Episode

SLOW READ: The Stand (Chapters 74 - 78)

Podcast
Slow Read: The Stand
Published
Jun 8, 2026
Duration seconds
3179
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https://slowread.substack.com/p/slow-read-the-stand-chapters-74-78
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Markdown
/podcast/slow-read-the-stand-7562947/slow-read-the-stand-chapters-74-78.md

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Summary

Welcome to SLOW READ , where we tackle the books you’ve always wanted to read at a pace you can handle. Hosted by Sarah Stewart Holland and Laura Tremaine We are currently reading The Stand by Stephen King (unabridged version) You can find our full Reading Schedule here Join the SLOW READ community on Substack for bonus episodes, book club meetings, and Side Quests with Sarah & Laura REMINDER: Our final book club meeting discussing The Stand will be THURSDAY, JUNE 11 at 6pm PT / 8pm CT / 9pm ET and we’ll be announcing our next SLOW READ! You don’t want to miss it. Mentioned in this episode: * The Shining by Stephen King * Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel * The Crocodile Hunter * “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” (”…if the fates allow”) * Noah Kahan, “Maine” * Steel Magnolias The Stand, or The Walk? Laura: How are you feeling? Sarah: Well, it’s giving Sopranos . You know how in The Sopranos it was the penultimate episode that usually contained the most action? I feel like that show set up that structure — although apparently not, because The Stand has been around a lot longer. The main action, especially a majority of the violence, the falling out between Randall Flagg and members of the Free Zone, the nuclear bomb — all of that happened in our last section. So now we’re getting that real finale. We’re caring for the characters we really loved. We’re seeing where they ended up. We’re tying up some loose ends. Laura: I felt like these last chapters post-nuclear-bomb were so arduous. I felt like King is personally trying to remind us that this whole thing is about the journey and not the destination, which is such an annoying message. I was just like, we are still walking . It should have been called The Walk , not The Stand . Honestly, the whole book is jus…