I guess this is more commentary than review, since, how does one review it, really (seems people either love it or hate it)? I agree with many of the other reviewers that this is one of the best horror novels ever: is it actually a ghost story, or just an exploration of the mental state of the characters, each of which is deeply damaged, in their own way? It essentially depicts a perfect storm of factors and the randomness of circumstance which ultimately lead to tragedy.
It's also difficult not to compare it to the iconic Kubrick film, which I would say is more "inspired" by the book than it is a faithful adaptation, as it's almost an independent work in and of itself. I'll try to avoid spoilers, but I find that the novel version makes the characters much more three-dimensional, including the hotel itself. In the film, it's just more of a setting, albeit a very disturbing one, where events unfold. It serves as a backdrop rather than an actual intelligent and voracious entity, which it certainly is in the novel.
Perhaps King's most profound talent, which is shared by some other notable horror writers as well, is to make the mundane and familiar sinister and deadly, which, in this case, with a will all its own, seeks to consume those within, especially guests with special "talents" that it can take unto itself to grow even stronger. This being comes alive throughout the novel, becoming more a force of evil, as the story progresses and as the other characters unravel and become more unhinged. I can also see how some reviewers have stated that it's a bit slow at times, and excessively drawn out, but it's still a masterful work of suspense that's hard to put down.
It's also difficult not to compare it to the iconic Kubrick film, which I would say is more "inspired" by the book than it is a faithful adaptation, as it's almost an independent work in and of itself. I'll try to avoid spoilers, but I find that the novel version makes the characters much more three-dimensional, including the hotel itself. In the film, it's just more of a setting, albeit a very disturbing one, where events unfold. It serves as a backdrop rather than an actual intelligent and voracious entity, which it certainly is in the novel.
Perhaps King's most profound talent, which is shared by some other notable horror writers as well, is to make the mundane and familiar sinister and deadly, which, in this case, with a will all its own, seeks to consume those within, especially guests with special "talents" that it can take unto itself to grow even stronger. This being comes alive throughout the novel, becoming more a force of evil, as the story progresses and as the other characters unravel and become more unhinged. I can also see how some reviewers have stated that it's a bit slow at times, and excessively drawn out, but it's still a masterful work of suspense that's hard to put down.
