The Stand

Now this is the kind of book I want to read with a book club.  Stephen King Book Club, anyone?

I was sucked into this one from the get-go, as any reader of any genre would likely be.  Stephen King's characters are the most obvious reason for his success, that of course and the fact that he can write a damn-scary scene - this coming from someone who is not easily, if ever, frightened by text on a page.  I don't think there is a whole lot about King I can say here that hasn't been said umpteen times already, so if you are lacking some experience with his work, I encourage you to just read one of his better books upfront - you will know immediately whether you're going to like it or not.

And for those more seasoned, I'll give my list of favorite things about The Stand - and least favorites, to balance it out:
___________________________________________
Favorite Characters:  Tom & Nick, Harold
Favorite Scene: all scenes with Tom, especially when he takes his trip (sniff), most scenes with Harold and his constant vascillating, soul-searching
Scariest Scene:  Larry going through (and even just considering it) the Lincoln Tunnel in New York
Favorite Writing Tidbit:  the various hilarious interjections of the characters, most of them I've never heard before but feel like I should start saying
Favorite Thing About Life Post-Plague: free beer!!
___________________________________________
Least Favorite Thing about The Stand:  the ending - I found it a little lackluster, disappointing.  Not nearly as cathartic as you would expect after such a long journey.  Not even all characters were involved.
Next Least Favorite Thing: King's inclusion of his original material, especially related to Trashcan Man's past.  I know he added these things back into this unabridged version to beef up the characterizations necessary for to reach the ending, and I get that, but when the character's past is just not interesting, then it should be made more engaging (instead of just nixing it outright).  This was especially glaring because of TM's significance for the end.
____________________________________________
And that's it!  That's all you get for The Stand.  It was a great book, make no mistake about that, and well worth your time (if you happen to have any!).  Happy reading, folks, and join me next time for a review of The Heretic's Daughter by Kathleen Kent.