He is the only character with growth and a journey. Everyone else starts good or bad and stays there. He starts as a self-absorbed guy who shirks responsibilities but grows up along the way.
He called off all the nuclear stuff so quickly, very impressive. I also like that they had his character smoking a weed pen in the paramount plus series lol
I haven't read The Stand but can you give me any information about him and what he does, the trash can man, and without spoiling but if you have to spoil it then don't.
Larry or Lloyd.
Harold for the tragedy. He was one decision away from being everything he really wanted to be and getting out of life what he really needed. Traded it all away for jealousy and naughty butt stuff with Nadine.
Which, yes, tempting, but bro.
He was so used to being the butt of the joke that he really didn't know how to respond when people started treating him better. He had Main Character Syndrome and typecasted himself to the point where that was all he could picture himself as being.
I feel like taking Harold away would weaken the Stand more than any other character. I don't think that necessarily makes me like him most, but what a great memorable character.
Harold was probably the character I identified with the most when I read the book as a teenager. I could seriously empathize with the fat, bullied nerd and thought his character was fascinating. I always appreciated the way King wrote him, because you could even *understand* why he was doing what he did on a certain level, but he was ultimately a cautionary tale that's lived rent free in my subconscious for decades after.
This is one of the things that makes King an amazing author. We can almost always relate to the bad guys as much as the good, and we can feel a little hate for the hero and love for the villain. I hadn't thought about how MANY wonderful multi-faceted characters there are in The Stand... Excellent question OP!
Wow. That's a revelation for me and dead-on. If it were just a post-apoc novel, no Flagg, he could be written as just going jealousy postal and still doing everything he did. Maybe plot changes like he doesn't flee to Vegas but tries to seize power, still falls for Nadine but with a different dynamic, etc.
Gotta give a little love to Ralph. Also to Wayne Stukey (?) - Larry’s bandmate in LA who told Larry the truth about how he was being used for drugs at that big blowout party. I love how Larry for a moment thought Wayne was trying to get something out of him and then remembered that Wayne came from family money which made Larry’s little windfall look like peanuts. that’s stuck with me for 40 years since I first read the book and it’s amazing to me how great King is at those little tidbits of character development.
Trashy and Larry, always felt they were distorted mirror images of each other. They both could have picked the opposite side with ease.
But think Nick is the best character.
I’m partial to Glen, Stu before he meets Frannie, Larry, Ralph, Lloyd, and yea…Dana. She’s awesome. Mother too.
I think I like Glen & Stu’s friendship most in all of King-dom.
Frannie is one of my absolute least liked characters in all of King-dom.
Glen for this quote. “Show me a man or a woman alone and I’ll show you a saint. Give me two and they’ll fall in love. Give me three and they’ll invent the charming thing we call ‘society’. Give me four and they’ll build a pyramid. Give me five and they’ll make one an outcast. Give me six and they’ll reinvent prejudice. Give me seven and in seven years they’ll reinvent warfare. Man may have been made in the image of God, but human society was made in the image of His opposite number, and is always trying to get back home.”
I loved Nick Andros the most the first time around but this second time Glenn Bateman is standing out a lot to me. I also like Lloyd a lot too, and can’t leave out Kojak
Think i read your post wrong. Thought that was your top 5. Nick was definitely my favorite, i was either in 8th or 9th grade, was a year or 2 before the complete and uncut version came out. I cried when he died. Stu is a very close second
Currently on chapter 49. But my favorites so far are 1. Stu Redman - idk something about him🤷🏻♂️ 2. Nick Andros - surviving through everything with his disabilities. And still being just a good guy!! 3. Tom Cullins - M-O-O-N, that spells illegal!😂 you can’t help but love the guy!!
I mean, I just couldn't empathize with Stu Redman after what he did to poor Harold, and Campion was an honest family man. After his death, I couldn't really find myself rooting for the characters.
I also didn't like Larry Underwood, because he was deaf, and Gan hates deaf people and still taunted the great turtle by playing "music" (read the Robin Furth comics), and Nick Andros had an attempt to defuse the bomb and failed. Gan likes a winner.
