On The Titanic

How many times have we heard this year, "We're all in this together" ?  Well, I'm afraid when it comes to the Stand, we are all having the same frustrating experience.  At some point (think around episode 2) this big beautiful boat hit an iceberg and we're now all on a sinking ship. 

CBS has put a lot of time and effort into offering Stephen King fans a plate of trash.  I was so excited with the first episode, endured the second, and am ready to cancel CBS after the third.  After watching the latest gob of mush, I finally decided to open my eyes and see what others were saying.  Am I the only one who hates this?  What I found was -- I'm not alone.

In fact, after reading article after article expressing similar frustrations, I started looking for someone who enjoyed this.  Some reviews found some entertaining moments, but no one seems blown away.  Even Lilja at struggled to find positive notes in his spoiler free review. (liljas-library.com)  Surprised, I turned to the ever-fan at thetruthinsidethelie.blogspot.com.  Stuff I hate, Bryant and usually find hope in.  But when it comes to this version of the Stand, we all seem to be on the same sinking ship. "Thus far, The Stand has failed utterly to establish that it is the "present" which is the real story."  He notes the timeline is "sloppily connected." (Well said.)

Stephen King has rightly pointed out that no movie can really "ruin" his book, since the book is right there for you to read any time you want.  Which might be what I end up doing.  That, and canceling CBS. 

hollywoodreporter: CBS All Access' new adaptation of The Stand is a car on cinderblocks. It looks great. If you glance under the hood, you can see all of the work that's been done on the engine. But no matter how ready it seems to peel out onto the road, it isn't going anywhere. Very rarely is the Benjamin Cavell-steered adaptation, with Josh Boone directing the pilot, actively bad, but it's very frustrating.

Rotten Tomatoes: Critics Consensus: Despite an A-list ensemble and a smattering of poignant moments, The Stand's extended runtime doesn't make for better storytelling, leaving its expansive cast stranded in a cluttered apocalypse.

rogerebert.com: Most damningly, there’s no sense of the world’s descent into madness, no seeping dread, no unbearable builds of tension; “The Stand” hits you with the glowing eyes of evil and the mystical wisdom of the “magical old black lady” (the show’s description, not mine) early and often, leaving subtlety in the dust.

www.vulture.comWhile there are some genuinely effective attempts to generate suspense, those sequences stand beside some of the wildest and most off-the-mark sections of the series,

indiewire.com: in an article titled, "‘The Stand’ Review: Stephen King’s CBS All Access Adaptation Is a Plague Unto Itself": Even more debilitating is the realization these flashbacks are going to keep happening every time we meet a new character. “The Stand” is famous for having a massive cast, and while jumping ahead in time so we can get past the pandemic is a sound instinct — the show’s viral outbreak is close enough to reality to remind viewers what’s going on outside, but far too extreme to provide meaningful parallels — repeatedly going back in time kills forward momentum. And it doesn’t help that all these flashbacks fail to set up any intriguing “how did they get from here to there” teases.

and: It is also miscast, in nearly every role. “The Stand” isn’t bolstered by a fleet of skilled actors so much as it’s hindered by watching those proven talents struggle to find a credible tone within the series’ cleaned-up TV sheen and dirty allegory for good vs. evil.

CNN notes, 'The Stand' turns Stephen King's epic book into what feels like a very long sit." And Collider headlines their article, "'The Stand' Review: A Sprawling Apocalypse Epic That Trips on Its Own Ambition."

USA Today said, "CBS All Access makes a -- mess out of Stephen King's epic." I think this form the USA Today article nails everyone's frustration: :The most troublesome problem with "Stand" is the decision to jump around in the timeline, starting not at the pandemic that destroys humanity but in the middle of a new society that sprang up after it. Working backward (and then forward, and then backward again), the episodes struggle to clearly explain what happened with "Captain Tripps," a lethal super flu accidentally released from a military facility. Most plot developments and characterizations are implied rather than filmed, making this "Stand" more confusing than anything else."

Has The 1994 Miniseries THE STAND stood the test of time?

