Status
Available
Call number
Series
Genres
Collection
Publication
Pocket (2001), Mass Market Paperback, 704 pages
Description
Fantasy. Fiction. Horror. Thriller. HTML:#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER � Before Doctor Sleep, there was The Shining, a classic of modern American horror from the undisputed master, Stephen King. Jack Torrance�s new job at the Overlook Hotel is the perfect chance for a fresh start. As the off-season caretaker at the atmospheric old hotel, he�ll have plenty of time to spend reconnecting with his family and working on his writing. But as the harsh winter weather sets in, the idyllic location feels ever more remote . . . and more sinister. And the only one to notice the strange and terrible forces gathering around the Overlook is Danny Torrance, a uniquely gifted five-year-old.
User reviews
LibraryThing member JGolomb
Stephen King’s “The Shining” is an amazing character study that drives a mood-heavy, emotionally deep, and unrelenting literary horror. The story centers on Danny Torrance, a young boy with a unique ability. Termed the 'shine', Danny can sense the future, and communicate mentally and
Stephen King writes ‘childhood’ masterfully. He's able to tap into the emotions of youth, and create evocative realism in their thoughts, dialogue and action. Also found in his magnum opus "It", King places children in extraordinary circumstances; yet still creates very realistic, thoughtful and down-to-earth reactions and behavior.
Also like "It", King explores what makes people different as they grow and mature, both physically and mentally. It’s this difference, this change from youth to adult, which sits at the core of the narrative. A doctor tries to analyze Danny's abilities, and rationalize the relative normality of what Danny's parents feel is extraordinary. Within his description, we view King's premise that certain superhuman capabilities can only be had in youth: "You know, schizoid behavior is a pretty common thing in children. It's accepted, because all we adults have this unspoken agreement that children are lunatics. They have invisible friends. They may go and sit in the closet when they're depressed, withdrawing from the world. They attach talismanic importance to a special blanket, or a teddy bear, or a stuffed tiger. They suck their thumbs. When an adult sees things that aren't there, we consider him ready for the rubber room. When a child says he's seen a troll in his bedroom or a vampire outside the window, we simply smile indulgently. We have a one-sentence explanation that explains the whole range of such phenomena in children--" "He'll grown out of it," responds Danny's father.
Danny is resilient, strong and vulnerable. He is often overwhelmed by his 'shine', but manages through. And while this capability is largely internalized, his mother Wendy is aware of her boy's uniqueness, “…she was in awe of her child—awe in the strict meaning of that word: a kind of undefined superstitious dread.”
In the character of Jack Torrance, Danny's father, King is clearly working through his own battles with alcohol. His personal demons become Jack Torrance’s and translate into wonderfully evocative internal monologue. As the book draws to a conclusion, one seems to be reading the insights of a fastly deteriorating mind-- what's inside a brain blurred by alcohol, and soaked in spirits (both liquid and ethereal).
King often turns his stories around the craft of writing, and unsurprisingly captures the essence of the tortured author in Jack. As Jack deals with his internal demons fueled by alcohol, and emotional monsters fed by an abusive father, King explores the nexus of abusive and violent behavior. He explores the human condition as it relates to self-control, and self-awareness, or lack thereof; when ones baser nature breaks loose. As caretaker of The Overlook Hotel, Jack repairs a section of roof and discovers a massive wasps nest embedded at the roofline. As Jack attempts to destroy the angry hive, King uses the wasps as a metaphor for Jack's violence (from his own father and toward his son, Danny) - a theme that recurs throughout the story. Jack ponders, "When you unwittingly stuck your hand into the wasps' nest, you hadn't made a covenant with the devil to give up your civilized self with its trappings of love, respect and honor. It just happened to you. Passively, with no say, you ceased to be a creature of the mind and became a creature of the nerve endings; from college-educated man to wailing ape in five easy seconds."
We learn early in the story that Jack, in a fit of range, broke Danny's arm when the toddler made a mess of his office. Jack lives with the image of a version of himself that had the capacity to inflict such a horror on his own little boy. The rational side feels that never again can he allow such a thing to happen, but it's clear that Jack is not always in full control of his faculties. There is no internalized redemption for ones past sins. They're just saved and kept hidden and out of sight; a destructive force, a menace, waiting for the next release of energy. The question King seems to raise is whether that force will target oneself or another.
The crux of King's dramatic (and horrific) tension is how he teases out just enough information to propel the plot and build the reader's suspense while obfuscating an equal amount detail by filtering the context through the eyes and understanding of a child. It's King's balance of the real and surreal, the normal and abnormal that drive the elements of horror in this novel.
If you’re familiar with the Stanley Kubrick movie version of the story, you’ll find much the same story arc. In the book, the details are sharper and the themes more poignant. This is an amazing book…ranking a close number 2 of everything I’ve read from King, right behind ‘It’. Don’t hesitate to pick this up.
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emotionally with his inner self and other people, alive, and sometimes less so. Stephen King writes ‘childhood’ masterfully. He's able to tap into the emotions of youth, and create evocative realism in their thoughts, dialogue and action. Also found in his magnum opus "It", King places children in extraordinary circumstances; yet still creates very realistic, thoughtful and down-to-earth reactions and behavior.
Also like "It", King explores what makes people different as they grow and mature, both physically and mentally. It’s this difference, this change from youth to adult, which sits at the core of the narrative. A doctor tries to analyze Danny's abilities, and rationalize the relative normality of what Danny's parents feel is extraordinary. Within his description, we view King's premise that certain superhuman capabilities can only be had in youth: "You know, schizoid behavior is a pretty common thing in children. It's accepted, because all we adults have this unspoken agreement that children are lunatics. They have invisible friends. They may go and sit in the closet when they're depressed, withdrawing from the world. They attach talismanic importance to a special blanket, or a teddy bear, or a stuffed tiger. They suck their thumbs. When an adult sees things that aren't there, we consider him ready for the rubber room. When a child says he's seen a troll in his bedroom or a vampire outside the window, we simply smile indulgently. We have a one-sentence explanation that explains the whole range of such phenomena in children--" "He'll grown out of it," responds Danny's father.
