The Stand (edit title)

Shelfari edited the description of The Stand 3 weeks ago.

• Arguably the greatest horror novel ever written by the greatest horror novelist, this is a true Modern Classic that was first published in 1978, and then re-published in 1990, complete and unabridged, with 150,000 words cut from the first edition restored, and now accompanied by unusual and imaginative line art. The total copies for both editions, in hardcover and paperback, exceeds 4 million worldwide. The Stand is a truly terrifying reading experience, and became a four-part mini-series that memorably brought to life the cast of characters and layers of story from the novel. It is an apocalyptic vision of the world, when a deadly virus runs amok around the globe. But that lethal virus is almost benign compared to the satanic force gathering minions from those still alive to destroy humanity and create a world populated by evil. Stephen King is a brilliant storyteller who has the uncanny gift of putting ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances, giving readers an experience that chills and thrills on every page.

Jessica S edited the language of an edition of The Stand Wednesday, December 2 2009.

Chris L edited the errata of The Stand Tuesday, October 27 2009.

• In the final chapters Larry said he opened for "Arrowsmith" once, when it should be Aerosmith.

Teodora19 edited the books like this book of The Stand Monday, September 21 2009.

• Added Don't Fear the Reaper
• Added Gone

Teodora19 edited the books with additional background information of The Stand Monday, September 21 2009.

• Added Unlocking the Meaning of Lost: An Unauthorized Guide
• Added Complete Stephen King Universe: A Guide to the Worlds of Stephen King

Teodora19 edited the summary of The Stand Monday, September 21 2009.

• "Captain Trips"

  The novel is divided into three parts, or books. The first is titled "Captain Trips" and takes place over nineteen days, with the escape and spread of a human-made biological weapon, a superflu (influenza) virus known formally as "Project Blue" but most commonly as "Captain Trips" (among some other colloquialisms). The epidemic leads directly to the death of an estimated 99.4% of the world's human population.

  King outlines the total breakdown and destruction of society through widespread violence, the failure of martial law to contain the outbreak, and eventually the death of virtually the entire population. The human toll is also dealt with, as the few survivors must care for their families and friends, dealing with confusion and grief as their loved ones succumb to the flu.

  The expanded edition opens with a prologue titled "The Circle Opens" that offers greater detail into the circumstances surrounding the development of the virus and the security breach that allowed its escape from the secret laboratory compound where it was created.
  <edit> "On the Border"

  Intertwining cross-country odysseys are undertaken by a small number of survivors, including:

  * Stu's party:
  o Stuart Redman, a factory worker from the fictional, tiny Arnette, Texas;
  o Frances Goldsmith and Harold Lauder, a pregnant college student and an overweight high school outcast, respectively, both from Ogunquit, Maine;
  o Glen Bateman, a quick-witted, pessimistic sociology professor from New Hampshire, and his dog, an Irish Setter named Kojak (or Big Steve, as he later reveals himself)— one of the very few dogs immune to the plague;
  o Perion McCarthy and Mark Braddock, two lovers who are already a couple when they meet Stu's group;
  o Dayna Jurgens, a hard-headed and determined woman from Xenia, Ohio;
  o Susan Stern, a former student from Kent State University;
  o Patty Kroger, a beautiful 15-year-old girl.

  * Nick's party:
  o Nick Andros, an insightful deaf-mute wanderer originally from fictional Caslin, Nebraska;
  o Tom Cullen, a kind-hearted mentally retarded man from May, Oklahoma.
  o Ralph Brentner, a jolly, easy-going farmer from Oklahoma;
  o Dick Ellis, a former veterinarian in his early 50's;
  o Gina McCone, a little girl;
  o Olivia Walker, a sympathetic older woman;
  o June Brinkmeyer, a redhead woman in her mid-20's.

  * Larry's party:
  o Larry Underwood, a disillusioned pop musician from New York City;
  o Rita Blakemoor, a rich middle-aged woman from New York City;
  o Nadine Cross, a virginal kindergarten teacher with a dark secret from New Hampshire;
  o Leo "Joe" Rockway, a savage, amnesiac, and telepathic boy;
  o Lucy Swann, a 24-year-old housewife from New Hampshire;
  o Judge Farris, a man in his late seventies.

