Book Review: The Stand (Spoiler)
Like many other Stephen King fans had commented online, reading The Stand during a global pandemic is a surreal experience.
The first part of The Stand depicted a world rapidly descends into anarchy and chaos with the spread of Captain Trips, a deadly virus with a lethal rate close to 99% and introduces flu-like symptoms at first. The government tried to cover up the truth, military troops stormed news stations and university campus to squash dissents, and people went hysterical or absolutely desperate while dealing with the inevitable passing of loved ones… the chaotic world in The Stand is the Covid-19 pandemic real life in steroids.
However, like many other Stephen King books, it is the characters that truly stand out in my opinion. It was an astronomical effort to give each of the main characters (Stu, Larry, Glen, Nick, Tom Cullen, Frannie, Lloyd, Mother Abigail and Randall Flagg) their own back stories, drastically different personalities, and fascinating interactions with each other. Even the “side characters” are all three-dimensional ones that truly made an impression on me. The honorable mentions are Ralph, Nadine, Harold, Judge Farris, Dana, Lucy, Joe/Leo, Julie Lawry and the Trashcan man.
I read somewhere online that this book is a dark Christianity tale and the God in the book is very much an Old Testament god that fights evil yet demands blood. I am an atheist so my knowledge about religion in general is very limited, however I felt that particular online comment about this book resonated with me and summarized the book perfectly.
In this book review blog post, I hope to share my thoughts about some of my favorite characters -
Nick Andros
Rob Lowe as Nick Andros in the 1994 miniseries
Nick is such a badass character with an incredible development story. He is deaf and mute, and he was badly beaten by some small-town bullies when he was first mentioned in the book. However, he is brave, intelligent and kind, and he was “chosen” by God to lead a group of survivors to meet up with Mother Abigail and became the founding member of the Boulder Free Zone Committee. Even though he cannot speak or hear, and was injured in one eye (so he could barely see!), many other characters in the book described that they always feel the need to consult him during a decision-making meeting, because he always offers unique insights and is unapologetically righteous.
I was saddened by Nick’s death. A wonderful person like Nick deserves a happy life after all of the traumas that he had gone through. However since the majority of the characters in the book had tragic endings, Nick died protecting his friends, which is a somewhat comforting end.
Plus Nick was the one that first discovered Tom Cullen on his journey to meet Mother Abigail - he really is the coolest character in the book in my opinion!
Larry Underwood
Adam Storke played Larry in the 1994 miniseries
I thought Larry was insufferable in the first half of the book. He was a bit of a womanizer and mama’s boy. He was into big parties fuelled with drugs and alcohol. He was vain and insecure with his music talent. Whenever I saw that the new chapter is about Larry, I always sighed:"Really? This brat again?”
However, in the second half of the book, Larry was completely transformed into a leader, a father figure to Joe/Leo, and a faithful partner to Lucy. Granted, he had gone through some horrible things on his journey to Boulder: the loss of his mother and Rita Blakemoor, the traumatic experience to walk through the Lincoln tunnel full of dead bodies and still vehicles in darkness, the loneliness, the unrequited love from Nadine, etc. Larry started out as a brat, but in the end he was one of the heroes that sacrificed himself to make a stand in front of God and saved the Boulder Free Zone. Larry’s satisfying character development made him one of my favorite characters in the book.
Tom Cullen
Bill Fagerbakke as Tom Cullen in 1994 miniseries
Who doesn’t love Tom Cullen? M-O-O-N! Tom may not have a high IQ, but he is the kindest. the most loyal and loveable character in the book! I loved reading about Tom playing with his toy cars at Mother Abigail’s house and how much he loves Mother Abigail - it’s so adorable! Tom also has this incredible psychic ability after going into hypnosis where he can see into the future.
Tom’s journey back to Boulder with Stu is one of my favorite parts of the book. It is incredibly hear-warming: Tom nursed Stu back to health, Stu surprised Tom with a theater experience in a deserted hotel, Stu, Tom and Kojak shared a cozy Christmas together with thoughtful gifts and food. Tom’s stories are consistently positive and delightful, like a ray of sunshine in a book full of tragedies and violence.
I also have to mention that, even though Harold Lauder isn’t my favorite character at all, I find his development fascinating. In the beginning, Harold was just a high school boy who was infatuated with Frannie and was insecure about his looks. He was slightly annoying (the fact that he called dibs on Frannie annoyed me), sure, but tolerable, given his age and the apocalyptic circumstances. However he eventually surrendered to the darkness and committed unforgivable crime of killing innocent people at Boulder Free Zone. Whenever I was reading about Harold, I wish I could reach into the book (so that I can reach into that world) and punch Harold in the face. It also showed Stephen King’s superb character development and storytelling abilities - he really made me feel resentful yet sympthetic at times towards a fictional character long after I finished the book.
The Stand (unabridged version) seemed like an intimidating book to me at first due to its sheer volume - it has 1153 pages and was the longest book I have ever read. However it was an exhilarating read and I devoured the second half of the book in less than two weeks. 10/10 would recommend to any Stephen King fan and horror/thriller genre lover!
