The Shining by Stephen King (Book Review)

The Shining
by Stephen King

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

My Rating: ★★★★

Amazon.com / BN.com

"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.

TCM Presents... Kings Row (1942)

Director: Sam Wood

Screenwriter(s): Casey Robinson

Producer: Hal B. Wallis

Distributor: Warner Bros.

In Theaters: February 2, 1942

Run Time: 127 minutes

Starring: Ann Sheridan, Robert Cummings, Ronald Reagan & Claude Rains

Genre(s): drama/mystery/romance

Storyline: Five children in an apparently ideal American small town find their lives changing as the years pass near the turn of the century in 1900. Parris and Drake, both of whom have lost their parents, are best friends; Parris dreams of becoming a doctor, studying under the father of his sweetheart Cassie, while Drake plans on becoming a local businessman when he receives his full inheritance - juggling girlfriends in the meantime. As they become adults, the revelations of local secrets threaten to ruin their hopes and dreams. (from imdb.com)

Movie Trailer:

http://youtu.be/LxmseMP9eFo

My Review: This is one of those movies you have to give some credit to for trying. In the 1940’s a lot of the movies made discussed controversial subjects but could never come right out and say what they were otherwise the movie would not be allowed an audience. I enjoy watching movies from this time period the most because it shows you just how clever the writers and directors had to be to get away with depicting certain subjects we still can’t quite get right today. Now, you might find this movie a bit juvenile with what the movie industry found untouchable back then, but the 1940’s was a very private time and a very tense time especially with WWII looming in the backdrop. A great movie had to be one that could distract you from what was going on in your own life.

Here we see a seemingly “good town” as it professes to right from the beginning when it shows you the towns motto. I think the word “good” is there about 5 times at least! Well good it is not. We all know there are skeletons in every families closet and this town was full of families with secrets. Some of which are insanity. This plays a big part in the movie since it’s around the time that psychiatry is being accepted by the medical profession and taught in schools in Europe. The medical profession is also delved into in a most diabolical way. Imagine a doctor who performs gruesome surgeries on patients he feels have sinned and therefore their penance is to go through life in pain, sometimes death? What if that doctor was highly respected by the community he serves, therefore his methods are never questioned?

I watched this movie on a day where Claude Rains was being showcased. Granted he isn’t in the movie for very long, his performance was stellar. He plays the dark and deceptive doctor who turns out to have done all he did for the betterment of his family.

My only criticism is the movie left me with a lot of “what ifs” as well as unanswered (or perhaps unanswerable) questions. I could see so many angles they could have taken in truly depicting this town as “sinful” (the description of the movie). Yet they played it safe and in doing so left me unsatisfied with the end result. If not for discovering (during the closing credits) that Ronald Reagan was in it (yes, this is the first movie I’ve seen of his) and Ann Sheridan as well, I probably would have given it a lesser grade.

My Rating: C-

TCM Presents...The Two Mrs. Carrolls

 



Title: The Two Mrs. Carrolls

Director: Peter Godfrey

Screenwriter(s): Thomas Job & Martin Vale

Producer: Jack L. Warner & Mark Hellinger

Distributor: Warner Bros.

In Theaters: March 4th, 1947

Run Time: 99 minutes

Color: B&W

Starring: Humphrey Bogart, Barbara Stanwyck, Alexis Smith, & Nigel Bruce

Genre(s): crime/drama/film-noir/thriller

Storyline: Struggling artist Geoffrey Carroll meets Sally whilst on holiday in the country. A romance develops but he doesn’t tell her he’s already married. Suffering from mental illness, Geoffrey returns home where he paints an impression of his wife as the angel of death and then promptly poisons her. He marries Sally but after a while he finds a strange urge to paint her as the angel of death too and history seems about to repeat itself. Written by Col Needham

Movie Trailer:

My Review: According to Robert Osbourne this is one of the Bogart movies that many critics felt he over acted. I would disagree. The man was portraying a mentally ill person, bordering on schizophrenia in my opinion. Back during this time period when there were no green screens, the actors relied on their ability to make a facial expression worth a thousand words. So many actors from the 30’s-70’s were experts at moving the story along through the expression on their face. Humphrey Bogart simply over exercised his facial muscles in, what he probably assumed, was the only way to let the audience know he was insane. For me, it worked brilliantly.

Ms. Stanwyck was superb in the scene when she discovers her husband whom she loves deeply is poisoning her in the same fashion that he poisoned his first wife. The first Mrs. Carroll. I appreciate Barbara Stanwyck’s performance in this movie because it further emphasizes what I knew about her all along. She’s a damn good actress. Her voice, for me, is the most distinct feature about her. I could close my eyes and recognize her voice instantly. It’s very deep and sultry and commands to be heard. In her library of movies this is a good addition to showcase how broad an actor she was.

There are a few minor players surrounding the two main characters as well. Alexis Smith for instance who plays the woman who Bogart has chosen to be his third wife after he’s gotten rid of his current wife of course. What amazes me is that no other person around him sees just how crazy he really is but her and she still is willing to love him and live with him. It just goes to show that women see what they want to see and when it comes to love they are blind to what’s right in front of their face.

His daughter, for me, is the most vital part of this movie. Without her the audience can easily forget just how human he is. True he is crazy, but when it comes to his daughter he is attentive, loving, and caring. She also is the only woman in his life who knows and understands his work as a painter better than even he knows it. She is supposed to be no older than 12 yet she speaks like that of a 40 year old woman. There is nothing she is afraid of. I believe she secretly knew her father was slowly killing her mother. That scene where he’s about to administer what will be the final and lethal dose to his first wife and his daughter says to him, “I will follow you anywhere and do anything you want me to do because I know what you’re doing is in my best interest.” I’m paraphrasing of course. It was her way of letting him know that she understands and will love him always no matter what he does or who he kills, even if it is her biological mother. That girl is the anomaly in the whole movie yet without her there would be no story.

If you’ve never seen Humphrey Bogart or if you’ve only seen him in a role of the cool guy, this is a great movie to see. It will open your eyes to just how great an actor he is, being able to play a role that no one would have ever imagined he’d be able to play.

My Rating: A