  They are drawn together by both circumstances and their shared dreams of a 108-year-old black woman from Hemingford Home, Nebraska, whom they see as a refuge and a representation of good in the struggle of good versus evil. This woman, Abagail Freemantle (known as "Mother Abagail"), becomes the spiritual leader of this group of survivors, directing them to Boulder, Colorado, referred to as "the Free Zone" (officially "The Boulder Free Zone"), where they begin to reestablish a democratic society; much of this section of the book involves the struggles to create an orderly society more or less from scratch. Boulder is found to have considerably fewer plague victims than other cities due to a mass exodus following a false rumor in the early stages of the plague that the outbreak originated in the Boulder Air Test Center. While many corpses are present there, they number far fewer than any other major city in North America.

  Meanwhile, another group of survivors includes

  * Lloyd Henreid, a not-too-bright common thief and murderer;
  * Donald Merwin Elbert, known as "the Trashcan Man", a schizophrenic pyromaniac;
  * Whitney Horgan, an ex-Army cook and butcher;
  * Julie Lawry, an unstable, oversexed teenager;
  * "the Rat Man", a pirate-like hood;
  * Barry Dorgan, a former detective of the Santa Monica Police Department;
  * Jenny Engstrom, a nightclub dancer and later construction worker; and
  * Hector "Heck" Drogan, a civilian who is executed for drug abuse by Flagg's punishment system.

  They are drawn to Las Vegas, Nevada by Randall Flagg (known as "the Dark Man", "the Hardcase", "the Tall Man", and "the Walkin’ Dude"), an evil being with supernatural powers; he represents evil, the opposite influence of Mother Abagail. Flagg’s rule is tyrannical and brutal, using crucifixion, torture and other torments as punishment for those who are disloyal and disobedient. His group is able to quickly reorganize their society, restore power to Las Vegas, and rebuild the city as many technical professionals have migrated to the city. The book notes that at Las Vegas, Flagg's group is constantly working and has organized a strong but harsh structure while at the Free Zone, some survivors lounge idly and do not work as hard. Flagg's group also has started a schooling system and weapons program with survivor Carl Hough as a helicopter pilot and the Trashcan Man searching the country for weapons.

  The Free Zone's democratic society is not without its problems. Mother Abagail, feeling that she has become prideful and sinned due to her pleasure at being a public figure, disappears into the desert on a journey of spiritual reconciliation. Meanwhile, Harold's bitterness over his unrequited love for Fran and Nadine's secret commitment to Flagg lead the two of them to detonate a dynamite bomb at a meeting of the Free Zone committee. The explosion, which kills several people (including Nick Andros), takes place at the same time that Mother Abagail is discovered, severely weakened by her time in the wilderness.
  <edit> "The Stand"

  The stage is now set for the final confrontation as the two camps become aware of one another, and each recognizes the other as a threat to its survival, leading to the "stand" of good against evil. There is no pitched battle, however. Instead, at Mother Abagail's dying behest, Stu, Larry, Ralph and Glen set off on foot towards Las Vegas on an expedition to confront Randall Flagg. Stu breaks his leg en route and drops out. He encourages the others to leave without him, telling them that God will provide for him. Glen's dog stays behind with Stu. Glen, Ralph, and Larry soon encounter Flagg's men, who take them prisoner. When Glen rejects an opportunity to be spared if he kneels and begs Flagg, he is shot by Lloyd Henreid, on Flagg's direct order. Flagg gathers his entire collective to witness the execution of the other two, but before it can take place, Trashcan Man arrives with a nuclear warhead and a giant glowing hand—"The Hand of God"—detonates the bomb, destroying Flagg's followers and the two remaining prisoners.

  Stu, with the aid of Kojak and later Tom Cullen, survives injury, illness, and a harsh Rocky Mountain winter. The three of them arrive back in Boulder soon after the birth of Fran’s baby. Although the baby falls ill with the superflu, he is able to fight it off. In the end, Stu and Fran decide to return to Maine, and the original edition of the novel ends with the two of them questioning whether the human race can learn from its mistakes. The answer, given in the last line, is ambiguous: "I don’t know."

