Customer Reviews

Shining

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

From the beginnings of the story, arriving at the hotel, assuring his wife of his stability and then, once the doors are locked and winter encroaches, things start to happen. King uses that element of the unknown to gradually work the environment on you and gradually bring in all sorts of fascinating apparitions. He leaves everything to the imagination, drawing in the reader further and further into the abyss, until you're so locked up in the King world that the only escape is to finish the book. It's this twist of reality that clenches it, that delivers a vague feeling of mistrust. You begin to wonder what the protagonist is up to. He is writing a book.... you expect details and then you're horrified at the repetitions it reveals, making you gasp at what's next. He is led into the ballroom where the 1930's atmosphere is re-established so that the protagonist can blend in, a prelude to the conclusion. There, he is given advise, advise that would change his nature and violate the newly formed relationship with his unsuspecting wife.

The cook knows what's wrong...just as the boy does--for they have the shine! And when he comes to investigate the situation to satisfy his curiosity, the gruesome welcoming takes him by surprise. And you sit there, reading, led deeper and deeper into the creepy world of King's tremendous imagination, only limited by the pages you turn.... but you keep turning, driven further in.... until you reach an angry point...which I won't spoil for you. Read it!

This is the best book I have read by Stephen King and it should be considered as a modern masterpiece. As I said in the title, it is not so much a "horror story" as it is a psychological drama. King takes his time to set the mood and introduce us to the world Jack lives in. At the same time, strange things start happening in the hotel. As these bizarre events begin to unfold, Jack's mental state deteriorates. It doesn't have a lot of chainsaws and screaming women, but King convincingly pulls you into this vortex of madness that is absolutely chilling.

Though I think THE SHINING is one of the scariest movies made of Stephen King's books, the novel is even better! There's something very horrifying about watching a human being going crazy on his family...and this book brings it to life. Of course, there's a few ghosts to help along the way!It's a King classic.

The book was in good condition. It took a while to get to my house in Dallas, TX. I would have liked to be informed that it was shipping from ENGLAND!!! I would not have ordered it if I had known it was going to take so long to get here because it was coming from overseas. Please let the buyer know where you are shipping it from.

Just decided to reread this after some 20 years. Mr. King surely has improved as an author since those days.

This book couldve been so much better had a lot of inane detail been left out. It could be trimmed down to one third of its size and it would flow so much better and be so much scarier. Okay, so maybe that wouldnt make for an impressive wordy volume, but it would certainly maintain the creepy mood. Read The Masque of The Red Death by Poe and compare the two stories. King even refers to Poe's short story in his book a few times. I wish I could say The Shining was scary, but for me, it wasnt.