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A review by pineconek
The Shining by Stephen King
5.0
Things I thought about Stephen King before 2020:
- overrated drug store paperback mass producer
- generic and dull
- enjoyed primarily for shock value
- overhyped
(ok these are all the same things)
I need to apologize. Profusely. I was so, so wrong.
Things the Shining (and other books of his I've now read in 2020) proves about Stephen King:
- he writes complex and vibrant characters who drive the plot
- he has valuable things to say about abuse, addiction, and human pain
- his writing is superb, descriptive, engaging, and funny
- damn, he's really good at his job
The Shining moved me in ways I did not expect from a horror classic and motivated me to read more King. I was honestly floored by how much of a mismatch there was between my expectations of King versus what my experiences with his writing have been ever since I picked up a short story collection earlier this year. The shining is a damn masterpiece about guilt, abuse, and addiction, and the haunted house just serves as a backdrop... I absolutely love it.
- overrated drug store paperback mass producer
- generic and dull
- enjoyed primarily for shock value
- overhyped
(ok these are all the same things)
I need to apologize. Profusely. I was so, so wrong.
Things the Shining (and other books of his I've now read in 2020) proves about Stephen King:
- he writes complex and vibrant characters who drive the plot
- he has valuable things to say about abuse, addiction, and human pain
- his writing is superb, descriptive, engaging, and funny
- damn, he's really good at his job
The Shining moved me in ways I did not expect from a horror classic and motivated me to read more King. I was honestly floored by how much of a mismatch there was between my expectations of King versus what my experiences with his writing have been ever since I picked up a short story collection earlier this year. The shining is a damn masterpiece about guilt, abuse, and addiction, and the haunted house just serves as a backdrop... I absolutely love it.