The Stand Revisited (Part 1)

And they started to fly....

She had taken his hand...

Come on, Mary,

Don't fear the reaper...

-Blue Öyster Cult 

When I first read Stephen King's The Stand in the 80s, it was already a daunting 817-page colossus. This was the story as I, and all readers, knew it until 1990, when Stephen King released the 1441-page Complete and Uncut edition of The Stand. It was after that it became the de facto version of the story. At the time, fans of the book, like me, devoured this version. It went deeper and farther with characters. The base story and characters remain the same, but the narrative expands in certain areas. 

Why were 400 pages cut from the first anyway? As King explains, and I paraphrase, his publisher didn't think the market would bear a 1400 dystopian novel. So they said, Do you want us to edit 400 pages off or do you. Stephen opted for the latter.  

The Complete and Uncut version was amazing. King didn't change the characters, but he added to them.  Some additional characters with bit parts in the book were included. Included are people who were survivors of the initial wave of deaths from the superflu but died in other tragic ways, either by accident or on purpose. The most notable cut character is the colorful beer-swilling hot rodder called "The Kid" who has his moment in the latter half of the book. Other differences are only to do with the time setting and the corresponding cultural context. The first hardcover takes place in 1980, the paperback I'm reading now is set in 1985, and the Complete version is set in 1990. 

The complete version became the only version available. I did love the new version, but each time I read it, I felt a yearning of nostalgia for the early version. Much of it had to do with pop culture references, which King, being a music fan, often uses popular music. These were adjusted for each version. As many of us do as we get older, we gravitate to music we knew in our youth, so I missed that in the complete version. The trouble with this dilemma was that the original version was no longer available to buy new. It's much like Star Wars creator George Lucas updating the Star Wars movies (original trilogy) with CGI and stopping the sale of the original version. 

To go back to the book I originally read, I had to search through used book sources. I found the one I'm reading now on eBay for a reasonable price and in good condition. To the best of my recollection from 40 years ago, the version and cover I read in the 80s. My book looks its age, the edges a bit worn away, and it doesn't close all the way. The spine isn't cracked, as I know that's a thing for some I've seen from certain readers on social media; I don't get into that. It's not a pristine show book; it's been read and loved in its life, as it should be. 

To be continued....