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What to read first; Cell or the Stand?
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The zombies in Cell are not your typical Max Brooks or Kirkman zombies, so if that's what you are looking for, you might be disappointed. It's more about relationships, which is what all of his books are really about, so I loved it, but I know some people didn't.It's a smaller undertaking than The Stand, so might fit in your schedule better.
Cell is an under-rated read. It’s got some characters that you really learn to love and it asks some moral questions along the way that I think The Stand doesn’t address. Like Kandice mentioned it’s a novel you can tackle in a shorter amount of time based on your reading schedule and I don’t think you will be disappointed.
Kandice wrote: "The zombies in Cell are not your typical Max Brooks or Kirkman zombies, so if that's what you are looking for, you might be disappointed. It's more about relationships, which is what all of his boo..."when it comes to zombies im open to all interpretations, so I think it will be fine. thank you so much for the reply!
Glen wrote: "Cell is an under-rated read. It’s got some characters that you really learn to love and it asks some moral questions along the way that I think The Stand doesn’t address. Like Kandice mentioned it..."
thank you so much for the reply! both you and Kandice has convinced me to tackle Cell first :-) I'll probably go for the Stand next year.
Hmmm, having read both, and be warned the Stand is one of my top 5 king books and I have read almost all of them, I would recommend the stand. Here is the dilemma do you read the original at 800 plus pages or do you read the 20th anniversary edition which is 1100 plus pages? I like them both but the bigger of the two I find better as it adds little tid bits of information that isn't in the original. No it doesn't change the out come of the book but I like it better. The Cell was good but for me the Stand is oh so much better.
mrbooks wrote: "Hmmm, having read both, and be warned the Stand is one of my top 5 king books and I have read almost all of them, I would recommend the stand. Here is the dilemma do you read the original at 800 pl..."thank you so much, I wasnt aware that there was a 20th anniversary edition, I will definitely find that one when I decide to read the Stand next year :-)
The Stand, most definitely. Great characters, Randall Flagg and DT tie-ins.I think The Talisman is a better book to start with when reading King, and not just because it is my favorite or anything..... o_O
LOL
Alondra wrote: "The Stand, most definitely. Great characters, Randall Flagg and"Thanks for the tip on the Talisman! Even though I now have read a few King books, this one I had never heard about and would probably not have picked up, but it sounds really interesting :-) Going in my tbr
When you read the Talisman see if you can figure out what part was written by Sai King and what part by Peter Straub?It is a good book and it has it's tie ins to the DT as well, well a lot of Kings books do.
Woah for a moment there I thought I had finally introduced myself to this group in my sleep.
mrbooks wrote: "When you read the Talisman see if you can figure out what part was written by Sai King and what part by Peter Straub?It is a good book and it has it's tie ins to the DT as well, well a lot of Ki..."
Agreed.
The Talisman is such an underrated story and probably one of his best. Its a sleeper.... :)
Jannicke wrote: "Woah for a moment there I thought I had finally introduced myself to this group in my sleep."Getting a notification with my name on it got me really confused as well hahah
mrbooks wrote: "When you read the Talisman see if you can figure out what part was written by Sai King and what part by Pe"Thanks, I definitely will! :-)
Just my opinion but I would go with The Stand.
Lol... wow... This is not a tough decision..... The Stand is arguable the best book King has ever written..... If you haven't read it yet, you are running the risk of dying before you ever get the chance to. If you are human and not a demi-God, every day above ground is a good day...... If you die in a car accident tomorrow, you would never have experienced it! You need to read it before it it's too late.... Make it your top priority so you can die fulfilled.Cell is arguable in King's top 10 worst books ever published.... underrated or not..... Unless you recently decided that you are going to read every single King book he's ever written, I would skip Cell, Dreamcatcher, Tommyknockers, Rose Madder, and The Colorado Kid altogether.... Those are brutal and a waste of reading hours... There are too many good King books (and other authors in general) to waste your time on those five.... You only have so much time to read before you turn to fertilizer.....
