Hello, Book-Nerds! In this article, you will be reading my opinions and views on my latest read, 'The Shining'. Enjoy!
'The Shining' was probably one of the heaviest books I've read. Reading it was like living with the characters Stephen King had created in the book. It made me feel like I had cabin-fever sometimes. I still can not believe how flippin long it took me to read this book. Holy guacamole. It was worth every page, of course. But wow. I seriously can't process the fact that it took me two months to get through 'The Shining.’
Stephen King published this book in 1977, under the genres horror fiction, physiological fiction, gothic fiction, and occult fiction. This was the third book I’ve read by King, and it was definitely the scariest one. Not scary as in ghosts-jumping-out-at-you scary, more of a physiological scary.
I grew up watching the film adaptation. So yes, I watched the movie before I read the book. The movie is a classic, really. It will always be one of my favorite horror movies. But, the book is nothing like the movie. I can’t choose which one I like better because they are both so different!
'The Shining' is a fantastic book, and the film adaptation is an amazing movie. If I had read the book first, I'm sure I would hate the movie. The characters are entirely different in the movie than in the book. There were a few things that the movie left out or made up-- which irritated me a little.
“This inhuman place makes human monsters.” -Stephen King, The Shining
If you aren't familiar with the story, I'll give you a quick summary of what it's about.
The main characters are; Danny Torrance, Jack Torrance, and Wendy Torrance. Jack and Wendy are the parents of the five-year-old boy, Danny. The small family wasn’t rich and had a few flaws. For example, Jack Torrance was a retired alcoholic, and Danny was a psychic. Jack lost his job as a teacher and applied for a new job as a caretaker for a big hotel up in the mountains of Colorado during the off-season. This hotel was named the Overlook, and it was known for its scenic views and famous customers. Presidents had stayed there, along with other celebrities. Jack needed the job, and having a hotel all by themselves sounded like a nice vacation. So he packed up the family and drove into the mountains in his small Volkswagen bug. While in the hotel, Danny had continuous night-terrors. There was something dark in that hotel, and the little boy could feel it…
I'm not going to go any further in the plot-- just read it! I do warn you, though, this book is very heavy and deep. It honestly made me feel as if I was staying in the Overlook with the family.
If you get scared easily, this book is not a good choice for you. ‘The Shining’ wasn’t terrifying, but it did make me feel creeped out at times.
Thank you for reading this week’s article! I hope you decide to read ‘The Shining’! If you've read it already, what did you think? Please share in the comments below! I would love to see how other people feel about it.
Oh, and one more thing. If you have any Christmas/holiday-themed articles you would like me to write about this month, please send your ideas in the Fan Request box underneath the comments. Thanks! :)
Thanks for the share... I don’t know if I have what it takes to get through a book that big and the psychological creepiness of it. I don’t know though… Cabin fever may take over and I may give it a shot.