The Stand (spoiler free review) by Stephen King

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  • Опубліковано 13 гру 2024

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  • @eggbert6900
    @eggbert6900 Рік тому +7

    The endings issue is absolutely a Stephen King thing. Totally agree with you - the stories always seem to have so much potential and then end really poorly imo.
    And yes on your stream of consciousness point. He even explains he hit a point where he didn't know what to do with the characters for ages, and using Raymond chandler's advice (spoilers below)
    Decides to kill loads of them.

  • @Dwish305
    @Dwish305 Рік тому +4

    From what I’ve gathered Swan Song is one of the best “apocalypse” books of all time and a better version of The Stand. That doesn’t make The Stand a bad book but not as good as Swan Song. That makes me want to read The Stand before Swan Song.

  • @paulmiller2807
    @paulmiller2807 Рік тому +5

    I would recommend The Green Mile by Stephen King if you haven't seen the movie or read it yet. It's one of King's best books, and his highest rated book on Goodreads.

  • @skeletrexbonebrigade1271
    @skeletrexbonebrigade1271 Рік тому +3

    the first 400-500 pages were so so good, then the rest was just ok imo

  • @JohnMinehan-lx9ts
    @JohnMinehan-lx9ts Рік тому +2

    It is a nicely written book. It is probably the best novel of the late 20th Century, at least in terms of what it said about the zeitgeist of the late 1970s. The originally published version may be more focused.

    • @theicycrook8373
      @theicycrook8373 Рік тому

      It may be more focused, but it's also missing out on The Kid

  • @jordendarrett1725
    @jordendarrett1725 Рік тому +2

    Other Stephen king books I would agree with you, but for this I thought the ending was well fitting. This is my top King read but there is a lot of polarization with him

  • @risebuddy1420
    @risebuddy1420 Рік тому +2

    I too don’t mix too well with stephen king books although I’m committed to reading a fair few including the dark tower series. Only read 400~ pages of the stand which I would give 4 stars but too slow. will finish eventually.

  • @hurricaneez1
    @hurricaneez1 Рік тому +10

    Your not wrong on the trimming. Still my 2nd favorite King book after Salem's Lot

  • @zaftra
    @zaftra Рік тому +2

    good job we have people like this in the world to tell king were he's going wrong.

  • @Zach64612
    @Zach64612 Рік тому +2

    "Fun that could be trimmed down" could be the summary of any Stephen King book I've ever read.
    Either that or "fun book, bad ending"
    I read this book like 15 years ago, and I liked it. But that ending. Whew lord I just can't do Stephen King endings.

    • @MattsFantasyBookReviews
      @MattsFantasyBookReviews  Рік тому

      It's so weird how bad the endings are. It wouldn't be hard just to plot things out A LITTLE before writing.

    • @Zach64612
      @Zach64612 Рік тому

      @@MattsFantasyBookReviews I won't spoil anything but in the black tower series he explicitly points out that it's all about the journey and not the destination. My theory is he does it on purpose for some reason.

  • @mvprindle
    @mvprindle Рік тому +2

    King's laser focus on character is exactly what many people love the most about his books. King has gotten better at plots over the years, but plot is not his appeal. Also, your assumption that he's a discovery writer is correct.

    • @MattsFantasyBookReviews
      @MattsFantasyBookReviews  Рік тому +1

      Makes sense. I just wish he would outline the book a little first so he could know how to finish his stories.

  • @maikeruu1491
    @maikeruu1491 Рік тому +2

    Just picked this one up. What was the 1,800 page book you were referring to? I love long books!

  • @k.enterante
    @k.enterante Рік тому +3

    I’m a massive King fan-and while I like The Stand okay, it doesn’t even break my top ten.

    • @MattsFantasyBookReviews
      @MattsFantasyBookReviews  Рік тому +2

      What is your #1 King book?

    • @k.enterante
      @k.enterante Рік тому +2

      @@MattsFantasyBookReviews Top 3 are It, The Dark Tower Series (I count it as one giant story), and The Green Mile.