Stephen King's novel, The Stand, has made a lasting impact on American culture.  I suspect it will be read and reread for many decades to come.  But what about the 1994 miniseries directed  by a King favorite, Mick Garris?  Will it stand the test of time?

avclub.com's Emily L. Stephens posted an article  titled, " 1994’s The Stand does not stand the test of time."

I'll list Stephen's concerns in a simple list format, as her article is long and pretty detailed.  The quotes are from the article:

1. The Stand is locked in the time it was filmed in.  

"Everything from casting choices to wardrobe to musical cues cements The Stand firmly in the mid-’90s, sacrificing any timelessness in favor of an already dated sensibility. It’s not the self-aware frolic of Clueless or the drab naturalism of Office Space. This is 1994 as an ’80s hangover, complete with former members of the Brat Pack and an 8-year-old Top 10 hit already milked for nostalgia."

2. The acting is bad.

"It doesn’t help that the performances are so flat."  She specifically picks on Ruby Dee, who is "hampered by King's tics of dialogue."  And Jamey Sheridan's portrayal of Randall Flagg, who she finds far too affable.   

Wait -- she ain't done.  There is discussion on Rob Low (who I thought was great in this film), but she calls "inept at expressing inner life through gesture and expression."

Of course, she gives kuddos to Gary Sinise's portral of Stu and is silent -- and then moves on to Frannie; who mostly gets knocks for her wardrobe.  "Frannie’s endless assortment of distinctively ’90s floral dresses highly unsuitable for a post-apocalyptic road trip--"  I didn't notice!

3. The miniseries took the book to literal:

In the miniseries, this metaphorical hand of God becomes literal, its massive glowing fingers wrapping themselves around the A-bomb to spark the obliteration of the city, to kill Flagg and his disciples, and to dismantle all the stakes established in the story so far. This burst of micromanaging by God undermines the gravity and compassion of the protagonists by making their path a sure and holy one, rather than a journey of agonizing doubt.

Wait a minute. . . in the book it was not a "metaphorical hand of God" -- it was literal.  And I know the script got it right, because King wrote the script.

4. The Stand fails to make the needed point: 

Stephen King’s script wipes out the point he built up so potently in the book: that ordinary people might gravitate toward Flagg for complex, even sympathetic reasons—a craving for order in the post-plague chaos, the lure of structured society that values their skills and dedication, the belief that they’re helping to re-establish discipline and law—and that, once having found their place in that well-ordered society, they’re resistant to challenge or change. It’s an unsubtle but trenchant critique of middle-class comforts and the seductive ease of hypocrisy.

Oh -- that was the point?  I've been reading the Stand wrong all these years.  I thought the point was: Faith must be tested.  Evil is real, and good is real; but good cannot simply count on God to fight evil, as moral beings we must also be willing to take our stand against wickedness.  But hey, maybe I'm wrong. But honestly, her description of The Stand's purpose reads more like Needful Things.

Two quotes from A Face Among The Masters:

King might not have angels and demons duking it out, like in This Present Darkness, but the spiritual warfare is still very real in The Stand. (Gardner, Brighton, Stephen King A Face Among The Masters)

In 2008, King told novelist John Marks in Salon magazine that The Stand was his attempt to give God his due. “Too often, in novels that are speculative, God is a kind of kryptonite, and that’s about all that it is, and it goes back to Dracula, where someone dumps a crucifix in Count Dracula’s face, and he pulls away and runs back into his house. That’s not religion,” King told Marks. “That’s some kind of juju, like a talisman. I wanted to do more than that. I wanted to explore what that means to be able to rise above adversity by faith, because it’s something most of us do every day.” He then said that he wanted The Stand to “be a God trip.”

The Stand: Cancelling God

The Stand is a novel with deep roots in the Bible.  Specifically, Christianity.  You don’t have to be a scholar to spot the Biblical themes; though today it is harder as the culture itself is less versed in Scripture itself.    

It’s not that a few Bible Thumpers went and claimed The Stand as their own, choosing to read it as a novel of faith.  That happens quite often (try all those books telling us Star Wars is about Christianity.)  In his 1989 introduction to the uncut version of The Stand, Stephen King made it clear the references are to. . . Christianity.  “Finally, I write for only two reasons: to please myself and to please others. In returning to this long tale of dark Christianity, I hope I have done both.” In other words, if you’re reading this and keep thinking you spot themes of faith and Biblical symbolism – you aren’t wrong.

