Since The Stand Unabridged was the first Stephen King book I read, it stands to reason that rereading it years later has resulted in discovering many things I missed the first time through. I read the Stand a few years ago via book on tape, with Grover Gardner. But that version was the abridgment and felt quite dated.
I am listening to the book, this time the unabridgement, but once again narrated by Grover Gardner. I really enjoy his reading! I was surprised when Gardner sang a few lines of the book (a radio commercial)
There are quite a few scenes that are quite noteworthy. Fran’s confrontation with her mother and her fathers intervention was originally cut when King had to do surgery on the book. It also did not make it in the movie.
Big Canvas:
The book has a “big” feel to it. King often backs away from his characters to tell the larger story, allowing his characters to disappear into the crowd for a few moments. The news footage of troops herding people about and the revelation that bodies are being dumped in the ocean all serve to pull back the curtain and show more of what’s happening on a national stage.
The stuff about the Government duping bodies in the ocean is interesting, and raises some questions. If everyone is kicking the bucket so quickly, why bother to haul bodies out to sea? The coverup is carried out by people who ought to be very sick and at home in bed or – dead. It’s a lot of effort to round of bodies, even from hospitals, transport them to ships and then take them out to sea to be thrown into the ocean.
Another thing that opens the story up is that different regions of the country have unique names for the flu. It’s Captain trips on the west coast, generally known as super-flu other places. It is also called Choking Disease and Tube Neck in West Verginia.
King mentions the First Baptist Church of Atlanta. This is a fairly famous church here Dr. Charles Stanley has been pastor. . . forever.
Graffito written on the front of the First Baptist Church of Atlanta in red spray paint: “Dear Jesus. I will see you soon. Your friend, America. PS. I hope you will still have some vacancies by the end of the week.”What’s missing from Kings big picture is children. He’s quite good at writing about children – and they are quite obviously absent from the landscape of the Stand. Also, the lead characters are all quite unattached. Fran, Stu, Nick and Larry (and Herold) are all single. The married people all seem to die. This leaves them pretty emotionally/relationally free.
Pacing:
King introduces each character who will survive the super-flu with a certain amount of care. He isn’t in any hurry here. He lingers over their situations, letting the reader meet each one. I would think it would be tempting to focus on one or two people and then let them meet others as the story progresses. But King prefers to introduce several key characters, all independent of one another, and allow the reader to anxiously await how King will pull all these strands together.
The early novel focuses on Fran, Stu and Larry. Later we meet up with Nick, Lloyd and the Randall Flagg. With most of these comes side characters, who are also well developed. For instance, Fran and her father have some wonderful conversations. Nick becomes good pals with the local law enforcement. Lloyd’s lawyer is an interesting study. He knows his client is guilty as sin, but has a plan to save him from the electric chair. Larry’s mother is also a well developed character, showing disappointment and disapproval for her son – while still maintaining a deep love for him. She is bothered that he just won’t grow up. If only she could survive Captain Trips and see the man he will become!
Of course, even with all those characters brought onto stage, King still hasn’t introduced us to Tom, Mother Abigail, Rita, and even Herold has only gotten passing mention. This is worth noting, since I’m over 200 pages into the book. People are dropping dead everywhere, but King is in no rush to bring in more of the living.
Another scene I had forgotten, or maybe never read, involved Nick’s care of the Sheriff’s (John) wife. Having dressed her in the gown she wanted to be burried in, Nick carries her two blocks to the funeral home. “And when she was dressed as she had been on that day, he took her in his arms and carried her down to the funeral home in her lace, oh, in her lace: he carried her like a bridegroom crossing an endless threshold with his beloved in his arms.” That’s beautiful.
Ray Flowers
I enjoyed the scenes with Ray Flowers, the radio personality. I remembered her from the movie. Wasn’t I surprised to discover that in the book Ray Flowers is a man. When soldiers are sent to kill Ray, two object and are shot on the spot. The strength of government as the nation crumbles feels a little over the top. When the world ends, soldiers aren’t likely to show up for work – thus causing government to break down. Instead, King has soldiers shooting people all over the place, shutting down news papers and cutting off TV stations.
Updates:
King did a little updating for the 90's – but some things remain stuck in the 70's. Prices in particular need revision. It would be interesting to have yet another update of The Stand, that would include the internet, youtube and terrorism. In order to get news clips out, the novel has anchors showing stuff live on the air – only to result in the reporters being shot by the government.
Today that same information would be put on youtube. Of course, the government might respond by cutting off the internet. Raising a question. . . if everyone dies, would the internet keep chugging along?
What other changes would there be in an updated version of The Stand?
No comments:
Post a Comment