Stephen King's The Stand - Original, Edited, Ebook?

Off-Kee · 10-05-2013, 12:20 AM

Hello, all -- long-time lurker, first-time poster.

I've been almost solely motivated to create an account in the hope that you vendor-savvy folks can help me find Stephen King's The Stand, as it was published in 1978.

I haven't read it (I only began reading King's books this year), but I've heard a resounding 'meh' from all sides regarding the extra 150,000 words added in the later, un-edited re-release -- which includes, from the looks of things, Amazon's ebook edition.

Are there any ebook vendors which you know, with certainty, to stock the original 1978 publication, or is this edition not 'in print', so to speak?

49Kat · 10-05-2013, 02:32 AM

FWIW, back in the 80's, I bought both editions in paperback. I bought and read the shorter one first, and I was more than pleased to find the longer one, which I promptly read and preferred. I still have them, with the longer one now being held together with duck tape, that's how many times it was read (and not only by me). When I got into ereaders, I bought the ebook from kobo and read it again. I know it's all a matter of opinion, if some found the longer version to be not to their liking, but I enjoyed the way King developed his characters back in the day. When my memory of the shorter version was a lot fresher than it is now, I recall thinking that the lengthier version did a better job of rounding out the characters in the book. Some long books I've read got tedious (like Diana Gabaldon's "Fiery Cross", for example). I did not find that to be the case with The Stand, even with the extra length.

Sorry, I didn't answer your question, but I just thought I would mention that you might not mind the longer version.

gmw · 10-05-2013, 05:23 AM

I'd second most of what 49Kat said, I see no good reason to search for the old version, and some good ones for reading the "uncut" version - some of the additional material is very good. Maybe some of the inserts/updates weren't perfect, but it remains an excellent book.

Off-Kee · 10-05-2013, 06:19 AM

Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I'm by no means scared away by the amount of extra content (IT was amazing, and I've read Tolstoy's War & Peace), but I do stand by my request for the original edit, if it's available electronically. If my request is out of line for this kind of forum, then I apologise, but I'd prefer knowing whether or not the original text is available electronically, rather than being told I shouldn't bother to try to find it. If it's not available, I'll buy the new version -- but my preference, at least for my first experience with the book, remains firmly in the 'original' camp.

gmw · 10-05-2013, 07:17 AM

In which case I suspect you will have to resort to searching second-hand bookshops for a paper copy. According to the author website:

Quote:

This edition is no longer in print following the 1990 publication of The Stand: The Complete & Uncut Edition

I would expect "in print" to apply to electronic editions too (I could be wrong, but it seems unlikely).

Off-Kee · 10-05-2013, 08:12 AM

Thank you, gmw. I hadn't looked at the author website, only in various vendors. I suppose I'll be purchasing the newer edition, after all.

Dr. Drib · 10-05-2013, 08:13 AM

Just buy a used copy.

There are used bookstores in my cities. There should be many used copies in paperback of the first version from 1978.

Or try ebay for a used copy.

Don

alansplace · 10-05-2013, 10:32 AM

The Stand First Edition 1978

crich70 · 10-05-2013, 01:17 PM

I've got both in paperback and there isn't a great deal of difference. A few new characters pop up and old characters get to have a few more scenes and that's about the extent of the differences. In the uncut edition Stephen King even says that not everything that was cut originally was put back in. Some of it was left on the cutting room floor where it belonged.

silverraven · 10-05-2013, 06:47 PM

I don't know if you can check out books from Openlibrary.org, but it looks like there is an ebook copy that *says* copy write 1980. I did a search for "The Stand" not Stephen King, by the way. Now, I don't know for sure if that means it's the old version or not, and I can't check it out right now because it is checked out, but it's the only place I've seen the original in ebook.
Hope it helps.
S

alansplace · 10-05-2013, 07:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by silverraven

I don't know if you can check out books from Openlibrary.org, but it looks like there is an ebook copy that *says* copy write 1980. I did a search for "The Stand" not Stephen King, by the way. Now, I don't know for sure if that means it's the old version or not, and I can't check it out right now because it is checked out, but it's the only place I've seen the original in ebook.
Hope it helps.
S

The Stand

Actually it says '28 editions First published in 1978' which implies to me that i's just like any of the available ebooks and is not the original, but instead is the re-edited and added-to version.

.

Off-Kee · 10-05-2013, 08:45 PM

Thanks, folks - used paper books have a tendency to disagree with my eyesight. I've purchased the uncut ebook.

(Along with a whole troupe of other Stephen King books... Oh dear.)