  The expanded edition follows this with a brief coda called "The Circle Closes", which leaves a darker impression and fits in with King’s ongoing "wheel of ka" theme. Randall Flagg, using the alias "Russell Faraday", arrives on a beach and begins recruiting adherents among a preliterate, dark-skinned people.

Timothy Gray approved Bean’s request to combine 5 books, including The Stand, Tuesday, September 15 2009.

Bean submitted a request to combine 5 books, including The Stand, Monday, September 14 2009.

Teodora19 edited the books like this book of The Stand Saturday, September 12 2009.

• Added Wizard and Glass
• Added The Eyes of the Dragon (Signet)
• Added Christine (Signet)

Teodora19 edited the characters of The Stand Saturday, September 12 2009.

• Changed the section title: Cast of Characters
• Added the description of Charlie D. Campion: A soldier
• marked the description of Charlie D. Campion as not a spoiler
• Added the description of General William "Billy" Starkey: General
• marked the description of General William "Billy" Starkey as not a spoiler
• Added the description of Stuart Redman: A quiet man from the fictional town of Arnette
• marked the description of Stuart Redman as not a spoiler
• Added the description of Fran Goldsmith: A college student from Ogunquit, Maine
• marked the description of Fran Goldsmith as not a spoiler
• Added the description of Peter Goldsmith-Redman: Fran’s baby
• marked the description of Peter Goldsmith-Redman as a spoiler
• Added the description of Harold Lauder: 16 years old
• marked the description of Harold Lauder as not a spoiler
• Added the description of Glen Bateman: An associate professor of sociology
• marked the description of Glen Bateman as not a spoiler
• Added the description of Kojak: Glen Bateman's dog
• marked the description of Kojak as not a spoiler
• Added the description of Susan Stern: a former student at Kent State University
• marked the description of Susan Stern as not a spoiler
• Added the description of Dayna Jurgens: A community college P.T. instructor from Xenia, Ohio
• marked the description of Dayna Jurgens as not a spoiler
• Added the description of Larry Underwood: a cocky young singer and composer
• marked the description of Larry Underwood as not a spoiler
• Added the description of Nadine Cross: A teacher at a private school in Vermont
• marked the description of Nadine Cross as not a spoiler
• Added the description of Lucy Swann: twenty-four year-old New Hampshire housewife
• marked the description of Lucy Swann as not a spoiler
• Added the description of Judge Farris: A man in his late seventies
• marked the description of Judge Farris as not a spoiler
• Added the description of Nick Andros: A twenty-two year-old deaf-mute drifter originally from Caslin, Nebraska,
• marked the description of Nick Andros as not a spoiler
• Added the description of Tom Cullen: a man initially thought to be in his mid-20's to mid-30's who suffers from mild to moderate mental retardation
• marked the description of Tom Cullen as not a spoiler
• Added the description of Ralph Brentner: an amiable Midwest farmer
• marked the description of Ralph Brentner as not a spoiler
• Added the description of Randall Flagg: also known as "the Dark Man" or "the Walkin’ Dude"
• marked the description of Randall Flagg as not a spoiler
• Added the description of Lloyd Henreid: a petty criminal
• marked the description of Lloyd Henreid as not a spoiler
• Added the description of The Trashcan Man: a schizophrenic pyromaniac
• marked the description of The Trashcan Man as not a spoiler
• Added the description of The Kid: a thug from Shreveport, Louisiana
• marked the description of The Kid as not a spoiler
• Added the description of Julie Lawry: An unstable sex-crazed teenager
• marked the description of Julie Lawry as not a spoiler
• Added the description of Whitney Horgan: An ex-Army butcher
• marked the description of Whitney Horgan as not a spoiler
• Added the description of Jenny Engstrom: A former nightclub dancer
• marked the description of Jenny Engstrom as not a spoiler
• Added the description of The Rat Man: a pirate-like hood
• marked the description of The Rat Man as not a spoiler