Quick Poll: Has anyone here read The Stand?

I just realized it has about 1100 pages, is this really worth it?

Absolutely worth it. I read the original. Then it came out unabridged and even longer and better.

Read the unabridged version. You'll love it. Character development is amazing, plot is intriguing, suspense is awesome.

Great book!

One of Steve's better books.

I read it. Actually, I started it. I really really liked this book. Unfortunately I saw that it was also a movie and rented it before i finished reading the book. The movie was really lame and it made me not want to finish the book.

Do you read other Stephen King books? I have read 4 or 5 and I feel like they are all such great books until the end. The endings always seem to suck. So thats why I didnt finish The Stand. I was SO CLOSE to finishing it tho. :) Now that its been about 5 years since I read it, I kinda want to start again and read it all the way through. Thanks for the reminder!

My advice would be to read the book - I definitely thought what I read was worth it.  Just dont watch the movie.

Read it twice.  The older I get. the more I think it will come true.  Maybe not played out the way in the book, but look at what is happening in our world.

Read the abridged version in two days (yes, I stayed up all night). My husband bought me the unabridged version years later and it was even better. It is the ultimate good vs. evil! The Shining was my first King book and I've read quite a few of his books. He can sometimes be predictable, but not as much as some of the other psychological horror writers.

Why read it when you can just get the miniseries on DVD?

the stand and the dark tower series are my favorites from steven king

The Stand, is my absolute favorite Stephen King novel. It was the first Stephen King novel I ever read and I went on to read them all. By far, it is still my favorite.  Now that you mention it.....I think I will read it again!

It's absolutely amazing. I just read it a couple of weeks ago... one of his best books in my opinon. Just started yesterday on the Dark Tower series. :)

Definitely read it!

Highly recommend it. Lots of the characters and plotlines also relate to other King novels, so it makes reading his other stuff more interesting too.

I think it IS his best.

Dang it, now I got yet another book to read. I'm gonna be reading for the rest of my life at this rate and never catch up (not really a bad thing)!

I'm not a fan of horror/thriller books. But... I've always been curious about them, I've only read one Stephen King book, I liked it alot, better than the movie (of course). It was Langoliers. He's such a genius! It was almost horror nursery-rhyme ish. Where do yesterdays go? Well giant monsters eat it!

Sigh, sometimes I wish I could speed read, lol.

Edit; I can spell, promise!

I concur with most of the other posters- totally one of his best books, the unabridged version is your best bet, and most definitely worth the length!  My favorite characer is Tom... my heart clenches a little when I'm reading the parts he's in.  

Read it, good book.

I read everything of his up until the mid 90's or so, when I decided that a lot of language he uses doesn't enhance the story (imo), and I haven't read him since.

My son is named after the main character in Dark Rivers of the Heart :)

Yes, read it!  I just finished re-reading it for perhaps the half-dozenth time.

I highly suggest the uncut version of it. =)

SOOOOOOOOO good. Best book ever. I tell everyone I know to read it. So worth the time.

Totally worth it. I read it in high school, and then again as an adult. It's a pretty quick read, IMO, despite it's length

Personally, I like the dark tower series better, but if you're worried about the length of the stand, I don't imagine it's a great suggestion at this moment : )

The first time I read it, I finished in less than two days. I swear I thought my eyes were about to start bleeding.
It's definitely on my favorites list of King's novels. I would also suggest the Dark Tower series, which happens to be my favorite series ever. =)

Excellent. Worth it.

M-O-O-N, that spells 'The Stand'!

I agree -- excellent book.  I've read it several times.   I am currently just about to finish 'The Dark Tower' series for the 2nd time.   The first time I read it, this time I am listening to all the books on audio.   Very cool!