After years and years of watching the movie, and promising that I'll read Stephen King's The Shining, I finally sat down and read the book from cover to cover. Now, I know this is a no-brainer, but especially when it comes to Stephen King books, the movies do not compare to the books whatsoever. And I loved Stanley Kubrick's The Shining. But now that I've started and finished the actual book, I don't think I can ever watch the movie again. The older movie (because I also know that there's a miniseries) is not even close to being as creepy and spine tingling as the book.
I'm sure we all know the story of The Shining, but just in case, I'll run the plot by for you all...
Jack Torrance is just about at the end of his rope. He had a rough childhood, his adulthood has taken several wrong paths, he's recovering from several rough years of being an alcoholic, and he's currently jobless after being fired from his previous occupation. But thanks to a close friend, Jack has found a new job. He, his wife Wendy, and their troubled and unique son Danny, are now the winter inhabitants of the Overlook Hotel- they're there to make sure everything is A-OK throughout the off season. But after only a few weeks of taking care of the Overlook, Jack has found some dark and disturbing secrets that the Overlook has hidden away; some violent, dark, and terrifying secrets.
Soon the family becomes snow-bound, stuck in the Overlook, and are being accompanied by the ghosts inhabiting the many rooms of the mysterious and eerie hotel.
The beginning of The Shining is quite slow. The introduction, the background, the set-up, or whatever you call it, drags a bit. Stephen King took his time introducing his readers to the characters and the story, which may lose some readers, but if you stick with it, it'll be worth it. The slow start is incredibly beneficial to the plot progression and story line.
Do not, I repeat, DO NOT read this book at night, by yourself, when no one else is awake. You will regret it and end up crawling into someone else's bed so that you're not alone. Now this I would know firsthand.
The Shining is my second Stephen King book, and now that I've delved into his writing more, I can say that I am now a Stephen King fan, and I probably should have started with something like The Shining instead of Carrie. I don't think Carrie is Mr. King's typical writing style, so I probably should have listened to my mom and started with The Stand...I guess that's next! Or perhaps...the sequel to The Shining, Doctor Sleep.
The Shining truly is a wonderful story. It's surprisingly very emotional for such a haunting book. I see many more Stephen King novels in my future. Perhaps sooner than I think.
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