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The Shining by Stephen King
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The Shining

by Stephen King

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6,71072238 (4.13)194
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English (68)  Danish (2)  French (1)  Dutch (1)  All languages (72)
Showing 1-5 of 68 (next | show all)
Scared the living crap out of me! A wonderful read. One of King's best! ( )
  Anagarika | Nov 3, 2009 |
Not a bad book, but not as good as Carrie, in my opinion. The first four parts of the book were great, but the last part got a little too silly for my tastes. It seemed to me that the story was going in the direction of a man who was simply going insane and that would have been a good way to conclude it without bringing in supernatural aspects of the hotel. It would have been interesting to see how everything was explained through Jack's insanity. But that's not how it was done. The story was well told, regardless, and King's attention to detail in his writing gets better with each book I read. ( )
  jamietr | Sep 28, 2009 |
I read "The Shining" about thirty years ago, it was only King's third book, but I had read several later works before this one. It was also the last Stephen King book that I read; it was so terrifying that it occurred to me it could be dangerous to my health. King has terrified more people than Osama Ban Lauden or El Queda ever dreamed of. This book should carry a warning label on its cover concerning its health risks; the TSA, DEA and OSHA should evaluate it for its addictive and toxic elements and place anyone transporting it under suspicion as a threat to our culture.

Do I hyperbolize? Only slightly. My reading of this in a darkened bus on a late night trip to O'Hare airport was frequently interupted by my having to turn around to see who or what may be behind me. As for addiction, a cable installer noticed a King novel on a table in my home, we started talking about King and spent the better part of a hour discussing his various works.

I recently read "Silence of the Lambs", the only horror work I've read since. I don't do horror any more. If "Silence" is horror, then "The Shining" is pure terror; five stars woefully understates the power of this work. ( )
  polo9 | Sep 23, 2009 |
This is one of the few books to have actually frightened me when I read it, not a sudden shocking horror that seems common in current books, but a slow creeping horror that gets under your skin and gets to you when you least expect it. To this day the imagery and ideas have a haunting effect when I think of them and the simplest things took on a horrifying aura.

I'll never look at topiary or fire hoses the same way again.

When someone is looking to be scared, even those jaded by modern horror movies, this and Ghost Story are the books I recommend the most. ( )
  Kellswitch | Sep 22, 2009 |
A classic haunted house story that is also about the process of going insane. Vintage Stephen King. ( )
  sturlington | Sep 20, 2009 |
Showing 1-5 of 68 (next | show all)
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Series (with order)
Canonical Title
Original publication date
People/Characters
Important places
Important events
Awards and honors
Epigraph
Dedication
This is for Joe Hill King, who shines on.
My editor on this book, as on the previous two, was M. William G. Thompson, a man of wit and good sense. His contribution to this book has been large, and for it, my thanks.
First words
Jack Torrance thought: Officious little prick.
Quotations
Last words
(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)
Disambiguation notice
Publisher's editors
Blurbers
Canonical titleThe Shining
Original publication date1977
People/CharactersJack Torrance, Wendy Torrance, Danny Torrance, Dick Hallorann, Horace Derwent, Delbert Grady
Important placesOverlook Hotel, Colorado, USA, Colorado, USA
Awards and honorsNew York Times bestseller (Fiction, 1977), Guardian 1000 (Science Fiction & Fantasy), 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die (2006/2008 Edition)
DedicationThis is for Joe Hill King, who shines on., My editor on this book, as on the previous two, was M. William G. Thompson, a man of wit and good sense. His contribution to this book has been large, and for it, my thanks.
First wordsJack Torrance thought: Officious little prick.
Last words(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)
Book description

Amazon.com Product Description (ISBN 0743424425, Mass Market Paperback)

The Overlook Hotel is more than just a home-away-from-home for the Torrance family. For Jack, Wendy, and their young son, Danny, it is a place where past horrors come to life. And where those gifted with the shining do battle with the darkest evils. Stephen King's classic thriller is one of the most powerfully imagined novels of our time.

The Shining

(retrieved from Amazon Fri, 24 Apr 2009 07:57:55 -0400)

(see all 3 descriptions)

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