Book Comparison By Emma Conforti

The Stand is about a post-apocalyptic world where 99% of people have died of a biological weapon. In a government facility on the West Coast, a team had engineered a super-flu virus which gets loose, and spreads across the world. Afterwards, strange things start happening to the surviving population. Those who are immune start to dream of two people- a 108-year-old woman named Abigail Freemantle, and a Dark entity who goes by the name Randall Flagg. The book focuses on several characters at once, and is full of adventure. It's less of a horror novel than the Shining, but personally I found it scarier to read about the flu killing off almost everyone. Definitely recommended to not read this at night, or while sick.
The Shining is the third book Stephen King published, and one of the most well-known. It takes place in a hotel named the Overlook and revolves around the dark secrets of said hotel. Jack Torrance and his family stay the winter in the Overlook, as Jack has been hired as the Caretaker. His son Danny, however, as well as his wife, are both anxious about this decision. Turns out, they had every reason to be nervous. This book is deeply rooted in the horror genre, and many find it to be terrifying. Personally, reading this book in the dark just seems silly, not scary.

How the books are alike

The Shining and the Stand are both horror books written by Stephen King. They are long, with the Shining's page count at 659, and the Stand's page count at 823. I happened to read the uncut version of the Stand, which has 1439 pages. Both books take place in Colorado. The plot and characters of both books are developed in an effective and capturing way.

How thE books are different

The Shining is more of a psychological horror, with its plot based on the corroding of the main character Jack's mind. The Stand has less of a horror element, and is more of an adventure/fantasy novel. It still has a large dark undertone, however. In the Stand there are a large amount of characters, while in the Shining there are only a few. Also, there are more character deaths in the Stand.

If you liked the shining, you should read the stand

Both books are amazing, but the Stand surpassed the Shining by a mile. Although it has more characters, they are all creative and well put together. It has various elements such as fantasy, romance, and adventure that the Shining doesn't. If you're looking for another horror story, the Stand is still a good place to look. Overall, it is a fantastic read. If you want a shorter read, I'd try the original version of the Stand, however.

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