I usually listen to audiobooks, but I read every single word of The Stand. Do I get some kind reward for sticking with this very slow to start tome? I didn't even skip any pages. Bonus points. 
 For those of you wondering if you should read it...the answer is yes. I promise it gets better. The character development was surprisingly good. I actually began to care for these folks enough to shed a few tears at the end. The Dark Man is a great villain...he's got the right mix of evil, crazy, and supernatural. I've read a lot of "end of the world" books this year, and this one seems to be the Daddy of that genre. Good stuff.