Danny is resilient, strong and vulnerable. He is often overwhelmed by his 'shine', but manages through. And while this capability is largely internalized, his mother Wendy is aware of her boy's uniqueness, “…she was in awe of her child—awe in the strict meaning of that word: a kind of undefined superstitious dread.”
In the character of Jack Torrance, Danny's father, King is clearly working through his own battles with alcohol. His personal demons become Jack Torrance’s and translate into wonderfully evocative internal monologue. As the book draws to a conclusion, one seems to be reading the insights of a fastly deteriorating mind-- what's inside a brain blurred by alcohol, and soaked in spirits (both liquid and ethereal).
King often turns his stories around the craft of writing, and unsurprisingly captures the essence of the tortured author in Jack. As Jack deals with his internal demons fueled by alcohol, and emotional monsters fed by an abusive father, King explores the nexus of abusive and violent behavior. He explores the human condition as it relates to self-control, and self-awareness, or lack thereof; when ones baser nature breaks loose. As caretaker of The Overlook Hotel, Jack repairs a section of roof and discovers a massive wasps nest embedded at the roofline. As Jack attempts to destroy the angry hive, King uses the wasps as a metaphor for Jack's violence (from his own father and toward his son, Danny) - a theme that recurs throughout the story. Jack ponders, "When you unwittingly stuck your hand into the wasps' nest, you hadn't made a covenant with the devil to give up your civilized self with its trappings of love, respect and honor. It just happened to you. Passively, with no say, you ceased to be a creature of the mind and became a creature of the nerve endings; from college-educated man to wailing ape in five easy seconds."
We learn early in the story that Jack, in a fit of range, broke Danny's arm when the toddler made a mess of his office. Jack lives with the image of a version of himself that had the capacity to inflict such a horror on his own little boy. The rational side feels that never again can he allow such a thing to happen, but it's clear that Jack is not always in full control of his faculties. There is no internalized redemption for ones past sins. They're just saved and kept hidden and out of sight; a destructive force, a menace, waiting for the next release of energy. The question King seems to raise is whether that force will target oneself or another.
The crux of King's dramatic (and horrific) tension is how he teases out just enough information to propel the plot and build the reader's suspense while obfuscating an equal amount detail by filtering the context through the eyes and understanding of a child. It's King's balance of the real and surreal, the normal and abnormal that drive the elements of horror in this novel.
If you’re familiar with the Stanley Kubrick movie version of the story, you’ll find much the same story arc. In the book, the details are sharper and the themes more poignant. This is an amazing book…ranking a close number 2 of everything I’ve read from King, right behind ‘It’. Don’t hesitate to pick this up.
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LibraryThing member jseger9000
Without a doubt, The Shining is Stephen King’s best novel (okay, maybe it's in a dead heat with It), though it isn’t my personal favorite. The themes and characterizations are all expertly handled and mesh well together with one of the best hooks any horror novel has ever had.
The elegant
This year the caretaker has a family with him. Jack Torrence, a troubled alcoholic with a sometimes violent temper; his wife Wendy and their son Danny, who is gifted with a sixth sense, or a ‘shine’.
Since his cast is so small (especially compared to the whole town portrayed in his previous novel: ’Salem’s Lot), King is able to spend ample amounts of time building his characters into fully realized and ‘real’ people. You empathize with Jack. He is a deeply troubled guy, with a dark background trying to do his best while under attack from an outside malevolent force.
Stephen King proves he’s more than a hack thriller writer with Danny, a believable (to me) five year old character. The sections written from Danny’s point of view were never saccharine or cloying. Danny has trouble with concepts that we as the reader understand and that was handled very well.
All this talk of quality characterization shouldn’t lead you to think that The Shining isn’t scary. The Overlook is a masterpiece of a haunted house. Complete with a suitably nasty back-story and tons of atmosphere once the final (living) guests have checked out and Danny’s ‘shine’ was a brilliant mechanic to make the sometimes… dry... scares of normal haunted house stories much more visceral.
One flaw I had with the novel was that the ending felt a bit rushed. Still, it's a pretty minor criticism. It may just come down to personal preference. Overall, The Shining is a modern day masterpiece of a horror novel.
The elegant
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Overlook hotel closes down every winter due to the extremely harsh weather. For six months out of the year it is cut off from the outside world, usually occupied by a single caretaker. Of course, every hotel has its share of ghosts…This year the caretaker has a family with him. Jack Torrence, a troubled alcoholic with a sometimes violent temper; his wife Wendy and their son Danny, who is gifted with a sixth sense, or a ‘shine’.
Since his cast is so small (especially compared to the whole town portrayed in his previous novel: ’Salem’s Lot), King is able to spend ample amounts of time building his characters into fully realized and ‘real’ people. You empathize with Jack. He is a deeply troubled guy, with a dark background trying to do his best while under attack from an outside malevolent force.
Stephen King proves he’s more than a hack thriller writer with Danny, a believable (to me) five year old character. The sections written from Danny’s point of view were never saccharine or cloying. Danny has trouble with concepts that we as the reader understand and that was handled very well.
All this talk of quality characterization shouldn’t lead you to think that The Shining isn’t scary. The Overlook is a masterpiece of a haunted house. Complete with a suitably nasty back-story and tons of atmosphere once the final (living) guests have checked out and Danny’s ‘shine’ was a brilliant mechanic to make the sometimes… dry... scares of normal haunted house stories much more visceral.
