There are numerous editions of Stephen King’s “The Stand.” A television miniseries version, a shorter original publication, an unabridged, uncut, complete and restored version. Some versions have been published in hardback, trade paperback and mass market paperback. Some have illustrations by artists such as comic book legend Bernie Wrightson.

The version that has sat on one of my book shelves for nearly 20 years is the mass-market, paperback, “Complete & Uncut,” with maybe a dozen Wrightson illustrations. It seems like only a few illustrations considering this version of the novel weighs in at 1,141 pages.  

I weighed finally reading the book last spring but something about reading a book that starts with a plague wiping out the majority of the human population during a pandemic seemed a bit much. Nearly a year of pandemic later, I finally cracked open “The Stand.”

In the wake of an apocalyptic plague, the United States is divided into two tribes. Survivors have dreamed of a 100-plus-year-old holy woman and an evil devil man. Discovering both of these people are real, some survivors opt to follow the holy woman living as a community in Boulder, Colo., while others follow the devil man reigning in Las Vegas.

“The Stand” boils down to an epic battle of good vs. evil in a devastated world.

While the “Complete & Uncut” version includes King’s restoration of hundreds of pages to the original manuscript. And though 1,100 pages should read at a crawl, “The Stand” is an engrossing read.

Especially the first several hundred pages. 

Early on, King breathes full life into the majority of these characters surviving on their own as individuals before, during and immediately after the plague strikes. But once the characters meet, character development fades as does the action. A few hundred pages are dedicated to reforming society in Boulder.

But the length pays off. As with many King books, some people will have problems with the ending. “The Stand” is long but is worth the time.