Hotel Mark

It may seem strange reviewing a book that is some years old, but this one by Stephen King has been made into a film, and right now is in the Cinema’s, and it’s an interesting one to me, in that it brings into focus the difficulties of bringing to the screen a subject that can hardly be created as well as what is in your mind. That being, unimaginable terror.

“The Mist” is a short story, written by King, after he was asked to make a contribution to a book of short horror stories. His original idea expanded, into a story of just over 130 pages, making it into something akin to a mini novel than short story. It was originally published in a short story compilation called Dark Rorces. The 2007 release of the film, directed by Frank Darabont, (Shawshank Redemption possibly his most renouned film) is many years past the original publish, perhaps highlighting the considered unsuitability of making this into a film. This because King’s works normally go to film very much quicker!

I always considered this masterpiece of horror writing King’s finest achievement. The reason I am sceptical about the film is because horror of this magnitude can never be recreated on screen as well as what exists in your mind. Imagine your worst horror…It could never happen..Impossible. BUT, what if it DID happen? How would you react?

Right from the very first sentence King draws you into the surreal imagery. The trick is to get the reader to WANT to know what happens next..David Drayton and his wife and young son live in this small town, and the story, as related by Drayton himself, first person, starts during the end stages of a terrible heatwave, producing a terrific storm, causing damage. That this is no ordinary storm is soon evident, coming off the back of a ferocious heatwave, and this after the so called “Black spring”…

When Drayton and his son, accompanied by next door neighbour Brent Norton, make a trip into town the next day to the nearest supermarket, they are overtaken by an unimaginable horror in the shape of a moving mist which engulfs the supermarket. But this is no “mist”..Strange reports of creatures moving in the mist come to the worried people in the market, quickly causing divided emotions among them, some scared, others sceptical, others even consided the whole thing comical. But when people try to move out of the market and terrible screams and noises follow, the people realise they are prisoners inside.

For David and his son, the issue becomes even more complicated as fractions develop among the people trapped there. Who do they have reason to fear the most, the terrible creatures outside, or some of the people INSIDE? At what point do they try to make a run for it? There’s also Mrs. Drayton at home, what has happened to her, and can she be rescued? Then there is the mist itself, almost as a living entity of horror…

As to the characters, the horror is underlined because of the normality of the people, and the place where they are living. Drayton, struggling artist, with his own desires to paint in the way closest to his heart, balanced against the need for commercialisation and to make money to survive. Something like managing a blog! His love for his wife and son, the pompous next door neighbour Norton, lawyer, and out of court a barrackroom lawyer..Mrs. Carmody, who becomes central to the nighmare in the store, full of old wives tales, and supersticions..(Seeing the movie trailer she is nothing at all like the character King cleverly etches in the book.)

I will not disclose anything of the ending here, for those who have not seen it..But suffice to say the story is all the more entertaining by the questions it does not answer. After all, life itself poses quesitons which will never be answered. Life goes on, until it the end..