Just realized I was wrong about The Shining after visiting the Stanley Hotel

I always thought the 1980 movie was way better than King's book, mostly because the book's ending felt too neat. But last month I took a tour of the Stanley Hotel in Estes Park and stood in room 217, where King actually stayed. Hearing the tour guide talk about how the hotel's empty hallways and creaky pipes inspired the book's slow dread made me grab the novel again. Now I get why King hates Kubrick's version, the book builds fear in a way the movie just skips. Has anyone else changed their mind about a book after seeing the real place behind it?

2 comments

2 Comments

daniel21422d ago

Tbh the same thing happened to me with Dracula after visiting Whitby Abbey. Standing where the actual story was shaped made me realize how much the atmosphere carries the horror, not just the plot beats. Now I read the book completely different than I did before, so I get exactly where you're coming from.

leep8922d ago

Standing where the actual story was shaped" made me picture you dramatically pointing at a seagull like it's Dracula. Next thing you know you'll be narrating your grocery run like it's a gothic novel.