One flaw I had with the novel was that the ending felt a bit rushed. Still, it's a pretty minor criticism. It may just come down to personal preference. Overall, The Shining is a modern day masterpiece of a horror novel.
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LibraryThing member BenDV
I've decided to make it a personal policy of mine to always have a Stephen King novel on my shelf. Having recently read three works of very dry and not all that good science-fiction, I was in the mood for an accessible, character-driven novel that would re-energise me and thus make me more willing
Most will probably be familiar with the story of this novel thanks to the Stanley Kubrick film, so I won't bother reiterating it. If you have seen the film but haven't read the novel, don't let that put you off reading it as they're very different experiences. The novel has a massive amount of detail that could not be captured in a two-hour film, mainly in the development of the characters (Jack and Wendy Torrance are also just generally very different in terms of personality). There's also a different take on the involvement of the supernatural, and the ending is somewhat different too. There's more than enough to make the two very distinct experiences.
The Shining really is an excellent novel. I had been a bit let down by my first venture into King's work, The Stand; it fell apart toward the end, and there were so many characters King seemed to have a hard time juggling them all. These aren't problems here; The Shining has three main characters, one secondary character, and a very focused story. There is a lot of emotion in King's exploration of the back stories of the three Torrance's, and just like in the film the 'horror' scenes are wonderfully tense (though also very different). Undoubtedly the best are those in Room 217; Danny's experience here is not shown in the film, but in the book it is truly chilling. King draws out the events around that room in a very effective fashion, such that every mention of it raises the tension just a little bit.
One suggestion I have with this book; read it quickly. Try and get through it in under a week. I say this because the events in this book (or at least the second half) happen over a rather short space of time, but if you don't read it quickly and keep close track of events you may not appreciate this. The tension of the story may seem to ebb and flow. I was fairly busy when I read it, and it took two weeks to get through; this was the result. Then when I looked back through it, I realised the pace of events, and I had just been forgetting the details.
The Shining has succeeded where The Stand failed; it has made me highly enthusiastic about Stephen King's novels. I can't imagine there is any better starting point.
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to tackle more difficult pieces of literature. King has a reputation for character-driven, exciting stories, and The Shining has more than justified this.Most will probably be familiar with the story of this novel thanks to the Stanley Kubrick film, so I won't bother reiterating it. If you have seen the film but haven't read the novel, don't let that put you off reading it as they're very different experiences. The novel has a massive amount of detail that could not be captured in a two-hour film, mainly in the development of the characters (Jack and Wendy Torrance are also just generally very different in terms of personality). There's also a different take on the involvement of the supernatural, and the ending is somewhat different too. There's more than enough to make the two very distinct experiences.
The Shining really is an excellent novel. I had been a bit let down by my first venture into King's work, The Stand; it fell apart toward the end, and there were so many characters King seemed to have a hard time juggling them all. These aren't problems here; The Shining has three main characters, one secondary character, and a very focused story. There is a lot of emotion in King's exploration of the back stories of the three Torrance's, and just like in the film the 'horror' scenes are wonderfully tense (though also very different). Undoubtedly the best are those in Room 217; Danny's experience here is not shown in the film, but in the book it is truly chilling. King draws out the events around that room in a very effective fashion, such that every mention of it raises the tension just a little bit.
One suggestion I have with this book; read it quickly. Try and get through it in under a week. I say this because the events in this book (or at least the second half) happen over a rather short space of time, but if you don't read it quickly and keep close track of events you may not appreciate this. The tension of the story may seem to ebb and flow. I was fairly busy when I read it, and it took two weeks to get through; this was the result. Then when I looked back through it, I realised the pace of events, and I had just been forgetting the details.
The Shining has succeeded where The Stand failed; it has made me highly enthusiastic about Stephen King's novels. I can't imagine there is any better starting point.
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LibraryThing member nyoung84
Reviewing The Shining without bias might be difficult for me. I decided to read it for two reasons: one, because I love Stephen King and this is one of the classics, but also, frankly, because I hated the Kubrick adaptation.
I heard that Stephen King also hated the movie, so I thought I’d give the
The movie explains nothing. It’s a well-directed jumble of randomly picked horror tricks with no sense and no explanation. I was hoping this was just a failure of translation, but I went into the book with reservations. I was pleasantly surprised.
The plot outdid my expectations. I had a few questions I wanted answered from the beginning, and it answered all those and more. There are a few lingering questions I have, which is why I give a rating of 4/5, but they’re just ambiguities – not inconsistencies. That is a key difference for my judgement of the success of a plot. I’m alright with not knowing a few background details of the Overlook hotel, though I wish I did, because the details I do have fit together and make sense with and of each other.
But what makes a Stephen King novel great is usually not the plot – the plot is just the structure. Rather, it’s the characters. I love and hate Jack, I love Wendy and Danny and Mr. Hallorann, despite their flaws. I feel like I know them and understand them. They’re beautifully human, with incredible strength and tragic weakness and endless lovability. The characters make sense, which helps make sense of the plot. Even in the thriller and horror genres, character is perhaps the most important aspect – if the characters are not believable, or you just don’t care about them, you won’t care about the book. Stephen King never fails on this point.
The Shining succeeds as a thriller, and at times as horror. My heart-rate shot up at times, and I definitely had to put the book away when my power started flickering in and out (great time for a windstorm, amirite?). The imagery is perfect, the descriptions vivid and relatable. When I read a scene by Stephen King in which scary things are happening – ghosts coming after a beloved character, for example – I often feel like I’m watching a horror movie. Except, of course, that I don’t have to hide under a blanket, because I’m a little less of a weenie when it comes to books. But Stephen King’s style is effective, his prose at times beautiful and at times terrifying and all the time exactly what the scene calls for.
