A review by lilcookie
The Shining by Stephen King

5.0

Wow. This is my second Stephen King novel and as someone who has only seen edges of The Shining, reading this book was a terrifyingly well-written ride. King dives into and left me considering the following

Spoiler

Was Danny right in thinking that Jack subsumed by the Overlook Hotel wasn't his daddy at all ? Clearly Jack had those thoughts and urges along the way, but his capacity to suppress was taken over by the Overlook. BUT it seems like it was taken over before that as well. Yet, Wendy's negative qualities never bubbled put to wanting to harm anyone as violently as Jack, though maybe he was predisposed to be vulnerable.....all this to say I'm glad the story ended without a scene where Jack is being redeemed.

Also, as a side - I enjoyed the character of Dick Halloran and this was a more nuanced portrayal of a Black character than The Green Mile but I will not let Stephen King's interest in incorporating the n-word multiple times in a book set in the late 20th century go unnoticed. The Shining shows us that we can all be warped into exhibiting our worst qualities and tendencies, with specific emphasis on how that can manifest in gendered violence over generations. Jack's past and present conceptions of man/father, woman/mother, family and rage were all up in his encounters with the Hotel and I was more invested in seeing how that + Danny's sense-making as a child seeped through the more classic horror moments. It's also interesting that it seems folks of all genders can be trapped in the Overlook, but the violence comes from men. In short, This book earns all of its 4.5 stars and I'm looking forward to checking out more Stephen King in small doses - choosing between Carrie and Doctor Sleep next.