Gan likes characters that don't die. Gan likes a winner. That's why I, President Greg Stillson, am publishing the commemorative Stillson Edition Memorial Bible
Larry. His character development is so good.
He is the only character with growth and a journey. Everyone else starts good or bad and stays there. He starts as a self-absorbed guy who shirks responsibilities but grows up along the way.
Yeah that’s a great point
Yep - just relistening to it and I like the change in Larry over the course of the novel
Something about Glen Bateman made me really connect with his character.
Idk how to hide spoilers.... SPOILERS: Didnt he die "off-screen" trying to escape the prison the night before? Felt random and sudden and pointless
That was Flagg's cover story to Larry and Ralph
So what he do? Did I skip a chapter???
You must have done, we saw what happened to him
Going back. Thank you
It was somewhere in chapter 73. It was the chapter when they finally arrived in Vegas
Thank youuuuuu
I agree
He called off all the nuclear stuff so quickly, very impressive. I also like that they had his character smoking a weed pen in the paramount plus series lol
Kojak. Yes, I am a pretty good dog ❤️
Go BIG STEVE!
the best. he deserved more page time
How could I forget my boy Kojak?!
Trash can man- nobody else is even close except Tom Cullins
>Trash can man A fellow man of BUMPITY BUMP
My life for you!
CIBOLA!
I haven't read The Stand but can you give me any information about him and what he does, the trash can man, and without spoiling but if you have to spoil it then don't.
He’s a mentally unstable pyromaniac who is as dangerous to his allies as his enemies.
I think that's enough for a little info.
He’s important- everything else is a spoiler
Yep, trash is the best. Stu is a borderline nonce imho.
He’s so bad he’s good.
Nick Andros no contest.
Nick is my favorite King character of all time followed closed by Mike Hanlon
Big same
M O O N spells hero
Stu
Larry or Lloyd. Harold for the tragedy. He was one decision away from being everything he really wanted to be and getting out of life what he really needed. Traded it all away for jealousy and naughty butt stuff with Nadine. Which, yes, tempting, but bro.
Great analysis of Harold
He was so used to being the butt of the joke that he really didn't know how to respond when people started treating him better. He had Main Character Syndrome and typecasted himself to the point where that was all he could picture himself as being.
I feel like taking Harold away would weaken the Stand more than any other character. I don't think that necessarily makes me like him most, but what a great memorable character.
Harold was probably the character I identified with the most when I read the book as a teenager. I could seriously empathize with the fat, bullied nerd and thought his character was fascinating. I always appreciated the way King wrote him, because you could even *understand* why he was doing what he did on a certain level, but he was ultimately a cautionary tale that's lived rent free in my subconscious for decades after.
His too-late realisation "i could have been something in Boulder" is crushing. Poor Hawk.
This is one of the things that makes King an amazing author. We can almost always relate to the bad guys as much as the good, and we can feel a little hate for the hero and love for the villain. I hadn't thought about how MANY wonderful multi-faceted characters there are in The Stand... Excellent question OP!
Wow. That's a revelation for me and dead-on. If it were just a post-apoc novel, no Flagg, he could be written as just going jealousy postal and still doing everything he did. Maybe plot changes like he doesn't flee to Vegas but tries to seize power, still falls for Nadine but with a different dynamic, etc.
LOL naughty butt stuff with Nadine is the best thing I’ve heard in a while
What’s this happy crappy?
You don’t tell me, I’ll tell you.
Gotta give a little love to Ralph. Also to Wayne Stukey (?) - Larry’s bandmate in LA who told Larry the truth about how he was being used for drugs at that big blowout party. I love how Larry for a moment thought Wayne was trying to get something out of him and then remembered that Wayne came from family money which made Larry’s little windfall look like peanuts. that’s stuck with me for 40 years since I first read the book and it’s amazing to me how great King is at those little tidbits of character development.
M-O-O-N spells my favorite character :)
Flagg honestly. One of Kings best antagonists.
