Mike's Book Reviews I’m glad you did these King videos. It reminded me how good of a writer he is and how I need to go back and reread everything that I did when I was younger. Seems like a good time to do it with all the free time I’ll have on my hands the next couple of weeks. Can’t wait to for The Stand video!
First read this in 5th grade. Re-read it when I was 24 and really ramping up my drinking. It took on a totally different perspective for me. As a recovering alcoholic, this book is not only scary, but heartbreaking.
Reminds me of my son towards his dad, who drinks as well. When I read this again for like the 8th time and my son was around 7 it hit me different (again!) Especially Wendy and Danny. I used to relate to Jack more 😂
For me, the moving topiary bushes scared me so much I had to move to my dining room, turn the overhead light on bright in order to continue reading. Too scared to read, but unable to stop! Lol! Tremendous writing!
@@Laniusexcubitor-xo5wxI wouldn't say that they don't translate well. Look at the Weeping Angels from Doctor Who. They are basically the topiaries from the Shining
King was on fire when he wrote The Shining. Absolutely classic on every level. It's my also my vote for the single best King novel. I read somewhere that he wrote Apt Pupil immediately after it, which wouldn't be surprising, because Apt Pupil is also a great example of King in top form. He'd seriously hit a stride during that period. The novel he published after it was The Stand, which might be my pick for his second greatest book. He was just knocking them out of ballpark in the late 70s.
It’s the thing on the playground I find scariest. When Danny is in the tunnel and the snow collapses and something is crawling towards him…*shudders* And I’m so glad to hear you praise Pet Sematary. It’s most favorite book in the world. And I think it’s so horrific, too! Just the dread. And watching someone lose their mind. 🖤
I just finished reading this book for the first time. I was one of the few souls who has never seen the movie and didn't even know what a "shining" was going into it, so the Redrum reveal was a punch in the head. TBH I felt a bit silly in retrospect for not seeing it, but was mostly just awed by how flawlessly it was set up and pulled off. It was the best hidden-in-plain-sight reveal I can remember reading, maybe ever.
This is a bit of a stretch, but this is my opinion on what the book meant to me: the use of masks at the masquerade was a growing theme throughout this novel in numerous points. I believe that jack torrence has been hiding his true self behind a mask for the majority of his life. It’s pretty well documented throughout the book that jack was a rather sinful person from a young age. examples:( kicking a small dog into a sewer drain and feeling no remorse, faking seeing the face of Jesus and insulting the nuns in his mind, breaking Danny’s arm in a fit of rage, trying to nearly kill one of his students, covering up what he thought to be a possible murder in a drunk driving accident etc etc) Once he got to the hotel he felt at home and that he could take the mask off and in a sense become who he’s always really been. An evil human being who enjoys darkness and sinful acts. He fits right into the dark past of the overlook and is amongst people that are like him so he has nothing to hide. He revealed his true face and did what he always wanted to. He free’d himself of the ‘ball and chain’ that is Wendy and Danny so he can live his own life the way he wants with no interruptions.
Shane, that's a wonderful point about the masks (I'm re-reading The Shinning, and will keep this in mind as I go). However, King isn't content to just give us a total baddie, he gives us the whole person. For example, Jack's father was a mean drunk who beat and abused Jack as well as his siblings, (and, most importantly to the story, his mother, whom Jack later superimposes onto Wendy). I think this explains why Jack abuses animals (and anyone else whom he views as a 'weakling'). Although I don't condone his behavior, I can certainly understand it. If there is evil in Jack, it isn't of his own desire, it's because his father firmly placed it there.
@@mousetreehouse6833 thanks,that’s a good point as well. I agree I think his father definitely played a big part in him becoming who he was. He basically morphed into his father when he was trying to kill Danny yelling ‘take your medicine’
@@shaneogallagher831so if you know why king ended up hating the original movie so much, it's because of a fundamental disagreement between him and Kubrick. Kubrick brought up the question of whether the ending was jack being possessed or not. Kubrick believed Jack had become his true self in the end, king didn't. If you think about Jack's actual final act (SPOILER) it was to try and save his son from whatever had taken Jack himself over, and then smash himself to death with the cricket mallet (can't remember the correct word he used in the book). So I think everything you mentioned made Jack a prime candidate for what the hotel and it's "ghostly inhabitants" wanted to do. He was an easy target because he'd been struggling his whole life, and was deep into arguably his biggest internal struggle. I like to think Jack was good in the end and the hotel started to take hold of him VERY quickly upon arrival, and he ultimately saved his family from what had taken him over when his son couldn't hardly bare to leave him until his father told him to do so. But I unno, just my thoughts
The book is so freaking good. I had no issues with the movie because it was a fantastic in its own right. I see them as two separate stories because they are so different. The thing I enjoyed about the book is the deep dive we get into the mind of Jack Torrence. It’s a slow, methodical dive into madness which is disturbing yet interesting. I definitely understand King’s dislike for the film but there is no doubt that the film is a classic in the horror genre.
I just finished the book last night. I have seen the movie a number of times and love it. Just a quarter through the book it was obvious why King wasn't a fan of the adaptation, as you mention we don't see Jack's descent into hell in the movie, he's pretty much already there. I think it also shows Kubrick's genius in that he can make the movie so different but still make it great. I can definitely say that both the book and the movie rank highly in my all-time favorites lists!
just finished an hour ago. I feel the part where the spirits get hold of Holloranns mind in the shed as they're escaping from the overlook shit me up the most. I honestly thought he was going to run out and fuck them up in the last few pages of the book, glad he didn't in the end but yeah, was mad
That scene in room 217 was terrifying. I was walking at night while listening to the chapter and kept looking over my shoulder. Hearing things and getting very paranoid. What a chapter. I'm now listening to Dr. Sleep.
