The Torrances have issues...

Just finished Part One: Prefatory Matters. We are introduced to the Torrances: Jack, Wendy, and little Danny, and was immediately struck by several things.

• Jack is a mess.  Personally.  Professionally.  Maritally.  He has a dangerous, out of control temper and an addictive personality that has already let him abuse alcohol to near ruination.  His fondness for the drink ruined his reputation at the school he taught at, caused him to "accidentally" break little Danny's arm in a fit of anger, and is seriously threatening to end his marriage.
• Wendy is a wreck.  She's worried about Jack, worried about Danny, worried about her mother's opinion of her.  She seems like she's a panic attack away from a nervous breakdown.
• This family is in serious serious trouble.
• Oh, and Danny can read thoughts (to some degree) and "sees things".
• Did I mention Jack's a mess?  Cuz Jack's a mess.  He knows...just knows...that if Wendy leaves him, he'll have no alternative but suicide.  He hasn't had a drop to drink in some time due to one heck of a scare.  He and a friend were out driving while drunk when they hit a bicycle in the middle of the road.  They were both convinced that they MUST have murdered a kid riding it, but never found a body.  That scared the crap out of them.  Scared them both sober.
• But Jack's alcoholism has been replaced with a deep seated rage that is going to be a serious problem.

King is still world building at this point, introducing the characters to us, but I'm really struck by how real this family seems.  I feel for Wendy, not because she's a victim (she doesn't seem like a victim at all here), but because she loves Jack and has decided to stick around...for now...because of Danny.  

I feel for Danny because he blindly loves his dad, but his ability to read thoughts (it's very rudimental at this point.  He can only grasp single words or concepts, it seems) has allowed him to pick up on words that, while he doesn't know what they mean, scare him.  His mom's thought of DIVORCE, whatever that is, but far more terrifying is the thought of SUICIDE, from his dad, which Danny knows will happen if DIVORCE happens.  Danny knows all of these things, but either keeps them to himself, or, as a five year old, simply doesn't know how to communicate his knowledge.

And, yes, I feel for Jack.  He doesn't seem like a bad guy.  At all.  He is a mess and dangerous right now, but he truly loves Danny and Wendy.  And, while he projects confidence and self-assuredness, it really feels like he has a deep self loathing and probably self-esteem issues.

Despite Jack doing some things that should make him really unlikeable, and having really unlikeable personality traits, I still can't help but hope he succeeds.  He has been trying to write his great play and truly believes that several months of isolation while working as winter caretaker of the Overlook Hotel will be just what he needs to finish his play.

I really does seem to be his last chance.  With everything else falling apart, he needs something to go his way.