In my years at High School, I did poorly in
English because I couldn’t be bothered with Shakespeare or Austin. My real love
was Stephen King.
About Stephen King…
It was in September 1974 when Stephen King
and his wife, Tabby, spent a night at a Grand Hotel in Estes Park, the
Stanley.
They were the only guests, as it turned out
as the following day they were going to close the place down for the winter.
Wandering through its corridors, Stephen thought that it seemed the
archetypical setting for a ghost story. That night he dreamed of his
three-year-old son running through a hallway, looking back over his shoulder,
eyes wide, screaming. He woke up and was inspired to write his third novel. In
"The Shining" King pushes the supernatural envelope while
interrogating the nature of family, love, abuse, and the father-son
relationship.
About the Novel...
Jack Torrence is an English teacher aspiring
to be a writer. He has a problem with alcohol and anger. His father, before
him, had the same problem, and there is no doubt that such goes back many
generations. Jack has trouble keeping a job. In fact, the story opens with him
at a job interview for the position as winter caretaker of a large hotel in the
Rockies. He has been fired from his job as a teacher at a private school, has
little money, and a family to support.
Jack, his wife Wendy, and their young son,
Danny, moved into the Overlook Hotel.
Jack’s wife, Wendy, also has problems with
her family. She and her mother don’t get along, and her mother hates her
son-in-law. Actually, no one can blame her because Jack is not all that
likeable.
As a protagonist, he is maliciously moody.
Their son, Danny, whom they call “Doc”, has
an imaginary friend he calls “Tony”. Tony tells Danny things, and he has
already shown Danny events of the future. The little Torrance has a
preternatural talent.
Jack gets the job at the hotel, which will be
isolated and snowed in all winter. This is a worry for the management, as one
of the previous caretakers lost his mind and killed his family. This doesn’t
worry Jack, though, as he is working on a play, and needs the isolation.
When they show up to the hotel, they meet the
cook, Mr Hallorann, who senses that Danny has “the shining”. He is able to tell
the future and to read minds, and warns Danny never to go into room 217. He
realises that he and Danny can communicate through mental telepathy, and he
tells Danny to send him a message if they need help.
Evil forces residing in the Overlook – which has
a long and violent history – and they covet young Danny for his precognitive
powers and exploit Jack’s weaknesses to try to claim the little boy.
This psychological and paranormal thriller
details The Torrance terrible experience in a solitary place.
And then some.
What else can I add?
"Enjoy your time at the Overlook
Hotel".
No comments:
Post a Comment