The Shining was the first King book I read nearly 25 years ago - I was 16, and was staying in a old hotel in the mountains which made it all the more atmospheric! King's storytelling hooked me immediately and I went straight onto Salem's Lot, and then onto Pet Cemetery which scared me so much I didn't read another King book for 2 decades! I've recently got back into them through finally getting round to listening to the IT audiobook (my favourite King book so far) and am currently devouring his back-catalogue, have got through 5 audiobooks in 2 weeks! Which is how I found your channel - looking for reviews and recommendations to try and sort out a priority order for my King reading list! Excellent videos man, appreciate the time you put into creating them! Happy reading :-)
I remember reading the end of this book and having to take a break because I was full of fear. I couldn’t move, didn’t wanna look around, I just stared at the book.
I don't worry about spoilers because I feel that if a story is well written, it won't matter if you know what happens next, it will still be able to pack the punch and make you feel or realize what the author wants you to. I really want to read the shining but I am still waiting for Salem's lot that I ordered a month ago. We are expecting a backlog with the whole covid lockdown thing here in South Africa.
Hello, great video! I loved it. When I started to read Doctor Sleep there were parts about it that didn't sit right with me. It was then that I realised I had never actually read The Shining, which is why Doctor Sleep wasn't making that much sense. I've read it now, and can understand King's frustrations with Kubrick's film. This video makes me want to read it again, but I want to re-read The Stand first. I read it so long ago and have been meaning to dig in again for a while.
My first King book was 'Salem's Lot. Couldn't put it down. Read til the wee hours. Husband: "Turn out the light and go to sleep already." Me: "Just one more page." Husband: "You said that an hour ago."
They did the instant chair stacking in Poltergeist [1982]. They probably could have done the moving hedges; just proper camera cuts, shots, and ambient music. See also Weeping Angels from Dr. Who which has a shoestring budget.
Again... I think this is one of my favorite books of all time. Not just Stephen King (that's a big part though) but I could literally read this book over and over again and just like you, I don't see what's coming. I love the movie too. I haven't seen the series and I kind of want to but I can't find it. This is definitely one of my go-to books and every time I read it it's as chilling (that chapter 217) as the first time I read it. Love it!
Still one of the greatest novels I’ve ever read. A true classic that will go down in history as one of the most amazing horror novels of all time. Love your reviews. Always look forward to them. Your Wheel of time videos are always a treat and made up you love Stephen King, my favourite author, and have reviewed them
I love this series you are doing! I only started fantasy because of The Dark Tower. Which I can't wait until you get to because I remember how you said you really disliked the ending. I was so blown away by the possibilities of that ending. I have been rereading King. I too first read them in junior high 25 years ago and feel they still hold up for me as an adult.
First time I read The Shining I wasn't fan, I felt as though I couldn't separate the book from the movie & I had seen the movie sooo many times! I reread the book via audiobook last year & absolutely loved it this time around, I definitely understood a lot of the deeper problems going on more so on the second read and I'm going to do another read later in a year or so by reading the physical copy again!
read this before the internet and still had people tell me about "that" chapter (not in the IT way) The Shine is a cool magic system (if you want to call it that), very underrated aspect in many of King's works. King most definitely his own main character, in multiple books Spot on review sir, I think you got all of it right did not know about those little connections, thanks. Did Carrie have the Shine? Is that what the Ka-tet develop together? The dreams after the plague? Dead Zone, Firestarter? Different flavours/iterations of the same potential? I guess the Stand is next in this series? Looking forward to that one, going to be a long video I think. I haven't heard much about the upcoming adaptation but from what I've seen it looks like they're trying for more of an IT than a Dark Tower situation. Fingers crossed. Thanks Mike, keep em coming
Lots of people have theorized things like Pennywise haunting the Overlook and Carrie/Charlie (Firestarter) having some variation of the Shine. King has never confirmed these things, but he's never denied them either. It's part of what makes his universe so fascinating. Yes, The Stand is next month.
@@mikesbookreviews Pennywise haunting the Overlook is reaching imo Carrie and Danny's abilities are inherent, Charlie's inherited from a procedure Roland called it the touch I believe, and i think he said something to the effect that everyone has it in varying degrees (himself being useless with it). Didn't Dick say something similar? Everyone has the shine Anyways looking forward to the Stand, Randall Flagg, an Evil that doesn't understand itself, a theme King comes back to time and again Wasn't there a Danny Torrence reference in Dark Tower somewhere? or maybe Insomnia? Cheers
Definitely the scariest book I ever read. All time fave. The Kubrick movie is also a fave. I enjoyed the cheap movie but I was a ki and haven't tried it as an adult lol I think I've read it about 9 times... I remember stopping and looking around my room in he dark, with my reading light on. First time a book ever made me do that. No book has since.
21:00 I read this in that scene as Ullman trying to convince Jack to not take the job, as he was only there from recommendation by Albert Shockley. If I remember the tone of the scene correctly
I finished it recently and was truly astounded at how terrific King's prose was. I usually enjoy a good plot more than interesting characters and stuff like that. But this book made me feel something that I haven't experienced in a long time: as soon as I finished it, I wanted to go back to the beginning and start it again
Hi Mike. Just stumbled on to your channel and it’s terrific. I’m a big fan of classic lit, horror and murder mystery novels, Agatha Christie, etc. Your Review of Dune made me buy a copy recently. Also, I completely agree with you on the Shining. Classic book, Classic movie.
Spoilers for the stand!!!! in boulder free zone, after some explosion occurs, one guy says something like "it overlooked. No, overload" very very subtle, but i believe it is a connection there
I've read it so many times, and I always find myself coming back to it. It's just so good. But yes, I'm one of the guys that hates the movie. I can't be TOO mad about Dick dying, even though he was basically the hero of the book, because it was a common troupe for black people to be the first to die in early horror films. That didn't start to change until the mid-late 90s.
