The Stand: The Complete and Uncut Edition restores the 400-plus pages King had to remove before the novel’s original publication in 1978. The text wasn’t removed because it was superfluous; it was all related to cost. A 1,100-plus page hardcover book costs a lot to manufacture, and King was still early in his career back then. His first novel, Carrie, was published just four years prior in 1974. The Stand was King’s fifth book.
By the time 1990 rolled around, King was a household name, which allowed Doubleday to publish the post-apocalyptic masterpiece in its intended form.
At 1,152 pages, The Stand: The Complete and Uncut Edition claimed the distinction as King’s longest novel–it just barely eclipsed the page count of 1986’s It starring Pennywise the Clown (1,138 pages). Note: the current hardcover edition of It is actually 1,168 pages, but The Stand has a higher word count.
One of the coolest aspects of the hardcover edition of The Stand is that Doubleday uses the original 1990 dust jacket for current printings. It’s one of several King hardcovers currently utilizing the jagged, swooping title font and ominous collage backdrops. If you’re a King collector, you should also check out the hardcover editions of The Shining, ‘Salem’s Lot, and Night Shift. These four books. look great. together on a bookshelf. It also doesn’t hurt that The Shining and ‘Salem’s Lot are also among King’s best novels, while Night Shift is notable as the author’s first short story collection.
Stephen King Classics with Nostalgic Cover Designs:
All four hardcovers are on sale for nearly 50% off at Amazon. Each well-designed book includes a haunting dust jacket matching the one shown above.
It’s worth noting that the trade paperback edition of The Stand (1,200 pages) is available for $14.40 (was $22).