The phrase, “I will fear no evil” is used at least eleven times in the novel.  This was picked up on in the CBS miniseries, but was rendered powerless.  

The battle in the miniseries isn’t between any real good and evil personified; it’s a battle of viewpoints.  Flagg is a monster, but he’s not really the embodiment of the wicked.  The people from the Free Zone aren’t people of fait taking their stand for righteousness; they are people scared their way of life is in danger.  (How American.)  In other words, they aren’t there to stand against evil, they are their to try and protect the Free Zone.

I was swept away when I first read the novel because it was so gutsy.  The Almighty himself reaches down and does business on planet earth.  When the spies take their stand, it is like Samson pressing against the Philistines and power reaches down from on high to do what no human could do. This was exciting because it was so unexpected (at least for me when I read this as a teenager.)  I remember the Stand at camp in the middle of the night and actually sitting up and going, “No way!” It was amazing to young me that an author would be so bold.  

Of course, it was question from the moment the spies set out from the Free Zone – how will the very powerful Flagg be taken down?  Would the Free Zone build an army?  Would Stephen King, the master of horror, allow Flagg to destroy the Free Zone and rule the world?  I mean, it was Stephen King (and it was the first Stephen King novel I read) so the suspense was real.  When the hand of God reached down, it didn’t just surprise me, it seemed right.  Not righteous (it was that) but right for the novel itself.  As if it had all been building that direction, but I hadn’t seen it until the moment it happened.  Then the entire novel (or at least the last third) came together.  

Of course, I had questions.  Why did they have to take their “Stand” if they were just going to die in a nuke blast?  (Think Samson again.)

The hand of God doesn’t just suddenly appear at the end of the book, but plays a major theme throughout.  The ending was hinted at when Mother Abagail knelt down to pray (Chapter 52), Bible pressed for forehead and began to meditate on the conversion of Saul.  “Acts was the last book in the Bible where doctrine was backed up by miracles, and what were miracles but the divine hand of God at work upon the earth?”  A question is being put forth in this scene; does God still do miracles in our world?  Does God’s hand still reach down and do business, or does he just leave it to us to sort things out?  Does God deal with evil, or does he expect us to build bigger nukes to counter enemy nukes?  Is God indebted to the arms race to keep peace on earth?  I think not.  

But, of course, in a cancel culture, what CBS cancelled in this retelling was. . . God.  Mother Abagail is a nice lady with her own moral compass; but there’s no real sense she’s actually being led by God.  She’s not a prophet, she’s a grandma.  You respect your grandma’s religion, but don’t necessarily have to think it’s true outside of her.  

It’s not only important to the novel that God’s hand destroyed the wicked in the novel, but that the Free Zone KNOW it was God’s hand.  Consider this vision Tom has of Nick: “You have to get back to Boulder and tell them that you saw the hand of God in the desert. If it’s God’s will, Stu will go with you … in time.”  It’s not enough for team Flagg to be taken down by the hand of God; the Free-zone needs to KNOW that the Almighty has acted in their world.  Mother had wondered earlier if God still does miracles; now her people need to know that God not only does miracles in their world, but it was his hand who delivered them.  At the core of The Stand the story of a dark miracle.  It doesn’t serve just to cap off the novel; the book runs another 100 plus pages in order for the survivors (Tom and Stu) to tell of what they have seen.  Again, this is a theme from the Bible.  Exodus doesn’t end at the Red Sea, even though the parting of the sea is the major miracle of the book.  Big miracles have after-shocks that have to be told.  (In Exodus, they not only celebrate, but move on to Mount Sinai where the Almighty descends in fire.)  

Without going into the nuance of themes from The Stand, the big picture was a retelling of the book of Revelation.  A Beast (Flagg in this case) comes rises up on the earth to bring destruction.  Now it’s important in Revelation that the Beast rises again and again, forcing the people of God to take their Stand, until the end of time.  Remember at the end of the novel (the uncut version) King added a scene in which evil rises yet again.  

The Revelation of John is the struggle of two cities: Jerusalem v. Babylon.  Jerusalem and her people are pictured as a “Bride” while Babylon and her people are depicted as a whore drunk on the blood of the saints.  (Free Zone v. New Las Vegas.)   

