Book Smackdown!

A Reader's Respite recently read, reviewed and raved about Justin Cronin's new novel, The Passage.  We couldn't help but notice, however, that there have been more than a few comparisons out there in Bloggy-Land between The Passage and Stephen King's The Stand.

We're intrigued by this comparison.

A Reader's Respite, you see, hasn't actually read a Stephen King novel since his best-selling horror novel Christine was published back in 1983.  (And to be honest, to this day we still flinch whenever we see a 1958 Plymouth Fury.  Thankfully, that doesn't occur too often.)  We're not sure why we stopped reading King's novels.  Okay, yes we are.  We're reasonably certain we stopped reading them after the damned evil clown in It scared the crap out of us.

But it's since come to our attention that The Stand, a novel which many people consider to be King's masterpiece, is NOT your typical, garden-variety horror novel.  Apparently the novel falls more in the fantasy genre and is a genuine good versus evil epic tale.  Hmmmm....much like Cronin's The Passage, eh?

Sparked by a genuine creative interest, A Reader's Respite has decided to embark upon King's 1134 page novel and when if we finish, give you - the reader - a fair and unbiased comparison of The Passage and The Stand.

Oh, what the hell, let's call it what it is....

SMACKDOWN

The Passage vs. The Stand

Get ready to rumble.....

So who out there has read The Stand??  Have you read them both?  Tell us about it....