So I read the 1980 version of "The Stand" (ordered it used from alibris) because I wasn't sure if I was up for the 1500 pages of the uncut edition. I also wasn't sure if I would like it - I'm a big fan of Stephen King but post apocalyptic lit has never been my cup of tea and I wasn't super impressed by the mini-series. Well it turned out that I really enjoyed it, enough that I bought the complete & uncut edition that I'm currently reading, I'm up to the part where Larry meets Nadine & "Joe." Anyway, so far there's some things I enjoy more about this version and some things I enjoyed more about the original "cut" version. What version did you guys like best & why?
What version is 1500 pages? My C&U version is slightly less than 1200 and the UK version, is, due to different typeface, a little more than 1000. Admittedly, I'm quibbling.
Quibble aside, I actually liked the C&U version set in 1990 the best. This, even though I did not think much of The Kid. I thought he was a repulsive character who added nothing to the story. The added back-stories of the other characters were interesting however.
I have the 1978 version of the novel and parts of it made little sense. For example when Larry assumed the role of 'Inspector Underwood of the Yard' in his mind, it made perfect sense in the 1990 version, but in the 1978 edition, we are told what Larry thought of his alter-ego, without any introduction. We are also told about a character who dies in the 1978 version without anything else. This made no sense whatever.
It seems as though King went through and chopped large sections of the original MS out and did not do a good job of editing what remained. That turned out to be the 1978 version of the story.
King, even though he is one of my favorite writers tends to somewhat sloppy and it really shows. If you doubt this, please check out the thread on 'Goofs,' on this board.
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hayessophie1
7 years ago
Yes he does tend to be sloppy. for example in "pet sematary" he states that Louis is 35 (i think) and then later on says something about the last time he flew a kite was 16 years ago -- i dont remember the exact quote but the point is the math doesn't add up to him being 35. still a great writer though.
As for the length of the book, I have the newest trade paperback uncut edition and it is 1400-something pages.
To answer another reader's question there are other differences in the 90s version -- ie. at the beginnning like when Larry visits his mother and when Frannie tells her father she's pregnant, he talks about how hes anti-abortion (that part I wasn't fond of). Also there's more about Frannie's and her mother being a bitch which added to the character but Frannie is such an unlikeable character to begin with I didn't really care to read more about her. I can see why he found that material valuable, though.
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gary_overman
7 years ago
Yes he does tend to be sloppy. for example in "pet sematary" he states that Louis is 35 (i think) and then later on says something about the last time he flew a kite was 16 years ago -- i dont remember the exact quote but the point is the math doesn't add up to him being 35. still a great writer though.
As for the length of the book, I have the newest trade paperback uncut edition and it is 1400-something pages.
To answer another reader's question there are other differences in the 90s version -- ie. at the beginnning like when Larry visits his mother and when Frannie tells her father she's pregnant, he talks about how hes anti-abortion (that part I wasn't fond of). Also there's more about Frannie's and her mother being a bitch which added to the character but Frannie is such an unlikeable character to begin with I didn't really care to read more about her. I can see why he found that material valuable, though.
Much of the math doesn't add up in this book, either. In 1902 he tells us that Rebecca Freemantle (Abagail's mother) was forty years old , and that Abagail herself was twenty. Her brothers were 'approaching middle age' which I interpret as their being in their mid-to-late thirties. This would mean that Rebecca was bearing children before she was ten years old. Extremely unlikely, to put it mildly.
If you are interested, may I suggest the thread on goofs in the book? Some of them are quite funny.
As for Frannie, the initial impression that I had of her was not good. The way she treated Jess was abysmal, almost as though she had just stepped in something. As far as Peter Goldsmith and his attitude on abortion, I have the impression from reading some of his other works that King is as well. Don't quote me on that, though, because I don't know it for a fact. Writers often express their political or other views through their characters. I am a writer and I do it myself. Still, she did grow on me and I don't have the vehement reaction to her that some here do.
All right, then; that would explain the differences in the number of pages. Like I said earlier, I have two hard-cover editions of the C&U, one of them from the UK, and the differences is due to different typefaces.
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hayessophie1
7 years ago
I looked at the goofs - quite funny.
Not sure what King's attitude is on abortion - I know he is politically liberal but that doesn't necessarily mean that he's pro-choice. Not that it really matters, but it's interesting to hear what (one of) my favorite author's opinions are regarding such matters. He could be expressing a personal opinion through a character like you said, or he could be making the point that since her dad was older he was also quite "old school" in his beliefs. Although I've read many of King's books, I haven't read the other novels where he mentions abortion so that's just a guess.
I agree with you about Frannie's character; she was most annoying in the beginning - "Miss College Girl, here comes nookie!" LOL; I wanted to smack her and tell her to get over herself. She becomes less obnoxious as the book goes on and seems to be and grow more intelligent.
OT, but what did you think of the Dark Tower series? (I think I saw on one of your other posts that you read them.) I bought the first in the series; haven't read it yet. Is it worth reading the entire series? Which was the best? And in which book does Randall Flagg appear? I'd have to say he's my favorite Stephen King villain, so I'm excited to see more of him.
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Gary O. (997)
6 years ago
OT, but what did you think of the Dark Tower series? (I think I saw on one of your other posts that you read them.) I bought the first in the series; haven't read it yet. Is it worth reading the entire series? Which was the best? And in which book does Randall Flagg appear? I'd have to say he's my favorite Stephen King villain, so I'm excited to see more of him.
I have the DT series and thought they were quite good, but I still liked
The Stand a lot better.
Doesn't he appear in all of them? I thought that Flagg was the MIB.
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