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A review by alwayslol
The Shining by Stephen King
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Wow that is a good one! Without any spoilers, there are so many details in the book that didn't make it into the Kubrick movie that add to the story, such as a fully flushed out backstory on the history of The Overlook and an explanation as to why Danny had The Shining. And the character Watson, the blue collar maintenance man who barely makes an appearance in the movie, gets a whole chapter all to himself to add color and a bit of humor:
<blockquote>“The boiler,” Watson announced. He pulled a red-and-blue bandanna from his back pocket, blew his nose with a decisive honk, and thrust it back out of sight after a short peek into it to see if he had gotten anything interesting.</blockquote>
Although The Shining doesn't have as much dialogue as other King books, King manages to fit some corny talk in:
<blockquote>“Nothin is that urgent,” the plow driver said slowly and kindly, as if speaking to a mental defective. “If you’d’a hit that post a leetle mite harder, nobody woulda got you out till All Fools’ Day. Don’t come from these parts, do you?” “No. And I wouldn’t be here unless my business was as urgent as I say.”</blockquote>
Then there's the ending, which is quite different from the one in Kubrick's film version. I won't give it away, but if you are a fan, you should definitely check it out yourself! This was awesome!
<blockquote>“The boiler,” Watson announced. He pulled a red-and-blue bandanna from his back pocket, blew his nose with a decisive honk, and thrust it back out of sight after a short peek into it to see if he had gotten anything interesting.</blockquote>
Although The Shining doesn't have as much dialogue as other King books, King manages to fit some corny talk in:
<blockquote>“Nothin is that urgent,” the plow driver said slowly and kindly, as if speaking to a mental defective. “If you’d’a hit that post a leetle mite harder, nobody woulda got you out till All Fools’ Day. Don’t come from these parts, do you?” “No. And I wouldn’t be here unless my business was as urgent as I say.”</blockquote>
Then there's the ending, which is quite different from the one in Kubrick's film version. I won't give it away, but if you are a fan, you should definitely check it out yourself! This was awesome!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcoholism and Murder