The Shining lives up to its reputation. It’ll frighten you, sadden you, make you smile, make you laugh. Unlike the movie, it has depth – it’s not a cheap bag of horror tricks. Whether you like horror or not, the Torrance family is worth a shot.
I heard that Stephen King also hated the movie, so I thought I’d give the
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book a shot. I had a few questions for the book based on my distaste for the movie, but all the questions boil down to the same thing – what in the hell is going on?The movie explains nothing. It’s a well-directed jumble of randomly picked horror tricks with no sense and no explanation. I was hoping this was just a failure of translation, but I went into the book with reservations. I was pleasantly surprised.
The plot outdid my expectations. I had a few questions I wanted answered from the beginning, and it answered all those and more. There are a few lingering questions I have, which is why I give a rating of 4/5, but they’re just ambiguities – not inconsistencies. That is a key difference for my judgement of the success of a plot. I’m alright with not knowing a few background details of the Overlook hotel, though I wish I did, because the details I do have fit together and make sense with and of each other.
But what makes a Stephen King novel great is usually not the plot – the plot is just the structure. Rather, it’s the characters. I love and hate Jack, I love Wendy and Danny and Mr. Hallorann, despite their flaws. I feel like I know them and understand them. They’re beautifully human, with incredible strength and tragic weakness and endless lovability. The characters make sense, which helps make sense of the plot. Even in the thriller and horror genres, character is perhaps the most important aspect – if the characters are not believable, or you just don’t care about them, you won’t care about the book. Stephen King never fails on this point.
The Shining succeeds as a thriller, and at times as horror. My heart-rate shot up at times, and I definitely had to put the book away when my power started flickering in and out (great time for a windstorm, amirite?). The imagery is perfect, the descriptions vivid and relatable. When I read a scene by Stephen King in which scary things are happening – ghosts coming after a beloved character, for example – I often feel like I’m watching a horror movie. Except, of course, that I don’t have to hide under a blanket, because I’m a little less of a weenie when it comes to books. But Stephen King’s style is effective, his prose at times beautiful and at times terrifying and all the time exactly what the scene calls for.
The Shining lives up to its reputation. It’ll frighten you, sadden you, make you smile, make you laugh. Unlike the movie, it has depth – it’s not a cheap bag of horror tricks. Whether you like horror or not, the Torrance family is worth a shot.
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LibraryThing member bardsfingertips
This reread was really fascinating for me. There were a lot of little things I remembered (chewing Excedrin tablets) and many things that were very unfamiliar despite my relatively active memory. Anyway, I loved reading this book. Knowing what I know now about Mister King's life when he was that
A lot of people have a shared problem with The Shining: it is far too dense. I disagree completely on the mere fact it is not just a suspense novel, and nor is it just a horror novel: it's an exploration of the psychology of being a parent and of addiction. I feel that the breadth that is practiced therein is necessary for that exploration. As much as I can say there is usually a King formulae, Stephen King does not adhere to any preexisting formulae when it comes to fiction. With that in mind, I am happy that a novel with such a small cast of characters has such dense prose. After all, it's not always easy to explore your own demons.
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young and writing this turning-point novel, a lot of it makes me sense to me. I think he wrote it before meeting the demons of his own alcoholism and various addictions. It was also at this time his kids were still really young, so you can ponder his own frustrations of being a parent through the avatar of Jack.A lot of people have a shared problem with The Shining: it is far too dense. I disagree completely on the mere fact it is not just a suspense novel, and nor is it just a horror novel: it's an exploration of the psychology of being a parent and of addiction. I feel that the breadth that is practiced therein is necessary for that exploration. As much as I can say there is usually a King formulae, Stephen King does not adhere to any preexisting formulae when it comes to fiction. With that in mind, I am happy that a novel with such a small cast of characters has such dense prose. After all, it's not always easy to explore your own demons.
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LibraryThing member PhoebeReading
Thanks to the Kubrick film adaptation, Stephen King's third novel has become so firmly planted in the consciousness of Americans that I had expected the story to feel well-worn and predictable; after all, a camp counselor had recited the film's plot in lieu of a more traditional scary story to me
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and a bunch of other campers when I was nine (nightmares, of course, ensued).However, the story of Jack Torrence, struggling writer, his psychic son, and the claustrophobic Overlook Hotel differ significantly from what we find in the film--there's no "Here's Johnny", no hedge maze, no "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy." And strangely, the absence of these tropes has no impact on the quality of the story. King crafts a vivid, if somewhat messy narrative. The plot has a sprawling, gritty, and terrifyingly possible feel. Every character (even minor characters that crop up in the novel's second half, like the chatty older hippie woman encountered by Dick Hallorann on the plane) is well-developed and absolutely believable, with clearly deeply developed histories that are often only hinted at. It's King's later work--from Misery to Lisey's Story--rather than the Kubrick film that make this feel a bit dog-eared and repetitive. He'd later return to the themes of alcoholism, abusive parents, and struggling writers again and again and again. A place not unlike the Overlook even crops up in Lisey's Story. However, he did it first and best in The Shining, and despite the fact that these themes have subsequently become King cliches, this is nevertheless both a terrifying and touching read. Show Less
LibraryThing member Momtosamandliv
Hands down the scariest book I have ever read. OK, it was October, in the evenings, after work when I read it, and it didn't help that I was soaking in the bath tub when I read the bath tub scene, but still, King masterfully develops the mental images then lingers artfully until the image is
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unshakable...I have never loved being creeped out so much! The characters are so believable, and likable, even Jack...to a point. Highly recommend reading this one, in the dark, alone, and in a tub if you can :-) Show Less
LibraryThing member JennysBookBag.com
This is another great Stephen King novel, but of course he almost never disappoint you. (The only disappointing one was The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon. I didn't think that girl would ever get out of the woods.)
