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4.21 AVERAGE
4.21 AVERAGE
slow-paced
dark
tense
medium-paced
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol
Moderate: Confinement, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Murder, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Vomit, Grief
This reread reminded me exactly why The Shining was the very first Stephen King novel I picked up, and why it hooked me instantly. The creeping dread, the slow unraveling of Jack’s sanity, and the way the Overlook itself becomes a character are just as chilling the second time around. This book cemented my love for his writing, and rereading it only reinforced that it’s one of his masterpieces.
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Blood
Moderate: Emotional abuse
The Shining is a perfect example of a great movie being utter trash when compared with the book, despite the book only being four stars. Let me explain...
The Shining follows the Torres family as they are given the opportunity of a lifetime. Maintain and watch over a hotel while it is closed for the winter. Endless supplies and rooms to have fun in between the three of them. Jack, the father, is a writer and Wendy is hoping that this time away from everything will bring them closer together. Meanwhile their kid, Danny, is apparently psychic (which isn't shared with the class). However, there are two major problems. The first is that Jack is a recovering alcoholic and is deeply trying to suppress his darker past. The second is they are not the only ones in the hotel.
The majority of the book is building this sense of dread as Jack slowly uncovers the hotel's dark past, Wendy watches him slowly go crazy, Danny gets increasingly vivid visions of the people who have previously died in the hotel. Luckily, the finale is quite the doozy and emotional roller-coaster. In all honesty, the ending would have made or broken the novel. Had it been 'meh' like a lot of the build up, this would have been lower rated for me. BUT I absolutely loved it when everything exploded. All the tension that had been built, all the character work and plot threads that have been carried, all come together is a truly emotional climax.
If you have seen the movie, forget it! The ending here is far better as it isn't a simple spook fest, but has genuine emotional weight and a very satisfying and tragic ending. I can't explain the difference due to spoilers, but Jack, Wendy, and Danny all shine as characters as they face this looming threat of the spirits in the hotel.
So, despite a very dry start and a slow middle, the Shining ended up being a very solid novel, saved by a rather explosive finale. Great character work and some truly incredible lore.
The Shining follows the Torres family as they are given the opportunity of a lifetime. Maintain and watch over a hotel while it is closed for the winter. Endless supplies and rooms to have fun in between the three of them. Jack, the father, is a writer and Wendy is hoping that this time away from everything will bring them closer together. Meanwhile their kid, Danny, is apparently psychic (which isn't shared with the class). However, there are two major problems. The first is that Jack is a recovering alcoholic and is deeply trying to suppress his darker past. The second is they are not the only ones in the hotel.
The majority of the book is building this sense of dread as Jack slowly uncovers the hotel's dark past, Wendy watches him slowly go crazy, Danny gets increasingly vivid visions of the people who have previously died in the hotel. Luckily, the finale is quite the doozy and emotional roller-coaster. In all honesty, the ending would have made or broken the novel. Had it been 'meh' like a lot of the build up, this would have been lower rated for me. BUT I absolutely loved it when everything exploded. All the tension that had been built, all the character work and plot threads that have been carried, all come together is a truly emotional climax.
If you have seen the movie, forget it! The ending here is far better as it isn't a simple spook fest, but has genuine emotional weight and a very satisfying and tragic ending. I can't explain the difference due to spoilers, but Jack, Wendy, and Danny all shine as characters as they face this looming threat of the spirits in the hotel.
So, despite a very dry start and a slow middle, the Shining ended up being a very solid novel, saved by a rather explosive finale. Great character work and some truly incredible lore.
3.9-4.1 range. Nicely written book, though often time the descriptions ramble on unnecessarily. Good plot, had my heart racing towards the end. Unnecessary use of the “n word” considering that it is inappropriate for the plot of this. Regardless, an enjoyable book.
"En el Overlook, todas las cosas tenían una especie de vida. Era como si a todo el lugar le hubieran dado cuerda con una llave de plata. El reloj estaba en marcha... [...] Este lugar inhumano hace monstruos humanos".
La familia Torrance, compuesta por Jack, Wendy y su hijo Danny, está pasando por un bache tanto económico como emocional, lo que obliga a que Jack acepte un empleo que consiste en vigilar y mantener un hotel en medio de las montañas de Colorado durante los meses en los que éste queda aislado por la nieve. El pasado del hotel Overlook es mucho más oscuro de lo que ellos creen de primeras, lo que va haciendo mella en el estado mental de Jack, ya de por sí bastante "delicado"...
Me ha encantado volver a leer este libro después de tantos años, ha sido como encontrarse con un viejo amigo. Es de esos libros que resultan difíciles de olvidar, y entiendo la razón por la que se ha convertido en una de las obras más famosas del autor. Como ya vimos en Misery, King es capaz de crear historias extraordinarias con pocos personajes y escenarios, ahondando más y más en el interior de los mismos... Sobre todo en el de Jack, que ya parte de la base de ser una persona bastante miserable y va cayendo más y más en la oscuridad, eres testigo de como se va corrompiendo cada vez más a medida que el hotel se adueña de él. Se trata de un terror quizá algo diferente a lo que esperas cuando coges de primeras este libro, pero no por ello decepciona.
Sin embargo, tengo que decir que a pesar de la popularidad que tiene esta novela, no es mi favorita del autor, ni de lejos. A pesar de que tenía buen recuerdo de ella, no tuvo en mi tanto impacto como otras de sus obras, y con la relectura lo he confirmado: para mi gusto tiene novelas mucho mejores. Aún así, recomiendo mucho su lectura, eso sin duda.
La familia Torrance, compuesta por Jack, Wendy y su hijo Danny, está pasando por un bache tanto económico como emocional, lo que obliga a que Jack acepte un empleo que consiste en vigilar y mantener un hotel en medio de las montañas de Colorado durante los meses en los que éste queda aislado por la nieve. El pasado del hotel Overlook es mucho más oscuro de lo que ellos creen de primeras, lo que va haciendo mella en el estado mental de Jack, ya de por sí bastante "delicado"...
Me ha encantado volver a leer este libro después de tantos años, ha sido como encontrarse con un viejo amigo. Es de esos libros que resultan difíciles de olvidar, y entiendo la razón por la que se ha convertido en una de las obras más famosas del autor. Como ya vimos en Misery, King es capaz de crear historias extraordinarias con pocos personajes y escenarios, ahondando más y más en el interior de los mismos... Sobre todo en el de Jack, que ya parte de la base de ser una persona bastante miserable y va cayendo más y más en la oscuridad, eres testigo de como se va corrompiendo cada vez más a medida que el hotel se adueña de él. Se trata de un terror quizá algo diferente a lo que esperas cuando coges de primeras este libro, pero no por ello decepciona.
Sin embargo, tengo que decir que a pesar de la popularidad que tiene esta novela, no es mi favorita del autor, ni de lejos. A pesar de que tenía buen recuerdo de ella, no tuvo en mi tanto impacto como otras de sus obras, y con la relectura lo he confirmado: para mi gusto tiene novelas mucho mejores. Aún así, recomiendo mucho su lectura, eso sin duda.
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes