Kristin

I think this audiobook will suffer from people comparing it to the movie. The movie story had very little to do with the actual novel. While the movie eventually reached classic status, the story and character development veered wildly from King's vision, quite notoriously and controversially. The movie is fantastic in its own right but should stand alone. If you are looking for an audio version of the movie or Jack Nicholson's performance, you should give this a pass.

That being said the novel is a tremendously gripping and horrifying read, bringing you along as the characters are more and more absorbed by the forces at work. The centerpiece is the hotel, and King paints an amazing picture over the course of the book, giving the Overlook a back story, a personality and a voice. Campbell Scott does an admirable job capturing the myriad of voices and emotions. A very tough assignment given that he not only has to portray a woman and child, but inner voices and distinguish between lucidity and madness. His performance did not take me out of the story at all and that is a tall order in a suspense piece. I enjoyed every minute listening to this book and when listening at night was truly scared at times.

I tried several times to get through this book but just could not see the appeal. The humor, if it was there, seemed dated and along the lines of an old Dilbert cartoon, but without the funny. If I had any interest in what was being said, the disgusting, phlegm-y, throat clearing every 3rd sentence would have been enough to kill it for me. Un-listenable.

I listened to this on a long solo drive down the eastern seaboard and it made the time melt away. Something fresh and new about her approach which I found both entertaining and appealing. The honesty in which she shares her lifestory is engaging, relateable and very funny. She's a smart girl who doesn't play dumb, but uses a natural naivete and interest in pop culture to acheive her interesting brand of humor. I really enjoyed sharing her world for a few hours.