This brought me back to my early college days, 2001, and I had a class American Horror Literature with Dr. Gross. I was assigned The Shining and Pet Semetary (amongst others) and was my first read of this book, even though I had already been a King fan for some time. I had watched the movie as a kid, and was creeped out by it, but since reading the book, it truly lessened the impact of the movie for me. Now that it's been about 20 years or so, I think it's high time I got to re-read this classic.
If you are ever looking for a vacation spot I recommend The Stanley Hotel in Estes Park Colorado. It is Kings inspiration for the Overlook and they really love to play up the Shining aspect. My daughter and I spent the night of Stephen Kings 70th birthday there and it was fantastic. My daughter (30 yrs old) said she was kept awake all night by the sounds of children playing in the hall. I am a total skeptic and slept the entire night soundly. :) BTW I'm loving this series of videos!
Stanley Kubrick reportedly once described Stephen King's writing as “weak”. I think King's reaction to Kubrick and the movie is a natural reaction. #TheBookIsAlwaysBetter
Oh also I do agree that Jack has more of a character arch in the book, I still sensed him a little off and going a little insane from almost the very beginning. Him getting annoyed with Wendy and Danny in his head while Hanloran is showing them the kitchen at the overlook. Him getting annoyed at Ullman in his job interview. Maybe bc my parents got frustrated with me a lot and my dad left I am overly sensitive to it, but he is clearly already getting annoyed with his wife and kid from the SECOND they get to the Overlook at the very latest. Danny also reminds me a lot of myself as a child and many points of this book really hit home in a very eerie way, and I think that is the mastery that is Stephen King. His characters are EXTREMELY authentic and relatable.
Great review Mike! I've been rereading The Shining every years since 2013, it's my favorite King along with Doctor Sleep. I saw the connection in the other King that I've read but a few I haven't yet. I'm very interested to read Misery, I just want to forget the movie (I watched it a long time ago but I still remember some things) and later The Stand (that's a commitment).
Lol just to let you know. Every time I finish a king book I immediately look forward to a review by you. (If you have the review for the ones I finish) I love your thoughts on these reviews
The Shining is the first Steven King book I read. It had me seeing things in shadows and jumping at every noise. Fantastic book! I bought The Stand, Salems Lot, and Misery. Just can’t decide which one to pickup next.
I've made the bold claim more than once that The Shining isn't just a great horror novel but one of the Great American Novels. Ghosts aside, it's a devastating examination of addiction and the dissolution of the nuclear family. The fact that it's also scary AF is the icing on the cake. King has always been a literary writer disguised as a genre writer, and I think he will ultimately be remembered as the Dickens or Twain of his generation.
The "Shining" is mentioned in "Misery" as far as Annie mentioning the death of the Overlooks caretaker 10 years earlier in the Hotels fire. I think its around chapter 20. I only know this because I was reading it earlier today 🤓
I've thought for a while that the Overlook has a "twinner" like the Black House or the hotel that holds the Talisman...and Danny is one of the "breakers" that they talk about in Black House...I think there are low key connections to the Dark Tower like that.
Partially off topic but I will connect. Have you read King's On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft? The reason I ask it's really a short autobiography by King and explains how he wrote Carrie and how Carrie got published. Also how the proceeds from the paperback rights of Carrie saved/started his career. It also gives insights where the ideas came from on the next books; Salem's Lot, The Shinning, etc.
The Jack Torrance of the book is a much more layered character than the Jack Torrance of the Kubrick film. I actually felt bad for him in the King's book, whereas in Kubrick's movie, he was basically an unlikeable asshole, in my opinion.
Yeah like with the novel your just like “man its sad jack died” but with the 1980 movie your just like “yo lets go jack died he deserved it.” Like am i right??
I love mikes channel. I just wrapped up the shining, but I do t really have any friends to talk to about the things I read with, and my poor wife has had enough. So here I am at 3 AM “talking” with Mike about a book I just read while feeding my 7 week old.
SPOILER! I hated the movie and LOVED the book.I hated the movie, because the movie didnt show the relationship between Danny and Jack. In the movie, Jack was just a dick of a father, while in the book Jack was not perfect, but he loved his son Danny. Thats what made it so tragic when Jack was going insane in the book and Danny just kissed his hand and said goodbye....wow.....as a father to a son myself, that just broke my heart and the relationship between the father and the son was a very important element of the book for me. When I saw the movie just ignore that, it didnt hit as the book hit me.
Revisiting this classic gem 💎 to wrap up spooky season. I'm almost done, and even though I read this back when I was in school, this time around it feels like packing a harder punch. I absolutely loved the first third of the book, just getting to know Jack and Wendy, their history and struggles. But now I'm well into the third act, and the intensity is now cranked up to 11
The mistake people make is assuming Kubrick was adapting the book. He wasn't. He was using the book as a springboard for his own ideas. And in doing so, he created a genuine cinematic masterpiece. PS: awesome Maiden shirt!
I've never read any King, but I am interested in Salem's Lot, and 11/22/63. I know I will read The Shining eventually, but it's one of those stories that hits a little too close to home. My dad suffered from alcoholism when I was Danny's age, and that time period was similar to the personal experiences King wrote into this. Without having read it, it seems like King wrote a very real depiction of how addiction affects familial relationships. Thank God my dad successfully defeated his demons. And now as a mother of 2 littles, Pet Semetary is another one of King's books that scares the bejeezus out of me. I'm curious about it, but not sure if I'll ever read it.
I refuse to believe that people have read this book and came to the conclusion that the wasp nest and Jack replacing the Overlook’s shingles are “filler”. Those moments are absolutely crucial to understanding Jack’s character and the tragedy of him losing himself to the hotel
I read the book before I watched the movie and I just hated how they made jack a asshole in the movie with no redeeming qualities, were as in the book he is trying to stop drinking he loves Danny but the hotel is getting to him and it's a fight he ultimately loses
First time I read the shining I was on a cruise. The long hallways on the ship were very disorienting and disturbing and seemed to make the book pop for me.
