The Stand - Let's Discuss! *SPOILERS*

[mtdman]

Something I never understood is why the highways would be so clogged up with cars. Captain Tripps wasn't exactly a fast moving virus. I wouldn't think most people would get stuck in their cars dying on the road so that things would be so clogged up. MAYBE around the cities a bit, but I would think the superful would keep most people in bed instead of driving.

Also, I read "Earth Abides" by George Stewart after hearing that it was an influence on King's work for The Stand. GREAT book, highly recommend it.

[pathoftheturtle]

BTW, The Grateful Dead are for the most part, Aweful!!!

Yeah, awfully awesome!!!

[Jean]

rofl

[CamiDeschain]

Erm.. I kinda hate the ending.. =\
It builds up so greatly and then it's just disappointing. When I finished the book I was kinda shocked and thinking "Why do people say this is his best novel ever??" O.o
There is something missing there..

I also hate Fran and Stu together. They were interesting characters separately, but together they just make me wanna puke. Urgh.

[Merlin1958]

Erm.. I kinda hate the ending.. =\
It builds up so greatly and then it's just disappointing. When I finished the book I was kinda shocked and thinking "Why do people say this is his best novel ever??" O.o
There is something missing there..

I also hate Fran and Stu together. They were interesting characters separately, but together they just make me wanna puke. Urgh.

Curious, Cut or uncut version????

[CamiDeschain]

Ok, so, I took it from the library, and it's in Portuguese too. I got no friggin idea which version is it. But this guy Raymong Fiegler made this huge post about the ending, and everything he said happened, I read it on my book.

Quoting him:
"- Whitney, a guilt-ridden cook, has finally had enough of Flagg and nervously chews him out, ordering him to tell the crowd what he really is: a devil in the shape of a man.
- Flagg, having foreseen this (as he himself admits, straight after everything goes to hell), calmly walks up to him and shoots a tiny ball of blue fire (magic/energy/whatever) into his face, melting it.
- Ralph starts chanting 'I fear no evil' under his breath, a phrase Glen kept repeating all throughout their ordeal. Larry quickly follows suit.
- Trashcan Man suddenly shows up, in the final stages of radiation sickness and lugging around a very active and useable atomic bomb.
- The ball of blue fire Flagg used to fry poor Whitney had been steadily growing in size the entire time, hovering over the whole scene while Flagg loses his shit.
- Ralph shrieks to Larry that he sees 'The Hand of God', and Larry thinks that the glowing blue mass does indeed look like a hand.
- Flagg briefly morphs into "something slumped and hunched and almost without shape - something with enormous 
yellow eyes slit by dark cat's pupils." Then he warps out of there, leaving all his clothes.
- Las Vegas go boom. "

[Merlin1958]

Ok, so, I took it from the library, and it's in Portuguese too. I got no friggin idea which version is it. But this guy Raymong Fiegler made this huge post about the ending, and everything he said happened, I read it on my book.

Quoting him:
"- Whitney, a guilt-ridden cook, has finally had enough of Flagg and nervously chews him out, ordering him to tell the crowd what he really is: a devil in the shape of a man.
- Flagg, having foreseen this (as he himself admits, straight after everything goes to hell), calmly walks up to him and shoots a tiny ball of blue fire (magic/energy/whatever) into his face, melting it.
- Ralph starts chanting 'I fear no evil' under his breath, a phrase Glen kept repeating all throughout their ordeal. Larry quickly follows suit.
- Trashcan Man suddenly shows up, in the final stages of radiation sickness and lugging around a very active and useable atomic bomb.
- The ball of blue fire Flagg used to fry poor Whitney had been steadily growing in size the entire time, hovering over the whole scene while Flagg loses his shit.
- Ralph shrieks to Larry that he sees 'The Hand of God', and Larry thinks that the glowing blue mass does indeed look like a hand.
- Flagg briefly morphs into "something slumped and hunched and almost without shape - something with enormous 
yellow eyes slit by dark cat's pupils." Then he warps out of there, leaving all his clothes.
- Las Vegas go boom. "

Yep, That's about it!!!

[divemaster]

Erm.. I kinda hate the ending.. =\
It builds up so greatly and then it's just disappointing. When I finished the book I was kinda shocked and thinking "Why do people say this is his best novel ever??" O.o
There is something missing there..

I also hate Fran and Stu together. They were interesting characters separately, but together they just make me wanna puke. Urgh.

Ok, so, I took it from the library, and it's in Portuguese too. I got no friggin idea which version is it. But this guy Raymong Fiegler made this huge post about the ending, and everything he said happened, I read it on my book.

Quoting him:
"- Whitney, a guilt-ridden cook, has finally had enough of Flagg and nervously chews him out, ordering him to tell the crowd what he really is: a devil in the shape of a man.
- Flagg, having foreseen this (as he himself admits, straight after everything goes to hell), calmly walks up to him and shoots a tiny ball of blue fire (magic/energy/whatever) into his face, melting it.
- Ralph starts chanting 'I fear no evil' under his breath, a phrase Glen kept repeating all throughout their ordeal. Larry quickly follows suit.
- Trashcan Man suddenly shows up, in the final stages of radiation sickness and lugging around a very active and useable atomic bomb.
- The ball of blue fire Flagg used to fry poor Whitney had been steadily growing in size the entire time, hovering over the whole scene while Flagg loses his shit.
- Ralph shrieks to Larry that he sees 'The Hand of God', and Larry thinks that the glowing blue mass does indeed look like a hand.
- Flagg briefly morphs into "something slumped and hunched and almost without shape - something with enormous 
yellow eyes slit by dark cat's pupils." Then he warps out of there, leaving all his clothes.
- Las Vegas go boom. "

But that's not the ending of the book. Did you not like Tom's return journey and how Nick spoke to him, and how he met back up with Stu? To me that was one of the best parts of the whole novel.

