The Shining: book vs. movie

A story of the ghosts and ghouls that linger both in the shadows and within ourselves, Stephen King’s The Shining is among his best. But how does his classic compare with Stanley Kubrick’s much-lauded 1980 film adaptation?
The final Stephen King novel on this list (though it was a tough job narrowing down all the great King adaptations to just three!), *The Shining* was the basis for one of the most iconic horror films of all time. Stanley Kubrick’s 1980 movie, starring a brilliantly unhinged Jack Nicholson as the rapidly unraveling Jack Torrance, is in some ways removed from the novel that inspired it: from substantial differences in characterization to themes of addiction and the significance of supernatural factors on human behavior. Even if you, like us, have watched Kubrick’s film over and over, don’t miss out on King’s brilliant tale of a family trapped in a snowbound hotel who are torn apart by lingering ghosts—both literal and metaphorical. Between little Danny Torrance’s struggle with his clairvoyant abilities and the incredibly nuanced description of mounting marital discord between Jack and Wendy, it’s not only the ghosts of the Overlook Hotel that will stay with you long after you’re done listening—it’s the living residents too.
When you need to lose yourself, it's hard to beat a Stephen King novel. Engle swears by this one, which he calls "a particularly sinister read I loved diving into the abyss."