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There's not much I can say that hasn't already been said. Simply, this is a perfect example of brilliant horror. Not just paranomal horror, but horror of the human psyche and heart.
There is a lot of religious elements, and that might annoy some, but I think it works without being overly-preachy. I have read this book several times, and never get tired of it. The story is epic, the characters well-developed, and the vision frightening. The story holds up today in our bird flu/SARS/swine flu-obsessed culture. One of King's best, in my opinion.
I haven't ever had much luck getting through a King book, even the short ones. It doesn't happen often. Despite that, I'd probably still have given the book 3 stars but for the utterly CRAPTASTIC cop-out ending. I'm so there). With this book, I've given up on King. and I heard that it was his greatest book. But I tackled this one because the premise was intriguing (Plague. But by the 2/3rds point, I wondered if it was ever going to end, and the subplot of The Kid & The Trashcan Man were indescribably dull.
It started out fine and I was feeling pretty good about it. Since I live in Vermont, it was nice to have local places mentioned during the survivors' trip west and the "local character" was spot-on. I wish I'd read spoilers, because if I'd known that the seemingly invincible Walkin' Dude would be eliminated in such a feeble manner, I wouldn't have bothered picking it up in the first place. Long or short, his books ain't for me.
I bought the original book when it was first published and I loved it.read it over and over again and never tired of the story. This extended version is even better, the characters seem deeper and truer; it expands on their backstories and the events of the story itself. It IS a long read but never feels tedious. I believe it is his finest work.superior even to the Dark Tower series.
This is by far the best novel I have ever read. Stephen King wrote a masterpiece with this classic apocalyptic tale.
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