Yeah once I read that 217 chapter I had chills the whole way through made me feel like a kid again when I went to piss I smacked the damn shower curtain back just to make sure. Such a great book
Finished reading this yesterday, and it was my first introduction to classic King. I absolutely devoured it, it was such a page turner unlike anything I’ve read in a while. I also need to watch the movie to see the comparisons! Overall, I really enjoyed it and am on to Doctor Sleep now.
King said when it was time to rewrite the first draft on the chapter about that room that he would count dime the days to rewriting it as it scared him that much
I've been a constant reader since 1986 but somehow I never read this one. Finished it last night and it is definitely top 5 for me. Arguably number 2 for me (the stand is #1). Great review. This novel is great
@@pamelalagree-kanotz6845 My sincerest apologies Pam. I surely didn't mean to offend you by calling myself a constant reader. I guess I will flog myself in shame.🙄
I need to really read this book again. I got my hardback copy about 7yrs or so ago. I've grown up a lot since then, and I think I will understand this book a lot more now. I agree about the movie & book being good. I recently watched Doctor Sleep, and i personally think they did a good job on the movie too.
For one of the scariest moments in the book that I don't think featured in the movie or the mini-series was Danny playing in the concrete tunnel when he senses the presence of another child in there with him.
I also noticed a focus on how there was 19 steps on the stairs where Jack was chasing and hitting Wendy with the mallet. Idk what it signifies so if any one has an idea lmk.
This book scared me shitless! If I had to narrow down 3 parts which scared me the most, it would have to be when Jack almost lets the boiler blow. Secondly, the part where he smashes the cb radio and lastly... The part where the clock activates and the figures of he and Dannie appear, along with the blood along the glass. That party alone was quite frightening in my opinion. Having read Pet sematary, I have to say the shining was more disturbing to me due to Jack's slow but steady descent into madness. The isolation... I could go on forever about this book, but it is one of my favorites and was my first Stephen King.
I know I’m late but that scene after he smashed his own face in. And running to get the boiler taken care of gave me Alice in wonderland vibes of the rabbit.
Read it twice, once as a kid and a few years back to get ready for Doctor Sleep novel. I was surprised to have the experience of enjoying it more when I was a kid. That's not saying it was bad, but I was genuinely surprised. I'm wondering if the many times I have watched the movie may have tainted my reading experience and expectations. I still rate this book above a lot of horror available today.
I find reading this book with really melancholy music in the background makes the impending tragedy even more sad. I find myself feeling bad for Jack more than anything. Never felt that for him in the movie.
They did the hedge maze thing in miniseries it was still hilarious with the cgi. Technically back in 80 they could have done it better and look more realistic than now cause they use so much cgi now and when they did miniseries lol.
SPOILER COMMENT: Currently reading the climax of this book while living in a hotel with my wife and two children. I often read late in the dark after they have all gone to bed and the part where they hear the elevator moving from floor to floor late at night gave me chills! This is my second attempt at this book because Initially felt the story was taking too long to develop into horror like in the movie. I now realize why King wrote so much of Jack’s backstory. You can empathize with is his struggle to maintain his sanity. Great review! I’m going to finish this video once I’m done with the book.
![Lp. Сердце Вселенной #60 РОЖДЕНИЕ ЛОЛОЛОШКИ [Финал] • Майнкрафт](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/YoR0pAV9FVQ/mqdefault.jpg)
Hey bookworms and Constant Readers! Let your light shine and have a great week.
Mike's Book Reviews I’m glad you did these King videos. It reminded me how good of a writer he is and how I need to go back and reread everything that I did when I was younger. Seems like a good time to do it with all the free time I’ll have on my hands the next couple of weeks. Can’t wait to for The Stand video!
@@caseywestrope3357 The real challenge of The Stand is making the video shorter than the book. Heh.
Thank you for your insightful and informative reviews. Wish I could see all of them.
First read this in 5th grade. Re-read it when I was 24 and really ramping up my drinking. It took on a totally different perspective for me. As a recovering alcoholic, this book is not only scary, but heartbreaking.
The love Danny has for his father, broke my heart, he never gave up on his Daddy 😭
It’s touching, for sure.
Reminds me of my son towards his dad, who drinks as well. When I read this again for like the 8th time and my son was around 7 it hit me different (again!) Especially Wendy and Danny. I used to relate to Jack more 😂
Yeah that's what I enjoy about the book too. In Stanley Kubrick's version they practically had no relationship
It was the first book I read from him and the first one to get me into reading again so it will always have a special place in my heart!
Awesome to hear.
Ha, same for me. Started with The Shining and been reading like one a month for the past two years
For me, the moving topiary bushes scared me so much I had to move to my dining room, turn the overhead light on bright in order to continue reading. Too scared to read, but unable to stop! Lol! Tremendous writing!
Not very scary in live action form though
@@Galvatronoverthats because its barely even the same story and really shouldn't even be called the shining
@@Galvatronover Yeah, some things just don't translate well into other mediums. But in the book it was great!
@@Laniusexcubitor-xo5wxI wouldn't say that they don't translate well.
Look at the Weeping Angels from Doctor Who. They are basically the topiaries from the Shining
King was on fire when he wrote The Shining. Absolutely classic on every level. It's my also my vote for the single best King novel. I read somewhere that he wrote Apt Pupil immediately after it, which wouldn't be surprising, because Apt Pupil is also a great example of King in top form. He'd seriously hit a stride during that period. The novel he published after it was The Stand, which might be my pick for his second greatest book. He was just knocking them out of ballpark in the late 70s.
The moving topiary scared me so much that I had to change rooms and turn on all the lights! I'll never forget that!
