Group Discussion III: The Stand (40th Anniversary)

[Doc Creed]

I reread IT in 2017. I reread The Stand in 2018 (finishing it in 2019). The last portion of the novel is an emotional rollercoaster: Stu's accident at the washout and agony leaving him to possibly die, Tom's bravery in Vegas and his arriving to help Stu, and Glen's death (as well as Ralph's and Larry's) is just so hard to read. I have to pick this book over IT. Which would you choose?

I liked this line: [Tom speaking] "(He would)...bask in the love of his friends. That was what was missing back there in Las Vegas, he decided- simple love. They were nice enough people and all, but there wasn't much love in them. Because they were too busy being afraid. Love didn't grow very well in a place where there was only fear, just as plants didn't grow very well in a place where it was always dark.
"Only mushrooms and toadstools grew big and fat in thd dark, even he knew that, laws, yes.
"'I love Nick and Frannie and Dick Ellis and Lucy,' Tom whispered. It was his prayer. 'I love Larry Underwood and Glen Bateman, too. I love Stan and Rona. I love Ralph. I love Stu.'"

Welcome, everybody! Does anyone have any quotes or favorite moments they'd like to share? I have a few questions I wrote down. I'll ask them as people arrive.
(Thanks for all who have participated in these discussions. It's been fun. I will draw a winner from "survivor" names when we conclude our meeting.)

 

[Spideyman]

Hi Doc. I will admit I do like/ prefer The Stand over IT. The last part -- going back to Boulder was a journey , as you said, of ups and downs. Thankful Sai King allowed Kojak to live!!

A quote found in the Epilogue of the uncut version hit full force.

"Life was such a wheel that no man could stand upon it for long. And it always, at the end, came around to the same place again." Flashes of DT.

 

[Doc Creed]

Hi Doc. I will admit I do like/ prefer The Stand over IT. The last part -- going back to Boulder was a journey , as you said, of ups and downs. Thankful Sai King allowed Kojak to live!!

A quote found in the Epilogue of the uncut version hit full force.

"Life was such a wheel that no man could stand upon it for long. And it always, at the end, came around to the same place again." Flashes of DT.

Yes, I don't know if the reader could have handled losing Kojak or Tom Cullen. The others were difficult enough. LOL.
I got DT vibes from the ending lines, too.

 

[Doc Creed]

It was interesting how Stu, Ralph, Glen and Larry (none of whom were particularly religious) began to question each other and themselves about "God's plan" and biblical ideas such as fasting and visions. This happened almost immediately when they left Boulder headed west. How much do you think was Mother Abigail's influence? They all even prayed Psalm 23 at separate times under threat of imminent death. Interesting. Thoughts?

 

[Spideyman]

Don't know it I am so tuned into The DT journey, but while taking this re read of The Stand, I found so many "vibes" that spoke DT. It as an experience I completely enjoyed. Perfect timing for a re read. And I"ll admit, each time I picked that book up, sneezing and coughing would occur.

Tina, Cat- might be unable to attend tonight. She isn't feeling well.

 

[Doc Creed]

Coolallosaurus
cat in a bag
Nomik
Alizesmom
GNTLGNT
HollyGolightly
fljoe0
do1you9love?

 

[Wayoftheredpanda]

It was interesting how Stu, Ralph, Glen and Larry (none of whom were particularly religious) began to question each other and themselves about "God's plan" and biblical ideas such as fasting and visions. This happened almost immediately when they left Boulder headed west. How much do you think was Mother Abigail's influence? They all even prayed Psalm 23 at separate times under threat of imminent death. Interesting. Thoughts?

Ah yes, I wanted to point out my interpretations of how it mirrors the Bible, let me type that out real quick.

 

[Doc Creed]

And I"ll admit, each time I picked that book up, sneezing and coughing would occur.

Psychsomatic...what's that word? LOL

I've heard others mention this. Nomik, maybe? Weird how that happens.

 

[Doc Creed]

Ah yes, I wanted to point out my interpretations of how it mirrors the Bible, let me type that out real quick.

Please, do.

 

[Coolallosaurus]

I reread IT in 2017. I reread The Stand in 2018 (finishing it in 2019). The last portion of the novel is an emotional rollercoaster: Stu's accident at the washout and agony leaving him to possibly die, Tom's bravery in Vegas and his arriving to help Stu, and Glen's death (as well as Ralph's and Larry's) is just so hard to read. I have to pick this book over IT. Which would you choose?

I liked this line: [Tom speaking] "(He would)...bask in the love of his friends. That was what was missing back there in Las Vegas, he decided- simple love. They were nice enough people and all, but there wasn't much love in them. Because they were too busy being afraid. Love didn't grow very well in a place where there was only fear, just as plants didn't grow very well in a place where it was always dark.
"Only mushrooms and toadstools grew big and fat in thd dark, even he knew that, laws, yes.
"'I love Nick and Frannie and Dick Ellis and Lucy,' Tom whispered. It was his prayer. 'I love Larry Underwood and Glen Bateman, too. I love Stan and Rona. I love Ralph. I love Stu.'"

Welcome, everybody! Does anyone have any quotes or favorite moments they'd like to share? I have a few questions I wrote down. I'll ask them as people arrive.
(Thanks for all who have participated in these discussions. It's been fun. I will draw a winner from "survivor" names when we conclude our meeting.)

Good evening, friends! It's an interesting question, and I think I am an outlier here, but I prefer It. I enjoyed the themes of The Stand, appreciate it's writing and plotting, but found It more engaging/interesting. I couldn't get invested in any of the characters in The Stand. I kind of hated everyone and was rooting for the cats.

