Should I read it again

[Gene]

Here's the deal - I read this when I was a teenager and it first came out and remember being blown away by it. Over the years, I've fallen out of love or even like with Stephen King - maybe around The Talisman (thought I have read a couple and just despised them). I just finished watching the documentary Room 237 and it kind of made me wonder if I should reread the Shining again... but my dislike of King is so overpowering that I am wondering if I was just a teenager who read something so different at that age and would now hate it as an adult. What do you think?

[Thomas]

Weeb wrote: "Here's the deal - I read this when I was a teenager and it first came out and remember being blown away by it. Over the years, I've fallen out of love or even like with Stephen King - maybe around ..."

I would not be able to let it be, I would just have to know :-) I'm fairly certain that if you have gotten to dislike King over the years you probably won't love it in any way as much as the teenage you, but instead surely be annoyed with certain traits and trademarks in his writing. But what's to lose anyway? It's fairly short and worst case you will hate it - but still be aware that you loved it as a teen.

[Steve]

Don't read it again just because of Room 237; King's relationship towards Kubrick's movie, as you might already know, is quit antagonistic and with different directions in some of its themes. King has admitted that much of his time writing that book (among others)was during periods of intoxication. He has written other good books; I highly praise 11/23/63. You might also try stuff by his kid Joe Hill, who is stepping into his dad's bloody footprints quite swimmingly as an exciting horror author. Good luck.

[Thomas]

Agrimorfee wrote: "Don't read it again just because of Room 237; King's relationship towards Kubrick's movie, as you might already know, is quit antagonistic and with different directions in some of its themes. King ..."

Not to be argumentative in any way, but I'd like to point out that if I was to discard works that were produced when the artist was under some kind of intoxication, I would throw out most of my books and probably close to all of my music...

[Charles]

Thomas wrote: "Agrimorfee wrote: "Don't read it again just because of Room 237; King's relationship towards Kubrick's movie, as you might already know, is quit antagonistic and with different directions in some o..."

I was going to say maybe he should go back to writing while intoxicated.

I quit reading King when I realized he telegraphed every single character's death well before they died.

[R.a.]

Usually, I would make the "Don't read again" suggestion.

But, since it's been years for you, you very well may want to read it once more, especially as an adult—and definitely if you have children.

Why? It seems to me that the novel is less about a haunted hotel and more about a 'worst case scenario' for a father.

What is incredibly underplayed in Kubrick's film is the NECESSITY that Jack do well in the job in order to save his family.

Whatever you decide, good reading!

—R

[Thomas]

R.a. wrote: "Usually, I would make the "Don't read again" suggestion.

But, since it's been years for you, you very well may want to read it once more, especially as an adult—and definitely if you have children..."

A very good point I would say. As for the "Book vs. Movie"-debate, I've never been too bothered with that. The book is an amazing feat by a young writer and quite unique in many ways, the movie is one of the best works of an amazing filmmaker. Yes, the latter is an adaption of the former, but it's really not the same story. Kubrick did things that work on screen and other, intentional or unintentional, deviations from the original story. But I've never felt that one diminishes the other.

[R.a.]

. . . As for the "Book vs Movie"-debate . . . "

Ditto Thomas.

Very much in agreement. Different media; and, Kubrick did what he had to do for that medium.

Good reading.

—R

[M.]

I read this one when I was in school. Did not understand some of it at the time. I revisited it in my adult life and absolutely love it. Much better than the film.