It’s the thing on the playground I find scariest. When Danny is in the tunnel and the snow collapses and something is crawling towards him…*shudders*
And I’m so glad to hear you praise Pet Sematary. It’s most favorite book in the world. And I think it’s so horrific, too! Just the dread. And watching someone lose their mind. 🖤
I just finished reading this book for the first time. I was one of the few souls who has never seen the movie and didn't even know what a "shining" was going into it, so the Redrum reveal was a punch in the head. TBH I felt a bit silly in retrospect for not seeing it, but was mostly just awed by how flawlessly it was set up and pulled off. It was the best hidden-in-plain-sight reveal I can remember reading, maybe ever.
This is a bit of a stretch, but this is my opinion on what the book meant to me: the use of masks at the masquerade was a growing theme throughout this novel in numerous points. I believe that jack torrence has been hiding his true self behind a mask for the majority of his life. It’s pretty well documented throughout the book that jack was a rather sinful person from a young age. examples:( kicking a small dog into a sewer drain and feeling no remorse, faking seeing the face of Jesus and insulting the nuns in his mind, breaking Danny’s arm in a fit of rage, trying to nearly kill one of his students, covering up what he thought to be a possible murder in a drunk driving accident etc etc) Once he got to the hotel he felt at home and that he could take the mask off and in a sense become who he’s always really been. An evil human being who enjoys darkness and sinful acts. He fits right into the dark past of the overlook and is amongst people that are like him so he has nothing to hide. He revealed his true face and did what he always wanted to. He free’d himself of the ‘ball and chain’ that is Wendy and Danny so he can live his own life the way he wants with no interruptions.
Shane, that's a wonderful point about the masks (I'm re-reading The Shinning, and will keep this in mind as I go).
However, King isn't content to just give us a total baddie, he gives us the whole person. For example, Jack's father was a mean drunk who beat and abused Jack as well as his siblings, (and, most importantly to the story, his mother, whom Jack later superimposes onto Wendy). I think this explains why Jack abuses animals (and anyone else whom he views as a 'weakling'). Although I don't condone his behavior, I can certainly understand it. If there is evil in Jack, it isn't of his own desire, it's because his father firmly placed it there.
@@mousetreehouse6833 thanks,that’s a good point as well. I agree I think his father definitely played a big part in him becoming who he was. He basically morphed into his father when he was trying to kill Danny yelling ‘take your medicine’
@@shaneogallagher831so if you know why king ended up hating the original movie so much, it's because of a fundamental disagreement between him and Kubrick. Kubrick brought up the question of whether the ending was jack being possessed or not. Kubrick believed Jack had become his true self in the end, king didn't. If you think about Jack's actual final act (SPOILER) it was to try and save his son from whatever had taken Jack himself over, and then smash himself to death with the cricket mallet (can't remember the correct word he used in the book).
So I think everything you mentioned made Jack a prime candidate for what the hotel and it's "ghostly inhabitants" wanted to do. He was an easy target because he'd been struggling his whole life, and was deep into arguably his biggest internal struggle.
I like to think Jack was good in the end and the hotel started to take hold of him VERY quickly upon arrival, and he ultimately saved his family from what had taken him over when his son couldn't hardly bare to leave him until his father told him to do so.
But I unno, just my thoughts
Great perception
The book is so freaking good.
I had no issues with the movie because it was a fantastic in its own right.
I see them as two separate stories because they are so different.
The thing I enjoyed about the book is the deep dive we get into the mind of Jack Torrence. It’s a slow, methodical dive into madness which is disturbing yet interesting.
I definitely understand King’s dislike for the film but there is no doubt that the film is a classic in the horror genre.
I just finished the book last night. I have seen the movie a number of times and love it. Just a quarter through the book it was obvious why King wasn't a fan of the adaptation, as you mention we don't see Jack's descent into hell in the movie, he's pretty much already there. I think it also shows Kubrick's genius in that he can make the movie so different but still make it great. I can definitely say that both the book and the movie rank highly in my all-time favorites lists!
Yeah movie Jack was a psycho from the interview.
I think an unsung factor in the Kubrick movie, is the performance of Scatman Crothers. He plays his role flawlessly I believe!
I believe that come the end of the 21st century this book will stand besides the likes of "Dracula" and "Frankenstein".
just finished an hour ago. I feel the part where the spirits get hold of Holloranns mind in the shed as they're escaping from the overlook shit me up the most. I honestly thought he was going to run out and fuck them up in the last few pages of the book, glad he didn't in the end but yeah, was mad
That scene in room 217 was terrifying. I was walking at night while listening to the chapter and kept looking over my shoulder. Hearing things and getting very paranoid. What a chapter. I'm now listening to Dr. Sleep.
The Shining was the first King book I read nearly 25 years ago - I was 16, and was staying in a old hotel in the mountains which made it all the more atmospheric! King's storytelling hooked me immediately and I went straight onto Salem's Lot, and then onto Pet Cemetery which scared me so much I didn't read another King book for 2 decades! I've recently got back into them through finally getting round to listening to the IT audiobook (my favourite King book so far) and am currently devouring his back-catalogue, have got through 5 audiobooks in 2 weeks! Which is how I found your channel - looking for reviews and recommendations to try and sort out a priority order for my King reading list! Excellent videos man, appreciate the time you put into creating them! Happy reading :-)
I remember reading the end of this book and having to take a break because I was full of fear. I couldn’t move, didn’t wanna look around, I just stared at the book.
As a son of an alcoholic father this book means a lot to me.
5/5 book. Phenomenal work with characters and relationships. Great writing. Will definitely read more King.
Brilliant video. The Shining is in my Top Ten King. Agree it does have its slow moments but the overall narrative is astonishing.
It really is.
Great video Mike. I also really enjoyed the connections between Poe's The Masque of the Red Death and this book.
King does literary references like that quite often in his books, he had Shirley Jackson's Haunting of Hillhouse references in Salem's Lot.
I don't worry about spoilers because I feel that if a story is well written, it won't matter if you know what happens next, it will still be able to pack the punch and make you feel or realize what the author wants you to. I really want to read the shining but I am still waiting for Salem's lot that I ordered a month ago. We are expecting a backlog with the whole covid lockdown thing here in South Africa.