In John’s vision, the armies of the earth (the wicked) surround the Holy City.  The righteous are hopelessly out numbered.  They’ve taken their stand against evil, but at the climax of the Apocalypse it looks like good will be destroyed after all. In Revelation 20, the nations (the “earth dwellers”) come from every corner of the earth to fight against the city of God.  So the picture painted looks gloomy;  With insurmountable odds against the righteous, the scene is painted as a hopeless situation.  But then. . . “fire came down from heaven and devoured them.” (Revelation 20:9)

What rescued them?  Fire from heaven.  Why does that matter in a Stephen King story?  Because he was using the same plotline!  Only, instead of Flagg and his forces coming to Boulder, the Free Zone comes to him to take their stand.  What caused them to do this?  A vision from Mother.  That is, a force outside themselves was directing the entire story.  That’s important to The Stand.  It’s important not that the characters have personal faith; but that their faith is in something that is real and able to act in our universe.  You don’t have to believe that; I’m just saying that’s the engine that runs this novel. 

How does Flagg die in our new version of The Stand?  Well, God either has really bad aim, or he’s just killed by a random electrical storm.  Yep, that’s it.  Lots of lightning.  Seriously, Emperor Palpatine could have made this more interesting.  There’s no sense in this that this is the climax of a battle between Good and Evil; it’s just. . . more CBS mush.

This is a lot of whining about one scen; but it’s like complaining that someone took the engine out of your car. . . kinda a big deal.  But hey, it’s shiny and has nice special effects; never mind that somehow the transmission is shot and this thing ain’t going anywhere.

1978 The Stand Journal 1: Edited Version

I'm reading through the Stand at a breakneck pace. Really. Thanks to books on tape. The version I'm reading is the 1978 trimmed down version. Fans, of course, tend to prefer to uncut edition. In fact, the 1990 version was my introduction to Stephen King.

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I am finding that the story moves very quickly in this version. It is not as dry as I remembered it being. I'm enjoying it a lot! The original was a favorite of King fans from the beginning. Of course, no one knew Doubleday's dirty little secret, did they? 400 pages had been chopped out!

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Which edition?

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In her 1990 rant against the un-cut version of The Stand, Ann Carter gave a rather scathing review of the updates. She make an energetic argument for the book as is! In fact, she says that the 1978 version shows what a good editor King is. That said, I find I like both novels for what they are! One doesn't have to be "better" than the other.

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King once pointed out that when someone says a movie "ruined" the book, that person is out of their mind (my words). A movie cannot really destroy or mess up a book, because even after the movie is watched -- the book is still there on the shelf. The story can be read again and again. That holds true when a book is updated or revised. You can still go buy the original edition of The Stand for pretty cheap. In fact, you can get book club editions of it for about $5. So if you prefer the original, it's still there!

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I like The Stand 1978 for the speed at which King moves the story. It is nicely edited. He did not do a hack-job on his own book. If you want to see King hacked up, listen to the abridged version of Thinner on audio tape! That's what happens when King's work falls into the hands of the choppers. However, King himself shows respect for his story, and he gives it a very nice tummy tuck.

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What The Stand uncut gives us is depth. When Lucas remade the original Star Wars films, he not only added scenes, he opened up existing scenes. For instance, on cloud city windows were added that showed all kinds of things happening outside. The same happens in The Stand. The picture is opened up and we are given a wider view of America and the characters that inhabit the world of The Stand.

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What Exactly Was Cut?

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In her complaining about the new edition, Ann Carter actually gave a pretty good explanation of what was cut from the original edition of The Stand. The list below is compiled from quotes by Carter:

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1. Scenes have been added. The 1990 story begins with a security guard at the germ warfare lab running for safety with his wife and child, hoping to escape the deadly virus that has gotten away from its creators. The 1978 story begins with his death. The new version adds an unpleasant confrontation between Fran and her mother among other story stoppers.
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2. Scenes also have been expanded, putting in dialogue, action, description and recollection that don`t add much to the story, but do a great job of slowing it down. Trash Can Man`s trek across the country is enlarged. A scene in which Stu reminisces has him telling of a pre-flu meeting with someone he could swear was the supposedly late Jim Morrison of the Doors.

