Stephen King, known for his horror genre novels, and still lives up to its title. When I heard of him, I tried to read at least one of his works, "The Shining" (1970s).
Yes, this is one of his famous works, and I have to say... I'm thrilled to read it, thrilled in terms of both happy and scared. But all in all, let's start it off with the plot summary..
PLOT
The Shining mainly takes place in the fictional Overlook Hotel, an isolated, haunted resort located in the Colorado Rockies. The history of the hotel, which is described in backstoryby several characters, includes the deaths of some of its guests and of former wintercaretaker Delbert Grady, who succumbed tocabin fever and killed his family and himself.
The plot centers on Jack Torrance, his wife Wendy, and their five-year-old son Danny, who move into the hotel after Jack accepts the position as winter caretaker. Jack is characterized as an aspiring writer and recovering alcoholic with anger issues troubled by past binges that, prior to the story, had caused him to accidentally break Danny's arm and lose his position as a teacher. Jack hopes that the seclusion at the hotel will help him reconnect with his family and give him the motivation needed to work on a play. Danny, unbeknownst to his parents, possesses telepathic abilities referred to as the "shining" that enable him to read minds and experience premonitions. Dick Hallorann, the chef of the Overlook, senses Danny's abilities and helps to explain them to him, giving Hallorann and Danny a special connection.
As the Torrances settle in at the Overlook, Danny sees frightening ghosts and visions. Although Danny is close to his parents, he does not tell either of them about his visions because he senses that the care-taking job is important to his father and the family's future. Wendy considers leaving Jack at the Overlook to finish the job on his own; Danny refuses, thinking his father will be happier if they stay. However, Danny soon realizes that his presence in the hotel makes the supernatural activity more powerful, turning echoes of past tragedies into dangerous threats. Apparitions take form, and the garden's topiary animals come to life.
The Overlook has difficulty possessing Danny, so it begins to possess Jack, frustrating his need and desire to work. Jack starts to develop cabin fever, and the sinister ghosts of the hotel gradually begin to overtake him, making him increasingly unstable. One day, after a fight with Wendy, Jack finds the hotel's bar fully stocked with alcohol despite being previously empty, and witnesses a party at which he meets the ghost of a bartender named Lloyd. As he gets drunk, the hotel urges Jack to kill his wife and son. He initially resists, but the increasing influence of the hotel proves too great. He becomes a monster under the control of the hotel, truly unable to control his dark side. Wendy and Danny get the better of Jack, locking him into the walk-in pantry, but the ghost of Delbert Grady releases him after he makes Jack promise to bring him Danny and to kill Wendy. Jack attacks Wendy with one of the hotel's roque mallets, but she escapes to the caretaker's suite and locks herself in the bathroom. Jack tries to break the door with the mallet, but she slashes his hand with a razor blade to slow him down.
Meanwhile, Dick Hallorann receives a psychic distress call from Danny while working at a winter resort in Florida. Hallorann rushes back to the Overlook, only to be attacked by the topiary animals and badly injured by Jack. As Jack pursues Danny through the Overlook, he briefly gains control of himself just long enough to tell Danny to run away, and that he loves him. The hotel takes control of Jack again, causing him to violently batter his own face and skull with the mallet so Danny can no longer recognize him, and Danny tells him that the unstable boiler in the basement is about to explode. Jack hurries down to relieve the pressure as Danny, Wendy, and Hallorann flee. Jack is too late; the boiler explodes and destroys the Overlook. Fighting off a last attempt by the hotel to possess him, Hallorann guides Danny and Wendy to safety.
The book's epilogue is set during the next summer. Hallorann, who has taken a chef's job at a resort in Maine, comforts Danny over the loss of his father.
(Source: Wikipedia)
CRITICS!
First off, not for the weak-hearted! Second, this really convinced me to read more of his works, but because I was busy with studies and took too much interest in music, I literally forgot and kind of stopped reading novels for some time. But anyways, back to the critics...
In terms of diction, King sure knows how to play common, simple words which gives deeper meaning than the usual ones, and this is one of the things that made me interested too read further.