The Shining shows Stephen's exceptional imagination and storytelling. His characters have
The Shining shows Stephen's exceptional imagination and storytelling. His characters have
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depth and although the novel is a bit long, it doesn't feel long because he keeps moving the story forward. I love the creepiness and the more screwed up the characters, the better. Whenever I read one of his novels, I want to immediately read another one. Show Less
LibraryThing member mybucketlistofbooks
I don’t read many books in the horror/supernatural genre. The reason for that is I simply do not believe in supernatural occurrences, ghosts etc. I am a skeptic (in the best sense of that word). I have to believe that something is at least plausible before I can enjoy it. Or, the world
It did take a while but I was finally able to disassociate my normal skepticism from the story I was reading - to the point I could really enjoy this book. And, as I was deep into it I realized that everything that happened in the book could potentially be explained without resorting to the supernatural.
Without revealing too much for those that have not read it, The Shining deals with a family (father, mother, son), who move to an isolated Colorado resort where the father will act as the winter caretaker. The premise is the characters and the hotel itself have back stories that begin to manifest themselves in some very horrible ways. Eventually the hotel takes over the mind of the father who it convinces must kill his family in order to complete his reintegration with the hotel. The son has a special ability called “the shine” that allows him to see into the minds of others, and to experience past events. In many ways he is the central character of the book, it is he who sees that horrible things will happen before anyone else is aware something is wrong, it is he who realizes the hotel itself is attempting to control them, and it is he who is ultimately responsible for saving he and his mother’s lives.
I began to realize though, as I got deeper into the book, that everything described is from the perspective of one of these three characters. Everything that happened to them was experienced by them alone (with one exception…the in season cook who also has “the shine”). It is entirely plausible that everything described could be the result of a psychosis that affected them as they became more isolated in the hotel. One of the lingering mysteries for me is whether the supernatural was “real” (within the parameters of this world), or were simply created in the minds of three people sinking deeper into mental illness..
I won’t go further so as not to ruin it for those that have not read it…but I found it to be a very deeply layered book, with complex and interlocking story lines that really made it a pleasure to read!!!
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constructed has to be so divorced from the world we live in that I can construct a whole new reality in my mind that allows me to “turn off” my skepticism. This is why I can enjoy the Lord of the Rings or the Harry Potter series. Those works don’t even pretend to take place in a world we are familiar with.It did take a while but I was finally able to disassociate my normal skepticism from the story I was reading - to the point I could really enjoy this book. And, as I was deep into it I realized that everything that happened in the book could potentially be explained without resorting to the supernatural.
Without revealing too much for those that have not read it, The Shining deals with a family (father, mother, son), who move to an isolated Colorado resort where the father will act as the winter caretaker. The premise is the characters and the hotel itself have back stories that begin to manifest themselves in some very horrible ways. Eventually the hotel takes over the mind of the father who it convinces must kill his family in order to complete his reintegration with the hotel. The son has a special ability called “the shine” that allows him to see into the minds of others, and to experience past events. In many ways he is the central character of the book, it is he who sees that horrible things will happen before anyone else is aware something is wrong, it is he who realizes the hotel itself is attempting to control them, and it is he who is ultimately responsible for saving he and his mother’s lives.
I began to realize though, as I got deeper into the book, that everything described is from the perspective of one of these three characters. Everything that happened to them was experienced by them alone (with one exception…the in season cook who also has “the shine”). It is entirely plausible that everything described could be the result of a psychosis that affected them as they became more isolated in the hotel. One of the lingering mysteries for me is whether the supernatural was “real” (within the parameters of this world), or were simply created in the minds of three people sinking deeper into mental illness..
I won’t go further so as not to ruin it for those that have not read it…but I found it to be a very deeply layered book, with complex and interlocking story lines that really made it a pleasure to read!!!
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LibraryThing member renardkitsune
I have only ever seen The Shining the movie and decided to read it. I thought the book was so much better than the movie (ha ha that’s what everyone says) I do like how in my head Jack Torrance was still Jack Nicholson. The book has a good ending, which is a surprise coming from Stephen King! I
I have read “It” a few times before and I noticed that the ghosts in the Overlook Hotel from the Shining have silver eyes the same way that Pennywise from “It” has silver eyes. Wonder what that connection is? The Overlook Hotel itself kind of seems similar to Derry, Maine from “It” in that it is the entire place that seems evil, not just the entities inside it.
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assume it’s because it is one of his earlier books. It has been a while since I have seen the movie, but I think the book is scarier, but less overtly ghostly. The ghosts are different, and sometimes a little less overtly scary, but their effect is more frightening. I don’t want to spoil anything, but I found the wasps and the man in the dog costume to be some of the scariest parts. I also thought Jack Torrance’s slow descent into madness is much better in the book. Danny’s relation ship with both Dick Halloran and Tony is better and less forced in the book as well. I also really enjoyed the subtext that is in parenthesis (often Jack Torrance’s inappropriate/dangerous thoughts) They made me laugh sometimes, and, I think it is very like real life. We all have an inner monologue that is never spoken out-loud. I have read “It” a few times before and I noticed that the ghosts in the Overlook Hotel from the Shining have silver eyes the same way that Pennywise from “It” has silver eyes. Wonder what that connection is? The Overlook Hotel itself kind of seems similar to Derry, Maine from “It” in that it is the entire place that seems evil, not just the entities inside it.
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LibraryThing member sublunarie
I am so happy.
