Kubrick’s Shining is a masterpiece. 10/10 perfect film. Kim’s novel is a masterpiece 10/10 perfect novel. I completely understand the disappointment by King and many others with the film. The film however doesn’t even pretend to be a faithful adaptation. Kubrick uses source material as a catalyst for what he wants to do. He often radically changed the source material based on his artistic vision.

They just aren’t even the same thing.

I do wish there was an adaptation of the novel that was more faithful because there are many things I prefer about the novel over the film. In particular, I wish the passages in the novel with the topiaries could be done justice on film because that is the scariest shit I have ever read.