The first book I started reading this year was “The Stand” by Stephen King, a huge novel of almost 900 pages. After finishing last year with another one of Stephen King’s books — “Fairy Tale”, I decided to continue with another book by the prolific horror, thriller and mystery themes writer.
It’s a huge and heavy book, you can’t hold it in your hand, you need lean it on something, and many times I found myself in uncomfortable positions while reading. But the subject is captivating and somehow not far from our reality.
The world as we know it changes when a deadly virus is accidentally released and kills almost the entire planet. It starts like the flu, but it is highly contagious and there is no treatment for it. Does the scenario seem familiar to you so far? Of course, it describes almost exactly what we have all experienced since 2020. And I initially thought that Stephen King was inspired by our present reality for this horror story.
So I was surprised to discover that “The Stand” was actually published in 1978.
I really enjoy seeing how the author follows the one who accidentally takes the virus outside the institution where it was secretly researched and how he presents dozens of intertwined destinies — all the people he comes into contact with and how the virus ended up affect the entire population. I find it extraordinary how he manages to invent credible stories for so many characters and how he manages not to repeat himself throughout the many books he has published.
I’m not going to tell you too much about the central characters, but there are quite a few — both positive and negative, very well individualized, presented both before and after the appearance of the virus, and especially the way they changed.
As I said, there is no treatment for the virus nicknamed Captain Tripp, but some people will prove immune to the virus. Often, only one or two in an entire city. But people cannot live alone, they need communities, so they try to find a way to live in this new reality.
The survivors have common dreams — they all dream two main characters — Mother Abigail and Randall Flagg — and choosing one of these characters will separate the survivors into two camps — good or evil. And two communities will formed around them and will prepare for the final war. Some are better prepared than others, but the war is fast approaching, as their dreams foreshadow it.
Will people stay to fight or hide? Will heroes or cowards be born from this confrontation? Will the forces of good or evil win? These are just some of the questions that you will surely ask yourself while reading this novel.
A more extensive look on the book can be found on my blog www.cityfemme.com (in Romanian).
