1977. King on his work and fears, August 2025:
https://apple.news/AxLbx2SVmRkm8Yb-1MhOPRw
Bought for $9 on 3/16/21 for class on the novel and the Kubrick movie with J. David Wright
Parts 1-3 pp. 1-322 for 3/17/21
Parts 4-5 for 3/24/21
King's third published novel and first hardback bestseller
Love the epigraphs and the chapter titles
Serious provocations: tires slashed, work destroyed 22,
Alcoholism: near disasters, self-loathing, unmanageability, can’t see his faults, dwelling on the past with regret and shame, blaming others, uncontrollable temper,
An alcoholism untreated with the spiritual experience. See pp. 62, 152
https://detoxtorehab.com/celebrity/stephen-king-alcoholism-drug-addiction-and-fame
Papers
Furnace & boiler
Cabin fever
Temper
Divorce, blame 74,
Danny’s clairvoyance and prescience (Hallucinations), 39, 79
roque mallet
elevator
scrapbook
Bluebeard
Roque mallet = Jack’s father’s cane 329
Magic zippo 609
“Play” - theater, games, playground,
Remember what was forgotten 189-90, 620, ch. 55
Physical evidence of the supernatural: wasps redivivus, ch. 16 p 197, puffy bruises from lady in room 217 p. 336, bath mat and shower curtain p. 373, mask and party favors in elevator pp. 442, 584, bottles or hallucination? p. 5??, Grady opens the pantry bolt, with gin, olives, and roque mallet waiting, p. 566, sounds of the elevator, the party, the sound of room doors opening and closing, recap p. 578, ballroom lights, brass, and “unmask!” cry, p. 586, man with a green ghoulmask p. 600, hedge lion attacks Dick chs. 51 & 53,
Autism in 1977, p. 219
What is the relation between the old papers and Jack’s resurgent need to drink? (Wiping his mouth constantly while in the basement)
Why is Danny drawn obsessively to room 217 like jack is to alcohol? Open the door = drink, let the demons out, ok, I get that, but Dad’s voice telling Jack to kill his family? Just not psychological reality 334
Does Jack have the shining too? He sees the live topiary - because he’s gifted? Or because they have objective reality? Does Danny’s shining with visions of the hotel’s past influence his father to read the documents in the basement? The hotel (manager) and a Grady certainly get through to him.
At the least, Danny’s presence in the hotel makes the supernatural activity more powerful (did Grady have the shining too?), turning echoes of past tragedies into dangerous threats.
King, b. 1947, is such fun - and so easy - to read, even when he’s bad he’s good. When he’s too cute, or precious, it’s endearing because he’s trying so hard and you know just what he’s aiming for (honk, peek, pocket; martians; special deliveries; trim her topiary), and he makes you *want* to like his characters, even when they’re unsympathetic or mockable.
One technique is the foreshadowings - stronger word?
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