The Shining: A chilling classic from the No. 1 bestseller

Critically acclaimed British horror writer, Peter Straub, once described this novel as "obviously a masterpiece, probably the best supernatural novel in a hundred years!" I don't think a better statement could have been conjured to enforce the true genius of this novel, Stephen King's third published novel, a novel that is a far cry from his first published attempt, "Carrie". I think everyone who has been alive for at least the last twenty, if not ten years, knows of Kubrick's 1980 adaptation of the novel, an adaptation in which Mr Kubrick took a lot of liberties, and ignored a lot of what Stephen King had written in his fantastic novel. I was one of the lucky people to have read the novel before I watched the film because the film is so different, there could be a lot of disappointment for reading the novel after watching the movie. There have been many great haunted house/hotel novels in the past: Shirley Jackson's "The Haunting of Hill House" is one of the greats that comes to mind, but there is something different and more reality-based about "The Shining", and I think this comes from the brilliance King enthuses his three main characters with when he writes about them. Most haunted house stories have a company of about four different people, most of whom don't know each other, are innocent within their own lives, and have to face up to a fear that is supernatural. In "The Shining", the three main characters are a family, known as the Torrance's: Father (Jack), Mother (Wendy) and Son (Danny). Jack is an ex-alcoholic who gets a job as winter caretaker for the heavily pristine Overlook Hotel, one of the greatest American hotels in the last century. He will bring his family with him to stay over the winter months - they will be snowed in, they won't be able to get out without help from park rangers, if they are able to make it through the snow, and they are not alone. The title of the novel comes from a gift that Danny has - he is susceptible to people's thoughts and emotions as well as to the past and future of his surroundings. He is able, through his gift, to sub-consciously awake the hotel's past horrors - those that have died or been murdered, that are now permanent residents of the hotel that want Danny's gifts for their own terrifying purposes and they don't care who they have to get through to get to Danny. This would have been a very horrific process of story-writing had King just decided to use this as the basis for his novel, but this is Stephen King we are talking about and Stephen King is not a normal writer - he is a genius, up there in the Dickens class as a storyteller, as some critics have put it. Jack has an alcohol problem and a violent temper. He has already broken up his son's arm in one of his rages before the story has even begun, and the horrors of his alcoholic addiction play a large premise towards the horrors of the story and the way in which the Overlook uses him for their own ends. Not only this, but he has a history of watching his own father as an abuser, someone who took a cane to his wife and, in simple terms, smashed her up. It is these terrifying experiences that make this one of the greatest horror novels ever written, and in my own humble opinions, it ranks for me, as perhaps one of the greatest American novels of the post-war period. This is the novel that made Stephen King a true star and set him on his way to being the most popular novelist of his generation. "Carrie" and "'Salem's Lot" had sold very well as paperbacks, but now King had a hardcover bestseller on his hands. The world was now his oyster, and as a writer, he could do anything he wanted. I can still remember the first time I read "The Shining" and how much fun I had with it. It is a very deep novel, a novel written by someone who has now found his craft and truly understands it. He is not just telling a story that will scare his readers - he is approaching the method of this art with his own demons and his own thoughts and teachings. Stephen King was an alcoholic himself at this point, battling with his own fears, as a writer and as a father and family man. This comes through a lot in the novel. The character of Jack Torrance seems to be Stephen King himself, in a parallel universe, a Stephen King who had allowed his fears to get the better of him, to have never had a wife who had retrieved "Carrie" from the dustbin, urging him to complete it. King is not afraid to admit his own faults and fears, and I think that is another genius of his writing. A lot of authors would never admit to their demons and if they had written "The Shining", it would just have been another haunted hotel novel that might have passed through the boundaries of time and gone on to become just a good story. But King has made this into a masterpiece and it is a novel that can be read again and again, allowing the reader to discover something different each time they fly through the pages. Kubrick might have made a great movie, but he took out all that made this novel important, and I think King was right in his criticism of Kubrick's adaptation for all them years. If you want to really understand "The Shining", don't see the movie first - read the novel and you will not need to worry, because your guide for this great journey will be the true genius master, Stephen King himself. For me, it is certainly one of my favourite novels that has ever been written, and in a hundred years when we are all dead (hopefully not haunting the Overlook Hotel), this book will still be read and still be thought of as not just a great horror story, but a great American classic!