If I were you, I would throw Cell on your book shelf and put a sticky not on the spine that says "shit" in large, bold lettering with a big exclamation point after the word.... Just so you will be reminded in the future to stay the hell away from it..... Then, I would sit on the couch and open up The Stand.... Right away.... Not next week..... Not tomorrow... Now..... But that's me.... Best of luck either way. Please write a review of whichever one you decide on.
- Wally Flangers
I would also suggest The Stand first. Largely because it's such an integral piece in the King machine, but also because it's a fantastic novel that doesn't seem as long as it is.I have to disagree with many about The Cell, however. It was the first time after all the changes that King's life seemed to take on.. where he was really writing like the author I'd gotten hooked on as a youth.. in those broad visceral strokes. It's still a very good book.
I would suggest reading the Cell first. Remember not everyone would say that this book was shit. Same goes for tommyknockers and dream catcher; take your time and enjoy each book for what they are. To me, Cell was a zombie marathon and was a fun read. The Stand was very long and involved. I enjoyed Dreamcatcher as this was also a fun read; nothing better when you need a good laugh. My rule of thumb is that nothing is shit if you can't do better and to state that well take that from where IT comes from.- Happy Reading 💁♀️
The Colorado Kid is in my top ten favorite books. I really love it. There's just something refreshing about an unsolvable mystery. It's also a beautiful character/setting snapshot. Short and sweet, but we finish the last page feeling you would recognize the people and the place.
I enjoyed Cell but The Stand is my absolute favourite. I re-read it every year.
The Stand is awesome. I thought Cell was ... meh....
I would agree The Stand is much better than Cell, though that was enjoyable, also.
Having read both of them now, I'm glad i read Cell before the Stand. I feel I got the chance to enjoy Cell for what it is, and ended up giving it 3 stars. It was enjoyable and interesting, but nothing more for me. The Stand was definitely worth the read. Such a good story, and its safe to say I get all the praise and hype.
I enjoyed both and agree with Jannicke. If I were beginning my King journey, I would wish to read Cell first. It's a terrific book, but not as well written or as satisfying as The Stand.Fortunately, or not, I have read King's as they've been published, so that was not an option for me.
The Stand obv. As much as I love King, The Cell is terrible - one of his worst. I wouldn't recommend reading it at all.
Wally wrote: "Lol... wow... This is not a tough decision..... The Stand is arguable the best book King has ever written..... If you haven't read it yet, you are running the risk of dying before you ever get the ..."Haha. Agree with you completely Wally!
I don't Cell is one of his worst, but it would certainly seem so if one went in looking for a zombie tale. This is NOT that. You should still read The Stand first, though. ;-)
The Stand, of course. Cell is a very good book, I enjoyed it quite a lot, but it's definitely not in the same league as The Stand or It.I miss the younger era of Stephen King--Carrie, Shining, Christine, Salem's Lot, Cycle of the Werewolf, The Stand, It, Pet Samatary, Needful Things, etc.
His latest books, despite being less folklore, are still very good. I'm looking forward reading his upcoming collection of novellas 'If It Bleeds'. I love novellas so much.
Here is my two cents. On the Stand; If you can get your hands on the 1978 edition and not the 1990 extended version the read that first. Cell is post-apocalyptic and a fast read. I did enjoy the bond to find your family....
Elder Prince wrote: "The Stand, of course. Cell is a very good book, I enjoyed it quite a lot, but it's definitely not in the same league as The Stand or It.I miss the younger era of Stephen King--Carrie, Shining, Ch..."
Stephen King is a master of the novella, a story form not many even try to write anymore.
I was bitten by the Stephen King bug a few years back, and since then he has become one of my favorite authors. However, I am having a dilemma.
I've heard so many good things about the Stand, so I will definitely be reading that one. But I have also heard that Cell is pretty good, and it has zombies which I'm always on the lookout for. So my question is; which one should I read first of these two? Seeing as some people "compare" them as being similar, I dont want to end up disliking one of them based on the order I picked reading them in. I'd love to hear what you guys think I should do :-) Also if you have any other Stephen King books to recommend, I'm all ears. Thanks!