Showing posts with label The Shining. Show all posts
Showing posts with label The Shining. Show all posts

Tuesday, October 8, 2013

Read of the Town: Doctor Sleep

2 comments:
Just about everyone I know has seen The Shining, therefore they know it's based on a book written by Stephen King. He is heralded as probably this centuries best writer of thrillers and I would have to agree. I have not read another author who was able to make me so scared in my mind that I still have a hard time finishing his books. I have seen The Shining and I read the book earlier this year. They both differ as most would expect a book to differ from the movie. In interviews Stephen King has been known to say he didn't like the liberties the director took with the movie. They are both great on their own. Now, onto Doctor Sleep and why it's a book many have been talking about and I think many have already read since it's release on September 24th. This book is the sequel to The Shining which was first published in 1977! I can't imagine any sequel of a book having such an impact after 36 years but here we are and it's happening. Could the fact that the movie has been seen by millions be a part of it? Probably, but who cares. Reading is great and I love hearing when a book like this can make headlines. I only hope it's living up to the hype? I'm sure I'll find out once I get around to it. Unfortunately I have about 30 books ahead of this one on my TBR list right now.


I'll admit I haven't even read the summary I provide below or the jacket of the book yet. I bought it on faith, knowing it will be a great sequel. Have you ever purchased a book based on the author or the title or even the cover, without checking to see what the story is about?

Summary:
Stephen King returns to the character and territory of one of his most popular novels ever, The Shining, in this instantly riveting novel about the now middle-aged Dan Torrance and the very special twelve-year-old girl he must save from a tribe of murderous paranormals.

On highways across America, a tribe of people called the True Knot travel in search of sustenance. They look harmless—mostly old, lots of polyester, and married to their RVs. But as Dan Torrance knows, and spunky twelve-year-old Abra Stone learns, the True Knot are quasi-immortal, living off the steam that children with the shining produce when they are slowly tortured to death.

Haunted by the inhabitants of the Overlook Hotel, where he spent one horrific childhood year, Dan has been drifting for decades, desperate to shed his father’s legacy of despair, alcoholism, and violence. Finally, he settles in a New Hampshire town, an AA community that sustains him, and a job at a nursing home where his remnant shining power provides the crucial final comfort to the dying. Aided by a prescient cat, he becomes “Doctor Sleep.”

Then Dan meets the evanescent Abra Stone, and it is her spectacular gift, the brightest shining ever seen, that reignites Dan’s own demons and summons him to a battle for Abra’s soul and survival. This is an epic war between good and evil, a gory, glorious story that will thrill the millions of devoted readers of The Shining and satisfy anyone new to this icon in the King canon.

Sunday, February 17, 2013

The Shining by Stephen King (Book Review)

4 comments:

The Shining
by Stephen King

447 pages
Doubleday, January 1977
gothic novel/horror
Finished in 7 days
Another Review...

My Rating: ★★★★

"Jack Torrance thought: Officious little prick."

My Review: I know Stephen King is one scary dude when it comes to what he writes. This book is no exception. I saw the movie version of this book over a decade ago and remember very little from it. I think what I find I enjoy most about a Stephen King novel is his simplistic way of allowing the reader to go on a journey with him even in that journey is one that could lead to nightmares for the rest of their life. 

This story, for those who've never read the book, is really about a boy and his ability to hear the thoughts of those he is near. It might seem like the book is about his parents but really it's about this little boy, Danny, and occasionally, about his "imaginary friend" Tony. Now there is of course many layers to this boys story as well as the story of his parents and of the hotel they will be staying at during the duration of the Winter season.

While I was reading this book I often asked myself just how long it would take for me to go stark raving mad, holed up in a hotel, in the middle of nowhere, with absolutely no way of communicating the outside world. My only way of staying sane is with my family who is braving the stay with me. I suppose I would be fine if it were a house we were staying in. But when you add the element of an entire hotel with endless rooms and endless stories of what went on in those rooms? Then things start to get a bit dicey.

My favorite part about he book has to be when the title is explained. I don't think I would be breaking any "spoiler" codes by telling you the answer but just in case...

**SPOILER ALERT**

The idea behind "the shining" is quite simple. The head chef of the hotel they will be staying in during the Winter explains it to Danny because he has the same ability, only not as strong. He tells him the story that his mother told him about the ability to hear other peoples thoughts. He quickly realizes Danny is not only able to hear thoughts but feel them as well as a lot of other things that I'll let you discover on your own.

I won't ruin all the juicy details of the book but if you should dare to take a plunge into this perfectly written tale I suggest you read it with the lights on and NOT while staying at a hotel!

Summary: First published in 1977, The Shining quickly became a benchmark in the literary career of Stephen King. This tale of a troubled man hired to care for a remote mountain resort over the winter, his loyal wife, and their uniquely gifted son slowly but steadily unfolds as secrets from the Overlook Hotel's past are revealed, and the hotel itself attempts to claim the very souls of the Torrance family. Adapted into a cinematic masterpiece of horror by legendary director Stanley Kubrick - featuring an unforgettable performance by a demonic Jack Nicholson - The Shining stands as a cultural icon of modern horror, a searing study of a family torn apart, and a nightmarish glimpse into the dark recesses of human weakness and dementia.

To learn more about Stephen King visit his official site.
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