I read this book, years ago, whilst in my teens, and I remember enjoying it, but not to the extent where I ever thought I would pick it up again. However, the years have passed, and coming across the book on offer at a local book store, whilst looking for my next read, I thought I'd give it another go. I remembered the premise (most will know of it already from the movie) and a few random details (Jack crunching Aspirin in a phone booth has always stayed with me for some reason!), but, as is the case with time, most of the book was forgotten. On second reading, I flew through it, and wanted to start it again upon completion. It is now one of my favourite books, and easily my favourite King books (I've not read them all though, maybe 10 or 12 tops). The main difference from the movie, for those who have seen it, was, not an event in the book, but the way in which the characters were portrayed. For me, Jack was not the villain; without wanting to go into "spoiler" territory, Jack is a more empathetic character, struggling with guilt and addiction, as well of constantly struggling to re-earn the trust of Wendy (his wife/Danny's mother) following events laid out in the book. Wendy herself, is not quite the pleasant quiet character from the movie. Wendy is very untrusting, quite judgemental, and resentful, not just of Jack, but of the relationship between Jack and Danny. In short the characters in the book are far more human, and it makes for a very compelling read, being able to relate, on occasion, to all of the main characters within. Some of King's works are on a grand scale, and can feature tens (if not hundreds) of characters, but for me, his best works feature a smaller cast, building on a few characters, allowing the reader to develop more of an attachment to everyone in the book. If you've never read a Stephen King book, I highly recommend this as a place to start, it is gripping, tense, funny, scary and emotional all in one.

My reunion with reading starts here. Not since school and the goosebumps series have I read a book. I like to think Stephen Kings work is a more adult themed version of R.L Stines. Both sharing that supernatural horror formula. Having said that, this was a pleasure to read and had me gripped from the first few pages. I am fortunate enough to have not seen the movie, so not much was ruined for me in advance. I don't have much to compare it to yet, but I will definitely be checking out more Stephen King books!

The Shining is one of Stephen King's most famous novels, so many new to King may automatically plump for this one. There's little doubt in my mind that this story brilliantly weaves the paranormal and psychic abilities of young Danny, who has the 'shining' ability of the title with the real issues of a marriage that on the surface appears to be okay, but there is a bubbling undercurrent about what Wendy really thinks of John 'Jack' Torrance. As so many have reviewed this book already, I will mention what you already know - Stanley Kubrick's film is probably far more famous. As an iconic horror, there are fewer scarier films out there than The Shining. Kubrick took elements of the book and made them huge in the film. So whether you read the book first, or have seen the film first, I think you can appreciate them both for what they are. I think the character in the book is slightly more sympathetic, but I lost patience with Jack the more he seemed to chance his arm, thumbing his nose at current employers (and I mean Ullmann and Shockley, not the 'employers' at the Overlook as implied in the book's final third). To really enjoy this book, one almost has to forget about the film. Having said all that, this is not one of Stephen King's greatest novels. It is an intriguing work and set the ground for (in my view) even better novels such as The Dark Half, Misery, Desperation, and my personal favourite - Pet Semetary. The book could have done with a trim, but I really do enjoy King's word creation, complex characters, and genius storytelling. There's a reason why Stephen King is viewed as one of the world's greatest ever writers, and The Shining is choc full of them. It says a lot that it is not perfect in my view only because I know he has done better. But on its own, it is a brilliant story, and re-reading this two years or so after I read the sequel, Doctor Sleep, I appreciate it all the more.

Cleverly written. The Shining portrays a hotel that has a unique stronghold over it's residents and all who move through it. The themes of telepathy and horror in the story made it very vibrant and unique to read. A great start if you want to get acquainted with Stephen King's work - A classic piece.

