Отзывы о книге Монстры

Introduction

Before I read this novel, I was already familiar with Stanley Kubrick's film adaptation of it. I also knew that Stephen King did not like the adaptation to say the least primarily because it failed to show Jack Torrance's tragic descent into madness from trying to be a decent human being. So, I suspected there would be a few minor or middle-scale differences between the novel and its famous adaptation and that the character of Jack would have been given more of a focus and depth to him in the novel. But the novel gave me so much more.

A brief synopsis of the plot

The novel tells a story of a failing High School English teacher and amateur writer Jack Torrance. In an effort to kill three birds with one stone he sought a hand-me-down job of being a caretaker of a secluded Overlook Hotel in the Rocky Mountains. The aforementioned birds are gaining income, making use of an impromptu writer's retreat, and mending relationships within his family of three. And so, Jack takes his wife and son to winter at the hotel. After explaining these circumstances with exposition into Jack's psyche strategically woven in-between, the novel proceeds with the tale of how the weak and the bad sides of our main character overtake him and drive him to be nothing but a jealous violent murderous husk of a human being.

Analysis

In my humble opinion, this is one of the Stephen King 's finest works. His signature many biographical offshoots feel ever so right this time round. Maybe because it was more personal for him this time as the novel was inspired by his very own struggles as a writer to write rather than him trying to imagine what it would be like chasing a gang of vampires around the outskirts of Maine or something.

Jack

What hooked me the most while reading this novel was that at the heart of it this novel is a story of a man being puppeteered into madness after suffering a synergy of disservices done to him by virtually everyone around him. His friend, his wife, his father, his colleagues, and above all himself, everyone around Jack is trying to "help" him by covering up the symptoms of whatever it is that ails his psyche and his soul thus making it worse. Jack essentially denies he suffers a problem. So does everyone around him.

A prime example of such disservice is Jack's friend and drinking buddy Albert. It was Albert who offered Jack the job at the Overlook hotel. It In my opinion throughout the novel Albert always prevents Jack from facing any of his demons (as if being a dry drunk will suffice) even though Jack's demons were always there in his plain sight. I do not argue that it was solely Albert's fault, but nevertheless, in the end they were these inner demons which brought Jack to the bussom of the evil that inhabits the Overlook hotel like a moth to a flame.

"If it wasn't for the hotel, I'll chop the lot of you down" he says to the hedge animals next to the playground. To me he might as well be talking to his very own inner demons at that moment. When the hedge animals begin to move while he is not watching them, I took it as a clear metaphor for the progression of Jack's flaws happening without him noticing it. Not being able to see and study this progression he is always left with the consequences of his temper acting out. Just like a hedge animal encroaching on him, these consequences are nothing but a series of flash images of his life getting worse and worse without him seeing how it got to this.

Jack is trapped in the agony of the inability to discover one's own autonomy within the limits of one's responsibility and the limited capacity to exert control over one's life. He craves some agency some meaningful control. The episode with him wanting to sue the bug bomb manufacturer is a prime example of this craving.

But getting no chances to face his demons, Jack quickly resorts to his usual emotional crotches. Soon Wendy, Jack's wife, realises Jack does everything he usually did shy of picking up a drink. Unfortunately, she does little about it since Jack and herself are already falling into a relationship of codependency.

Danny

Throughout the novel Danny, Jack's son, is eager to learn to read. To me this is of course not about being literate but rather about being able to interpret whatever it is he senses through his shining. It is Danny Wendy consults about Jack's drinking. When she did, Danny replies "Daddy did not drink ... Not yet..."

When presented with a choice of leaving the hotel or staying there with Jack, Danny wants to stay with his daddy. I took it as him sensing through his Shine that there is a chance of true redemption for Jack. His daddy is still battling at that point. For Danny going to grandma's means being put down a torturous pit of her and his mother's hateful resentments.

Unfortunately, Jack is almost completely engulfed in the self-centered fallacy and never reciprocates Danny's inner drive to rid Jack of his demons. "It's me the hotel wants!" – Jack exclaims to his son when Danny tells him he regrets the hotel used Jack as a tool to get to him, to Danny.

The plot butchered by Kubrick

Jack's background

The novel explains Jack's background with both plain narrative and retelling of episodes from his past. This is crucial for understanding the character of Jack and being able to empathise with him later on in the story. Sadly, the 1980 film does no such thing.

Wendy's agency

In the novel King fully flashed out Jack's wife Wendy. Unlike her counterpart in the film adaptation by Kubrick, the original Wendy is not a walking punching bag. She is an actual human being with her own motives, thoughts and agency. She challenges Jack when he is clearly in the wrong rather than just trying to be a servant to him making Jack's life at the hotel comfortable.

Diving into the history of the hotel

I was pleased and intrigued by King's exposure of the history of the Overlook hotel. Brief as it was, this exposure was sufficient to both provide an explanation of the evil within the hotel and still retain a shroud of mystery around it. Of course, this had been completely cut out of the 1980 film.

The role of Dick Hallorann

The original character of Dick Hallorann had a far more pivotal role in the rescue of Wendy and Danny from the clutches of the evil hotel and its puppet Jack Torrance. He did so much more that just arriving at the hotel and getting murdered with an axe, like he did in the movie.

Conclusion

I truly enjoyed this novel. The human element of the characters in this book is captivating. Jack's mental and spiritual journey is heartbreaking. Danny's pure humanity is inspiring. Wendy's strength and struggle commands respect. Hallorann's bravery and wisdom is humbling.

As my first exposure to this story was in the form of the 1980 film "This Shining", at the beginning of my read I was frequently making cross reference comparisons between the two works. Later on, I was fully emersed in the story and the world of the book. Having finished the book I thought that Stanley Kubrick 's film is nothing more than a low dimensional sketch loosely based on Kings novel. Stephen King is completely right in critisising Kubrick's film.

If you are intrigued by this plot and this story but have not read the original novel yet, I urge you to do so!