Don't hurt me, please! I realize, considering where I am, I already know the responses I will be getting but I think wanted to ask the question anyway.
The famous controversy over this film is fascinating. King feels heartbroken over it, a lot of fans hate it for not understanding the themes of the novel. And honestly, I totally agree with that aspect. It really isn't a good adaptation as far as theme and tone is concerned. The book is more intimate and human. The film is stark, cold and clinical. So on that front, I totally understand the hatred.
Now, I did see the film first. I was a horror and movie buff before I was a bookworm, but I don't believe I let my love of the film hinder my enjoyment of the novel. I knew of the controversy. I knew the book would read and feel totally different. I knew to expect something different. I wanted to experience something different, but after two reading of the book, I just can't help but feel it's Kings most overrated.
Again, please don't hurt me!
I want to LOVE The Shining novel. It is arguably Kings most famous book for the general audience and critics seem to give it a lot more respect than some of his other novels, but at the end of the day something about it just doesn't click with me. I do not think it is a bad book at all. Everything that has to do with Jack is fascinating and his descent into madness is awesomely harrowing to read, but where the book falls flat to me, is ironically, the scares. WHAT!!!??? I know, I know....but let me explain.
Yea, Room 217 is memorable and probably the only scary part of the book to me. Well, that and the part with Danny in the tube on the playground is pretty spooky, but everything else falls flat. The topiary animals just come off as goofy to me. The first part with them is mildly effective, but they kind of become the defacto villains of the book outside of Jack and it just doesn't work for me. They are used too much and are not scary at all. And the whole segment with Danny and the fire-hose actually makes me laugh in a bad way. I get Kings intent with that scene, but I just find the execution of it a rare misfire from King because it great at giving ordinary things a freaky other side. Reading it I just find myself yelling: "It's just a damn hose!!!" And I lost it when Jack has a similar encounter with it.
Again, it's not a bad book. It is written with enthusiasm and vibrancy and the human aspect is just as compelling as any of his other work, but the aspect that it is most remembered for (being his SCARIEST BOOK) ironically does zilch for me.
Kubrick is a master just like King. The man was singularly obsessive over every movie he ever made and while most of the prominent themes of the book were dropped in favor of Kubricks vision, I feel he get right what King sadly missed for me...the horror.
The famous controversy over this film is fascinating. King feels heartbroken over it, a lot of fans hate it for not understanding the themes of the novel. And honestly, I totally agree with that aspect. It really isn't a good adaptation as far as theme and tone is concerned. The book is more intimate and human. The film is stark, cold and clinical. So on that front, I totally understand the hatred.
Now, I did see the film first. I was a horror and movie buff before I was a bookworm, but I don't believe I let my love of the film hinder my enjoyment of the novel. I knew of the controversy. I knew the book would read and feel totally different. I knew to expect something different. I wanted to experience something different, but after two reading of the book, I just can't help but feel it's Kings most overrated.
Again, please don't hurt me!
I want to LOVE The Shining novel. It is arguably Kings most famous book for the general audience and critics seem to give it a lot more respect than some of his other novels, but at the end of the day something about it just doesn't click with me. I do not think it is a bad book at all. Everything that has to do with Jack is fascinating and his descent into madness is awesomely harrowing to read, but where the book falls flat to me, is ironically, the scares. WHAT!!!??? I know, I know....but let me explain.
Yea, Room 217 is memorable and probably the only scary part of the book to me. Well, that and the part with Danny in the tube on the playground is pretty spooky, but everything else falls flat. The topiary animals just come off as goofy to me. The first part with them is mildly effective, but they kind of become the defacto villains of the book outside of Jack and it just doesn't work for me. They are used too much and are not scary at all. And the whole segment with Danny and the fire-hose actually makes me laugh in a bad way. I get Kings intent with that scene, but I just find the execution of it a rare misfire from King because it great at giving ordinary things a freaky other side. Reading it I just find myself yelling: "It's just a damn hose!!!" And I lost it when Jack has a similar encounter with it.
Again, it's not a bad book. It is written with enthusiasm and vibrancy and the human aspect is just as compelling as any of his other work, but the aspect that it is most remembered for (being his SCARIEST BOOK) ironically does zilch for me.
Kubrick is a master just like King. The man was singularly obsessive over every movie he ever made and while most of the prominent themes of the book were dropped in favor of Kubricks vision, I feel he get right what King sadly missed for me...the horror.