I was never a fan of the film version of The Shining. I had given it a go, but it it always felt like something was lacking. I know it's supposed to be some classic cult horror masterpiece, but I was never able to see it that way.
About a year ago I watched Room 217, the documentary
And here I am in 2015, and I've finally gone back to the start. And not only does everything make so much more sense now, but I have found I fucking love this story of the Torrance family and the Overlook Hotel. I love Danny Torrance and Dick Halloran and I love how all of these things are connected through family and through time and space.
It would be impossible to know if I would feel differently about the film had I read the book first. Maybe I'd like it even less because of the way things were omitted or changed (I think that's likely), or maybe I would have appreciated the way it focuses more on the mythology of the Overlook instead of the inherited alcoholism. I'll watch it again soon and see what happens now that I'm armed with the knowledge I have from the book.
Bottom line: This is considered one of King's best novels for a clear reason.
I was never a fan of the film version of The Shining. I had given it a go, but it it always felt like something was lacking. I know it's supposed to be some classic cult horror masterpiece, but I was never able to see it that way.
About a year ago I watched Room 217, the documentary
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about the film version of The Shining that discusses not only the making of but also tons of theories about the story in the film. I really loved that documentary, even though I didn't like the original film. And it got me to thinking that clearly there was something that wasn't being told in the film that was important.And here I am in 2015, and I've finally gone back to the start. And not only does everything make so much more sense now, but I have found I fucking love this story of the Torrance family and the Overlook Hotel. I love Danny Torrance and Dick Halloran and I love how all of these things are connected through family and through time and space.
It would be impossible to know if I would feel differently about the film had I read the book first. Maybe I'd like it even less because of the way things were omitted or changed (I think that's likely), or maybe I would have appreciated the way it focuses more on the mythology of the Overlook instead of the inherited alcoholism. I'll watch it again soon and see what happens now that I'm armed with the knowledge I have from the book.
Bottom line: This is considered one of King's best novels for a clear reason.
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LibraryThing member Edward.Lorn
Part of the reason I'm rereading all of King's books in chronological order is to watch the progression of a creative mind. I believe The Shining is King's strongest piece, his most well-rounded achievement. Fantastic opening, amazing character development, truly terrifying scenes, and one epic
There are only a handful of authors who can scare me with implication. Point in fact: the hedge animals. I mean, even if the lions had gotten a hold of Hallorann, what were they going to do? Foliage him to death? Still, every single scene involving the hedge animals is terrifying. And you don't even know what they're capable of because their actions are never shown, only implied. Don't even get me started on that fucking fire hose. Nightmare inducing shit...
In summation: If you don't read any other King novel, read this one. That's all I have to say on the subject.
I know this review sucks, but it's also my fourth or fifth time reading this book, so give me a break. I'll do better on the next one, promise.
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ending. No other King book has that combination. Or at least I do not recall one that does. Has my opinion changed? Not yet.There are only a handful of authors who can scare me with implication. Point in fact: the hedge animals. I mean, even if the lions had gotten a hold of Hallorann, what were they going to do? Foliage him to death? Still, every single scene involving the hedge animals is terrifying. And you don't even know what they're capable of because their actions are never shown, only implied. Don't even get me started on that fucking fire hose. Nightmare inducing shit...
In summation: If you don't read any other King novel, read this one. That's all I have to say on the subject.
I know this review sucks, but it's also my fourth or fifth time reading this book, so give me a break. I'll do better on the next one, promise.
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LibraryThing member cattylj
Stephen King had me crying on like every level while reading this. Crying from terror, crying from heartache, crying from relief. Point is - I was drained when I finished this and had a major book hangover. In a good way.
LibraryThing member Nandakishore_Varma
Quite simply put, The Shining is the best horror story I have ever read. It scared the hell out of me.
Over a period of time, I have noticed certain standard "motifs" in horror stories. One of these I call "The Lost Child". Such stories will typically involve a child, who can see what the silly
Danny can read minds. He can see the frightening thoughts inside his Dad's and Mom's heads ("DIVORCE", "SUICIDE") but is powerless to do anything about it. Danny does not know that he has a gift; he takes it as a matter of course, until Dick Halloran of the Overlook Hotel tells him that he "shines on".
Jack Torrance, Danny's Dad, reformed alcoholic and struggling writer, is trying to put his life back together after a tragedy. He gets what he sees as the ideal chance when he lands the job of caretaker of the Overlook Hotel for the winter. In the snowed-in hotel with only his son and wife Wendy, Jack assumes that he will get enough quality time to be with his family, patch up old quarrels, and write that breakout novel.
But the Overlook has other plans. The hotel, which feeds on and grows in strength from the evils committed on its premises, wants Danny-permanently-to join its crew of ghostly inhabitants. And to do that, it needs to get to Jack...
The novel slowly grows in horror, starting with mild unease, moving up through sweaty palms and dry mouth, to pure, gut-wrenching terror. Jack's slow slide into madness is paralleled by the growth in power of the hotel's dark miasma, and Danny's extraordinary capabilities. We are on a roller-coaster ride into darkness.
The world of grownups is often frighteningly incomprehensible to young children: these fears seldom die as we grow up, but remain dormant in our psyche. There are very few of us who does not have a ghost in our childhood somewhere. It is when the writer invokes this ghost that story gets to us. King does a masterly job of awakening that child, and putting him/ her in the midst of childhood terrors through the alter ego of Danny Torrance, lost in the cavernous corridors of the Overlook.
There are a lot of passages which literally creeped me out in this novel (the topiary animals, the fire hose in the corridor, the woman in the bathroom to name a few). As King has said elsewhere, the monster behind the door is more frightening than the monster slavering at you: this book is full of such monsters. More importantly, you will keep on remembering your own boogeymen while you are reading; and long after you finish, you will feel the urge to look behind you.
