Constant reader since 1976...The Shining way around my 3rd or 4th King, read it the week it came out in paperback. Quite loved it but thought it wasn't nearly as good as Night Shift, Carrie and especially Salems Lot. Read it again in the weeks leading up to the Kubrick and my opinion did not change: solid but oddly off putting, distant tale. Then...the Kubrick...which I LOVED (still do). Like you, reread it in the lead up to Doctor Sleep: still just kinda like it alot, but that's it. I think the Kubrick succeeds because it recognizes immediately what King took hundreds of pages of dancing around,, alluding to: Jack Torrance is a self centered POS. It also more aptly portrays Wendy: despite those that like to drape shawls of heroine upon her...she's actually so weak she continually endangers her child because she thinks/hopes there's a good man still hidden beneath the hideous creature she's found herself attached to. Kubrick, knowing he doesn't have all the time in the world for nuance that really isn't just goes for the true heart of the story; sometimes there's bad men...and unless you stay away from them, bad things WILL happen. Nice review, sorry it took me 3 years to find it.
My first introduction with Stephen King was sixth grade New Year's night. Me and my friends were having a sleepover and this was one of the movies we watched. I fell in love with the movie so much that I got the book... and as you said movie was better. I always wonder if I read the book first that I would have hated it the movie.
I thought the first 1/3 of this book was very slow, and kind of awful, I know Jack's alcoholism was bad and his marriage was rocky but King just went on and on and on about it in the beginning. By the time he finally got to the haunted hotel stuff I'd almost lost interest
I know my opinion is unpopular, but I way prefer the book to the movie and I appreciate the TV adaptation they did. This isn't high on my list, but I enjoy this story. It scared me when I read it.
I totally get that the book isn't for everyone, but the movie didn't tell a better story -- it's just a different story. For me, everything I like about the book is missing from the movie. Like you said, it's about real people. The subject matters it deals with are so dark, but handled with a kind of honesty that we still don't want to see or acknowledge as a society fifty years after the book was written. That people *aren't* monsters even when we do monstrous things. In comparison the movie is a stunning piece of cinema. Even though I'm not for the cuts, I think they made the story into an absolutely crystalline experience in how clean it is. It's excellent at creating an atmosphere, but without any depth to the characters, it's rings hollow because they don't feel like real people.
Strange viewpoint. I saw the Stanley Kubrick movie and loved it, still one of my favorite movies of all time, then I read the book and was floored by it. To this day, the Shining is my favorite King Novel despite the differences in the movie. I love them both. It might be because it was the first Stephen King novel I ever read and it made me a total fan and want to read all of his books. What' s so strange is that I agree with you on just about every King review I've watched of yours, except maybe the Dark Tower series (I think I love it more than you do) and you don't like The Shining novel so much. I'll forgive your opinion on it, but since most people disagree, I'm thinking it must be something personal in your first read that slanted your view.
I read The Shining as a teen as part of my great discovery of Stephen King. I remember reading and liking this book. I reread it just before Dr. Sleep came out, and I'm not sure what happened, but I have to admit I liked it a little less than before. I think my reread of the book had been diluted with the Stanley Kubrick movie at that point. Still, I recognize it as one of Mr. King's great stories.
you know i honestly agree with you in some parts the book is really slow and did make me lose interest but certain parts are fantastic and that really makes me split about this book
Disclaimer: I've never seen the movie. This book is one of my favorite Kings. I love especially the parts told through Wendy's POV. The tension and the final confrontation were just terrifying. I remember having to put the book down halfway through when I read it the first time. I admittedly sometimes have an issue with how King writes his female characters, but I think Wendy is such a great character. She's smart, she's brave and she is easy to root for. I'll admit the slow-burn mystery can be a little slow in the middle. But I love how all three characters slowly start to put the pieces together on their own. I loved the scenes from Danny's point of view. I think King does a good job of writing a little kid. I have heard, though, that however you first encounter this story, the book or the movie, is always your favorite. Maybe that's why I like this book so much.
