Rating: 
Summary: The Best of King's First 20 Books
Review: Stephen King has been called a great many things. The Master of Horror Fiction. Fascinating. Frightening. Hypnotic. Demonic. Tremendous. Spellbinding. His own bio blurb refers to himself as the "world's best selling novelist." One critic has even gone so far as to speculate that Stephen King is our era's Charles Dickens. Anyone who has read King would probably agree he's a writer with a tremendous range, a genius-level vivid imagination, and an understanding of human emotions both simple and yet rarely matched.The Shining is probably his best known novel and of the first twenty or so novels that he wrote, and it seems to me the one he wrote at his happiest. He wrote part of it at the Stanley Hotel near Estes Park, Colorado when he was young enough not to be a commodity and old enough to know what the hell he was doing. Compared to The Dead Zone, Cujo, Pet Semetary, Misery it just seems like a book he enjoyed writing more than any of the other early works. The irony is that The Shining has become synonomous with horror fiction. And that's the way "The Shining" works on you. Jack Torrance is a flawed man with a drinking problem, a violent temper, but a sense of humor and a genuine love for his wife and child. He's a guy we want to root for! And that's why his descent into madness is so powerful. (and so chilling) To some degree, we all can relate to him. Room 217. The Overlook. Grady. The hedge animals. The isolation. And the shining. All of these devices work so well together in the novel that it's hard not to picture Stephen King writing this thing at points -- a maniacal captain aboard a hotel trip into hell. The guy just gets a kick out'a writing and as simple as that sounds it's actually kind of rare in this world. Enough can't be said of the creative power King exhibits in The Shining. I'm sure scholars have already begun studying the "role of Wendy" as a modern woman and the "psychological trauma of Danny" etc. etc., and scholarly work on "The Shining" will probably continue long after we've all kicked off this earth. That's the world we live in. The novel is not without its flaws. At times, Danny thinks more like a thirty-year-old man writing as a five-year-old boy than a de facto five-year-old boy. At times, The Shining is melodramatic. The character Wendy might have been a more fully realized character. But for a "flawed" novel, it is -- to me -- the most thoroughly READable flawed novel I've ever read. I highly recommend "The Shining" to damn near anyone who enjoys reading and, of course, I hope this review is helpful to you. Stacey...
Rating: 
Summary: The Shining
Review: This book was interesting but i liked the movie better. the only part i didn't like was the end when Jack dies in the hotel and some parts were real boring. but other then that it was a good book.
Rating: 
Summary: Boring, confusing read.
Review: What a terrible book. There was a lot of pointless, boring drivel in the book. I was actually quite surprised that something so awful could have been written by Stephen King. From October to May, the Torrance family has to take care of the Overlook hotel with no communication to the outside world.. except for Danny's 'shining'. The idea behind the book is pretty good but the story is terrible. It jumps from past to present without the reader even knowing that. I was really disappointed when I read this book.
Rating:
Summary: Stephen King at his best!!
Review: This is Stephen King's classic horror novel. I read many of his books and The Shining is by far one of the best. It was the first book of his that I read and it got me hooked. Once you get into the story you cannot put it down. It keeps your attention and shocks you to the very end! If you've seen the movie, it does not do justice to the book. It was a very well done film, yet much of the plot line was changed.
In my opinion, only several of King's books can compare with The Shining (Dreamcatcher, It, or the Dark Tower Series). This was an excelent novel and I would highly recomended to anyone.
Rating: 
Summary: Classic King.