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http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1990-05-27/features/9001100780_1_las-vegas-stephen-king-boulder

Brian Schwartz writes at his blog, "Much of what was added improved the book. It added depth to the characters – particularly to the man known as “The Trashcan Man.” http://brianbookreviews.blogspot.com/2010/06/stand-by-stephen-king.html

King told Time Magazine:
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Why The Stand was edited:

It sort of nagged me a lot that those pages had been cut. Doubleday had a physically limiting factor in those days because they used a glue binding instead of a cloth binding, and the way it was explained to me was that they had so much of a thickness they could do before the glue just fell apart. And that meant issuing a book in two volumes, and they didn't want to do that. So my editor came to me and said, "We have to cut this book by 400 pages. And that's the reason why. It doesn't have anything to do with quality."

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How The Stand Was Rewritten:

I actually sat down and wrote the book again. I had the manuscript on one side of an IBM Selectric typewriter and I had the pages of a book that I had torn out of the binding on the other side. And I started at the beginning and I updated the dates and wrote new material. But when I think about it, I think to myself, "Jesus, that was a lot of work."

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When Robert Bloch died, the only thing that anybody really remembered about him was that he wrote Psycho, which became the famous Alfred Hitchcock movie. And whenever I'm introduced, I'm the guy that wrote The Stand. When my name comes up in the blogs these days, it's usually in relation to H1N1: "He was the guy who thought about the flu!"

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http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1934180_1934196_1935980,00.html

1978 The Stand Journal 2: Year Of The Stand

1978 was a long time ago in a Galaxy very far away. I was five years old. I distantly remember that strange era that made up the seventies. They were awkward, and tense, and everything was pretty uncool. Our hair, our clothes (my mom made me a polyester suit I wore to school, it was itchy) and even our TV was a little nutty. Come on, a show about the California Highway Patrol. . . every week!

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The Stand has been given several makeovers. First when King updated the work in 1990. Later it was given a nice new look with the mini-series, and most recently it has been updated with the comic books. But I want to go back -- way back to 1978 when the Stand was originally released. Of course, that is not exactly the year King was writing the Stand in. It is the year people began reading.

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On Star Trek if you want to time warp, you have to sling-shot around the sun. Here, you just have to scroll down! So come on, let's go back to 1978.

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1978. . .

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Norman Rockwell died that year and Charlie Chaplain's remains were stolen. Jimmy Carter was president, and inflation was on the rise big time! There was a coal strike that was not helping the situation. Carter did authorize the minting of the Susan B. Anthony dollar. That went over well. The Federal debt was only 776.6 billion. That's all! We almost could have written a check! A stamp cost 0.13 cents. This dreary sense of America is palpable in the Stand.

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Ford was advertising it's new car, stating "Tomorrow's idea from Ford is here!" Ford Fairmont Futura. $4,267. AVON was marketing TEMPO to black women.
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In 1978 there was no Internet, debit cards, kindle, DVD's, mini-van or AIDS. There were also no cellphones. In fact, if you needed to make a call on the run, you dived in to a phone booth. Remember those? Superman's favorite changing room! And most phones still required you spin a dial.

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Politics:

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Dianne Feinstein, now a senator from California, succeeded murdered George Moscone as mayor of San Francisco. Jerry Brown was governor of California -- the first time. The Los Angeles strangler was on the loose (later known as the Hillside Strangler).

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And then there was Jimmy Carter. Sure, I know what you're thinking: He's not in The Stand -- right? Wrong! He is in The Stand. Well, not by name, but it doesn't take Sherlock Holmes to spot him. He's playing the role of President, so it sorta makes it easy to find Waldo here.
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Carter was a peanut farmer and governor of the state of Georgia. He was known for his big smile (grin) and Christian virtues. This is from chapter 16, when the president decides to reign in the military.

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"You know who that was on the phone."

"It was really him, then?"

"The old Georgia Giant himself. I've been relieved. The clod-hopper releved me, Len. Of course, I knew it was coming. But it still hurts. Hurts like hell. It hurts coming fromt that grinning sack" p.116, paperback.