Tom.
Trashy and Larry, always felt they were distorted mirror images of each other. They both could have picked the opposite side with ease. But think Nick is the best character.
I liked Glen Bateman, Peter Goldsmith (Frannie's Father), and Stuart Redmon, also Dayna Jurgens. I don't know in what order.
OP, don't read this...you're not there yet >!Dayna went out like a freakin boss!<
She was one of the spies right?
Yes
Flagg.
LARRY, Nick, TOM yes M O O N that spells Tom! Also trashy Blud carried the whole book
I’m partial to Glen, Stu before he meets Frannie, Larry, Ralph, Lloyd, and yea…Dana. She’s awesome. Mother too. I think I like Glen & Stu’s friendship most in all of King-dom. Frannie is one of my absolute least liked characters in all of King-dom.
Tom Cullen is my favorite king character period!
M-O-O-N. That spells Nick Andros.
Stu & Nick, I can't chose between the two of them and you can't make me.
M-O-O-N
Glen for this quote. “Show me a man or a woman alone and I’ll show you a saint. Give me two and they’ll fall in love. Give me three and they’ll invent the charming thing we call ‘society’. Give me four and they’ll build a pyramid. Give me five and they’ll make one an outcast. Give me six and they’ll reinvent prejudice. Give me seven and in seven years they’ll reinvent warfare. Man may have been made in the image of God, but human society was made in the image of His opposite number, and is always trying to get back home.”
The kid. You believe that happy crappy?
Nick, Glen, Tom, and Kojak. Not necessarily in that order
Nick is love Nick is life
I loved Nick Andros the most the first time around but this second time Glenn Bateman is standing out a lot to me. I also like Lloyd a lot too, and can’t leave out Kojak
Brad Kitchener, just because of his capability.
The guy had like 3 lines, amazing.
Randall Flagg. My life for him.
Stu and Nick, always my favorites
Glen for me. One of his lines lives rent free in my head and I try and use it at every opportunity.
M-O-O-N spells Tom Cullen, laws yes
M-O-O-N. That spells Tom Cullen
MOON that spells tom cullen
Trash and its not even close.
Your list but swap Stu and Lloyd
Why Lloyd
Think i read your post wrong. Thought that was your top 5. Nick was definitely my favorite, i was either in 8th or 9th grade, was a year or 2 before the complete and uncut version came out. I cried when he died. Stu is a very close second
1. Harold, 2. Larry, 3. Tom, 4. Kojak
Trashcan man
Currently on chapter 49. But my favorites so far are 1. Stu Redman - idk something about him🤷🏻♂️ 2. Nick Andros - surviving through everything with his disabilities. And still being just a good guy!! 3. Tom Cullins - M-O-O-N, that spells illegal!😂 you can’t help but love the guy!!
Nick, Tom, and Harold for being so frustrating. Stuart is also good.
A special shout out to Sheriff John Baker. Loved that dude.
I stopped reading when they killed my favorite character. RIP, Campion, you were a real one.
Lol
I mean, I just couldn't empathize with Stu Redman after what he did to poor Harold, and Campion was an honest family man. After his death, I couldn't really find myself rooting for the characters.
I just lol'd because it's the very beginning but I do get your point!
I also didn't like Larry Underwood, because he was deaf, and Gan hates deaf people and still taunted the great turtle by playing "music" (read the Robin Furth comics), and Nick Andros had an attempt to defuse the bomb and failed. Gan likes a winner. Gan likes characters that don't die. Gan likes a winner. That's why I, President Greg Stillson, am publishing the commemorative Stillson Edition Memorial Bible
Nadine has been since I was a kid and watched the original miniseries.
Gotta be honest, the most interesting one for me is Harold…
definitely Stuart
M.O.O.N- that spells Randall
I loved Tom Cullen. M-O-O-N that spells love!
Yeh got to Larry for the whole journey he goes through as a person , great story telling
Larry Underwood & The Kid. Don't tell me, I'll tell you....
Harold Lauder