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Book Review: The Shining - Stephen King


Book Review: The Shining

Author: Stephen King



"Redrum"

 

Alright this is the second time I am reading the absolute classic from Stephen King, The Shining. It was many years back when I first watched the movie and was so captivated by the story which was when I got myself introduced to Stephen King and the first book of his that I picked up was The Shining. I was instantly in love with his style and the way he brings spine-chilling horror to every single page of his books in the most simple yet brilliant way. Years later, now, while I was watching an episode of Friends, when I saw Joey 'Matt leBlanc' stating that how The Shining was his favorite book and how it terrifies him that he has to put the book in his freezer, I made up my mind to read it once again.

 

"They were a party of settlers in covered-wagon times. They got snowbound one winter in the mountains. They had to resort to cannibalism in order to stay alive."

 

The Shining revolves around the life of Jack Torrance, a writer, a father and a husband, a recovering alcoholic with a troubled past and a troubled marriage, accepts a position as the off-season winter caretaker of the historic Overlook Hotel in the Colorado Rockies. His family, his wife Wendy and his five year old son Danny accompanies him on this job. Danny Torrance, who possesses "the shining", which is a supernatural psychic ability that allows Danny to see and hear things that are not from the mortal world. They start their life in the abandoned hotel cut out from the civilization for the winter. Soon, after a winter storm leaves them snowbound, the supernatural forces inhabiting the hotel influence Jack's sanity, leaving his wife and son in incredible danger. Somewhere, somehow, the evil force in the hotel too begins to shine.

 

“Sometimes human places, create inhuman monsters.”

 

 Now re-reading a book, where you already know what happens, is not a good thing as a reader, but that surely doesn't happen with The Shining. I was introduced to a different perspective of the narrative and the depth. Lest to say, I wasn't worried or felt myself on the edge about what was about to happen which did a good thing, since it enabled me to go through it with a different point of view. Yes, the book is about supernatural horror but the way King dealt with the character of Jack Torrance, it was fantastic. The psychological condition of him was lettered and crafted in such a way that I was in awe. King developed the character with such depth that one can easily feel and observe the gradual change in him over the years. Needless to say this is one of the best, if not the very best, from Stephen King.

 

“Monsters are real. Ghosts are too. They live inside of us, and sometimes, they win.”

 

 Stephen King is no doubt called as the King of Horror and he deserves to be called. Indeed and no matter how many times you have read and re-read The Shining, the words will time and again give you the spine-chilling terror and you shall always find yourself checking out around you for the unknown. I am pretty scared now too, lol. Gotta put the book in the freezer now. :D

 

“We sometimes need to create unreal monsters and bogies to stand in for all the things we fear in our real lives.”

 

A handsome four stars for The Shining. 

 


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