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That's chapter 22, page 166 in the revised. And in this version there is no "Georgia Giant" hint offered up, he is simply called "The President." Why? Because Jimmy wasn't in office when the Stand was rewritten. By the way, notice that just between thsoe two scenes, the revised edition gave 40 pages of extra build up.

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Religion:

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Of interest to me, that was the year of three Popes! In august, Pope Paul 6 died and was replaced by 65-year old John Paul 1. But he died on September 28, after only 34 days in office. John Paul 2 became pope on September 28, 1978.

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Religion was actually in a pretty crazy state that year. It was also the year of the Jones Town deaths. Followers of Jim Jones drank the kool-aid, giving their lives to Jones after the murder of a Congressman and reporters. It is interesting that The Stand is released amist such religious chaos. Flagg is a Jim Jones type, who's followers (like Jones') will all meet a tragic end. Nukes -- kool-aid, what's the real difference?

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The Stand is a deeply spiritual novel. From the dreams, to Mother Abigail to the devil himself -- it is the stroy of good verses evil. Of course, the 1978 hardcover sported a drawing of good and evil hacking it out. And what is Flagg in the end? Just another Jim Jones! Or, reverse it; what was Jim Jones? Posessed by Flagg.

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Movies:

At the movies, you could see:

Jaws 2,

Animal House,

the Wiz,

Superman,

Halloween,

Grease,

Invasion of the Body Snatchers,

Heaven Can Wait,

and of course: Attack of the Killer Tomatoes. Hey, that was a good movie! By the way, there is a remake of Killer Tomatoes coming out this year -- I think.

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Top it off with a viewing of Capicorn One, starring OJ Simpson. Capicorn One played on the nations doubt of government, suggesting even the space program was a hoax. A similar mistrust of government is expressed in The Stand -- but much better executed.

Steven Petite Calls THE STAND A 20th Century Classic

In his Huffington Post article, "Taking The Stand For Stephen King," Steven Petite makes the argument that Stephen King is more than a popular genre writer -- but a truly "great" writer.

Petite notes that King is often underrated, though he has received numerous awards that should break him out of the horror mold.

Petite steps out to make a bold statement; one book alone is strong enough to be considered a 20th century "classic."  And he isn't talking about The Shining.  The Stand, Petite argues, is a truly great novel.  "In 1991," he writes, "The Stand should have been considered for the Pulitzer and the National Book Award."

The Stand is without a doubt one of the greatest stories ever told. He may be considered the greatest genre writer alive, and his books are likely to be read for hundreds of years, most likely surpassing some of the nominees for both awards in 1991.

Is appreciate a voice out there ready to call not only King a great writer, but his work "classic" literature.  For too long we've assumed popular equaled trash.  The truth is, most great books were popular when released.   Naturally, some writers, like Poe, were not really praised until later; but it's not like Charles Dickens was only discovered after he died!

Sometimes a writers own peer group, reading public and critics begin to recognize that something special is going on here.  That's what Petite hones in on.  He writes, 

"My reading habits primarily are of the "literary" nature, but Stephen King's knowledge of literature, his grasp of storytelling, and the art that he creates are worth taking a stand for, because without Stephen King, the book industry would be vastly different today."

Is The Stand that strong?  I think Petite has hit the nail on the head; it is indeed.   Has King done better than The Stand?  That's up for debate, isn't it?  IT, The Green Mile, 11/22/63 and The Shining should all rate up there as truly great novels.  But the Stand is special to us.

What makes The Stand so much fun?  It’s a modern telling of the end of the world.  The apocalypse comes right down to us.  It’s our New York and our Los Angeles. It all comes to an end thanks to a government created plague the West Coast calls Captain Trips.  A long, sprawling novel, The Stand has lots of little cubbyholes–pockets of story that are a world of their own within the larger story.  (Stephen King A Face Among The Masters)

More than just being fun, King dives into other authors worlds and plays with their toys.  With The Stand, King even dabbled in the world of Poe.  -- but I'm saving that for the book.

Read Steve Petite's full article at: huffingtonpost.com

Check out Steve Petite's book, The Concept Of Home at amazon.com/Conceptofhome
Today is Steve's birthday,  which means he has dropped the kindle edition to 99 cents.  You can't really beat that.

