I thought I read this book in my teens but the farther I got into it, the more certain I became that I hadn’t. I would have remembered how well done Jack’s descent into madness was. For me, that was the best part of the book. I did enjoy Danny’s parts of the book, and Wendy’s to a lesser extent, but the star of the show was Jack’s changes and his growing connection to the hotel.

I think my biggest shock was just how different Kubrick’s film is to the novel. I need to watch the movie again since I don’t remember a lot of the details. That and the insane number of times the N-word was used. I wasn’t expecting it and it really put me off.

I listened to the audio book and initially Campbell Scott’s calm tone made me wonder if I wouldn’t fall asleep while reading. Luckily, he got down to business when the dialogue and more intense narration called for it. He did a really good job.

I don’t know if it was just the audio book and there were clearer demarcations in the physical book, but I was throw off regularly which POV switches. There were a few times when I had to rewind to see if I either missed something or to figure out who was sharing info.

I’m glad I read this one. It won’t end up on my all-time favorite Stephen King list but I enjoyed the story. 3.5 stars for me.