Ok lets be up front this is a big book and it is enthralling so expect lots of long reading sessions. If you are going to commit to reading it then do the job properly and get the full uncut version. It adds an extra couple of hundred pages, but includes some sub plots completely removed from the original that I think make the story a lot better.
This is an epic journey, a struggle of good vs evil with a few shades of gray thrown in for good measure. Part of the reason the book is so long is that it allows King to really develop the characters, you really feel like you have taken the journey with them at the end, you almost feel with them as each twist and turn unravel. OK some of the plot is a bit predictable, but there is always a catch or surprise lurking around the corner.
This is a fantastic book for anyone looking at committing to a good long read (great for long haul flights or a holiday). Don't try and read it in short bursts, it will take forever and not do the book justice. Like any good book relationship though, immerse yourself in it and commit to it and you will enjoy the rewards.
Just don't expect every other Stephen King book to be the same, they range from enthralling (Christine) to downright awful (Insomniac), and how he finished off the gunslinger series was a tragedy, but that for another review.
Enjoy