Stephen King’s, The Shining: Book Review

SPOILER – FREE!

“Wendy? Darling? Light, of my life. I’m not gonna hurt ya. I’m just going to bash your brains in.” …

You're going to need a cup of tea for this one!

SYNOPSIS:
Danny is only five years old but in the words of old Hallorann he is a ‘Shiner’, aglow with psychic voltage. When he and his mother go to live with his father who has become caretaker of the Overlook Hotel, Danny’s visions grow frighteningly out of control. Somewhere, somehow, there is an evil force in the hotel – and that too is beginning to shine…

REVIEW:
When I first picked up this book to read, I wondered whether it could genuinely scare me. I didn’t just want to be creeped out, I wanted to actually feel scared – The blurb and the one-line reviews on its cover indicated that it would, so I kind of went in with a do your best attitude. I guess you’re now wondering whether The Shining is as scary as people say it is… did this book scare you Grace?

The answer to that question is YES,  – This book is terrifying! I’ve read a number of horror stories in my time but none until this book has given me a nightmare. (Let’s hope I don’t have to change that last word into a plural)…

One of several things that I really enjoyed about this book was King’s writing. I’m one for simplicity when it comes to narrative styles and after some of the books I’ve tried and failed to complete because of how convoluted its style was, The Shining was a breath of fresh air. This book contains some of the best character-building i’ve read in a book that doesn’t have a direct sequel. There’s a mundane quality about these characters which makes them feel real; – King makes sure he includes every little detail there is to know about these characters; the good, the bad, the ugly and the down-wright scary. There are no boundaries between the reader and the characters – a part of this is due to Danny’s shining abilities but another part is the way King wants you to truly understand why his characters are the way they are and why they respond to certain situations in the way that they do. Included in King’s detail-oriented descriptions is the big bad of the story – the Overlook Hotel; because of this, the Hotel too becomes a character and its presence lingers menacingly throughout the book. What ultimately sets this ‘haunted house’ apart from its Gothic counterparts is not only how it affects the characters physically but also how it deeply affects them psychologically.

As for what I didn’t like, The book is just short of 500 pages and though I mentioned that I liked Kings detailed descriptions, they did at times significantly slow the pace of the story and I found myself wanting to either skim through these moments or skip these pages entirely. They’re really just bits of information which are important to our understanding of this world and its characters but aren’t necessary when it comes to pushing the plot forward.

Overall, i’d say The Shining is one of the best books i’ve read in years. It’s an almost excellent book – I don’t think I’ve been this glued to a book in a long time. I would definitely recommend The Shining to anyone who wants to read a scary book. a book with intriguing characters or just a book with a solid plot.

4.7/ 5

P.S: I don;t think this is a spoiler but the “HEREEEEE’SS JOHNNYYYY!!” line which has for some reason become synonymous with The Shining (film) doesn’t exist in the book.