The Shining- Stephen King

Initially, I was reluctant to read this book. Me being a teen I usually refuse to read much pre-2000s, yet here was a book is written in 1977. In addition, the title sounded more like a happy, cheery book about sunshine; how wrong was I…

Upon reading you can discover the hardships of the Torrance family (the protagonists of the book). A father struggling with alcoholism, a mother full of anxieties, and a son with supernatural powers, all living in a snowbound hotel for the winter. They think everything is well, however, as we discover throughout the book, they aren’t alone and the breakdown of the group begins.

With evil spirits roaming the building and feasting on the family, all hell breaks loose. Repeatedly this idea of how the inhuman place makes a human monster, showing us a depth to the setting. Although there are many supernatural elements to the book Stephen King cleverly portrays the real terror which is having a loved one become the monster you fear the most. With incredible detail, we discover the destruction of the father, and more and more goes wrong. Every page kept me on edge.

This thriller has everything you’d ever want – the depth of character, great dialogue, and iconic moments. ‘The Shining’ earned all the praise it received and I can see why it’s a classic. I guess now I am open to reading a few more books predating my lifetime!

In addition to the book, there is also a screen adaptation by Stanley Kubrick. This is probably one of the most well-known horror movies and inspires many directors today. However, the film differs quite a bit from the book and Stephen King himself disowned the movie. Personally, I liked both, although you could definitely argue a case for the book due to the better detail and character arc in the writing.

I’d recommend reading and watching both to see the similarities and differences; they’re both classics. Oh yeah and the shining is referring to the superpower Danny the son has, it’s not a weird sunshine world… enjoy!