Customer Reviews
FAR better than the film - one of the scariest books ever written - By: M. Appleton, 20 Dec 2008 
I think I was lucky to have read The Shining before watching the film. While the film isn't bad by any means (it's excellent), the tone is completely different from that of the novel, which is more psychological & less stylised.
Jack Torrance, a frustrated writer, assumes caretakership of The Overlook Hotel during its winter down-time, accompanied by his wife & son. He is made aware, during his interview with the hotel's manager, that The Overlook has been host to several gruesome murdersin the past, not least of which was the previous caretaker's butchering of his entire family, but dismisses the stories & takes the job anyway, unaware of the effect that the hotel will have on his psychically-endowed son.
Unlike the film (where Torrance seems to be insane long before he sets footin the Overlook :), the novel describes a basically-ordinary man's descent into madness & is all the more compelling because of it. There are some genuinely frightening set pieces that aren't foundin the movie (most notably the playground tunnel & the incredible hedge-animal sequence) where King manages to reach out of the page & give you the impression the somebody is standing right behind you - VERY few authors can create fear through the printed word alone. King has long been criticised for his endings, but The Shining's is satisfactorily closed (and, again, is different from the film). The hotel itself is also much more of a character, with its own malevalent agenda.
If you have seen the film first, the novel will seem slow & lackingin impact, with Torrance not being as idiosyncratic as Nicholson's interpretation, but reading the book first will put the filmin context.
wish i read the book first - By: Shorty, 14 Dec 2008 The Shining had me gripped from start to finish! after already reading some of his other books including the stand, IT, pet semetery & cujo, i was told by a friend to give the shining a go. but after watching the film it didnt appeal to me, as i was told people who saw the film first generaly prefered the film, & vice versa, so i thought it would be a waste of time.
HELL NO!
compared to the book, the film sucked! the book contained scenes including the moving hedge animals which really chilled my bones when i was reading it (just imagine something that shouldnt move, but is closer to you every time you turn to look at it...*shudder*) & the part with dannyin the play area & "something" grabbing at himin the tube. why didnt the film have that?!
also, because i watched the film first, i couldnt get the image of jack nicholson out of my head every time the book concerned jack torrance, which,in the end, seemed to spoil it slightly for me. the characters didnt have their own identity, they were the actorsin the film.
but, im rambling. the book was a great read from page one right up untill the end. even the occasional chapter describing Mr Halloran trying to get back, didnt have much urgancyin the writing, but there was still a hint of suspence as you wanted him to get back as quickly as possable.
so,in conclusion, if you have the choice, i would deffinatly read the book first before watching the film, possibly not watching the film at all. awesom read!
(P.S...the endingin the book is better too)