10-05-2013, 12:20 AM	#1
Off-Kee Nameless Being	Stephen King's The Stand - Original, Edited, Ebook? Hello, all -- long-time lurker, first-time poster. I've been almost solely motivated to create an account in the hope that you vendor-savvy folks can help me find Stephen King's The Stand, as it was published in 1978. I haven't read it (I only began reading King's books this year), but I've heard a resounding 'meh' from all sides regarding the extra 150,000 words added in the later, un-edited re-release -- which includes, from the looks of things, Amazon's ebook edition. Are there any ebook vendors which you know, with certainty, to stock the original 1978 publication, or is this edition not 'in print', so to speak?

10-05-2013, 10:32 AM	#8
alansplace Grand Sorcerer Posts: 5,886 Karma: 464403178 Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: 33.9388° N, 117.2716° W Device: Kindles K-2, K-KB, PW 1 & 2, Voyage, Fire 2, 5 & HD 8, Surface 3, iPad	Amazon has a used section on The Stand First Edition The Stand First Edition 1978

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10-05-2013, 02:32 AM	#2
49Kat Fanatic Posts: 580 Karma: 1309104 Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: BC,Canada/NV, USA Device: iPad 9th Gen, iPhone 11, Paperwhite 10th Gen.	FWIW, back in the 80's, I bought both editions in paperback. I bought and read the shorter one first, and I was more than pleased to find the longer one, which I promptly read and preferred. I still have them, with the longer one now being held together with duck tape, that's how many times it was read (and not only by me). When I got into ereaders, I bought the ebook from kobo and read it again. I know it's all a matter of opinion, if some found the longer version to be not to their liking, but I enjoyed the way King developed his characters back in the day. When my memory of the shorter version was a lot fresher than it is now, I recall thinking that the lengthier version did a better job of rounding out the characters in the book. Some long books I've read got tedious (like Diana Gabaldon's "Fiery Cross", for example). I did not find that to be the case with The Stand, even with the extra length. Sorry, I didn't answer your question, but I just thought I would mention that you might not mind the longer version.

10-05-2013, 05:23 AM	#3
gmw cacoethes scribendi Posts: 5,809 Karma: 137770742 Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Australia Device: Kobo Aura One & H2Ov2, Sony PRS-650	I'd second most of what 49Kat said, I see no good reason to search for the old version, and some good ones for reading the "uncut" version - some of the additional material is very good. Maybe some of the inserts/updates weren't perfect, but it remains an excellent book.

10-05-2013, 06:19 AM	#4
Off-Kee Nameless Being	Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I'm by no means scared away by the amount of extra content (IT was amazing, and I've read Tolstoy's War & Peace), but I do stand by my request for the original edit, if it's available electronically. If my request is out of line for this kind of forum, then I apologise, but I'd prefer knowing whether or not the original text is available electronically, rather than being told I shouldn't bother to try to find it. If it's not available, I'll buy the new version -- but my preference, at least for my first experience with the book, remains firmly in the 'original' camp.

10-05-2013, 08:12 AM	#6
Off-Kee Nameless Being	Thank you, gmw. I hadn't looked at the author website, only in various vendors. I suppose I'll be purchasing the newer edition, after all.

10-05-2013, 08:13 AM	#7
Dr. Drib Grand Sorcerer Posts: 44,748 Karma: 55645321 Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Peru Device: Kindle: Oasis 3, Voyage WiFi; Kobo: Libra 2, Aura One	Just buy a used copy. There are used bookstores in my cities. There should be many used copies in paperback of the first version from 1978. Or try ebay for a used copy. Don

10-05-2013, 01:17 PM	#9
crich70 Grand Sorcerer Posts: 11,305 Karma: 43993832 Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Monroe Wisconsin Device: K3, Kindle Paperwhite, Calibre, and Mobipocket for Pc (netbook)	I've got both in paperback and there isn't a great deal of difference. A few new characters pop up and old characters get to have a few more scenes and that's about the extent of the differences. In the uncut edition Stephen King even says that not everything that was cut originally was put back in. Some of it was left on the cutting room floor where it belonged.

10-05-2013, 06:47 PM	#10
silverraven Guru Posts: 967 Karma: 3438612 Join Date: Oct 2009 Device: Kindle Voyage, Kindle 4NTB x 4	I don't know if you can check out books from Openlibrary.org, but it looks like there is an ebook copy that says copy write 1980. I did a search for "The Stand" not Stephen King, by the way. Now, I don't know for sure if that means it's the old version or not, and I can't check it out right now because it is checked out, but it's the only place I've seen the original in ebook. Hope it helps. S

10-05-2013, 08:45 PM	#12
Off-Kee Nameless Being	Thanks, folks - used paper books have a tendency to disagree with my eyesight. I've purchased the uncut ebook. (Along with a whole troupe of other Stephen King books... Oh dear.)

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