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I didn't read the "Shining," but in the movie, Dick Hallorann is attacked by Jack Torrance's wielding ax, and I presumed he died...Does he survive in the book?
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T.L. Bahr
Please do not use the Shining movie as your reference to the story of the Torrances. The movie took extreme liberties with King's printed word. And after reading the book, I was disappointed with the film. Dick Hallorann is alive and well at the end of the Shining novel, and is a great part of Doctor Sleep. Kubrick's film is great on it's own, but the book crushes that screenplay into dust.
dsreads
Oh come on guys, the film is an absolute masterpiece. Different from the book? Of course, all Kubrick differs greatly from the book.
Yes, he survived. Yes the book is great and you should read it. Yes you all should watch the movie too :)
Yes, he survived. Yes the book is great and you should read it. Yes you all should watch the movie too :)
Leo Walsh
Okay.. this is an old question, but I've got to reply. Read "The Shining." Just do it...
I am re-reading "The Shining" to get ready for this book. And while the movie is good, especially Jack Nicholson who plays a man coming unhinged to the "tee," a movie is no replacement for the book. King does an excellent job getting you into the heads of these characters.
You even like Jack Torrance, and sense the creepiness of the hotel as it oozes into his psyche, leveraging his alcoholic tendencies & love of his family... but in the movie, Kubrick focuses on Nicholson's predictably evil, over-the-top portrayal of Jack. King casts a wider net and paints several ponts-of-view that had me riveted.
Wendy, who sacrifices her entire being to saving Danny. And Hallorann, the reluctant hero.
But the best is seeing life through Danny's five-year-old eyes King is amazing painting a five-year-old kid stuck in a heartless situation. Who loves his dad, even though he's falling apart. And has psychic visions...
Plus, the plot is different than the movie. Especially the end which is much less grim in King's telling. In fact, I'd call it life-affirming.
Now, I will step down from my soapbox... :-)
I am re-reading "The Shining" to get ready for this book. And while the movie is good, especially Jack Nicholson who plays a man coming unhinged to the "tee," a movie is no replacement for the book. King does an excellent job getting you into the heads of these characters.
You even like Jack Torrance, and sense the creepiness of the hotel as it oozes into his psyche, leveraging his alcoholic tendencies & love of his family... but in the movie, Kubrick focuses on Nicholson's predictably evil, over-the-top portrayal of Jack. King casts a wider net and paints several ponts-of-view that had me riveted.
Wendy, who sacrifices her entire being to saving Danny. And Hallorann, the reluctant hero.
But the best is seeing life through Danny's five-year-old eyes King is amazing painting a five-year-old kid stuck in a heartless situation. Who loves his dad, even though he's falling apart. And has psychic visions...
Plus, the plot is different than the movie. Especially the end which is much less grim in King's telling. In fact, I'd call it life-affirming.
Now, I will step down from my soapbox... :-)
M.G. Mason
Others have already compared the film to the book, but nobody has yet mentioned the 1997 TV miniseries. It is a far more faithful adaptation.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0118460/?...
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0118460/?...
Janith Pathirage
The movie sucks ass !. Its an insult to the original story. And that leading actress was so horrible ... She won that years' Golden Raspberry Award for worst actress I heard. Good for her ...
Mande Peer
The Shining is my favorite horror novel of all time and to say the Kubrick film sucked is insane. It deviates from the book yes but captures the insanely uncomfortable and eventually terrifying essence of the Overlook.
But to answer you, no.
But to answer you, no.
Claire
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Elyssa G
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ᚦᛟᚱ
While Kubriks film is wonderful, it is a very very loose adaption of the novel which, in my opinion, out-shines- the film by leaps and bounds.
Meghan
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Zin Sham
The movie is vastly superior to the book. Stephen King basically makes all kinds of silly excuses for Jack Torrance, trying to show him as a good person that has an addiction. Kubrick makes the brave leap and shows Torrance as an evil man, who blames his own lack of talent on his son, his wife, and interruptions...and therefore drinks.
Christine
I recall reading that after seeing the movie, King insisted on maintaining artistic control of all future movies! Read "The Shining". Just Do IT!
Natalie
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Patrick Quillen
A bit off topic.
Read It.
Move your flint in closer.
Read It.
Move your flint in closer.
Ted
The movie for Doctor Sleep actually follows the movie version of The Shining, but the book follows the novel and King makes a point of saying this in his afterward. A minor spoiler is that there is no axe in the novel, but a roque mallet. I would suggest reading The Shining first to anyone wanting to read Doctor Sleep. Both books at their core are about alcoholism--and the events in The Shining are really a metaphor about how addiction can tear a family apart.
Cyl
I prefer the book to Kubrick's version. The movie was a disappointment to me. I am learning not to read the book before seeing the movie.
Shefali Mallya
Shining is the mind-blowing book and the movie is great.
What I feel in the book Danny's personality is strong compared to the movie.
Yes, Dick Hallorann survived in the book and Jack Torrance killed himself with his own wielding axe.
Some of the important incidents from the book are shown in the movie. But you should read the book.
You can read the books in 3 ways;
1 Read the book first and then watch the movie
2. Watch the movie and then read the book
3. You can read the book then watch the movie and then reread the book.
I fell in love with Stephen King after The Shining.
What I feel in the book Danny's personality is strong compared to the movie.
Yes, Dick Hallorann survived in the book and Jack Torrance killed himself with his own wielding axe.
Some of the important incidents from the book are shown in the movie. But you should read the book.
You can read the books in 3 ways;
1 Read the book first and then watch the movie
2. Watch the movie and then read the book
3. You can read the book then watch the movie and then reread the book.
I fell in love with Stephen King after The Shining.
Sandra Dunning
Try THE SHINING Miniseries with Rebecca Demournay it's much closer to The Book!
Anthony Dalton
The movie is merely based on the novel, one is either a watcher or a reader, either don't confuse the two or don't be lazy.
Old Time Tales
This book transcends the Shining movie, don't look for much continuity, other than major details, to exist between them.
Irwin Fletcher
Jack catches Dick as he's arriving somewhat similar to the movie, but he has a roque mallet instead of an axe and Dick survives. Both he and Wendy are badly injured but escape with Danny before the Overlook blows with Jack inside. As others have said, potential readers should do themselves a favor and read The Shining. The movie is awesome but very different from the book, and Doctor Sleep isn't a sequel to the movie. It references a lot of things that were only in the book. You not only have to read the original novel but have it pretty fresh on the mind, as even such small things as character tics and inner dialogues are referenced. Not having a good knowledge of The Shining in book form will lead to only getting half the story from Doctor Sleep. And that half of the story is probably the more enjoyable part of the book.
Christy
Never ever ever use the movies as a guide. I think the movie was good on it't own, but unless I'm mistaken, Stephen King was NOT happy with that movie and did NOT approve of it.
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