  • @cmmosher8035
    @cmmosher8035 Рік тому +2

    I don't think the abridged version is currently available. I always wanted to read it because I think the book is too long. Like I mentioned in a previous post I think the infection story is the best part. It scared me before Covid and it definitely added to my pandemic anxiety. King has written about how there are two writing processes, planners and fly by your pants type writer. He admits to being a "pantser" so good observation.
    Sorry accidently the post button too soon. If you are looking for a similar book, Robert Macammon's book Swan Song is another 80s post apocalyptic story that I really enjoyed and often gets mentioned with the Stand. It's post nuclear war (the strike opens the book) but I personally thought it was consistently an interesting story.

    • @MattsFantasyBookReviews
      @MattsFantasyBookReviews  Рік тому

      I'll have to check out Swan Song!

    • @cmmosher8035
      @cmmosher8035 Рік тому

      @@MattsFantasyBookReviews I found it more consistent then the Stand. I hope you enjoy it if you get to it.

  • @ShelfCentered
    @ShelfCentered Рік тому +3

    Great review. King's known for not caring about endings as much as the journey only only rarely does he really knock an ending out of the park. The Stand was my first King and I DNF'd it at about 300 pages. Felt like it was going nowhere so I was right there with you. I read the Dark Tower and realized I do actually like King and went back and read The Stand on audio and really loved it. So take that for what it's worth!

  • @EricMcLuen
    @EricMcLuen Рік тому +2

    This is the only King I have read. A friend who is a King fan did say I should have read the abridged version.
    Ot didbjust keep going and going and then ended in a whimper. I did like various parts, but they were too few and too far apart.

  • @sasapejcin3568
    @sasapejcin3568 Рік тому +2

    So happy when I see your notification! Enjoying your reviews so much!

  • @coffeedude
    @coffeedude Рік тому +2

    I had similar feelings to yours about this book. In retrospect the journey was really good and it really feels like a grand epic. But I also remember large periods of the book were I was wishing the tangent was over and we could get back to more interesting things again. In the end I gave it 4 stars.
    If you are not completely turned off by Stephen King by now I'd still encourage you to read the Dark Tower, I'm currently reading through it and it's been a much more focused, fun and intriguing experience. There's still tangents and stream-of-consciousness-writing but I found it much less intrusive.

  • @JLchevz
    @JLchevz Рік тому +4

    I think you nailed it. This is my summary of the experience this book brings: The idea was phenomenal, the characters are good (with all the details), but the execution is underwhelming. I would've liked more politics, more survival, more gathering technology, more resource gathering, a war between factions, less magic and/or God lol. It's a good idea but average execution. It's memorable though. Personally I liked it but like you said, maybe it's a SK thing.

    • @MattsFantasyBookReviews
      @MattsFantasyBookReviews  Рік тому +2

      Yeah very well stated. If this book was what you described it would have been a 5/5.

  • @Rolgar1977
    @Rolgar1977 Рік тому +2

    The Stand a key book in Stephen Kings multiverse. Of course it has fantastical elements. The majority of his books do. Plus it has the debut of a major character throughout the multiverse. Matt, are you aware of Kings books and their connection to each other?

    • @MattsFantasyBookReviews
      @MattsFantasyBookReviews  Рік тому

      Yeah, but I'm very new to it. I'll be reading Dark Tower in a couple months.

    • @CurieBohr
      @CurieBohr Рік тому

      @@MattsFantasyBookReviewsRandall Flagg

  • @brycedouglas620
    @brycedouglas620 Рік тому +5

    What's funny is, after having read his book On Writing, you're spot on with your problems with this book. Not only does he write in a kind of stream of conscious way, but that was the reason this book went on for so long. He got to a certain point in the story and had no idea how to end the story because he wrote the characters into an ending he didn't want 😂.

    • @MattsFantasyBookReviews
      @MattsFantasyBookReviews  Рік тому +2

      Yeah makes sense - but I still don't get why he does this other than laziness. Why not just plot out the basic outline of the story and then write stream of consciousness while slowly connecting the dots?