Hello, great video! I loved it. When I started to read Doctor Sleep there were parts about it that didn't sit right with me. It was then that I realised I had never actually read The Shining, which is why Doctor Sleep wasn't making that much sense. I've read it now, and can understand King's frustrations with Kubrick's film. This video makes me want to read it again, but I want to re-read The Stand first. I read it so long ago and have been meaning to dig in again for a while.
So many cool things in a reread.
Read this book for the first time when the power was out during a snow storm. Yeah I just want you to put all of that together
My first King book was 'Salem's Lot. Couldn't put it down. Read til the wee hours. Husband: "Turn out the light and go to sleep already." Me: "Just one more page." Husband: "You said that an hour ago."
They did the instant chair stacking in Poltergeist [1982]. They probably could have done the moving hedges; just proper camera cuts, shots, and ambient music. See also Weeping Angels from Dr. Who which has a shoestring budget.
Again... I think this is one of my favorite books of all time. Not just Stephen King (that's a big part though) but I could literally read this book over and over again and just like you, I don't see what's coming. I love the movie too. I haven't seen the series and I kind of want to but I can't find it. This is definitely one of my go-to books and every time I read it it's as chilling (that chapter 217) as the first time I read it. Love it!
Still one of the greatest novels I’ve ever read. A true classic that will go down in history as one of the most amazing horror novels of all time.
Love your reviews. Always look forward to them. Your Wheel of time videos are always a treat and made up you love Stephen King, my favourite author, and have reviewed them
I love this series you are doing! I only started fantasy because of The Dark Tower. Which I can't wait until you get to because I remember how you said you really disliked the ending. I was so blown away by the possibilities of that ending. I have been rereading King. I too first read them in junior high 25 years ago and feel they still hold up for me as an adult.
Glad you’re liking it. I love talking King.
You rock man. I love these. Hope you get a lot more viewers and this channel takes off. Love it.
Thanks! The growth rate is pretty good right now (about 100 subs per day) but my King traffic just won't pick up.
First time I read The Shining I wasn't fan, I felt as though I couldn't separate the book from the movie & I had seen the movie sooo many times!
I reread the book via audiobook last year & absolutely loved it this time around, I definitely understood a lot of the deeper problems going on more so on the second read and I'm going to do another read later in a year or so by reading the physical copy again!
I think re-reading it as an adult made it a different experience for me.
read this before the internet and still had people tell me about "that" chapter (not in the IT way)
The Shine is a cool magic system (if you want to call it that), very underrated aspect in many of King's works.
King most definitely his own main character, in multiple books
Spot on review sir, I think you got all of it right
did not know about those little connections, thanks. Did Carrie have the Shine? Is that what the Ka-tet develop together? The dreams after the plague? Dead Zone, Firestarter? Different flavours/iterations of the same potential?
I guess the Stand is next in this series? Looking forward to that one, going to be a long video I think. I haven't heard much about the upcoming adaptation but from what I've seen it looks like they're trying for more of an IT than a Dark Tower situation. Fingers crossed.
Thanks Mike, keep em coming
Lots of people have theorized things like Pennywise haunting the Overlook and Carrie/Charlie (Firestarter) having some variation of the Shine. King has never confirmed these things, but he's never denied them either. It's part of what makes his universe so fascinating. Yes, The Stand is next month.
@@mikesbookreviews Pennywise haunting the Overlook is reaching imo
Carrie and Danny's abilities are inherent, Charlie's inherited from a procedure
Roland called it the touch I believe, and i think he said something to the effect that everyone has it in varying degrees (himself being useless with it). Didn't Dick say something similar? Everyone has the shine
Anyways looking forward to the Stand, Randall Flagg, an Evil that doesn't understand itself, a theme King comes back to time and again
Wasn't there a Danny Torrence reference in Dark Tower somewhere? or maybe Insomnia?
Cheers
@@mikesbookreviews there was also a theory that the Loser's Club have the Shine.
I've owned it for a year and never read it, and because I blame your review I finally picked it up, read and finished it. Thanks it was really good.
Wow!! Read The Shining, when it came out. SK at his Greatest!
Definitely the scariest book I ever read. All time fave. The Kubrick movie is also a fave. I enjoyed the cheap movie but I was a ki and haven't tried it as an adult lol I think I've read it about 9 times... I remember stopping and looking around my room in he dark, with my reading light on. First time a book ever made me do that. No book has since.
21:00 I read this in that scene as Ullman trying to convince Jack to not take the job, as he was only there from recommendation by Albert Shockley. If I remember the tone of the scene correctly
Torrance: a homophone for torrents, or turbulence/troubled waters. Like Jack's inner life.
The shinning is mentioned in billy summers as the overlook once had been standing and the picture in the summer cottage of the hedge animals
I finished it recently and was truly astounded at how terrific King's prose was. I usually enjoy a good plot more than interesting characters and stuff like that. But this book made me feel something that I haven't experienced in a long time: as soon as I finished it, I wanted to go back to the beginning and start it again
Hi Mike. Just stumbled on to your channel and it’s terrific. I’m a big fan of classic lit, horror and murder mystery novels, Agatha Christie, etc. Your Review of Dune made me buy a copy recently. Also, I completely agree with you on the Shining. Classic book, Classic movie.
What kind of sound affects did you use, when reading the chapter about the dead lady, in Room 217? Sounds spooky.
Spoilers for the stand!!!!
in boulder free zone, after some explosion occurs, one guy says something like "it overlooked. No, overload" very very subtle, but i believe it is a connection there
Damn Mike, every video you make about SK's books makes me want to read the book in question. I just finished Shawshank and it was great.
That's the goal! Enjoy.
I've read it so many times, and I always find myself coming back to it. It's just so good. But yes, I'm one of the guys that hates the movie. I can't be TOO mad about Dick dying, even though he was basically the hero of the book, because it was a common troupe for black people to be the first to die in early horror films. That didn't start to change until the mid-late 90s.