Horror stories are a form of catharsis. As King says, the writer takes you to the body covered under the sheet: you feel it, and are frightened. At the same time, you are relieved that the body is not you.
A true masterpiece.
Over a period of time, I have noticed certain standard "motifs" in horror stories. One of these I call "The Lost Child". Such stories will typically involve a child, who can see what the silly
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grownups cannot see (or, even if they do see, don't acknowledge because it goes against reason and logic): and who fights, however high the odds stacked against him/ her are. Danny Torrance is such a boy.Danny can read minds. He can see the frightening thoughts inside his Dad's and Mom's heads ("DIVORCE", "SUICIDE") but is powerless to do anything about it. Danny does not know that he has a gift; he takes it as a matter of course, until Dick Halloran of the Overlook Hotel tells him that he "shines on".
Jack Torrance, Danny's Dad, reformed alcoholic and struggling writer, is trying to put his life back together after a tragedy. He gets what he sees as the ideal chance when he lands the job of caretaker of the Overlook Hotel for the winter. In the snowed-in hotel with only his son and wife Wendy, Jack assumes that he will get enough quality time to be with his family, patch up old quarrels, and write that breakout novel.
But the Overlook has other plans. The hotel, which feeds on and grows in strength from the evils committed on its premises, wants Danny-permanently-to join its crew of ghostly inhabitants. And to do that, it needs to get to Jack...
The novel slowly grows in horror, starting with mild unease, moving up through sweaty palms and dry mouth, to pure, gut-wrenching terror. Jack's slow slide into madness is paralleled by the growth in power of the hotel's dark miasma, and Danny's extraordinary capabilities. We are on a roller-coaster ride into darkness.
The world of grownups is often frighteningly incomprehensible to young children: these fears seldom die as we grow up, but remain dormant in our psyche. There are very few of us who does not have a ghost in our childhood somewhere. It is when the writer invokes this ghost that story gets to us. King does a masterly job of awakening that child, and putting him/ her in the midst of childhood terrors through the alter ego of Danny Torrance, lost in the cavernous corridors of the Overlook.
There are a lot of passages which literally creeped me out in this novel (the topiary animals, the fire hose in the corridor, the woman in the bathroom to name a few). As King has said elsewhere, the monster behind the door is more frightening than the monster slavering at you: this book is full of such monsters. More importantly, you will keep on remembering your own boogeymen while you are reading; and long after you finish, you will feel the urge to look behind you.
Horror stories are a form of catharsis. As King says, the writer takes you to the body covered under the sheet: you feel it, and are frightened. At the same time, you are relieved that the body is not you.
A true masterpiece.
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LibraryThing member les121
Extremely creepy and amazingly well crafted. Unlike the movie, the book delves into the characters' psyche and personal experiences, chronicling the transformations - in Jack's case the slowly festering corruption of the mind - that the haunted hotel incites. King is truly a master storyteller.
LibraryThing member Tanya-dogearedcopy
The iconic horror story of a man who heads to the Overlook Hotel in Colorado. He's a recovering alcoholic attempting to salvage his writing career and dignity while also providing for his wife and son. This is a potent admixture of the real and the surreal, of madness and sobriety. This is
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#VintageKing, the guy who makes you live the dream and the nightmare, and wondering which is which! There are some pop psychology references, dated social conventions, and some cringe-worthy pejorative terms or expletives - all sustained within the book's context; but showing the story's age a bit. Campbell Scott delivers the story with a subtle but effective range. Show Less
LibraryThing member Emmapupcake
This novel is incredibly well written, and left me on the edge of my seat on multiple occasions. A surprisingly somewhat quick read. I recommend this to anyone wanting something a bit spooky!
LibraryThing member DChurch71
I remember reading this ironically during a winter snow storm that left stranded one weekend. I curled up with this book and was sucked by the haunting story and with my snowy surroundings it made the book seem so surreal. The book conveys Jack Torrence's descent into madness in a way that can not
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be drawn out successfully on the silver screen. Just reading his thoughts while he was going mad really made him such a diverse & interesting character. It is thoughts that we all have had randomly in our lives but would never act on or admit to having them. This is one of the first books I ever read (not counting the ones you are forced to reading in school & college) own my own for pleasure. This started my obsession with reading, so it will always remain one of my favorites. Show Less
LibraryThing member chaghi
I honestly don't know why I didn't read this before. You know, I love Stephen King. I really do. But somehow I haven't read most of his classics yet. Reading The Shining was my first step in my personal quest to fix that. This is what I call a real page turner. Loved it. Every single page of it.
LibraryThing member musicgurl
Stephen Kings masterpiece ‘The Shining’ is obviously the best horror novel in centuries. ‘The Shining’ is a perfect example of Kings high standard writing. The book will certainly be told decades into the future.
Five year old Danny is a 'shiner', alive with psychic voltage. When Danny’s
As winter blizzards close in, the hotel gains a life of it’s own. If it is supposed to be empty who is the lady in room 217? And who are the masked guests going up and down in the elevator? Somewhere within this creepy hotel, there is an evil force which is becoming more powerful than ever.
When reading this novel, it captures you in it’s world. It is full of descriptive writing and graphic details. Defiantly not for the faint-hearted audience as the world that Stephen King has wonderfully created imprisons you until finish the novel. This book is one of the must-reads for by the pool on holiday or on a plane.
Five year old Danny is a 'shiner', alive with psychic voltage. When Danny’s
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father gets a job as a caretaker at the old Overlook Hotel, Danny's visions become dangerous.As winter blizzards close in, the hotel gains a life of it’s own. If it is supposed to be empty who is the lady in room 217? And who are the masked guests going up and down in the elevator? Somewhere within this creepy hotel, there is an evil force which is becoming more powerful than ever.
