[nmg222]

In the 'You call that an ending' thread there seems to be quite a bit of dismay with the ending of Stephen King's The Stand. Personally, I'm fine with the ending as this was a classic God v. Devil novel and would have been disappointed with a shootout at OK Corral type ending.

So I ask you dear readers, what would be your ideal ending to The Stand?

 

[balaspa]

Really?  Hmm, I liked the ending to The Stand.  And if you read the unexpurgated version, there is more to the ending than what was in the original published version. 

I would have thought if people had issues with King's endings it would be over the final scenes in The Dark Tower.  Personally, I even liked that ending, but I know a lot of people were very upset with it.

 

[Tris]

I liked the ending as well. It seemed to fit as

Spoiler

you can never eradicate evil 100% from the Earth as it must manifest itself some place else or into a new form

. Though I too read the extended version, so I'm not sure what the older version has for an ending. I found a lot of biblical connections throughout the book, but the only thing that did "bothered me" a bit was the

Spoiler

"hand of God"

, but it was fiction and I went with it, and it seemed to follow the other biblical connections...in a way.

Tris

 

[NogDog]

I needed a better beginning, since I gave up on it pretty early. (But then that's my usual result when I try to read King, so apparently there's something abnormal about me. )

 

[Colin Taber]

I'm not sure, but what I can say is that he could have achieved the same outcome, even in the same scene, but done it without

Spoiler

a stupid ball of light arriving on the scene to trigger the incineration of the city. I don't have an issue with the incineration, just the ball of light

. That's the issue.