Reviews with content warning for Emotional abuse - The Shining

***This review is going to have spoilers throughout***

Let me start by saying that The Shining is an absolutely incredible novel— I was not a fan of the Kubrick film at all and everything that it was lacking was here in King’s novel. The slow degradation of Jack’s mental state from loving father to crazed murderer feels well-paced and horrifying. By chapter 12 I felt like I had an excellent understanding of each of the characters.

What I have an issue with and why this book gets 4 stars and not 5 is largely because of parts of this book that simply did not age well. Uncle Stephen loves a magical negro trope, the racial slurs (especially frequent toward the end), and the nonchalant and frequent usage of the term “schizo”— just to name a few. I found myself having to remind myself a lot that this book was written in the 70s... One section that particularly floored me was the doctor’s office chapter where the common idea was that children can either grow out of schizophrenia or grow into it, and that it can also cause… autism…… the groan that I groaned….

The yucks aside, I do love how much we learn about Danny and his shine, that Wendy has it too, but that Jack has none— that in all of his fighting and beating and scraping to be special and unique, Jack is the only one in the family that is painfully normal. The moment where we learn about Jack’s sick satisfaction that Wendy’s novel isn’t picked up paints such a gross picture of the man he really is beneath his curated “press perfect smile”.

The insight into who Jack and Wendy are and were before Outlook is so detailed and intimate. I haven’t read a King novel in years; I think I forgot just how good he is at his craft. The reflection on their marriage, on their parenting, on the trauma that they brought into parenthood— and how Wendy tried to break it all off just before their stay at Outlook, is devastating as it is relatable. King’s personal reflection on addiction and the pressure to remain sober is written so well that I feel like I understand the disease better— and I’m literally a child of an alcoholic.

While parts of this book aged like milk, the majority of it really shines (pun intended) and I’m glad I read it. It was so well-written, descriptive, terrifying, and well-paced. I’m looking forward to reading Doctor Sleep in 2025 and hopefully Uncle Stephen will redeem himself of some of the yuckier choices he made in the 70s.

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eadrianschmitz's review

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

<Spoiler>
At first I was like omg ok I get it, he's an alcoholic. But then the emphasis made sense. I kind of wish it had been Jack that unravelled on his own rather than the hotel's fault for possessing him. Still a wonderful read and quite different from the film!

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