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The Shining – Stephen King – #20booksofsummer

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Part of my #20booksofsummer reading challenge hosted by 746books.com

Blurb:

Danny is only five years old, but in the words of old Mr Hallorann he is a ‘shiner’, aglow with psychic voltage. When his father becomes caretaker of the Overlook Hotel, Danny’s visions grow out of control.

As winter closes in and blizzards cut them off, the hotel seems to develop a life of its own. It is meant to be empty. So who is the lady in Room 217 and who are the masked guests going up and down in the elevator? And why do the hedges shaped like animals seem so alive?

Somewhere, somehow, there is an evil force in the hotel – and that, too, is beginning to shine . . .

My Thoughts:

*****WARNING – SPOILERS AHEAD*****

I thought this book was absolutely incredible! I will be honest and say I nearly had to put it in the freezer a la Joey (Friends).

It is terrifying and creepy and so incredibly written and I loved it!

We start the book with Jack having an interview for the caretaker position of the Overlook Hotelwhich he inevitably gets. This position is a 6 month position over winter when the hotel is closed due to the horrific snowfall that occurs, the roads to the hotel close and it is completely cut off from everything in the heart of winter.

Meanwhile at home Wendy and Danny are waiting for him, both a little tense especially Wendy, she is cooncerned about this move and weather it is the right move for them and their family.

Jack has a drinking problem which he has tried to take control over out of nowhere.

They move to the hotel on it’s closing day and it is almost chaos due to everyone trying to check outbut they are evenutally given a tour of the hotel and what needs to be done to keep everything running and how to work the boiler etc.

They head to the kitchen and meet Mr Hallorann (known to his friends as Dick – as Danny finds out through his ‘Shining’). Much to Wendy and Jacks surprise they Dick and Danny appear to have conversations without even speaking. On his way out Mr Hallorann asks to speak to Danny on his own and warns Danny to stay away from the topiary and away from room 217, there are bad things ‘but I don’t think they can hurt you’. He tells Danny to just close his eyes and then they will be gone.

At first, everything is going really well but slowly all three of the familt start to hear and see things that shouldn’t be there.

Danny goes into room 217 against his better judgement and sees the woman in the bathtub, she gets up smiling at him and comes for him.

From there things just get worse.

The hotel starts to convince Jack that Wendy and Danny are against him and always have! They tell him that they are the reason he lost his job and they want him to fail at everything he tries.

So I don’t want to give so much away if any hasn’t read the book/watched the film. I just have to say that the book is not the same as the film, there are quite a few differences, I just have to say that I love Stephen King and I can’t believe it has taken me this long to read one of his major books!

You can buy it here!

Published by booksforall93

28 thoughts on “The Shining – Stephen King – #20booksofsummer”

    1. It’s a really good one! What kind of genre do you like? I don’t really know much about sci-fi but if it’s romance you want the definitely Jojo Moyes! Her books are so good. For crime thrillers then I would say Simon Kernick

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      1. Reading it in my tween years at a catholic school I sort of got it, but once I hit high school I suddenly realized how much of that book was actually such a blunt delivery of commentary on certain parts of society; I’ve loved it every since. That and his short story about the demon cat lol

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      2. Wow I didn’t realise there was so much to it! I’m going to be adding it to my wishlist today!
        Deamon cat!? I didn’t know there was a story about that! What’s it called?

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  6. I just reread this book over the winter. I think what got to me is that about midway through, things get better, and you think they’re actually going to get through this winter with flying colors. You get that little bit of hope, and then the rug gets pulled out from under you. So, it definitely enhances the scare factor. I don’t think it’s as scary as the movie, but I do think the book is the better incarnation of the story.

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  7. I love that episode where The Shining gets put in the freezer. Later I think they put something else scare in the freezer too. But I can’t remember if it’s Little Women (the book Joey ends up reading) or something else. Way off topic I know.

    Great review! I still need to read this so I sort of skimmed because of the spoilers but I’m glad you enjoyed it.

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