Finally, I’ve managed to finish up another Stephen King’s novel “The Shining”! Well, actually I’ve read the novel 4-5 years ago but this time around, it took me approximately a month to finish up reading it as I’ve been putting it on halt and resume reading it again; on-off modes! Yes, the novel was read circa the 2011′s end-of-year holidays; and then to Beijing, China and finished during this 2012 Chinese New Year holidays. (,”)
The latest cover edition.
The book. From Malaysia to China; accompanying me (,”)
Basically, the novel chronicles about the Torrance family; Jack Torrance, his wife Wendy Torrance and also their son, Danny Torrance. Jack was fired from his job as a college teacher when he had lost temper in college; a student was messing up with his car as a vindictive retaliation for Jack who had sent the student out from school debate team. From an affluent family, the student’s family forced the college’s management to fire Jack, leaving him desperate for job to support the family. A friend offered a job as an off-season caretaker of a hotel on a mountainous area during winter – and the desperate Jack agreed.
Jack Nicholson as Jack Torrance! Jackieeeeee! (,”)
His boy, Danny apparently was a gifted soul. He was blessed with an ability to feel supernatural forces and semi-telekinesis. This term was coined as a “shine” by Stephen King. With that ability, the soporific lives of the Torrance family was soon to be a bloody topsy-turvy! “The Overlook”, a hotel with well-kept secrets encompassing from murders, sly and conniving schemes with smithereens of haunting souls lingering around; it began to posses the mind of Jack Torrance by tempting him with alcohol as Jack was a sober alcoholic and conquered the mind to kill Wendy and Danny. The Bad Soul of the hotel wanted Danny’s ability to strengthen the power because Danny seemed to possess a great deal of “shining”.
Shelly Duvall as Wendy Torrance.
Dick Hallorann, the chef of The Overlook himself was a ‘shine’ as well. He had asked Danny to holler him if there were any dangers; and while he was in Miami savouring the holiday, he smelt orange (a smell that signifies the occurrence of his ‘shining’ premonition) and received the telekinetic message from Danny in The Outlook, Colorado that his father has gone mad and trying to kill his mother and him.
Danny Torrance, the ‘shining’ boy.
On whole, I love the idea of how Stephen King plotted the theme of the novel and used some supernatural and psychic approaches but the finale is somewhat a bit of a disappointment. Still, I am amazed with the way he tackled the issue of alcoholism and the dangers of it in time where he himself was dealing with that issue. The novel “The Shining” was dedicated to his youngest son, Joe Hill who is now also an author.
Dick Hallorann, The Overlook’s chef who also ‘shines’ had a talk with Danny Torrance.
The novel was concocted in 1977 and was made a film 3 years later starring Jack Nicholson & Shelly Duvall and was directed by the renowned-eccentric Stanley Kubrick. I’ve never seen the film version as yet; but from the excerpts in You-Tube, I can tell that Jack Nicholson did justice to the character Jack Torrance, isn’t he? Well..yeah; although he fucked a lot of whores, sluts and easy women but one must admit he is one FINE actor! And Shelly Duvall injected the fragility of Wendy Torrance… I just can’t wait to watch the film!
The Overlook as depicted in the movie. It was actually Timberline Lodge in Oregon.
The Stanley Hotel in Colorado. The hotel of which is said to be Stephen King’s basis of The Overlook in “The Shining” with its ghost stories and party-sound amidst the midnight….
When I was in Badaling, China, we had to spend a night in this seemingly-deserted ski resort. It was winter and most of the resort spaces and rooms were unoccupied except for my entourage. The floors of rooms were dark and eerie, to certain extend. My balcony was facing the snowy slopes of ski-slides and hills and everything was misty and cold…. and I brought “The Shining” with me. So, deep down I was a bit enthralled by the eerie atmosphere. It sort of helped me to rejuvenate the mood while reading the novel.
Taken from Google Image. The Badaling Ski Resort.
A scene from the room in Badaling Ski Resort. Suit for horror setting.
Well, I guess sometimes, each and everyone of us shines, no? We can feel something is about to happen.. a premonition of sort… don’t you agree? *wink*
A scene from the film version of “The Shining.”
Nice……
interesting read
antara filem best yg aku penah tgk
THE SHINING, by Stephen King, is slowly but surely changing that
perception. It is regarded in some quarters as King’s best book. I
am not going to go on and on about how frustrating it must be for
someone of King’s prolificity and stature to have people think that
his best novel was written 22 years and 30-some books ago. Or
rattle on about how his best book has yet to be written. Or rant
about how THE DARK TOWER tetralogy or
however-many-books-long-it’s-gonna-be will be the cornerstone of
his work, his CHRONICLES OF NARNIA, if you will. Nope.
Let us just say that this is an incredibly strong, well-constructed
novel, with King using all of the wonderful little literary tools
and bricks and mortar we love him for.
In THE SHINING, King introduces his readers to Jack Torrance, his
wife Wendy, and their son, Danny. Almost immediately, King reveals
that Jack Torrance is more than a few screws short of a hardware
store. He is a high school teacher who has just been hired as the
winter caretaker for The Overlook, a resort hotel in Colorado. A
caretaker? Well, The Overlook is in a beautiful but isolated
setting and those Colorado winters really kick butt. As a result
the hotel is cut off from the rest of the world for five to six
months, hence the need for a caretaker. So, the hotel management
hires Torrance: a disgraced teacher and recovering alcoholic with a
few elements of the sociopath bubbling around beneath the surface
of his smiling face.
Now, the Torrances have big plans. Jack figures the isolation of
the place will be an ideal environment for him to work on his play.
Wendy, Jack’s loyal and long-suffering wife, is torn between — as
King so wonderfully puts it — her grief and loss of the past and
her terror of the future. But she’s strong, this one. And Danny?
Well, Danny is in the eye of the storm that is their marriage. But
he’s got a few tricks of his own.
So the little family moves to The Overlook. And The Overlook
has…a history. Especially with its winter caretakers.
It has a personality, a life, all of its own. It is a beautiful
pastel birthday cake with a razor blade inside. Make that a box of
razor blades. Jack is ever so susceptible to the influence, the
malevolent currents of the old hotel as they eddy and sway about
him, drawing him in, sucking him up. Though, to his credit, he
initially fights them, he ultimately willingly and joyfully
embraces them, like a drunken conventioneer would a $10 hooker.
Wendy knows something is wrong, but initially tries to ignore it.
And Danny? Well, Danny has “The Shine.” He can sense things no one
else can. Well, almost no one else. But by the time Wendy and Danny
get the wake up call, Jack is totally around the bend. And, by the
way, it’s snowing like crazy.
People who think more about these types of things than I do believe
that THE SHINING will still be read, studied and debated 50 years
from now. Don’t wait that long to read it. Yes, it is a horror
novel. But, as with most of King’s novels, the true, real horror
presented is not of a supernatural nature but made up of things we
visit upon ourselves and each other.
nampak menakutkan tapi exciting la cite ni Rill…u ni rajin dan banyak membaca
http://dennisssblegh.com|dennis
hi
great site
Lisa : yeh!
Rarong : It is
Apit : oh yeah? Saya tak kesempatan nak tengok lagi filem ni..tapi novel dia memang menakutkan tapi menarik!
The Book Reporter : gee..thanks!
Kopiah ; betul..cubalah!
dennis : thanks