Reviews

The Shining by Stephen King

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hellococo927's review against another edition

dark 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

2.25

While I acknowledge The Shining's reputation as a horror classic, the experience fell flat for me. The plot itself is decent, with the potential for a chilling family-in-peril scenario. However, the excessive exposition throughout the book bogged down the pacing significantly. I found myself frequently distracted and struggling to maintain momentum.

Going in fresh, without prior knowledge of the story, I believe the slow build could have been more effective. Unfortunately, the sheer volume of detail and background information often overshadowed the actual suspense, making it a slog to get through. While I can appreciate the attempt at character development, it often felt unnecessary and detracted from the central narrative.

Overall, while the core story holds promise, the overwhelming amount of exposition ultimately hindered my enjoyment of this classic.

Content Warnings

jack2255's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

lizziemowery's review against another edition

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slow-paced

4.75

rkragsdale's review against another edition

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3.0

the ending was. fine. everything else was GREAT.

honeybee14's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious tense slow-paced

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

3.25

Great start and end. But the middle was so slow. I almost gave up. The buildup to Jack insanity is too slow and sudden. The book could be much shorter and concise. Feels bad giving this a 3 ⭐️ concept is amazing not a fan of the execution.