A coming of age tale starring Porter Wallace: A failed writer who needs to find a purpose for his existence. After giving up on writing, he embarks on a journey to rediscover life, love, and the true meaning of home. He burns bridges along the way, learns from mentors and uncovers secrets as his quest to become a writer again turns out to be secondary to his home.

--HAPPY BIRTHDAY STEVEN!

Why The Stand is better than IT

I have a very simple opinion about the ranking to Stephen King novles -- The Stand is his best work. That's not to say other novels are not wonderful, but the Stand contains a certain magic that seems like it cannot be recaptured.

While IT is a good book, it doesn't come near touching The Stand. Now, a clarification on that. I mean the new version of the Stand. I find the original version of the Stand a little bit dry. Of course, I read this version on tape -- read by my favorite reader, Grover Gardner. Okay, he's not my favorite reader!

Why is the Stand such a better book?

1. Destruction of America. It's a joy to ride along as King deconstructs the America we know so well.

2. Travel. The scenes through the tunnals, or on motorcycle as characters move about familiar -- but now different -- landscapes.

3. Rebuilding society. Starting the power plants, clearing buildings of bodies.

4. Use of supernatural. It is now an America filled with monsters. The super-natural elements are rare and convincing.

Okay, that's just a starter list on why the Stand is so good. But what makes it better than IT?

• Well, It is uneven. Good, but almost over-written. The scenes with the kids are tremendous. As adults -- ahhh, not so much. My opinion only. But the Stand is strong beginning to end.
• It has the strange -- freaky scenes I described in another post. That messes with the chracters in my head; devalues them. I don't think real people do that -- not at 11 years old.
• The strength of IT is the monster and the children. We all had childhood monsters. The strength of the stand is chracters in a unique situation. The plays out throughout the book.

Bottomline: Both are good novels -- but the Stand will always top the list. So, the only question in my mind is: When will King give us the next updated verison of the Stand? (Change references to AIDS to H1N1). Come on, we all know it would be cool, and give just another reason to read the book one more time. AND. . . if they released it new at this point, they'd put it on audio for us.

The Stand And Me

Easily, my favorite Stephen King book is The Stand. It was the first book I read by King. Now, it wasn't the first book I started. I started with The Gunslinger, but I was quickly lost and my friend told me to give up on the Dark Tower for a while and give The Stand a try. I was hooked!
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A Stephen King collection needs several copies of The Stand. Of course, my original paperback of the Complete and Unabridged no longer exists. That edition was a strange paperback with a birght orange shiny cover, good and evil fighting. Of course, it fell apart -- but was well loved. Here's what I've wrestled up so far:
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1. First edition The Stand, purchased from Betts Bookstore. Price inside dustjacked says it was $12.95. Has an undated inscription inside from someone giving the book to a graduating student. The price at Betts was tagged at $195, but I think I remember getting it for half that.
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2. Book club edition: The Stand. This edition is everywhere! Value is between $5-$20. It is almost identical to the first edition, so if you're just looking to have a reliable edition of the original edition of the Stand, this is a good option.
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3. First edition The Stand Complete And Uncut, British edition. This really is the true first edition, first appearance of this book. The Hodder edition has blue lightening bolts shooting across the cover.
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4. First edition The Stand Complete And Uncut, Doubleday. The price on the dustjacket is $24.95. It's hard to discern first editions of this book. In fact, Doubleday makes it truly difficult to discern what edition of a King book you have. This creates no end to confusion on ebay. Anyway, this was a beautifully bound and illustrated book -- nothing like the cheap original edition of The Stand.
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5. Paperback reading copy, signet (NAL), #7 on the numberline. The cover of this edition is tied in to the mini-series. "Now an ABC TV miniseries."
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What I still don't have: The ONE! You know what that is, right? The Holy Grail for King collectors. The leatherbound special edition housed ina wooden box of the Uncut edition. This goes for around $2,000, but I noticed the Betts has recorded that they sold theirs.
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Another thing I don't have is the audio recording of the orginal edition of The Stand. I've listened to it, read by Grover Gardner. Actually, I paid to join a lending library just so I could listen to this book. But, I haven't bought it because not only would I have to purchase the book, but would then have to pay a company to convert the whole thing to CD. Besides, Grover Gardner's narration is -- how do I say -- uh, not inspiring. He's no Frank Muller, okay! Anyway, the edition does exist.

