The Shining by Stephen King
Rating: 2.5/5
What It’s About:
Jack Torrance’s new job at the Overlook Hotel is the perfect chance for a fresh start. As the off-season caretaker at the atmospheric old hotel, he’ll have plenty of time to spend reconnecting with his family and working on his writing. But as the harsh winter weather sets in, the idyllic location feels ever more remote…and more sinister. And the only one to notice the strange and terrible forces gathering around the Overlook is Danny Torrance, a uniquely gifted five-year-old.
goodreads.com
What I liked
I haven’t struggled to finish a book like this one in a really long time. Normally I don’t make myself keep reading a book if I’m not into it, but reading a Stephen King novel was kind of on my bucket list. Let me start by saying that I’m not really into the horror genre in books, film, or TV. I’ve only seen three movies based of Stephen King’s books, Carrie (1976), the Green Mile, and IT (2017). I’m a big chicken when it comes to horror.
There were a few things that I liked about this book. The book wasn’t too scary for me to read. It had just enough of a fear factor to get my heart pumping a little but not give me nightmares. One thing I do like about reading horror instead of watching it is that things can’t really jump out at you. I always cover my eyes haha! The book had some gruesome and grisly moments, which I did enjoy, but the psychological horror was what really stood out to me. The story is told in a third person point of view, alternating between the three main characters, Jack, Wendy, and Danny. Each of the characters go through an insane amount of mental turmoil. I was constantly anxious about Danny because of everything he was experiencing and feeling. I kept thinking, what would I do if my daughter were to go through the things that Danny had. It was really distressing for me as a parent to think about these things.
What I didn’t like:
My number one thing that I didn’t like about this book was that it was so long and drawn out. The book didn’t start to get interesting until about 50% of the way through. And the climax of the story didn’t hit until about 80%. So if you are the type that of reader (like I am) that like more fast paced novels, beware. I skimmed through alot of the slow parts once my patience had run out. There is alot of time spent on the history of the hotel and all the bad things that happened, which was not intersting to me at all. I also didn’t really like any of the characters of this story except for Danny.
Overall Thoughts
I’m glad that I can say I’ve read a Stephen King novel. I always stayed away from them because this books are so long and I get scared easily. I enjoyed the psychological horror part of the book and I was surprised with the feelings that I experienced. I know that so many people love The Shining, but I just don’t think Stephen King novels are for me. I tried to watch the movie afterward but I couldn’t get into it either. Maybe I’m just ready to move on to a different story.
I have been a fan of Stephen King since the early 1980’s when I was younger and had nothing but time. What I loved primarily was that each literary journey of his took a long time to get to the big action. You had time to get the full picture and the longer the book, the more you get to spend with your favorite characters. But I get what you mean about certain genres being harder to get through. Mine is science fiction and sometimes fantasy.
I remember trying to read Pet Cemetery when I was younger but I got too scared! I never tried to read another one until now. I think I might have have a better experience if I had read it when I had more free time.