A review by miagw962
The Shining by Stephen King

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • 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

5.0

(This inhuman place makes human monsters. This inhuman place)

Speechless. Barely know what to write (although I'll try). Just impeccable. I was immediately drawn in by the writing style, the characters, the setting, the psychological implications of various experiences, history. I love the movie for its ambiguity and thriller style but I EQUALLY love this book for its introspectiveness, its attention to detail, its story. I just...am a little lost for words. I just love it as a character study, about what our past can do to us in the future. I loved the paranormal aspects, the motif of the party and the masks. Brilliant! The breakdown of a family unit, the jealousy and heartbreak that can come from being loved. SO bloody great. I love the ending of the movie and I was kind of disappointed when I knew that that wasn't going to happen in the book BUT I was rewarded with a beautifully moving little moment that genuinely brought me to tears. Stephen King really did something here! And he wrote it so lovingly and/or so grotesquely too. Very excited to get more into King. I'm kind of intrigued by Doctor Sleep as a sequel (I mean the book never needed a sequel I don't think and neither did the movie - I've seen the Doctor Sleep movie but I barely remember it so I would be willing to give the book a go).
Expand filter menu Content Warnings