I jammed to the song at the end of the audiobook after the credits. It makes it a memorable read for sure. Really fun journey in a magical world if our heroes could give us insight to their feelings and stories. However, I wanted more details. Maybe more descriptions in their features and the locations they were at and even of the recording studio. Definitely made me reflect on what it means to have freedom and what it meant to our relatives, their sacrifices. I also thought the book would go to a little more detail into Harriet Tubman because of the title of the book. But overall had a lot of fun! Great short read to kick off pride month!

I loved the movie adaptation! I think the ending in the movie with Jacks frozen face is just iconic!! As for the ending in the book… it’s weird to me that it ended on such a happy note. I will say I did enjoy as the story as it was coming to a close due to the elaborate descriptions to certain details to the scenes only the book can provide. The imagery created as the hotel has taking over Jack is horrifying after the book has done a better job at humanizing him. Specially from the view of young Danny who loves and fears his father.

Same for Wendy. It’s chilling she’s married to an alcoholic and a narcissist, but at the end of the day he was a man with a disease. I feel I disliked her because she reminded me of a past weaker version of myself. She let Jack walk all over her. Enabling his sickness when she should have left him long ago. He needed to experience the loss of his family for any real changes before almost taking his entire family down with him in a hotel. But alas, she didn’t leave and now we have The Shining. (Her son witnessing a failing marriage with the “gift” of seeing his family fall apart with literal fire)

Reading the prologue/authors notes at the beginning of the book was insightful as it gave me a better understanding that this was more of a metaphorical view on fatherhood. Dealing with previous parental scars and chains that needed to be broken. Really shed light as to why the character development in the book is sooooo well done.

What I did not enjoy about the book was the racial words used. It did not age well but oddly enough it made me cheer for Hallorann and that his outcome is different than in the movie.

Also “creepy” hedges was a bold choice to add into the book. It’s more comical but at least different.

Wow!! What a beautiful book! I could not put it down today. There are so many points this book touches on, on what it is to be human. The complex emotions.

It also hits home on another level as I evaluate what true friendship means as I get a better sense of who I am in my 30s. Who is here for only a good time and those for a long time. What it’s like to have friends who actually celebrate you and cheer you on through the good and bad. Who stick with you even when things get rough. While reading this I just wanted to hug Charlie!! His own family and co workers at the bakery just left me speechless by their actions. This story beautifully takes you through that journey of what it is to be a fragile human being however, the ride is a heart breaking one.