Shining [Mass Market Paperback]

We have all heard of the Shining. We all know it is one of Stephen King's greatest novels. But what exactly is it about? Personally, my only recollection of the story concerned a parody the Simpsons did several years ago. I knew a hotel was involved, something called "redrum," and lots of blood.

The book is brilliantly written, although some foreshadowing was a bit obvious. I really felt like we got to know the characters. Not only are we acquainted with their stay at the hotel, but we learn of their past struggles as a family. These past episodes add a depth to the characters that can be interpreted later in the story as being significant or not. Jack, the father, is a man with a history that is trying to support his family. He is an aspiring author and is looking forward to months of peace and quiet. His wife, Wendy, is along for the ride and plays a very supportive role. They have a little boy, Danny, and he is special.

Let's talk about the real aspect of the book: the horror. The horror was the believable type with a bit of supernatural essences thrown in. Or, if you'd like, it was purely believable. There were several scenes in the book with their fair share of gore, but also several creepy moments that I felt were more convincing than the gore itself. The book is not particularly scary, but it is absolutely creepy. Imagine being in a large hotel in the middle of a snowstorm, phones are out, radio doesn't work, and you can't escape. Then creepy things begin to happen. Ready to leave yet? This family all struggles with the hotel in their own way, and I felt the progression of the story with the winter was really fitting.

Jack Torrance, his wife Wendy, and their son Danny check in to the Overlook Hotel in remote Colorado--sort of. Jack, who struggles to be a writer and struggles not to be a drunk, has signed them up to be a caretaker family during the hotel's winter off-season. The Torrances will be alone, isolated by distance, then cut off by snow. Jack works away at his novel. Wendy and Danny explore the empty hotel.

The hotel is empty, but not abandoned. It "shines" with the residue of past evil. Dick Hallorann, the hotel's cook, explains this phenomenon to Danny before departing for the season. Recognizing that they share a psychic ability to see more than others, Dick tells Danny to ignore what he sees. It cannot harm him. While the hotel cannot harm Danny directly, it can work through others. As the book progresses, the hotel's evil takes gradual possession of Jack, releasing a homicidal rage that Wendy and Danny slowly recognize then desperately try to escape.

This story will give you a lasting scare. While you deal with this, savor two accompanying themes. The first is a strong sense of history and place. You get to know the Overlook Hotel in terms of what has happened there and as an ordinary hotel with rooms, a kitchen, ballroom, storerooms, and all of its other parts. You will wonder how a place designed to meet its guests' daily needs can possess such a hidden hunger for their souls. The well-written contrast between the ordinary and supernatural is part of the book's tension.

The second theme is the book's illustration of the nature of evil. Jack could not have been possessed by the hotel had he not taken willing steps toward it. In a key scene, Jack enters the formerly empty hotel bar to find it fully stocked and tended by a former caretaker, now deceased. Jack is slowly instructed in what he must do as a drink is prepared and set before him. Weakened by his alcoholism, Jack takes this first drink, tacitly agreeing to destroy his family and giving the hotel greater power over him. This "entice, agree, enslave" sequence repeats several times as Jack slips into madness.

It all works out. Leaving the reader thoroughly frightened and impressed. Read this Stephen King classic first, and then see the Stanley Kubrick movie. The later miniseries is also interesting, but not as moving as either of the first two.

I had read this book back when it was released in the late 70's, and heard that a sequel was in the works for 2013. I bought the Kindle version, figuring that since I was no longer an easy-to-frighten teenager the book would just be a quick weekend read. Nope! My return to the Overlook was just as terrifying as the first time. I had forgotten all the subtle storylines that were omitted when it had been made into the movie.
I look forward to the release of his sequel this autumn!