No TV and no beer make Homer go something something.
This brought me back to my early college days, 2001, and I had a class American Horror Literature with Dr. Gross. I was assigned The Shining and Pet Semetary (amongst others) and was my first read of this book, even though I had already been a King fan for some time.
I had watched the movie as a kid, and was creeped out by it, but since reading the book, it truly lessened the impact of the movie for me.
Now that it's been about 20 years or so, I think it's high time I got to re-read this classic.
I agree, the scariest parts of The Shining isn't the hotel ghosts - it's the human struggles!
Humans are way scarier than monsters.
If you are ever looking for a vacation spot I recommend The Stanley Hotel in Estes Park Colorado. It is Kings inspiration for the Overlook and they really love to play up the Shining aspect. My daughter and I spent the night of Stephen Kings 70th birthday there and it was fantastic. My daughter (30 yrs old) said she was kept awake all night by the sounds of children playing in the hall. I am a total skeptic and slept the entire night soundly. :)
BTW I'm loving this series of videos!
My wife would be too scared ha ha
Stanley Kubrick reportedly once described Stephen King's writing as “weak”. I think King's reaction to Kubrick and the movie is a natural reaction. #TheBookIsAlwaysBetter
Oh also I do agree that Jack has more of a character arch in the book, I still sensed him a little off and going a little insane from almost the very beginning. Him getting annoyed with Wendy and Danny in his head while Hanloran is showing them the kitchen at the overlook. Him getting annoyed at Ullman in his job interview. Maybe bc my parents got frustrated with me a lot and my dad left I am overly sensitive to it, but he is clearly already getting annoyed with his wife and kid from the SECOND they get to the Overlook at the very latest. Danny also reminds me a lot of myself as a child and many points of this book really hit home in a very eerie way, and I think that is the mastery that is Stephen King. His characters are EXTREMELY authentic and relatable.
In Apt Pupil Ruber Ed stays at room 217 of the Holiday Inn
Great review Mike! I've been rereading The Shining every years since 2013, it's my favorite King along with Doctor Sleep. I saw the connection in the other King that I've read but a few I haven't yet. I'm very interested to read Misery, I just want to forget the movie (I watched it a long time ago but I still remember some things) and later The Stand (that's a commitment).
Stand and Misery are both great books. The latter is a much smaller commitment though.
Lol just to let you know. Every time I finish a king book I immediately look forward to a review by you. (If you have the review for the ones I finish) I love your thoughts on these reviews
The Shining is the first Steven King book I read. It had me seeing things in shadows and jumping at every noise. Fantastic book! I bought The Stand, Salems Lot, and Misery. Just can’t decide which one to pickup next.
I've made the bold claim more than once that The Shining isn't just a great horror novel but one of the Great American Novels. Ghosts aside, it's a devastating examination of addiction and the dissolution of the nuclear family. The fact that it's also scary AF is the icing on the cake. King has always been a literary writer disguised as a genre writer, and I think he will ultimately be remembered as the Dickens or Twain of his generation.
Great video as always. Also, I believe MISERY just in general is set in the same fictional Colorado town as the Overlook.
Shit. You’re right. I missed that one.
The "Shining" is mentioned in "Misery" as far as Annie mentioning the death of the Overlooks caretaker 10 years earlier in the Hotels fire.
I think its around chapter 20. I only know this because I was reading it earlier today 🤓
I've thought for a while that the Overlook has a "twinner" like the Black House or the hotel that holds the Talisman...and Danny is one of the "breakers" that they talk about in Black House...I think there are low key connections to the Dark Tower like that.
Partially off topic but I will connect. Have you read King's On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft? The reason I ask it's really a short autobiography by King and explains how he wrote Carrie and how Carrie got published. Also how the proceeds from the paperback rights of Carrie saved/started his career. It also gives insights where the ideas came from on the next books; Salem's Lot, The Shinning, etc.
I read it when it was new. Good stuff.
The Jack Torrance of the book is a much more layered character than the Jack Torrance of the Kubrick film. I actually felt bad for him in the King's book, whereas in Kubrick's movie, he was basically an unlikeable asshole, in my opinion.
Yeah like with the novel your just like “man its sad jack died” but with the 1980 movie your just like “yo lets go jack died he deserved it.” Like am i right??
Congratulations on the 5k subscribers!
Thanks!
I love mikes channel. I just wrapped up the shining, but I do t really have any friends to talk to about the things I read with, and my poor wife has had enough. So here I am at 3 AM “talking” with Mike about a book I just read while feeding my 7 week old.
SPOILER! I hated the movie and LOVED the book.I hated the movie, because the movie didnt show the relationship between Danny and Jack. In the movie, Jack was just a dick of a father, while in the book Jack was not perfect, but he loved his son Danny. Thats what made it so tragic when Jack was going insane in the book and Danny just kissed his hand and said goodbye....wow.....as a father to a son myself, that just broke my heart and the relationship between the father and the son was a very important element of the book for me. When I saw the movie just ignore that, it didnt hit as the book hit me.
Revisiting this classic gem 💎 to wrap up spooky season. I'm almost done, and even though I read this back when I was in school, this time around it feels like packing a harder punch.
I absolutely loved the first third of the book, just getting to know Jack and Wendy, their history and struggles.
But now I'm well into the third act, and the intensity is now cranked up to 11
The mistake people make is assuming Kubrick was adapting the book. He wasn't. He was using the book as a springboard for his own ideas. And in doing so, he created a genuine cinematic masterpiece.
PS: awesome Maiden shirt!
I've never read any King, but I am interested in Salem's Lot, and 11/22/63.
I know I will read The Shining eventually, but it's one of those stories that hits a little too close to home. My dad suffered from alcoholism when I was Danny's age, and that time period was similar to the personal experiences King wrote into this. Without having read it, it seems like King wrote a very real depiction of how addiction affects familial relationships. Thank God my dad successfully defeated his demons.
