Mark

The Shining by Stephen King (Audiobook)

Inner Demons

About a month or so back on a beautiful summer evening my family and I went to a street fair/farmer's market in a small town not to far from where we live.  There was live music, food, crafts, antiques - a little bit of everything.  So, of course, youngest daughter (fellow book fanatic) and I headed straight for the bookstore.  Neither of us bought a book that night (miracles do happen) but we did walk away with some bookish buttons.  One of these says "Never Judge a Book by its Movie".  

I'm sure that most would agree that there are a numerous movies out there that completely destroy the story etc... of the book they are based on.  And then there are movies that come close to capturing the book on film.  The movie adaptation of The Shining is likely in this latter group and it has certainly gained the status as iconic if for nothing else than for Jack Nicholson's performance.  Nontheless, there is so much more going on in the book that didn't come across in the movie.  And I am now less impressed with the movie.  Having seen the movie before listening to the unabridged audiobook I wish the order had been reversed because it was impossible to listen to the book without the movie influence.  I found myself crossing the rule on my new button.

As for the book, I enjoyed the story but found myself wishing for a bit more.  There seemed to be a loose ends in the back story that nagged at me.  I kept asking "well...but why is he, she or it that way".