Karen Downes answers “How much is it similar to King's The...”

Lukáš Janáč asked this question about Swan Song:

How much is it similar to King's The Stand? Is it comparable (better)? Which book inspired which? If I enjoyed The Stand, will I enjoy this one (won't it be repetitive) ?

Karen Downes Its similar to The Stand only in that they are both set in a post-apocalyptic world, both have an element of the mystical, and both deal with the way …moreIts similar to The Stand only in that they are both set in a post-apocalyptic world, both have an element of the mystical, and both deal with the way humans might react to annihilation.

Personally, I loved The Stand but couldn't wait to finish Swansong. I love the way King writes, and to this day still feel like I have had actual conversations and interactions with some of the characters in The Stand. I didn't get that from Swansong.

Some of the characters were very powerful - Josh, Sister, Roland - but I just didn't get a sense of the devastation or community reactions to what was happening. I read this book only because of reviews comparing it favourably to The Stand, but was frankly disappointed.(less)

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