This is possibly one of the scariest books I have ever read!!! It tells the story of Jack Torrance,(an alcoholic on the wagon), and his small family which consists of his wife, Wendy, and his son, Danny. What he doesn't realise is that Danny has a gift, not a very nice one either!!! He can see things that others can't and can also see what the future brings. In order to further his abstination from drinking, Jack takes a job of caretaker in a hotel that closes it's doors over the winter. He and his family will become totally isolated from the outside world, and their only means of communication is a C.B. radio. Altough slightly daunted by this, Jack and Wendy pack up their belongings with a hope to improve their marriage and Jack's writing career. On arriving at the Overlook Hotel, they are greeted by an elderly man who, although they have no clue, also possesses the same, strange gift that Danny has. He takes them on a tour of the hotel and lets Danny know telepathically that he understands his gift, and should Danny need help, he has only to call him with his mind. He tells Danny that because he is special, he might see some strange and horrible things at the Overlook, but they are just pictures of the past and cannot harm him. He says that no matter what, Danny is to stay away from room 217. The Torrances are left alone to live out the winter. Almost immediately, strange things begin to happen. We see Jack becoming more and more distant from his wife and son, and also more and more irritated by their presence. There are some truly horrific things behind those closed doors, and also some that roam quite freely! I felt completely terrified by some of the things that happen, so much so that I admit to having a little trouble sleeping!!! One thing I know is, I will NEVER have a topiary in my garden!!! Read this book whether you are a fan of King or not. This is one of those books that should be read at least once in an avid reader's lifetime. Just remember, not everything you see and hear are real...but then again, some ARE and they should be avoided at all costs!!!

I never thought I'd become a Stephen King fan at the age of 43, especially as I dislike horror more than any other genre, but I have done a complete 180! Stephen King creates characters who are so relatable, so real, so utterly convincing, and he weaves them into believable and mesmerising stories which simply cannot be put down unless you absolutely have to sleep, eat, ot use the toilet! I read Carrie, then moved onto The Shining, and then read Dr Sleep. Both The Shining and Dr Sleep are an unexpected in depth exploration of alcoholism and recovery which I lost myself in. The Shining is probably one of the best books I have read, and will ever read. Although it comes across as horror, if you know of addiction, you could interpret it to simply be the self destruction of a man in the throes of alcoholism. The horror element, to me, was like a description of the before, during, and after of a bender! The emotional rollercoaster I went through reading this book made me feel like I had literally lived through every page of it. Absolutely incredible writing: Stephen King is an absolute master of his craft. *Update: I'm now on my 4th Stephen King novel in two months and I am hooked.

I can see why King objected so much to the Kubrick movie after having read the book - they tell two different stories. At the core they're both the same basic story, but the focus put on the various elements is dramatically different. Don't think if you've seen the film that you know all that the Shining has to offer. King is a master storyteller, and the Shining is no exception - he manages to create a genuinely, deeply unsettling book despite having only drafted out some rather shallow characters. This bothered me for the first hundred or so books, until I realised that it wasn't Jack Torrence who was the main character at all - it was the Overlook. Once you make that mental adjustment, you get to see just how well realised the book's key participant is. The other characters, largely just stereotypical sketches, exist only in contrast to the whims and wishes of the hotel. Jack's struggle with alcoholism and violence is really his battle with the creeping, sinister presence of the mysterious hotel 'management'. It's not really a story driven book - it's a character exploration, where the character is the accretion of historical horror within the splendour of its grand and faded architecture. It's not a perfect book, partially due to its unusual protagonist - we are left with a lot unresolved as the events reach their final conclusion, and I would have liked to have gotten more of the context of the spirits who were trapped within. Jack's story feels dully predictable. Danny is as interesting, I guess, as a five year old can be. Wendy is the least developed of all the characters. And yet, so much of the focus of the book is on their experiences, and so little on what it is that makes the Overlook what it is. Still, a thoroughly creepy read and well worth your time.