Review: One of Stephen King's first, also during his depression and heavy drinking days, which come through in this novel. Besides that, I felt genuine scares throughout. King deals with the supernatural, the abnormal, and the classic horror ideas with a modern touch that has made him so critically acclaimed. Every King novel would get an R, mainly due to violence, yet also because two swear words not permitted on regular television make frequent appearances in his novels. The Shining is no different in many ways, as it is the story of a alcoholic that is finally off the bottle, his confused wife, and their son, whom has an extraordinary ability. Jack Torrence is given a job as the caretaker for a large hotel many miles from civilization during winter. His employer doesn't spare any details on why he does not consider Jack the right man. The previous caretaker slaughtered his family and commited suicide, which his alcohol problem was to blame for, apparently. Jack does not bode well with the comment, yet feels confident no such incident would occur with himself and his wife and son. He does not mention his breaking of his son's arm years back, though. The Shining explores the mind of a man on the edge whom is pushed over by the hotel's supernatural inhabitance. He suspects none of it, though his son, with the ability he was born with, is able to both see and be attacked by these frightening apparitions. These spirits recommend to Jack that his family is an enemy, that the hotel cares about him,and to advance in the hotel, he must destroy the distractions of family. Jack is a good man throughout, but he becomes twisted throughout and eventually takes a roque mallet and decides to beat his family's skulls in. The Shining has many flashbacks, also many drowsy periods of King talking through his drunken states (dull). These moments of the life of a drunk sitting in his basement were what dropped my rating down a star. Despite the slowdown at certain areas, I did enjoy the Shining and left depressed, but liking it. I give the novel 4/5. By the way, the cover of the Shining I reviewed shows what looks like Halle Berry in a wheat field I suggest buying a copy with a different cover, my own is just the outline of a man's head and shoulders with some spiral design behind.
Rating:
Summary: The Shining
Review: The Torrances take over a deserted hotel that is haunted by the spirits of the dead.
Rating:
Summary: a romantic ring that echoes still after having been read
Review: The first movie version is just as eerie as the book (I would recommend it! Director- Stanley Kubrick). I liked the book because it had interesting characters and an exciting plot. Wendy came about to me as being nieve and lost but her nievette matched the Outlook's gruesomeness. Although I liked her because of that reason best, and also she seemed like someone I'd like to meet, charming. Danny was my window to the book because I felt as if I related best with him, although his mother captured more of my sympathy. And Jack I couldn't decide what to think of, Wendy just made it MORE confusing by the ambigious way she treated him. I must say that NOW when it snows I feel as if it's slightly evil, quitely blanketing the earth. But it's a nice afterthought of the book, an impression it has left on me. (Many chapters beging with the snow quietly falling). Those who haven't read it will be mystified by the scene of the ball-room while the 'Beautiful Blue Danube" plays on in the background. Also, those who enjoy the world war era's rich guy's lifestyle will by captivited by the book's haunting depiction of it in some chapters. A perfect combo of past with romantic eerieness THE SHINING is bound to shine on you.
Rating:
Summary: A Good Book
Review: I watched the movie before I ever had read the book and the only thing I hated about the movie was the lack of details. When I found King had wrote the book I bought it immediately knowing King is the king of details. The book is about a family that is hired to take care of a hotel, in the desolate winter desert. King introduces us to a almost supernatural type of cabin fever that takes place and the young boy that possesses some type of supernatural power. The tension mounts and the book always keeps you wondering. A great read for anybody who enjoys suspense and horror.
Rating:
Summary: VERY COMPELLING ! ! ! ! !
Review: i had not seen the movie before reading this book so i was not sure what to expect exactly. i was in for a pleasant surprise! the book is basically about a writer of whom cannot controll his anger or his drinking, and both seem to continue to have him shut doors upon himself! the drinking he gets in check, as for the attitude, he tries but not before it gets the better of him and he looses his job as a debate teacher for an incident he has with a student! hence we have the overlook hotel. with what seems to be a his last chance, he is offered a job as the caretaker at a huge, and very old hotel in maine that shuts down in the winters becouse of the snow storms. unfortionaly for jack and his family this is no normal hotel, and with danny (jacks boy) being able to "shine" it makes for some very interesting problems. fore come to find out the overlook has some very, very interesting and colorful backgrounds!! shinning is basicly described as being with a sixth sense or hearing and seeing things that normal people cannot! in the end basicaly this hotel is living and likes the terrance family ecspealiy danny, and doesnt want the to leave...ever! being snowed end with no phone just doesnt seem to help matters!! a definite personal fav. and would recamend to anyone!
Rating:
Summary: not so great
Review: i read this book when i was 12, thought it was the greatest thing ever. i just finished reading it again, im 32. its pretty poorly written in parts - a lot of parts. stanley kubricks film was excellent. i think this because he edited out all of the stupid, unbelievable things in the book, like the hedge animals coming to life. so ridiculous. he also added the scenes with the little ghost girls that was so much more affective than what was written in the book.
| 
