A review by rooks_books
The Shining by Stephen King

dark emotional 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

4.5

An excellent example of character driven horror, where the real nightmare isn't the supernatural circumstances at play, but the slow and inevitable descent of a person into their darkest flaws. My hatred and sympathy for Jack Torrance was balanced on a knife's edge throughout the entire book, and the tension of not knowing whether he would succumb to his flaws and the outlook's influences or rise to the occasion and become the person he knows he should be really elevated the stakes and the horror. 
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