When reading this novel, it captures you in it’s world. It is full of descriptive writing and graphic details. Defiantly not for the faint-hearted audience as the world that Stephen King has wonderfully created imprisons you until finish the novel. This book is one of the must-reads for by the pool on holiday or on a plane.
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LibraryThing member silversurfer
One of his best books! Have re-read it numerous times. King at his best! Scenes that are really creepy....forget Kubrick's horrible film {IMO} and read this.
LibraryThing member Artiluna
This book finally made me understand the draw of Steven King. I had previously read three other novels and been unimpressed, but in The Shining, King's mastery of writing is easily experienced. I was hooked from page one and hesitated every time I was forced to put it down. An absolute must read!
LibraryThing member selinalynn69
I went back and re-read this book to get ready for Doctor Sleep. I love the way Mr. King is able to take simple ideas and to spin then into terrifying realities. I don't re-read books often, but I really enjoyed this one.
LibraryThing member mainrun
This book came out in the late 1970's, I first read it in the early 1980's, and just re-read it.
I was in my early teens during the first reading, and remember parts of the book: the first meeting between Jack and the Overlook manager, the Hallorann / Danny talk about 'Shining,' the wasps coming to
My thoughts after the first reading was that the book wasn't as scary or exciting as I thought it would be. I remember being bored, especially jack's time talking with the bartender in the lounge. I enjoyed the book much more this time. I enjoyed reading about a destructive, alcoholic person more as a 48 year old than I did as a 13 or 14 year old.
I was in my early teens during the first reading, and remember parts of the book: the first meeting between Jack and the Overlook manager, the Hallorann / Danny talk about 'Shining,' the wasps coming to
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life in Danny's room, Jack's time in the Colorado Lounge, Halloran's snowmobile trip, the redrum thing, the violence with the mallet, and the conclusion. However, there were things I didn't remember: Jack's and Wendy's back story, Tony, how Jack found the wasp nest, the scrapbook & the research Jack did about the Overlook Hotel, and that Jack was a writer/teacher.My thoughts after the first reading was that the book wasn't as scary or exciting as I thought it would be. I remember being bored, especially jack's time talking with the bartender in the lounge. I enjoyed the book much more this time. I enjoyed reading about a destructive, alcoholic person more as a 48 year old than I did as a 13 or 14 year old.
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LibraryThing member TheGrandWorldofBooks
Woah...this book was scary! Not that I'm probably telling anybody anything they don't know, but I just feel like I can't say it enough. I read it in October because I wanted a good scare for Halloween, and that is exactly what I got, and boy, was it fantastic?!
I have just 2 complaints, the 1st of
The second of which being that the parts in parentheses were somewhat distracting. And apparently the Kindle edition was not converted as well as it should have been, because parts that were supposed to be in quotations inside parentheses were not...instead they were surrounded by question marks or exclamation points. And because of the parts in parentheses in general, I often found myself going back to the original sentence to catch up with what it should be saying.
For the scariness factor, I really expected the book to be a nonstop scare-fest. Which, of course, it wasn't. Up until somewhere probably around 70% or so, there were just little pockets of terror...which I realize were just preparing me for the scare-fest to come. And it was glorious! Once it started, I simply could not stop reading...I was like a woman possessed. I HAD to know what was going to happen. It felt like the fate of the characters depended on my continuing to read.
Overall, I loved this book!! I loved Danny's character...he was very interesting, and quite an amazing little boy. But still vulnerable at times, which I think is important. And I liked Wendy, too, though I think she should have just divorced Jack outright. But then we wouldn't have had a story, either. I thought Jack was terrible. And maybe that's unfair, all things considered, but I just couldn't bring myself to like him.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes a good scare. It provides a great story and a great scare all in one package.
I have just 2 complaints, the 1st of
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which being that at one point in the book, Danny knows the word "abrogated" (which means repeal or do away with...I had to look it up), but he calls the Presidential Suite, the Presidential "Sweet". Now, I know his parents never "talked down" to him, but I still wonder how he would know how to use abrogated. But in the overall excellence of the book, I really feel this is more of a minor point than a major one. The second of which being that the parts in parentheses were somewhat distracting. And apparently the Kindle edition was not converted as well as it should have been, because parts that were supposed to be in quotations inside parentheses were not...instead they were surrounded by question marks or exclamation points. And because of the parts in parentheses in general, I often found myself going back to the original sentence to catch up with what it should be saying.
For the scariness factor, I really expected the book to be a nonstop scare-fest. Which, of course, it wasn't. Up until somewhere probably around 70% or so, there were just little pockets of terror...which I realize were just preparing me for the scare-fest to come. And it was glorious! Once it started, I simply could not stop reading...I was like a woman possessed. I HAD to know what was going to happen. It felt like the fate of the characters depended on my continuing to read.
Overall, I loved this book!! I loved Danny's character...he was very interesting, and quite an amazing little boy. But still vulnerable at times, which I think is important. And I liked Wendy, too, though I think she should have just divorced Jack outright. But then we wouldn't have had a story, either. I thought Jack was terrible. And maybe that's unfair, all things considered, but I just couldn't bring myself to like him.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes a good scare. It provides a great story and a great scare all in one package.
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Awards
Audie Award (Finalist — 2006)
Gandalf Award (Nominee — 1978)
Locus All-Time Best (Fantasy Novel — 27 — 1987)
The Guardian 1000 Novels Everyone Must Read (Science Fiction and Fantasy)
Language
Original publication date
1977-01
Physical description
704 p.; 6.8 inches
ISBN
0743424425 / 9780743424424