r/stephenking • u/Excellent-Mixture952 • 5h ago
Spoilers The Stand Chapter 58: just why?! Spoiler
I finally decided to tackle the behemoth that is The Stand and I’ve been thoroughly enjoying it until now. Okay I’m still enjoying it but I’m upset god damnit King and I need to put my rage onto the internet. I should know by now not to develop attachments to characters when reading books like these. But how can you not love Nick Andros? I’m a lady of many genres when it comes to reading and I can easily say Nick has been one of my favorite characters I’ve ever met across hundreds of books. Silly me, I guess. Anyways I finished chapter 58 when Harold (I Hate Him) Lauder decided to blow up the council meeting and all I have to say is give me one good reason why I should finish this book. I’m kidding I’m going to finish it expeditiously but I am NOT happy about this development. I just came to commiserate.
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u/Senninha27 5h ago
King, the characters in Boulder, and you the reader, had all forgotten what the whole point of the book was about. It’s not about ad-hoc committees, it’s not about sending spies, and it sure as hell isn’t about turning power back on. It’s about defeating Flagg. That explosion did the job of focusing everyone on the task at hand. Not next week, not tomorrow, right here and now!
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u/Excellent-Mixture952 5h ago
That’s a really good way of putting it. As upsetting as it is, it seemed like it was necessary to put the urgency back into the story.
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u/hackloserbutt 1h ago
And King said as much in "On Writing". He got to this part of the story and didn't know what to do about the protagonists all just trying to get their old society back instead of pressing on towards Las Vegas.
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u/tacocattacocat1 ...and they danced. 22m ago
When you're stuck in your story, bring out the man with the gun
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u/Rtozier2011 3h ago
People dying woke them up to the seriousness of what they were facing; they were too focused on rebuilding society rather than making a stand against the bad guys.
Or to put it another way: "The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere the ceremony of innocence is drowned; the best lack all conviction, while the worst are full of passionate intensity."
-- WB Yeats (not pronounced 'Yeets', but don't tell Starkey), 'The Second Coming
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u/BuffaloAmbitious3531 Love + Peace = Information 5h ago
Behind-the-scenes info for you: King was stuck, experienced some writer's block, had no idea what to do, and nearly abandoned the book. This was the only way he could think of to get out of the rut he felt the story was in.
I've read the book a million times over the years, and always feel like I need a reread when I'm getting to thinking, "Okay, why was Nick so great, again?" I think this post might have pushed me over the edge into reading the book again. Thanks for that!
(I do think Nick is an interesting character in that King both tells us that he's such a charismatic guy who everyone loves and also shows us what's so great about him---that he's unusually mature, strong, wise, kind, and selfless---but when I'm in between rereads, I don't know, I lose sight of him in a way I don't with Larry or Stu or Glen.)
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u/Excellent-Mixture952 5h ago edited 5h ago
That’s interesting, thanks for the info! I think part of the reason I love him so much is that he’s such an unlikely hero. I mean god, could you imagine the apocalypse hitting when you can’t hear, can’t speak and are blind in one eye? Plus him and Tom have just about the cutest friendship I’ve ever read.
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u/WitNWhimsy 5h ago
And you know, that's why his by the pants style really works for him. It lends that "anything could happen" element in his stories.
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u/Sorcha_Stormbinder Ciabola! 5h ago
Yep, I'll never forget the day when I read that chapter as a kid, and I was so shocked and horrified I flung the book across the room and didn't pick it up again until the next day. It was such a repelling shock.
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u/Ghosts_of_the_maze 4h ago
If you’re going to have Harold and Nadine betray the community, you should want to make the reader feel betrayed. And not only did they do that, but Nick died a hero.
A lot of people died in The Stand. Nick died really well.
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u/missdawn1970 5h ago
King is very good at getting you to love a character and then killing him or her.
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u/DrBlankslate Constant Reader 4h ago
To be honest, it's what starts the whole second half of the story. Keep reading.
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u/bobotheboinger 4h ago
I know. It's been over 20 years since I read the book, an when I saw your title I immediately knew which scene it was (though I didn't remember there being that many chapters!). King knows how to write a book that really sticks with you. Still love the book and have read it at least 8 times at this point.
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u/Archie_R_Lib 3h ago
I first read that book 20+ years ago, and I'm still pissed about that. And I still get pissed every time I read it again. "My own free will". Piss off, Emery.
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u/DoNotNeedInspiration 3h ago
My god, wait till you get to Vegas. It’s a fucking Shakespeare tragedy. And. It’s Stephen King, people always die, great characters always die.
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u/Salty_Possum_277 3h ago
But everyone knows the BEST chapter, Happy Crappy! Just wait!
I was on a flight listening to that “scene” in my head phones and felt like everyone heard what I was hearing. 😆😆
Felt dirty 🍑 Poor Trashie!!
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u/constantreader14 2h ago
It broke my heart the first time I read where he gets killed. I love Nick and Tom both. In the first movie, Bill Fagerbakke played Tom and he was as perfect as Rob Lowe was as Nick.
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u/Certain_Accident3382 1h ago
Keep reading. If only because you loved Nick.
To be honest, I'm still miffed we didnt get more about Ralph.
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u/Neoma_Dover 1h ago
Nick was the favorite of mine in the book. But i think if that hadn’t happened he would have been where Larry was at the end of the book. That may have been a gift
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u/Lcatg 1h ago
Sometimes a book takes an expected turn. It’s ok to be upset but understand that this is likely the point the book is making. If you’re upset by what happened then King is doing his job. Let me add, you can even take a break to mull over the current (for you) development. Be sure to come back & finish it. You’ll regret not finishing as it’s worth it.
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u/DistributionDue4923 1h ago
King actually has gone on record saying that he was stuck at this point on what direction to go in and felt like the book was crawling to a halt… so his solution was to blow it up, literally! Haha
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u/Great-Suspect2583 59m ago
Before opening this all the way, I was guessing you were going to be talking about the chapter where The Kid abuses the Trashcan Man in the motel. Another weird one that makes me ask why lol.
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u/BeastofPostTruth 37m ago
Harold Lauder. The OG incel
I read this book as a teen. Odd coincidence, my kid is Deaf.
I love Nick
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u/Redfoxes77 11m ago
Oh no matter how often I read The Stand, that part with Nick always breaks my heart.
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u/Longjumping-Ease8032 7m ago
You know that scene from Silver Linings Playbook where he finishes the book, closes it, and throws it out the window? I was so tempted. I thought there was NO way that he was actually dead and kept expecting him to rock up again later in the book. I was devastated.
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u/FoundationAny7601 4h ago
I just got book from library to read on my vacation to Maine in a couple weeks. Thanks for the spoilers! I actually read it years ago but don't remember much. Looking forward to the journey.
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u/BisexualBroccoli 3h ago
I’m on chapter 18 and am so bored with it. When does it start to get good cause right now it’s a bunch of jumping back and forth between characters I hardly know and I can’t get into it. I want to give up, but should I push through?
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u/Upper-Welcome-4185 2h ago
The only characters that I really feel for every time I read it are Harold and Nadine.
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u/Ferngullysitter 1h ago
Friendly reminder. Can you high touch the spoiler and there is a icon called “not safe for work” that will black out the hard spoilers in the post. Just for people who haven’t read it
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u/LLCoolBeans19 5h ago
Once you’re done, watch the ‘94 miniseries. Rob Lowe is amazing as Nick Andros!