    • @brycedouglas620
      @brycedouglas620 Рік тому

      @@MattsFantasyBookReviews Yeah, I know every author has their own process, but whenever I hear that an author just writes and "let's the characters tell the story" I automatically fear the plot will be meandering and the pacing will be off unless the author has an amazing internal grasp on technique and structure (and sadly, a lot of authors don't)

    • @cwdkidman2266
      @cwdkidman2266 Рік тому

      @@MattsFantasyBookReviews You got it. Laziness. Plus substance abuse problems like he's always been open about. And The Stand isn't really long. War and Peace is long. Vanity Fair is long. The Stand just has a lot of words. It doesn't require real reading like Faulkner or Henry James. You can skim it and not miss anything.
      I get the feeling that The Stand was his first book no one bothered to truly edit. I mean all the great writers had great editors to work WITH, who would say "this needs tightening and that goes nowhere and this character needs more and you can do better than this scene." Thomas Pynchon or Salinger didn't toss a box of paper on their publisher's desk and say "Here's number four. Correct the typos." I think King did. I think he stopped writing second drafts after The Shining. His publisher just checked spelling and ran it through Legal to make sure they wouldn't get sued then dumped it on his humongous audience. That he cut The Stand down was his decision. The hardcover was just downright unwieldy without cuts. But the long version was weirder and better. Which meant no one was really paying attention. Most of all him.
      And why tell a story you don't know the ending to? Who does that? No one but King. I got a great idea! A guy gets thinner from a Gypsy curse! And he writes. As he writes he aims in a general direction but wonders what it all means and thinks that that is somehow more "literary" than telling a story that you know goes from a to b to c. It isn't.
      And he can always rely on his public and Hollywood to buy anything he writes. So why bother past the initial idea? Can you even name two characters from ALL his fiction that aren't the actual title?
      The Stand gives true long books a bad name. He spends dozens of words describing something that one sentence would do nicely (and an editor) or he might describe a person as looking like (name an actor or actress). And be done with it. He even calls that shorthand as "being in the moment." Well, moments pass and who knows who Patsy Kensit is these days?
      And unsuspecting young people will lay off real writers when they discover that 100 pages of King can be read in two hours but try that with Faulkner or James and you'll throw the book or cd away.
      I used to love his ideas. But after Pet Sematary got bored. And not only does he publish first drafts, he has said he always has a novel or two socked away for the future. Just in case. It must take longer to type his novels than read them. And I said type not write. Only his JFK book is interesting, the only interesting thing with his name on it since 1985. And he was chained to The Warren Report for that.

  • @josephwilson-doan4163
    @josephwilson-doan4163 Рік тому +3

    Great review. I love character arcs but I do feel they need to be balanced with the plot to be effective! I’m predicting this to be a 4 star read for me.

    • @MattsFantasyBookReviews
      @MattsFantasyBookReviews  Рік тому

      Yeah I can't imagine many people hating this book, but it would be a hard one to give a 5/5 to.

  • @jefferyheileson7188
    @jefferyheileson7188 Рік тому +3

    We have similar thoughts. This was one of my disappointing reads from last year. Gave it 3 stars. This makes me more interested in reading Swan Song

  • @alynam82
    @alynam82 Рік тому +2

    That's a shame it didn't work out for you 😕 Moreso the fact that you spent so long on such a big book. But I hear what you're saying. I agree about the stream of conscious style writing, as I believe that's what he does. I think he foregoes any planning when he starts a book, but just gets into a certain head-space and writes.
    Personally, I loved The Stand, but can also see why it isn't for everybody. I'm glad you read it, though 😀

    • @MattsFantasyBookReviews
      @MattsFantasyBookReviews  Рік тому +1

      I just wish he would have some LOOSE plans and then connect those dots using his same style.

  • @sarugard9115
    @sarugard9115 Рік тому +1

    hey matt, which book did your read thats 1800 pages?

  • @raswartz
    @raswartz Рік тому +2

    Stephen King has all the skills of a great writer but somehow every book has some weird flaw. I always want to like his books - his tone, voice, scene construction, characterization, pacing, etc. are all great but there's always something a bit off. I read both versions of the Stand but honestly I feel like the longer version is indulgent. Sometimes constraints make art better, you know?

