Book Review: The Shining by Stephen King

This month I decided to embrace the spirit of the season for my book review.  It’s October so why not go with a classic horror book.  My younger self, watched a lot of horror movies and read quite a few scary books but for some reason I never got around to reading the book that was the inspiration for my favorite horror movie, The Shining. I also have a second reason for choosing this month’s book genre – Chip.  Chip always asks me about my book reviews but he never reads them.  He told me if I ever read a horror book, he’d read my review, so Chip this one is for you.

There is something about a big, old hotel that is closed for the winter that makes you think, “What could possibly go wrong?” Apparently, quite a lot if Stephen King is the one telling the story! The Shining is a classic horror novel that proves you don’t need a creepy stranger lurking in the shadows to be terrified. Sometimes, the scariest thing in the room is the person you already know.

The story follows Jack Torrance, a struggling writer and recovering alcoholic who takes a job as the winter caretaker of the Overlook Hotel in Colorado. He moves in with his wife, Wendy, and their young son, Danny, hoping the isolation will give him the opportunity to get his life and career back on track. Unfortunately, the hotel has a history of its own, and it isn’t particularly interested in letting anyone have a peaceful winter. Danny possesses a mysterious psychic ability they call “shining,” which allows him to see things before they happen. And what he sees in the Overlook is enough to make anyone want to pack their bags and head for the nearest exit.

The hotel becomes a character in its own right, with its dark hallways, sinister rooms, and unsettling past. The longer the family stays, the more the isolation begins to take its toll. What makes the story especially frightening is watching Jack slowly unravel. His desire to be a better husband and father is genuine, but his personal demons and the hotel’s evil influence make it increasingly difficult to tell where one ends and the other begins.

One of the most interesting aspects of the book is the way King explores alcoholism, addiction, anger, and the cycle of family trauma. Beneath all the supernatural horror is a deeply unsettling story about a family trying to survive a man who is losing control of himself. That psychological element makes the book much more than a collection of frightening scenes. It gives the characters depth and makes their situation genuinely heartbreaking.

While I haven’t had the chance to rewatch the movie yet this year, I found myself thinking about it quite a bit as I was reading. The 1980 movie stars Jack Nicholson and Shelley Duvall as Jack and Wendy. Nicholson’s performance as Jack Torrance has become one of the most recognizable portrayals of madness in film history. The eerie music, the endless hotel corridors, the twins standing in the hallway, and the infamous “Here’s Johnny!” scene have secured the movie’s place in horror history.

While the movie stays true to the main story arc of the book, the biggest difference between the two is the character development of Jack, Wendy, Danny, Dick Hallorann and the Overlook itself. In my opinion the book will always be better than the movie because the book can give you insight into the characters that is not possible in a movie. And then there is the ending. Without giving away too much, the novel and the film take notably different approaches to the Overlook’s ultimate fate.

I loved this book and I can’t believe I waited so long to read it. I’m excited to watch the movie again soon to see if having insights from the novel changes my perspective of the movie.  I did have to promise Rob that I won’t say, “that’s not how it happened in the book” the next time we watch. For anyone who is worried about it being a “horror” book, there are varying degrees of horror out there. I am not one who enjoys “blood and guts” type of horror but I do enjoy a good psychological thriller and I’d put The Shining in the later category.

There is a note in the front of the book stating that the Overlook is based “wholly within the author’s imagination”.  Eventually it became known that King got the idea for the book after staying at The Stanley hotel in Estes Park Colorado.  I was in Estes Park a couple of years ago so of course I had to stop by The Stanley to look around. And while I didn’t see any evidence of it being haunted while I was there, I’m sure that if I ever spend the night there I will, especially if I stay in room 217.

If you took the time to read this, thank you. Now I need you to do me a favor.  The next time you see Chip be sure to ask him if he actually read this book review.