Before reading the sequel to this beloved classic from
Mr. King, I decided to revisit the original with a re-read. I mean it’s been
twenty-five years since I last read the book. I remembered a lot but there were
some details I had forgotten as expected. All I know is having experienced the
story again I can say it’s easily one of the greatest horror novels ever
written. It’s easily one of King’s top five best. An evil hotel coercing an
alcoholic to sacrifice his “gifted” son could be kind of cheesy, but here the
tale is told by a master of the genre who knows how to develop characters to
embrace and care about. Why is this story so frightening? For one the struggle
to be a good father while at the same time fighting ones’ own demons of
inadequacy is so relatable. Then there’s the mysterious and spooky gift (or
curse) Danny has that gives me goose bumps even now. Add the seductive power of
the hotel (like the drink Jack thinks he can avoid) and you have the makings of
an emotional supernatural tragedy. Why is reading the destruction of a family
so rewarding? I don’t’ know, maybe because in the end while evil wins from time
to time, the power of love and hope beats it back again. If you haven’t read this
book and only know the story from the watered down version from Kubrick then do
yourself a favor and read this book. Grade: A
And with this blog entry begins my annal Month of Horror. Let the celebration of the macabre continue . . .
No comments:
Post a Comment