The book is different from the movie. That was the first thought that came into my head after reading yet another Stephen King novel (in the spirit of Halloween). I'm sure most people remember the movie or at least that scene where Jack Nicholson smashes a hole in the wall, sticks his head through and yells 'Here's Johnny' (he's pretty good at playing villains/possessed people). Well, in my opinion the book is actually better than the movie and creepier. The ending is much better too. For those not familiar with the storyline, The Shining is about a family who move into a hotel as caretakers over winter. It sounds like fun except for the fact that the hotel is haunted by some very sinister and evil ghosts. Not to mention that it is located in the mountains and during the heart of winter, it is cut off from the rest of the world by harsh blizzards (and some very persistent hedge animals - don't ask).
The family itself has its problems. Jack Torrance is a recovering alcoholic who was fired from his teaching job for beating up a student. He comes to the hotel in a bid to get his life on track and finally finish a play he's been writing. Unfortuantely, Jack gets distracted when he discovers the hotel's history and accidently gets a little possessed. His wife Wendy is struggling to get over her fears of the past while his five-year-old son Danny is very special - so special the hotel wants him. Danny has the ability to 'Shine', i.e. he can see into the future and read some people's minds (amongst other talents). Unfortuantely (or fortunately) it means that Danny can meet and greet just about all of the hotel's ghosts and see his family's impending gloom - but can he stop it?
While it is a very cliched haunted house story, Stephen King has that great ability to tell it in the most creepy way possible. Things don't just go bump in the night in this house, they might also try to strangle you as well. It is the idea of not being able to escape, that idea of complete powerlessness that makes this book so horrifying. I know people who struggled to read it even in the day.
Overall, I enjoyed the novel and would recommend it to anyone who has seen the film (just so you can compare the endings). It's a great one to read for Halloween. It also gives some helpful tips on what to do if you become possessed and how to deal with an unruly hedge animal.
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