And now as a mother of 2 littles, Pet Semetary is another one of King's books that scares the bejeezus out of me. I'm curious about it, but not sure if I'll ever read it.
This absolutely makes sense and when I get to my Pet Sematary episode you'll see why it bothered me so much more.
I refuse to believe that people have read this book and came to the conclusion that the wasp nest and Jack replacing the Overlook’s shingles are “filler”. Those moments are absolutely crucial to understanding Jack’s character and the tragedy of him losing himself to the hotel
I read the book before I watched the movie and I just hated how they made jack a asshole in the movie with no redeeming qualities, were as in the book he is trying to stop drinking he loves Danny but the hotel is getting to him and it's a fight he ultimately loses
Right. It’s hard to be angry at King for feeling that way about it.
First time I read the shining I was on a cruise. The long hallways on the ship were very disorienting and disturbing and seemed to make the book pop for me.
Yeah once I read that 217 chapter I had chills the whole way through made me feel like a kid again when I went to piss I smacked the damn shower curtain back just to make sure. Such a great book
The audiobook by Campbell Scott gave me chills. His voice was soothing yet creepy. After I was done I thought I could hear an elevator in my house.
Spooky.
When I read this in my teenage years I was so scared I read it straight through. I didn't sleep till it was done. That was quite a stint.
Finished reading this yesterday, and it was my first introduction to classic King. I absolutely devoured it, it was such a page turner unlike anything I’ve read in a while. I also need to watch the movie to see the comparisons! Overall, I really enjoyed it and am on to Doctor Sleep now.
I recently started reading this book two days ago and I can't put it down. I read it every chance I get. I agree it is a page turner.
Outside of Roland, Jack is my favorite King character he’s so relatable wants to be a better man but ultimately his demons get the best of him
King said when it was time to rewrite the first draft on the chapter about that room that he would count dime the days to rewriting it as it scared him that much
Read this again 2020. Like it better everytime I read it. Great video review.
I've been a constant reader since 1986 but somehow I never read this one. Finished it last night and it is definitely top 5 for me. Arguably number 2 for me (the stand is #1). Great review. This novel is great
Don't see how you could have "missed " this and call yourself a constant reader.
@@pamelalagree-kanotz6845 My sincerest apologies Pam. I surely didn't mean to offend you by calling myself a constant reader. I guess I will flog myself in shame.🙄
Hails from the UK. Nice t shirt 😜
I need to really read this book again. I got my hardback copy about 7yrs or so ago. I've grown up a lot since then, and I think I will understand this book a lot more now. I agree about the movie & book being good. I recently watched Doctor Sleep, and i personally think they did a good job on the movie too.
I loved Doctor Sleep. Even better than the book.
For one of the scariest moments in the book that I don't think featured in the movie or the mini-series was Danny playing in the concrete tunnel when he senses the presence of another child in there with him.
I loved this book, I really enjoyed Jack and his unreliable naritive.
The way Jack makes it seem like it's not so crazy to kill your wife and kid is remarkable.
I also noticed a focus on how there was 19 steps on the stairs where Jack was chasing and hitting Wendy with the mallet. Idk what it signifies so if any one has an idea lmk.
This book scared me shitless! If I had to narrow down 3 parts which scared me the most, it would have to be when Jack almost lets the boiler blow. Secondly, the part where he smashes the cb radio and lastly... The part where the clock activates and the figures of he and Dannie appear, along with the blood along the glass. That party alone was quite frightening in my opinion. Having read Pet sematary, I have to say the shining was more disturbing to me due to Jack's slow but steady descent into madness. The isolation... I could go on forever about this book, but it is one of my favorites and was my first Stephen King.
Brady Hartsfield is in room 217. One more connection to the Multiverse
The illustration of Jack Torrance on the cover of the book there always reminds of a young Warren Beatty.
I would love to ask Stanley why he cut the you need to run I love you line that hit soooo hard in the book
I know I’m late but that scene after he smashed his own face in. And running to get the boiler taken care of gave me Alice in wonderland vibes of the rabbit.
Read it twice, once as a kid and a few years back to get ready for Doctor Sleep novel. I was surprised to have the experience of enjoying it more when I was a kid. That's not saying it was bad, but I was genuinely surprised. I'm wondering if the many times I have watched the movie may have tainted my reading experience and expectations. I still rate this book above a lot of horror available today.
The movie is great and certainly can affect feelings towards the book. I truly enjoy both.
IT was the first book I ever read all the way through
Hey Mike, great reviews!
Just here to say that I saw Tony's revelation coming! XD
That intro gave me chills 😱
I find reading this book with really melancholy music in the background makes the impending tragedy even more sad. I find myself feeling bad for Jack more than anything. Never felt that for him in the movie.
There’s also a reference of “all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy” in Pet Sematary
My favorite King books are IT, and surprisingly, Insomnia.
Insomnia put me to sleep
I’ll be interested in Insomnia on a re-read to see if my opinions have changed.
I let Insomnia sit on my shelf for years before reading, and I enjoyed it!
They did the hedge maze thing in miniseries it was still hilarious with the cgi. Technically back in 80 they could have done it better and look more realistic than now cause they use so much cgi now and when they did miniseries lol.
@Mike's Book Reviews "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy..."
a realistic look into the descent into madness
This book is genius, its absolutely brilliant. 💯
Shining 1st book I read, it's the gateway book 😆
Just started this morning. Very good book.
SPOILER COMMENT: Currently reading the climax of this book while living in a hotel with my wife and two children. I often read late in the dark after they have all gone to bed and the part where they hear the elevator moving from floor to floor late at night gave me chills! This is my second attempt at this book because Initially felt the story was taking too long to develop into horror like in the movie. I now realize why King wrote so much of Jack’s backstory. You can empathize with is his struggle to maintain his sanity. Great review! I’m going to finish this video once I’m done with the book.