I agree. The movie is scarier. I'd seen the movie before I read the novel. The novel was really good but this movie really makes the novel seem made for teens.

"You're forgetting something"
You are also forgetting something. I don't care. The whole Jack is bad, Oh he is good again, Wait. Yep Jack is bad. Ruins the flow of the story in the end. See, Not that hard to understand. I understand you are trying to explain things from the book. but that is not needed. I have read the book quite a few times. I am very aware what is going on in the book.
"that was his true self rising to the surface for just enough of a moment to save Danny's life whom he loves very much "
Actually it is the other way around. His true self was the one chasing Danny in the first place. The monster that Jack has been hiding the whole time. The one that Danny has been seeing in his Dreams. If jack loves Danny so much. He would not be chasing him and trying to kill Danny. He also would not had broke Danny's arm either. The Breaking of Danny's arm was a Moment where Jack was Soooo close to showing his real self. (On the edge). For a brief moment jack became The monster that Danny would have to run from later in the book and of course in the film. The same goes for Wendy in the book when Jack just about beats her to death. Finally he gets to do what had been wanting to do. Silence the Doubts and behind the back talk from his wife. Which was clearly not really happening. That is just what was going on in jack's insane mind.
Jack wasn't so much as possessed as he was just clearly Insane beyond reason. Just the same as Jack was in the film. You can survive a knife in the back as Clearly Jack did in the book. That doesn't mean he was possessed. That just means Jack was so insane at the time and on a Adrenaline rush. That was not going to stop him at that time. Now if Wendy Stabbed jack a few more times. Well that is a different story. The hammer to the face is just another insane act. Btw the knife in the back was creepy, I have to give King that.
" in the book, the Overlook Hotel is a sentient evil entity"
It is the same in the Film. The Hotel has something Like Shining. For people with the Shining it is The ability to see things that happened in the past and sometimes the future. But the Overlook, the Hotel is actually changing time periods. So the person could actually be in a party in the past. which in the film was in the 1920's. It isn't quite the person. But the Hotel doing it. Time has little meaning in the Overlook. Two Time periods can merge into one and exist in the same space.
Example, In the film When Jack see's the lady in room 237. She is young. Jack is seeing how she looked when she was alive in the past. That is the Hotel recalling a time period from years before. But When jack looks in the mirror. Jack sees the woman in a different time period. She is now old. Then we see her as a dead woman in the tub. Another time period all in the the same space.
In the book Jack is at a party that happens long time ago. But the people look very much alive. Jack is viewing people from a different time period who have been dead for quite some time.
In the Film, Jack witnesses the same party and a waiter that has been dead for 60 years.
In the Book Danny runs into the Dogman from the party. Danny is viewing the person from when he was alive in a different time period. In the film Wendy is the one who see's the Dogman in a room as she is seeing a event that happened years before.
Of course the big moment in the book. Delbert Grady. A waiter who has been dead for decades at that point. let's jack out of a Food storage. Delbert and Jack are from two different time Periods. But yet they are in the same space. This event happens just the same in the book as it does in the film.
Another thing that is the same as the book as in the film. Jack is clearly Obsessed With the Hotel and takes his job way too seriously. Guess Jack really wanted that employee of the year badly. lol
One thing I could see that King was trying to do. Oh it is not Jack's fault. Jack was misled and is a Very loving family man. It is the Overlook Hotel's fault. LOL Nooo. Nice try thou. Jack is the villain in the book and the novel. In the book he is hiding his insanity and his true intentions. The Hotel just gives jack a reason to be who Jack really is and what he has been hiding or at least holding back. But In the film We can clearly see Jack can not stand his family and is just looking for a reason to do what he tries later in the film. Jack is on the edge of being insane. All jack needed was a little push and the Overlook gave it to him.
The book does have a nice set up. But the end really lets the story down. I think King painted himself into a corner and Did not quite know how to end the book. Kubrick knew how he was going to end the film and that is one reason why the film is sooo much better IMO.

One of the problems I have with the book is the end. It is so bad. Jack is bad, oh wait. he is good again. bloody hell, he is bad again.
You're forgetting something: in the book, the Overlook Hotel is a sentient evil entity. By the end, it had completely possessed Jack, which is evident when Wendy drives the butcher knife into his back and it fails to stop him. In the book, he was just an insane human being.
As for him being "good again" in the book, that was his true self rising to the surface for just enough of a moment to save Danny's life, whom he loves very much. Then the Entity takes over and forces him to smash his own head to a pulp, killing Jack Torrence forever.
It's really not that hard to understand.

Stephen King is a total literary genius, has made plenty of money and given a lot of pleasure to the readers of the world. Thank goodness for Stephen King.

Yeah, all psychos have moments of lucidity and humanity. It's called "not getting caught."
The rather stupid group of people are those who cannot admit that Kubrick wrote a deeper narrative than King could. Because King is some form of literary god. Subtle he ain't. I fvcking hate him. Peace.
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THE SHiNiNG

In the book he's possessed but sometimes has moments of lucidity and humanity. In the film he's pretty insane from early on. I have no problem with the film Jack but subtle he ain't.
I think on these boards a rather stupid group of people think that if you critique the movie you're a Stephen King fan, or if you critique the book you're a Stanley Kubrick fan. It's all rather tiresome. I love both. Peace.

"the books Jack Torrence is far more 3 dimensional."
The book jack and the Film jack is not too different from each other. They both have some mental issues and use drinking as a way to keep it at bay.the film just does it better and is more creepy about it. One of the problems I have with the book is the end. It is so bad. Jack is bad, oh wait. he is good again. bloody hell, he is bad again. I just don't buy it and it ruined the end of the book for me. The book does have a good set up. but it fails to deliver at the end.
I think it is safe thing to say Kubrick did understand the story or saw more things in the story than King did. I know what King was going for, But what he didn't realise is Jack was always a man right on the edge of being insane. Jack just needed a push to finally go over.Jack is the villain of the book and Film. The Overlook hotel was just a place for Jack to finally just let go and do what he had already wanted to do.

No, the novel's Jack Torrance is just as confused a character as his author is.
"Daddy loves me so much he wants to kill me, then help me?!? Daddy? Seriously - are you nuts? Make up your mind!"
Yuck. Psychopaths don't have moments of clarity where they then commit suicide for their victims. Wishful thinking, King.
King wants us to care about Jack Torrance because that character was modeled after him. It's a false sentiment ploy.
And in a "horror novel" where no one gets killed by another person?
Kubrick and Johnson reverse-engineered the novel and invented a much darker, more sinister film about a hotel that wants repeated sacrifices, not just a little boy with psychic power. And a wife who looks like she's been psychologically abused for years, not some glamour model who can fight back. Talk about fiction, compared to real life
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THE SHiNiNG

I watched the film on the big screen last night but the subtlety of why Jack is no longer a teacher, and his transformation to the maniacal madman is not as well done in the book due to the fact there film is much shorter watch than the book is a read. It's brilliant in its own way but don't kid yourself, the books Jack Torrence is far more 3 dimensional.