The Shining, Week 3

Welcome to Week 3 of the Online Book Club discussion of The Shining. 

There were definitely a lot more scary things in this section, weren't there? It was almost too much for me to handle! 

Near the beginning of this section, Danny goes into room 217 and encounters the dead woman in the bathroom. I expected whatever to be in room 217 to be a ghost, but once Danny was strangled by real hands, I wasn't sure what to think. I was really afraid that this experience would throw Danny over the deep end, and he would be comotose for the rest of the novel. I was really surprised that he was able to communicate with his parents and tell them what was going on. 

I was so confused by Jack and his actions throughout the beginning of this section. I just don't understand why he was trying to provoke everyone when talking about his book idea. Why did he call Mr. Ullman and bother him about the hotel? That accomplished nothing. And, then, he talks with his friend, Al Shockley, and that conversation doesn't go well either. Do you think these exchanges show Jack's mental state? Do they point to a mental instability? He seems to be irrationally angry with his family, too. And, unhelpful. What did you think when he decided not to get the snowmobile going, so they could leave the hotel? Why did he throw away the battery? How can he care more about the book and the hotel than his son? I just dislike Jack so much. 

Jack experiences a couple of hallucinations in this section. When cutting the topiaries, he imagines that they are moving and coming after him. Later, he imagines himself in the hotel bar, and it's hard to understand if he is really experiencing the moment with the bartender. Is he hallucinating, or is there some sort of magic or supernatural force that is allowing him to have these sorts of realistic experiences in the hotel?

Danny also has a horrible experience with the topiaries near the end of this section. They chase him and cause him to fall down, but Jack denies that anything happened. Why does he deny that horrible things are happening to Danny at the hotel? I just can't believe that he puts the hotel above the good of his family. 

Jack and Wendy's relationship really deteriorates in this section. Wendy is incredibly suspicious of everything that Jack does, and Jack shows that he's suspicious of Wendy, too, after Danny tries to explain the incident in room 217 and says, "It was her." Jack assumes that Wendy hurt Danny in some way. I really don't think their marriage is going to end very well, regardless of how the season at the hotel goes. I can't imagine that they are going to be able to stay married. 

Near the end of this section, we realize that "Redrum" that Danny has been seeing is really a door that says "Murder." He realizes that Tony can't come to him and help him anymore, so he calls for Hallorann in his head. I was totally shocked that Hallorann actually heard Danny's call, and I was creeped out that he had a premonition of death. Do you think there's any way that Hallorann can actually make it back to the hotel before the whole family loses their sanity? Do you think he'll be able to make any sort of difference for them? He's only one man, and there are so many seemingly powerful evil influences in the hotel. 

Are you excited to read the end of the book? Do you have any idea what's going to happen? Are you excited or nervous to finish reading? 

Before you go, check out this clip in which Stephen King talks about several of his movie adaptations. What do you think of his assessment of The Shining movie? 

I hope you're able to finish the book for next week! I can't wait to hear from you in the comments!