Hubbard's opus makes The Stand read like a USA Today article. I'm hip to and respect the literary technique of forcing a reader through a long journey to emulate a long journey, but I'm not seeking high literary prowess out of the likes of Scientology's father. It took me about four cracks at this tome to finally cap it for good. But, on its side, the movie makes the book look like one of man's greatest contributions to the arts.