1978 The Stand Journal 11: Dreams Of Charlie Manson and the Will of God

Dream On. . .

We already know that dreams play an important role in The Stand.  They are initially used to draw people to either Mother or The Dark Man.  Dreams continue to season the story.  One in particular stood out to me -- it's from Larry Underwood.

Larry dreams that he is at a gig -- a big concert.  Of course, it's the fulfillment of his dreams. 

the audience began to clap rhythmically and call for Baby, Can You Dig Your Man?  he looked down int he first row and felt a slapping dash of cold ice water fear.  Charles Manson was there, the X on his forehead healed to a white twisted scar, clapping and chanting.  And Richard Speck was there, looking up at Larry with cocky impudent eyes, and unfiltered cigarette jittering between his lips.  They were flanking the dark man.  Flagg was leading the chant.

Freaky!  I like those kind of cultural references.

The novel moves on without explaining the dream.  On the surface, it could be simply nothing more than Larry's fears.  He knows deep within himself that the dark man is the evil behind Manson and Speck and every other evil; he's the devil.  Charlie Manson and Richard Speck were no one's servants!  So for them to be flanking and serving someone else, that other person must be one bad dude!

I think the dream goes deeper than that.  Why is Larry dreaming about the dark man?  Because there are issues within himself that are unresolved.  He's scared.  Not so much of the dark man -- but of himself.  The dream occurs after Stu has taken his tumble and Larry and the others are headed toward Vegas to take their stand.  Will he?  Or will he chicken out?  He's scared to death that he might not have the courage to take his stand.

The Stand: God's Will?

There's a lot at the end of The Stand about the will of God.  Why must they "stand"?  In simple terms -- because that is God's will.  It is a brilliant answer, since it requires no further answers.  God has understanding we don't, and thus he can require of us what we do not understand.  His will doesn't have to make sense to us.  In the Bible -- that works quite well!  Abraham, take your son up on the mountain.  Makes no sense to us!  God is testing Abraham.  But does it work in a novel?  "Larry, take your stand, let the enemy destroy you."  And the reader asks. . . but why?  Why must Larry and the others take a stand?  The bad boys are going to implode, so why must some righteous die with them?

King gives an answers (beyond God's will).  The reason for The Stand is the refinement of each man.  It proves what they are made of.  Or more importantly, it proves without a doubt who they serve.  What would you die for?  Just as Abraham's willingness showed who he really was -- so these servants will be tried by fire. 

The test is not just a "proving" -- it's a "becoming."  They are not sold out to God's will when they leave the Free Zone.  It is only as they approach the dark man's lair that they begin to rely more wholly on God and take comfort in his will.  It is only in the test that they become what they are really meant to be.

Consider this passage -- as a pastor I find this incredibly insightful!

(Thinking?  Praying?)
It was all the same thing.  Whichever it had been, the old wound in himself had finally closed, leaving him at peace.  He had felt the two people that he had been all his life -- the real one and the ideal on -- merge into one living being.  His mother would have liked this Larry.  And Rita Blakemoor.  It was a Larry that Wayne Stukey never would have had to tell the facts of life to.  It was a Larry that even that long-ago oral hygienist might have liked.

I'm going to die.  If there's a God -- and I now believe there must be -- that's His will.  We're going to die and somehow all of this will end as a result of our dying.  (p.753)

The merging to two Larry's into one is very nice.  Most of us live with two people; the person we reveal and the person we really are.

Also, note the idea that their dying is somehow directly related to the dark man's end.  They must sacrifice in order to bring peace to the Free Zone (world). 

It brings up the rather complicated question (again) of Why? 
First question: Why must they die? 
Answer: It is God's will. 

Okay. . . but why is it God's will? 
Answer: God doesn't have to explain himself. 

But do you see -- the Author giving an answer beyond that frustrating response.  Part of Larry's inner healing is his death.  It is only when he faces head on his own death, and chooses not to bow down to the dark man -- that he becomes the man he so desperately wants to be.