“This is the way the world ends: with a nanosecond of computer error in a Defense Department laboratory and a million casual contacts that form the links in a chain letter of death.

And here is the bleak new world of the day after: a world stripped of its institutions and emptied of 99 percent of its people. A world in which a handful of panicky survivors choose sides — or are chosen. A world in which good rides on the frail shoulders of the 108-year-old Mother Abigail — and the worst nightmares of evil are embodied in a man with a lethal smile and unspeakable powers: Randall Flagg, the dark man.”

Series Info/Source: This is a stand alone book. I bought a copy of this as an ebook for my Kindle.

Thoughts: I set this one aside at 56% of the way through (page 727). I have been skimming large portions of this book at this point. I think I would have been better off picking up the original version rather than the extended version. I actually did not realize there were two versions when I bought this for my Kindle last year. There is so much fluff in this book, just pages and pages of characters’ thoughts and background…occasionally even characters that aren’t around for long. Seems like a lot of wasted page space with not much gain.

I know this is a Stephen King book, and it’s been awhile since I read one of his books, but the overly gorey detail makes my stomach turn. The detailed, violent, explicit rape scenes also get old and just make me feel, well, yucky and sad. I get it, it is supposed to be horror and there is a reason I don’t read a lot of gorey horror, I just don’t enjoy it. I also don’t enjoy feeling depressed for days on end while I try to push through this book.

The story took forever to go anywhere and once it started getting there it was like slogging through putrid mud. At this point I get where it is all going and I just don’t have the patience or want to spend another 9hrs reading this. I get it, the world ended because people are over reaching and somewhat evil, there are good and bad people, all these people will probably buildup the world again and destroy it again…I got the message.

I did enjoy the first bit of this book. King is an awesome writer and has a very creative imagination. However, things just needed to get moving.

I have wanted to read this book for sooooo long. Now, I am over it. There was just way too much here that wasn’t necessary to move the plot forward or even make this a decent story. I am all for building up characterization and providing solid backgrounds on our characters but this was borderline ridiculous. So yeah, not a fan.

My Summary (3/5): Overall I enjoyed the beginning of this story but it was just too drawn out and I ended up skimming large portions of it. I just didn’t enjoy the wandering delves into random characters’ backgrounds, the slow progress in the plot, and the excessive violence and gore. Maybe I will pick it up again at some point, but I am guessing not. This just wasn’t for me.

DNF Review – The Stand by Stephen King (3/5 stars)

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