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xenomorphlover's review
dark
emotional
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
A tense thrilling read! Masterful world- and character-building. The first half was very slow and took a while for me to get into it, but the second half was much more engaging.
There is racism present throughout the book, which was written by a white man in the 1970s, so that also affected my experience.
There is racism present throughout the book, which was written by a white man in the 1970s, so that also affected my experience.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs
Moderate: Alcoholism, Gore, and Violence
Says the n-word very frequently, especially in the second half of the book. Period-accurate racismeusteph's review against another edition
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
"The tears that heal are also the tears that scald and scourge."
Given the fact that the movie adaptation of this book was one of the first horror movies I saw as a child, it's clear that reading this book has been on my list for a couple of decades now. With that being said, I haven't rewatched the movie in a while so my feelings towards the book aren't too biased.
Before reading this book, I honestly don't remember building a true connection to any of the characters in this story other than Danny. As I dove into it, I found myself seeing this plot from an entirely different point of view. The characters were a lot more relatable and their lore ran deeper here than in Kubrick's movie which is to be expected given the length of this novel. I can see why King wasn't entirely satisfied with the adaptation but I also acknowledge that it would've been nearly impossible to remain faithful to the book in a two-hour movie.
Halloran was a major standout character for me. I like that the book follows multiple different points of view because that gives me a clearer picture of what we are dealing with here. I found myself feeling a lot more empathy for Jack than what I expected and Wendy was a lot more likable here than I remember her being on screen (bless Shelly Duvall's soul, though).
All in all, I am very happy I finally pulled the trigger and read this. Especially after my last disappointing read by King.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Racial slurs, and Violence
theaterkidnerd's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
My favorite sitcom!
But in all seriousness, I really liked this book. There’s a lot to analyze and think about. Like how Wendy and Jack are both flawed people, but they react differently to criticism and taking accountability; their inability to properly communicate with one another, how their relationship affects Danny. Speaking of Danny, he reminded me a lot of when I was younger and I just felt so awful for him :(
I really wanted to see Wendy kill Jack at the end. It would have healed me, I think.
But in all seriousness, I really liked this book. There’s a lot to analyze and think about. Like how Wendy and Jack are both flawed people, but they react differently to criticism and taking accountability; their inability to properly communicate with one another, how their relationship affects Danny. Speaking of Danny, he reminded me a lot of when I was younger and I just felt so awful for him :(
I really wanted to see Wendy kill Jack at the end. It would have healed me, I think.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, and Violence
Minor: Racial slurs and Fire/Fire injury
kiarra_s's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Stephen King is a brilliant author! I fully rewatched the movie yesterday, and it simply does not compare to the book! King does a masterful job illustrating “the shining” and the full power of the Overlook hotel (which you really don’t get in the movie). The book also does a better job showing the dynamics of the Torrance family, their personal struggles, and Jack’s gradual collapse (this makes the book much more eerie and spookier than the movie). If you’ve only watched The Shining, the book really is a must-read!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism
Moderate: Racial slurs
ehamlett's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Confinement, Racial slurs, Violence, and Alcohol
Moderate: Child abuse, Death, Physical abuse, and Fire/Fire injury
lindsaygp_reads's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
***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.
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.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Cursing, and Racial slurs
Moderate: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Fire/Fire injury, and Abandonment
Toward the end of the book there are a slough of racial slurs. Use of magical negro trope.vetrina's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I really liked this book. It's very slow-paced, but it's properly creepy and atmospheric. I actually kinda love how much of a slow burn this book is. I love the character development of the Torrance family, and I love Hallorann too. The book was well-written for the most part, and the scares were pretty great too!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Racial slurs, and Violence
Moderate: Sexual content
getyourghosts's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse and Murder
Moderate: Racial slurs
Minor: Homophobia and Racism
mozbolt's review
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs
sur_m4xersiz3's review against another edition
dark
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Glad I gave this book a re-read. Mr. King is nuts, his world building is done so well. You can easily imagine all of the scenes. King is also a very good story teller, the development of one of the characters was done so well; great foreshadowing and the characters really pop out of the book. My main critique in most of King’s older books is the use of black characters; the magical n* and the horrible racism they have to endure. It’s very upsetting; not for everyone.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Body horror, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Racism, and Injury/Injury detail