    • @MattsFantasyBookReviews
      @MattsFantasyBookReviews  Рік тому +1

      Yeah makes sense - and I agree that constraints aren't a bad thing when it comes to art.

  • @SINW
    @SINW Рік тому +2

    Kinda my feeling on the Dark Tower series. I read the first 3 and just kinda went 'meh, its totally fine'. However, you will never read all the books you want to read and why I am so comfortable DNF'ing books.

  • @XDFilmsMiami
    @XDFilmsMiami Рік тому +2

    I’m also reading/listening to the stand now and I loved the first part. But now 500 pages is definitely starting to feel sloggy and super boring now that each chapter is like 2 hours long and 44,000 words reach

  • @coffeedude
    @coffeedude Рік тому +7

    A lot of Stephen King's books could be trimmed down and arguably be made better

  • @ashleyholbird4287
    @ashleyholbird4287 Рік тому +2

    The stand was one of my favorite books ever. But I commented this on your last King video...King is consistently inconsistent

  • @swisswatermethod1781
    @swisswatermethod1781 Рік тому +1

    A big complaint about King is that his endings aren’t great and it’s fairly true. Also his biggest hits aren’t necessarily so, in my opinion. Give The Long Walk a go - that’s great

  • @angelaholmes8888
    @angelaholmes8888 Рік тому +2

    I really enjoyed the stand 🙂 and don't worry your not the only person who had a problem with the book some people have said that it's overrated

  • @obijuan-kenobi5117
    @obijuan-kenobi5117 8 місяців тому

    Just finished the book, and while I have a similar rating I kind of have the opposite complaints. I absolutely loved the character work and was really invested in everyone, but I thought it wrapped up in a pretty disappointing way. There were many characters that died in ways that felt like their arc was incomplete (All that buildup with Nadine just to chuck her out a window? Whaaat? That made me angry) I think this book shoild've ended at around the 3/4 mark and then have a 2nd book with a much more elaborate ending. There were so many interesting pieces, but they didn't come together in a way that it felt like it should have, and I really think it was possible for the pieces to come together better than they did.
    I'm torn because there was so much amazing buildup, but it didn't pay off. I can understand why there would be a wide array of opinions om this book.

  • @dinocollins720
    @dinocollins720 Рік тому +3

    Another fantastic video! Thank you!

  • @venomgaming2077
    @venomgaming2077 Рік тому +1

    Is swan song better?

    • @samhartje723
      @samhartje723 Рік тому

      In my opinion

    • @bryanvanloh8217
      @bryanvanloh8217 Рік тому

      I say yes, but someone could pick it a part, too. Swan Song hasn’t left me despite finishing it years ago. It’s such an epic experience that feels a little more real to me than The Stand. But parts of the Stand are better and is greater in scope. Swan Song feels more cohesive and I ended up loving the characters more.

    • @MattsFantasyBookReviews
      @MattsFantasyBookReviews  Рік тому +1

      No idea, haven't read it!

  • @BooksWithBenghisKahn
    @BooksWithBenghisKahn Рік тому +1

    Eek that’s a big book to have a mid experience with…I think I’m gonna feel the same way in wanting more plot…this one’s loooooooooow on the tbr

    • @MattsFantasyBookReviews
      @MattsFantasyBookReviews  Рік тому +1

      Yeah it's hard to LOVE this one with how slow things go and how "meh" the ending is.

  • @oscarchavezavellan2738
    @oscarchavezavellan2738 Рік тому +3

    Haven't read it, but from what I've heard about this book I'm gonna try to save the comment to king's fans and say "HOW DARE YOU"

  • @Maximus0623
    @Maximus0623 Рік тому +1

    Great review. The Stand is generally considered one of King’s best books, but I think it is overrated. The Stand is a great idea that has only pretty good execution. It’s an enjoyable book, but not deserving of the reputation it has. King has a lot of books that I think are better.

    • @MattsFantasyBookReviews
      @MattsFantasyBookReviews  Рік тому

      What is your favorite King book?

