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A review by awkwardreader13
The Shining by Stephen King
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
This will contain minor spoilers
All in all, I liked this. It's a good, well-written, well-paced horror story. Now, there were a few things that bothered me, and tainted the experience for me a little bit.
There was a misinformed, stupid and harmful throw-away comment about autism. Indigenous people were described as savages more than once. And then there's the constant use of the n-word. I'm not saying these things don't belong in literature at all, but these things should (in my opinion) at least be challenged by other characters, which they weren't. The n-word was, in all fairness, only (if I remember correctly) used by people that are "evil" or that we are supposed to dislike. Also, by a black man while talking about himself. Then there is also the whole "black spiritual person helping the white people" trope, but that's a different discussion..... Back to my first two issues with the story. The comment about autism and the ones about indigenous people. First of all, these stances were not challenged in any way. Second of all, they were thought or said by the two people in this story that we are supposed to root for? I don't have much more to say than that.
All in all, I liked this. It's a good, well-written, well-paced horror story. Now, there were a few things that bothered me, and tainted the experience for me a little bit.
There was a misinformed, stupid and harmful throw-away comment about autism. Indigenous people were described as savages more than once. And then there's the constant use of the n-word. I'm not saying these things don't belong in literature at all, but these things should (in my opinion) at least be challenged by other characters, which they weren't. The n-word was, in all fairness, only (if I remember correctly) used by people that are "evil" or that we are supposed to dislike. Also, by a black man while talking about himself. Then there is also the whole "black spiritual person helping the white people" trope, but that's a different discussion..... Back to my first two issues with the story. The comment about autism and the ones about indigenous people. First of all, these stances were not challenged in any way. Second of all, they were thought or said by the two people in this story that we are supposed to root for? I don't have much more to say than that.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Murder, Blood, Ableism, and Gore