Review: The Shining

The Shining by Stephen King
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Part of me wishes I hadn't seen the film version before this. I haven't seen Kubrick's film in over a decade now, but some of the moments from that film are so striking and memorable that they heavily colored my feelings of this book despite noticing some fairly strong differences in places (details, tone). I can see why King was dissatisfied with the film as an adaptation, although both stand out as their own work of art.

For this book itself, it's an overall less bleak story in spite of the darkness and does a better job explaining some of the things assumed in the film including establishing the backgrounds of the main characters (Jack and Wendy's relationship dynamic, Danny's powers, etc). The last quarter is about as tense and anxiety-inducing as one would expect, just like the film. There is one particular moment unique to the book though that stuck with me during the ending sequence (no spoilers here).

Overall feels like one of King's better famous works, with the benefit of not overstaying its welcome compared to say The Stand or It (both of which I feel like I have to say, "I like it, but..."). Looking forward to the sequel.

Also aside but the winter setting feels very seasonally appropriate right now lol.