The Shining is a gruesome storytelling of Jack Torrance and his family whose lives take a terrifying turn at the Overlook Hotel.

Jack Torrance is an aspiring writer and a recovering alcoholic.  He worked as a school teacher until his anger issues led him to hurt a student. To get back up on his feet, he accepts the position of caretaker at an isolated Overlook Hotel situated in the Colorado Rockies. He, along with his wife Wendy and his son Danny, moves to the hotel to spend the winter when the hotel would practically be cut off from the rest of the world with the snow and the remoteness of the place. Jack hopes to take advantage of this seclusion by reconnecting with the family and focusing on his writing.

Unbeknownst to Jack and Wendy, their son Danny possesses psychic abilities and have several horrifying visions of the hotel. He doesn’t tell his parents about this because he understands how important this job is for them. However, situations escalate quickly and Danny realizes that his presence is causing the spirits of the hotel’s past to get stronger. They are out there to take their lives and make them a part of Overlook’s grisly history.

How did it make me feel?

The Shining is my first Stephen King novel. Writing-wise, it was a fresh read for me. King’s style was unlike anything I’ve read before. The best part is how he describes the functioning of a human mind under emotional and psychological turmoil. It seems so accurate and makes the readers relate to them effortlessly. This is also the reason why the connection with the characters evolve without difficulty.

From the very beginning, the book creates a premise that will capture the reader’s attention right away. It presents many elements in the course of storytelling that eventually come together in an impactful way. I really enjoyed reading it. I kind of didn’t want to put it down. The only times I wanted to put it down were when some of the scenes were so scary, I couldn’t go on! And yes, I did lose a couple of nights of sleep, so I would say that says a lot about a horror book! 😉

If there was one thing that was a miss for me, it was the ending. Not spoiling anything for you, but I just felt the ending was a bit empty. There were opportunities for that part of the story to be richer, is what I felt.

Have you read The Shining yet? Click here to get your own copy. If you use my link to buy, I may get a small commission which will help me keep my blog running! 🙂 Thank you for your support!

Have you read other books from Stephen King? I have The Stand next. Let me know if you’ve read it or have a better recommendation!