Ah,
Stephen King. Why did it take me so long to finally read one of your horror
novels? The world may never know.
The Shining by King was the
first novel so far this term that I truly enjoyed reading. I went in with the
expectations from what I know of the movie: Jack Nicholson with an axe and his
head stuck through broken door slats shouting, “Heeeeeeere’s Johnny!” No, wait,
that was the only expectation I had going into The Shining and that scene wasn’t even in the book. Ah well.
What
The Shining did for me that the other
books this term haven’t so far was fill me with a sense of dread. It wasn’t
constant, else I probably would have been exhausted reading the doorstop of a
thing. It was sprinkled throughout so that I was never quite comfortable. A huge
part was due to a child being the catalyst for all the paranormal activity.
Danny
being only six years old and having the hotel go after him because he has the
Shine or Second Sight put me on edge. I like Danny. If he was real, I’d want to
scoop him up in a hug and tell him everything will be okay. That the hotel
wants his power to stay "alive" heightens the tension more than if it wanted an adult.
My sympathy would have been less if Danny was older. Not
because I’d necessarily like him less, but because I’d know he had more years
of taking care of himself. Yet Danny is young, still learning how to read, and
even though he’s exceptional for a six year old, he’s a child. The
monsters kids fear lurk that in their closets or under their beds are real
for Danny. Whenever the hotel would reach out to him, show him apparitions or
put him in a trace, I wanted to yell, “He’s just a kid! Leave him alone!”
I
didn’t find myself caring as much for the adult characters. A part of me knew
that Jack would fall back into alcoholism, and it was difficult for me to sympathize with him after learning he had hurt Danny in an alcoholic
rage. Wendy I could respect for doing what she coud to protect her son, but I
wouldn’t go so far as to say I particularly liked her. I wonder how I would have liked
this book if I didn’t care so much for Danny. While the idea was compelling, it was my attachment to Danny that
carried me through all 683 pages of my copy.
One
thing I’d like to touch on separate from character appreciation is snow. I will
readily admit to not reading much horror before starting at Seton Hill, so I’m
still relatively new to the genre, but what is with snow and horror? I
understand that it’s a challenge to the characters and can easily become a
monster in of itself, but I’m already getting tired of it making an appearance.
While I give King credit for making me nervous when the snow drift trapped
Danny in the playground tube, later in that chapter, I couldn’t help but think I’d seen this before. Yes, snow sucks—it’s no secret I’m not a fan of
it. It can make life miserable and if there’s enough of it, convey a sense of
being trapped. I just seem to encounter it quite a bit in fiction,
recently.
Snow
or not, The Shining kept me turning
the page to make sure Danny would make it safely to the end. I’m curious now to
read more of King’s fiction, and still a bit guilty that I hadn’t read more of
it sooner.
I also liked the tension in the Shining. I think Danny has been the first character out of all the stories we've read so far that I genuinely, 100% liked, cheered for, and wanted to not only survive, but to thrive as well. I think your reasoning that one of the biggest supports you had for Danny was his age, and I agree with that completely. Danny was so young that he wasn't yet jaded and he still was only barely learning that he had special powers. Growing up is hard enough, but adding in psychic powers must make the world an even more confusing and complicated place. I think that's part of the reason this story was so gripping. I *really* wanted Danny to make it and I had no idea how likely that was. It kind of felt to me as though Danny's ability to survive the Outlook Hotel got dimmer and dimmer with every page, which kept me turning the pages.
ReplyDeleteAs to your comments about snow and winter settings in horror, that's actually fairly common because it goes back to humanity's more primal times. Darkness was usually looked upon with fear, as humans are very sight-based. Removing our ability to see our environment creates added fight or flight instincts. Add in the fact that the demons and creatures of darkness are said to come out at night, and you've got a recipe for horror. The hours of darkness increase drastically during the winter months, therefore, the creatures of darkness would have more time to play. Also, in the winter, the environment itself can kill you, and that's pretty scary.
I think part of what made Dick Halloran such an important character was Danny knew he wasn't alone and he had someone else besides his completely dysfunctional parents to rely on. That relationship, though very briefly established, was vital to the survival of Wendy and Danny. even if Halloran had died, knowing that he'd heard Danny help fuel Danny's strength to stand up to the hotel when it took over Jack completely. As you said, Danny was a child, and though he had this exceptional power, that he was wise beyond his years, he was still a little boy who needed someone to lean on. Dick was that support, and I think it played out beautifully that Dick also felt the same way you seemed to feel. He didn't care too much for the parents, but he wasn't going to let that little boy down.
ReplyDeleteDanny was the saving grace for me as well. I didn't like Wendy, and I full on despised Jack, so I really latched on to Danny. It's actually sort if remarkable, because I not only sympathized with Danny, but I empathized with him as well. From a 23 year old to a 6 year old, that's quite an impressive feat. I wonder if perhaps the unlikable adult characters were intentional, so the adult audience would be able to empathize more than usual with a very young child.
ReplyDeleteI like your comment about snow and horror, and why there is often so much snow. I feel snow can be cliched in horror, but it's a good device when handled well. Snow is unforgiving and when you are out in it, it can be uncomfortable, and even life threatening. Snow is gorgeous, and people often want it during certain times of year. But underneath, things can hide. There can be ice that keeps you sliding around, or holes that are filled and cannot be seen until you step in one. Or, simply, you can become stranded and die. Snow is one of my favorite settings, even though I've never personally written a story with snow. Sometimes it doesn't work with a story, or I just don't like the story, such as the novel titled Snow.
ReplyDelete