JasonKoivu

I would love to get a gig as the caretaker for a remote hotel over winter, said no one after reading this.

The Shining is about...oh come on...If you don't know what The Shining is about by now it's because you've been living under a rock in the back of a cave for the last few decades, and frankly, you've got more important things to catch up on. Here, let me get you started: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UFSyBBglmpI

The first third of the book provides a great set up to the horror that awaits, even if I was a little impatient being aware of what was coming due to the movie. There's plenty of character backstory nicely woven into the current situation, which mostly revolves around struggling writer/teacher/father/husband Jack Torrance. Struggling is the key word. For all the paranormal activity goin' on up in this book, it's the man's inner struggle that binds this baby together.

King included some interesting details that didn't make the movie. He also included plenty of not so interesting details. The whole storyline about former hotel owners added a nice haunted house aura about the hotel and gave Jack something to build his rage upon, but it was too much exposition.

The target of Jack's pent up hostilities, his son Danny, provides some of King's best scenes. One gets the sense that King enjoyed writing Danny or at least that he had a lot to pour into the character. There is some great stuff in here about childhood fears. (GR reviewer Steve has some excellent thoughts on the subject in his review: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/396227655)

All in all, it's an enjoyable read, one that could've been an excellent one had some of the fat been trimmed, for instance, the aforementioned hotel history. There is also too much time spent on Hallorann, the hotel's chef who has a special connection to Danny. Hallorann's storyline takes the reader away from the Torrances and saps some of that precious tension King spent so much time and energy building up. One can't help but compare this book to the incredibly popular movie version directed by Stanley Kubrick. The movie lacks the character depth King attained, but comparably, it is one sleek scare-fest!