    • @Maximus0623
      @Maximus0623 Рік тому

      @@MattsFantasyBookReviews The Institute. It's one of his most newest. I find that his newer books don't have as many pacing/length issues that some of his older and "classic" books have.

  • @cwdkidman2266
    @cwdkidman2266 Рік тому +3

    Criticizing the way King writes or what he writes about is as foolhardy as a.musicologist reviewing the sound of silverware clanging on the floor from a one-storey drop. He is impervious to criticism because America made him the most successful writer in world history before he was 30. As King always says to anyone who dares point out flaws in his very parochial books:"if you're so smart why ain't you rich?"

    • @MattsFantasyBookReviews
      @MattsFantasyBookReviews  Рік тому

      Lol well said

    • @cwdkidman2266
      @cwdkidman2266 Рік тому

      @@MattsFantasyBookReviews I just thank God he's a good old-fashioned hippie leftist. With his platform he could do damage. I'll never rest though until I find out about that chain link fence. Or maybe that's just a miniseries thing. I read both versions and liked the longer buildup better. And I admired the hell out of the racially charged black junta scene. He didn't get THAT from Roots. Which proves that King Unchained is weird enough to actually be GOOD. AND at least 11/22/63 chains him to Reality & The Warren Report. I even learned about Gen Walker from it.

  • @chaz9808
    @chaz9808 Рік тому +1

    You’re opinion is how I feel about every King book 30% too long and almost always a disappointing ending

    • @MattsFantasyBookReviews
      @MattsFantasyBookReviews  Рік тому

      Yeah seems to be a pretty popular opinion as well based on reading these comments!

  • @comixknight3843
    @comixknight3843 Рік тому

    I thought “the stand” was exceptional at times & others not so much. Overall I liked it but it’s my least favorite SK book so far. (I’ve only read 5 so far). “Misery” is still #1 for me.

  • @janeb9698
    @janeb9698 Рік тому +1

    No, it’s not just you. This book is one of King’s better ones, but it still has a lot of problems, many of which are common to most if not all of his works: too disorganized and/or meandering, poor pacing, desperately in need of a decent editor (he probably has one but ignores what she/he has to say), just way WAY too self indulgent (which manifests as stream of consciousness, as you said), and usually a horrendous ending. He’s competent at writing decent prose and because he’s competent, he just cranks the books out with no planning and no apparent commitment to cleaning things up with a rewrite. He’s just incredibly sloppy. Wait until you read the book It. SO many of the same issues plus a really bad, creepy, pervy sex scene that I can’t believe even made it into print. OMG, it drives me nuts how much his work is overpraised. You said in an earlier video that King will go down as one of the greatest authors of all time. No, he won’t. He will go down as one of the most prolific authors of all time and also one of the most overrated.

    • @MattsFantasyBookReviews
      @MattsFantasyBookReviews  Рік тому +1

      Yeah I keep waiting for King to "WOW" me like he does for so many others but it certainly hasn't happened yet!

    • @janeb9698
      @janeb9698 Рік тому

      For what it’s worth, Danse Macabre (non fiction) is great, provided you can overlook the insane attacks on William Peter Blatty. And I loved ‘Salem’s Lot when I first read it. I’m going to be rereading it soon to see if I still feel that way. I don’t know if I loved Pet Semetery but it did creep me out. I’ll call that a win. :-)

  • @dustinneely
    @dustinneely 10 місяців тому

    I'm 480 pages in right now, and I am hating this book. Exactly my feeling. This book has no plot! I hate the characters!

  • @angelamccollister
    @angelamccollister Рік тому +1

    There's something about you calling the Audible deal a kickback makes me cringe a bit from knowing you work in politics. 🤣

  • @BelminHxC
    @BelminHxC Рік тому +2

    This ones a 4/5 the ending was bleh

    • @MattsFantasyBookReviews
      @MattsFantasyBookReviews  Рік тому +1

      It's like he didn't even plan out the ending, he just kind of ran out of ideas and decided to stop the book or something.

    • @BelminHxC
      @BelminHxC Рік тому

      @@MattsFantasyBookReviews that’s a trend of his unfortunately.