[Jean]

But that's not the ending of the book. Did you not like Tom's return journey and how Nick spoke to him, and how he met back up with Stu? To me that was one of the best parts of the whole novel.

Yes, or second best after Nick meeting Tom for the first time. Or rather, both are the best.

[jhanic]

That was a terrible job of translating, if you are quoting it directly.

John

[Merlin1958]

Totally random and probably way out there but, anyone know if "Stu's" character was named after Stu of Betts Books? Curious. It is a semi-rare name these days. Or, have I just stated an obvious message everyone sans I was aware of?

[Jon]

I think is is short for "Stuart."

I am sure that was a big help.

[Xile]

I also hate Fran and Stu together. They were interesting characters separately, but together they just make me wanna puke. Urgh.

That is so true, hahaha. I think watching the movie plus having read the novel made this super awkward for me also. I feel like Stu is pedophile.

[Merlin1958]

I also hate Fran and Stu together. They were interesting characters separately, but together they just make me wanna puke. Urgh.

That is so true, hahaha. I think watching the movie plus having read the novel made this super awkward for me also. I feel like Stu is pedophile.

And with that, I'm out!!!! LOL LOL That's not good forum form, dude!!! Sorry!!

[mtdman]

I just fnished a re-listen of The Stand. I love this book. But one thing really bothers me. The ending where Fran wants to leave the zone and go off on their own. I really don't dig that part of the book. After all they've been through, she just wants to wander around a great big empty country, with God only knows how many nut cases roaming around. And when Stu brings up the health issues, she dismisses it with "eh, we can read some books." WTF? That doesn't jive with me.

It's interesting the things you pick up on in a long book like that when you reread it. I've read it twice, listened to it twice, and never noticed that Flagg planned to tear up Larry and Ralph. I just missed that, assuming they were put on crosses like in the movie.

Also, for some reason I always picture Stu as the actor Ed Harris, not Gary Sinese. I know Sinese plays him in the miniseries, but it's Harris that I picture in my mind. I like Ed Harris for Stu anyway.

[Merlin1958]

FWIW, personally, I thought Sinese was perfectly cast as Stu. Still, I could see Harris as well, but still prefer Sinese.

Harris was well cast as the "General" who eventually commits suicide, no?

[mtdman]

FWIW, personally, I thought Sinese was perfectly cast as Stu. Still, I could see Harris as well, but still prefer Sinese.

Harris was well cast as the "General" who eventually commits suicide, no?

I thought they both did well in the movie, yes. But for some reason I always picture Stu as Ed Harris.

The dude that plays Lloyd is pretty good too, Miguel Ferrar. I picture him for Lloyd all the time. And the Max Headroom dude as Trash. Actually, I picture most of the movie's actors in their roles in the book. Except for Ed Harris as Stu.

Someone else here mentioned that Fran was not very nice in certain spots. At the beginning of the book when she first gets pregnant, she is not at all nice to that Jessie fellow. I understand she was over him, but she really gives him a hard time. He is the father of the kid, after all. And he treats him like poop. Not very nice.

This audio book is well done, I'm listening to it again.

[rico567]

Any chance someone has a link for a comparison between the two versions of the book?

I've not found one. I do know that a great deal is expanded regarding trashcan man and his travels cross country.

IMHO, the 1990 version adds nothing to the 1978 edition but more words. The abridged edition is unquestionably the tighter, better work.

[Jean]

bears loved all of them words...

[jhanic]

Any chance someone has a link for a comparison between the two versions of the book?

I've not found one. I do know that a great deal is expanded regarding trashcan man and his travels cross country.

IMHO, the 1990 version adds nothing to the 1978 edition but more words. The abridged edition is unquestionably the tighter, better work.

I don't agree. The additional words make for a more in-depth look at the characters, not to mention adding a few new ones (The Kid).

John

[Priest]

===

Hey *,

quick question to all of you with the amazing memory.
We just discussed a fact from the stand.

In one chapter after the breakout, King describes a theory referencing on Darwin and called it the "2nd decease" / "golden ....".
Meant that 4%-16% of the survivors will die after the actual reason just because they can't stand the cultural shock and/or new circumstances.

Anybody there who knows if this is fact or fiction, and if fact - any references to that ?

Thanks!!

Priest

[Randall Flagg]

Stauntons Theory

[Priest]

Hey Randall. thanks a lot - but this is not what i mean. "Stauntons Theory" is why the people survived, hm ?

What i mean is the wave after the flu, where the people die because they can't stand the new circumstances or accidents resulting out of this.

f.e. the boy who survived and fell into the veil (broke the legs), or the girl who was frightened of rape / wanted to shoot a man, while the old handgun exploded in here hand etc...

[Priest]

OK got it - Chapter 38

Spoiler:

As the superflu epidemic wound down, there was a second epidemic that lasted roughly two weeks. This epidemic was most common in technological societies such as the United States, least common in underdeveloped countries such as Peru or Senegal. In the United States the second epidemic took about 16 percent of the superflu survivors. In places like Peru and Senegal, no more than 3 percent. The second epidemic had no name because the symptoms differed wildly from case to case. A sociologist like Glen Bateman might have called this second epidemic “natural death” or “those ole emergency room blues.” In a strictly Darwinian sense, it was the final cut—the unkindest cut of all, some might have said.

Anybody some hints if this is based on a real theory ?
We called it the "No great loss." but i would be curious if there are any informations about this or if its fiction.

[Iwritecode]

I don’t know if it’s based on a real theory or not but it certainly sounds plausible. People die every day for one dumb reason or another. I doubt it would be much different if most of the population was suddenly wiped out. There would be a lot of people both young and old that simply wouldn’t be able to care for themselves.