I'm teaching this semester, and gave my students a choice of The Stand or It. Some might be interested to know that of a class, the majority of whom have never read King before, The Stand won by a landslide. I was struck by that; had expected It given the current resonance in pop culture.

 

[Blake]

I re-read The Stand maybe two or three years ago( the 1990 edition) where the stuff that had been edited was included. I'd say that I prefer The Stand over IT, mainly because of the characters and the subject matter. The book is more intense. The most scariest character in The Stand, in my opinion, is 'The Kid': the short cowboy character who has some personality issues. Because the Kid thinks he can buck Flagg, Flagg sends the wolves to kill him. For some reason, I never liked the character of Frannie. She came across to me as being slightly smug. This idea might be clouded due to Ringwald's portrayal of her in the series, with Ringwald's surly looking mouth. I also love when Larry is lying down and he hears Flagg's cowboy boots clopping down the street and Larry is in that period where he don't know if he should call out to Flagg or not. I don't want to list any quotes at the moment until I look at my book.

 

[Spideyman]

It was interesting how Stu, Ralph, Glen and Larry (none of whom were particularly religious) began to question each other and themselves about "God's plan" and biblical ideas such as fasting and visions. This happened almost immediately when they left Boulder headed west. How much do you think was Mother Abigail's influence? They all even prayed Psalm 23 at separate times under threat of imminent death. Interesting. Thoughts?

Am sure Mother Abigail had an influence. Also did they feel a "pull" of evil-- doom of what was to come. Often, people will find religion in times of need where before they were not religiously inclined.

 

[Doc Creed]

Don't know it I am so tuned into The DT journey, but while taking this re read of The Stand, I found so many "vibes" that spoke DT. It as an experience I completely enjoyed. Perfect timing for a re read. And I"ll admit, each time I picked that book up, sneezing and coughing would occur.

Tina, Cat- might be unable to attend tonight. She isn't feeling well.

Yeah, if nothing else, the four of them walking through the desert with Kojak was similar to another Tet of four (Roland, Eddie, Susannah, and the boy) traveling through the Wastelands with Oy.

 

[Spideyman]

Good evening, friends! It's an interesting question, and I think I am an outlier here, but I prefer It. I enjoyed the themes of The Stand, appreciate it's writing and plotting, but found It more engaging/interesting. I couldn't get invested in any of the characters in The Stand. I kind of hated everyone and was rooting for the cats.

I'm teaching this semester, and gave my students a choice of The Stand or It. Some might be interested to know that of a class, the majority of whom have never read King before, The Stand won by a landslide. I was struck by that; had expected It given the current resonance in pop culture.

Is it possible your students see a correlation between today's times ( flu, ebola) and thus make a greater connection than with IT?

 

[Doc Creed]

Good evening, friends! It's an interesting question, and I think I am an outlier here, but I prefer It. I enjoyed the themes of The Stand, appreciate it's writing and plotting, but found It more engaging/interesting. I couldn't get invested in any of the characters in The Stand. I kind of hated everyone and was rooting for the cats.

I'm teaching this semester, and gave my students a choice of The Stand or It. Some might be interested to know that of a class, the majority of whom have never read King before, The Stand won by a landslide. I was struck by that; had expected It given the current resonance in pop culture.

I'm surprised they chose The Stand, too, for the same reason. Huh. You hated all the characters? Haa. Nick, Tom, Stu?

 

[Doc Creed]

I had forgotten what a difficult and challenging journey it was for Stu and Tom. Going on snowmobile and having a wreck then barely making it through the dark tunnels of Loveland Pass. They even run out of gas near Boulder. King really wanted this ending to be a nailbiter. When the lookout asks where Glen and the others are, and Stu says he didn't know, that kills me. Technically, he couldn't conclude they were dead but he did see the mushroom cloud when the bomb detonated.

 

[Blake]

I'm surprised they chose The Stand, too, for the same reason. Huh. You hated all the characters? Haa. Nick, Tom, Stu?

That's interesting, I would have thought students would have picked IT seeing it just was recently a motion picture. Maybe they're over the clown thing in the media.

 

[Doc Creed]

also love when Larry is lying down and he hears Flagg's cowboy boots clopping down the street and Larry is in that period where he don't know if he should call out to Flagg or not.

Oh yeah, that is a scary part, for sure. Loved it.

 

[Coolallosaurus]

Is it possible your students see a correlation between today's times ( flu, ebola) and thus make a greater connection than with IT?

Good points! I haven't met them yet (classes start next week; they made their choice through an online survey), but from their majors, I think I have a lot of pre-health professionals. The Stand is a phenomenal read for themes related to bioethics, public health, outbreaks, etc . . .

I'm surprised they chose The Stand, too, for the same reason. Huh. You hated all the characters? Haa. Nick, Tom, Stu?

Ah, you got me. I guess hated was a bit too strong. I just didn't connect with any of them, especially the primary protagonists. Tom was the one I came closest to liking and I will admit I was pretty invested in his journey back to the Free Zone.

 

[Spideyman]

I had forgotten what a difficult and challenging journey it was for Stu and Tom. Going on snowmobile and having a wreck then barely making it through the dark tunnels of Loveland Pass. They even run out of gas near Boulder. King really wanted this ending to be a nailbiter. When the lookout asks where Glen and the others are, and Stu says he didn't know, that kills me. Technically, he couldn't conclude they were dead but he did see the mushroom cloud when the bomb detonated.

I think, deep down Stu knew their were no others coming back.