The Shining by Stephen King

"The Overlook faced it as it had for nearly three quarters of a century, its darkened windows now bearded with snow, indifferent to the fact that it was now cut off from the world. Or possibly it was pleased with the prospect. Inside its shell the three of them went about their early evening routine, like microbes trapped in the intestine of a monster." 

Synopsis: Jack Torrance's new job at the Overlook Hotel is the perfect chance for a fresh start. As the off-season caretaker at the atmospheric old hotel, he'll have plenty of time to spend reconnecting with his family and working on his writing. But as the harsh winter weather sets in, the idyllic location feels ever more remote . . . and more sinister. And the only one to notice the strange and terrible forces gathering around the Overlook is Danny Torrance, a uniquely gifted five-year-old.

Star rating: ★★★★★




I first watched The Shining when I was 13 years old, and I loved it. I first read The Shining a year later, when I was 14, and I hated it. Compared to the film, the book was so different - it was far too slow, with hardly any action, but had an underlying darkness that the young Sabrina just didn’t vibe with. It was only nearly 10 years later, after deciding to read the sequel, Doctor Sleep, that I thought it would be a good chance to revisit the original, and see if my opinions had changed. And, boy, have they changed! 

The most important aspect to understand with King’s work is that his novels are extremely character driven, and The Shining is no exception. A good 50 percent of this novel revolves around delving into the characters haunted pasts, which (with the re-read) I appreciated more this time around. For example, we are given a backstory to both Wendy and Jack’s past with their issues with their mother and father, respectively. The reader therefore understands the complexity of the characters, and this then reveals to the reader that it is this trauma and instability of the parents that has allowed for the domineering Overlook Hotel to infiltrate their minds. King’s characters are never clear-cut, and instead of positioning Jack Torrance as an outright villain of the novel, we see (from his point of view) that he is someone suffering from the trauma of addiction, and abuse at the hands of his father. (*) The ending of the novel even toys with this idea, with Danny shouting at his possessed father, “You’re a mask. Just a false face.” What becomes clear is that Jack, being a highly unstable character, is simply a vessel for the Overlook to come alive - the real villain of the story.

Leading on from this, the book offers a far more nuanced exploration of Jack’s descent into madness, than the film does. Although Kubrick’s adaptation does grapple with certain aspects of this (such as Jack’s alcoholism), the book delves deeper into this, making it all the more tragic as we (and his wife) slowly start to see his old, dangerous habits returning. In the film, Jack seems odd right from the beginning, and shows Jack’s downfall as clear-cut, but the book ebbs and flows instead. Jack is presented as being tormented by his abhorrent thoughts and feelings, yet there is something which still causes him to act and think in this way. He grapples with his own instabilities, and is a highly self-aware character, until the isolation of The Overlook finally wears him down and sinks its claws into him. Even at the end, he is offered some form of redemption, when, in the midst of his murderous rampage, he tells Danny, “Doc, run away. Quick. And remember how much I love you.” In fact, this is one of King’s key criticisms of the film, and I would have to agree with him:

“I feel the same because the character of Jack Torrance has no arc in that movie. Absolutely no arc at all. When we first see Jack Nicholson, he’s in the office of Mr. Ullman, the manager of the hotel, and you know, then, he’s crazy as a shit house rat. All he does is get crazier. In the book, he’s a guy who’s struggling with his sanity and finally loses it. To me, that’s a tragedy. In the movie, there’s no tragedy because there’s no real change.

All three members of the Torrance family are unstable to a certain extent, and the isolation experienced throughout that long winter truly prays on them all. As such, this places the reader in an interesting position. Due to the instability of the characters, we are always unsure whether the ghosts they see are simply hallucinations, or genuine experiences. It is only towards the end of the novel that it becomes clear these ghosts and demons are real, and are not just figments of Jack’s alcohol withdrawal, Wendy’s fragile mental state, or Danny’s ‘shine’. This is one of the most terrifying aspects of the book, for me.

Another aspect I appreciated more with the re-read, is the slowness of the narrative. The Shining is a slow build, which is important to note. The first 150 or so pages is pure character and place building, laying the groundwork for much of the why behind the narrative. Intricacies of daily life are focused upon, and the reader feels as though they are experiencing the monotonous life in the isolated hotel alongside the Torrance family. The dialogue is long, slow, but (most importantly) realistic. It is the slowness of the narrative which makes this book all the more terrifying, a great example of this being the chapter when Jack has his first encounter with the hedge animals - so creepy! The reader is given the time for the terror to grow. And when it does happen, everything crescendos into an explosive (literally) and terrifying ending.

Stephen King notoriously doesn't like Kubrick's adaptation, and whilst I do love the film, I now understand his critique, as shown in this review. However, I now just see them as two separate entities. Both are as good as each other, but try to do two completely different things. As King says himself, “The book is hot, and the film is cold; the book ends in fire, the movie in ice.” Which, in my opinion, perfectly epitomises the differences between the two.

Overall, I've always had a slight love-hate relationship with Stephen King's novels, typically finding his stories to be brilliant, but struggling with his slow, meandering style of writing. I've always thought that, due to this, the film adaptations of King's books are far superior. I now view his writing, and this book, in a completely different light. Whilst before I had disregarded King’s work, the re-reading of The Shining as an adult has changed my mind. I feel as though I am now old enough, and in the right headspace, to understand the complexities of his stories, and appreciate that some of his characters have both good and evil inside them. I will most definitely be reading more of his work in the future, and I look forward to reading the sequel, Doctor Sleep, next.

(*) “I didn’t want to settle for less when I sensed I could up the book’s emotional ante considerably by making Jack Torrance a real character instead of just The Overlook’s boogeyman.” (King)