Please Stephen, I beg you, write fewer words. I guess it’s my own fault for reading the unabridged version. This feels like one of the most complete apocalyptic stories I’ve ever seen/read. It covers each phase of the world ending without skipping over really anything. Life before the plague? Check. The origins of the virus? Check. Panic? Wandering aimlessly through deserted towns? Establishing a new colony of people and going over every detail of committee meetings? A somewhat immortal man who appears in people’s dreams as a mysterious figure? A pyromaniac gaining access to nuclear weapons? All in there. I’ve said this in most of my Stephen King reviews, but his strength will always be in his ability to flesh out characters in a way that makes every action make sense, and that is still true for The Stand. There are some really emotional moments, and some scenes that drag on and on because it’s just overly detailed. Still worth a read though if you’re into epic style narratives.