Plot-based, this novel gives out curiosity to the readers, since it all started with Jack undergoing a chat (maybe interview) about becoming the winter caretaker. This opening makes the fellow readers feel like they're watching a movie, and the character development in the story is pretty well done, for a horror novel. Emotional-based, this is one amazing novel that is scarier than horror films. I won't recommend this to people who are imaginative and dislike horror. This novel really gives out the creepy atmosphere with descriptions of bloody flashbacks of "redrum" (read it backwards, you'll get "murder"), and of course, presence of supernatural beings. The ending, however, might either be 'forced' to be done or there is probably another episode to this book. I haven't done much reading nowadays, but once I get my hands in the probable next chapter, I'll share my thoughts on it. In the mean time, I'll focus more on Science. Anyhow, this is one 'killer' novel for horror lovers. Try reading it if you haven't!
Read the novel already? What were your opinions about it? Share your thoughts below!
 |
| The Shining by Stephen King |
PLOT
The Shining mainly takes place in the fictional Overlook Hotel, an isolated, haunted resort located in the Colorado Rockies. The history of the hotel, which is described in backstoryby several characters, includes the deaths of some of its guests and of former wintercaretaker Delbert Grady, who succumbed tocabin fever and killed his family and himself.
The plot centers on Jack Torrance, his wife Wendy, and their five-year-old son Danny, who move into the hotel after Jack accepts the position as winter caretaker. Jack is characterized as an aspiring writer and recovering alcoholic with anger issues troubled by past binges that, prior to the story, had caused him to accidentally break Danny's arm and lose his position as a teacher. Jack hopes that the seclusion at the hotel will help him reconnect with his family and give him the motivation needed to work on a play. Danny, unbeknownst to his parents, possesses telepathic abilities referred to as the "shining" that enable him to read minds and experience premonitions. Dick Hallorann, the chef of the Overlook, senses Danny's abilities and helps to explain them to him, giving Hallorann and Danny a special connection.
As the Torrances settle in at the Overlook, Danny sees frightening ghosts and visions. Although Danny is close to his parents, he does not tell either of them about his visions because he senses that the care-taking job is important to his father and the family's future. Wendy considers leaving Jack at the Overlook to finish the job on his own; Danny refuses, thinking his father will be happier if they stay. However, Danny soon realizes that his presence in the hotel makes the supernatural activity more powerful, turning echoes of past tragedies into dangerous threats. Apparitions take form, and the garden's topiary animals come to life.
The Overlook has difficulty possessing Danny, so it begins to possess Jack, frustrating his need and desire to work. Jack starts to develop cabin fever, and the sinister ghosts of the hotel gradually begin to overtake him, making him increasingly unstable. One day, after a fight with Wendy, Jack finds the hotel's bar fully stocked with alcohol despite being previously empty, and witnesses a party at which he meets the ghost of a bartender named Lloyd. As he gets drunk, the hotel urges Jack to kill his wife and son. He initially resists, but the increasing influence of the hotel proves too great. He becomes a monster under the control of the hotel, truly unable to control his dark side. Wendy and Danny get the better of Jack, locking him into the walk-in pantry, but the ghost of Delbert Grady releases him after he makes Jack promise to bring him Danny and to kill Wendy. Jack attacks Wendy with one of the hotel's roque mallets, but she escapes to the caretaker's suite and locks herself in the bathroom. Jack tries to break the door with the mallet, but she slashes his hand with a razor blade to slow him down.
Meanwhile, Dick Hallorann receives a psychic distress call from Danny while working at a winter resort in Florida. Hallorann rushes back to the Overlook, only to be attacked by the topiary animals and badly injured by Jack. As Jack pursues Danny through the Overlook, he briefly gains control of himself just long enough to tell Danny to run away, and that he loves him. The hotel takes control of Jack again, causing him to violently batter his own face and skull with the mallet so Danny can no longer recognize him, and Danny tells him that the unstable boiler in the basement is about to explode. Jack hurries down to relieve the pressure as Danny, Wendy, and Hallorann flee. Jack is too late; the boiler explodes and destroys the Overlook. Fighting off a last attempt by the hotel to possess him, Hallorann guides Danny and Wendy to safety.
The book's epilogue is set during the next summer. Hallorann, who has taken a chef's job at a resort in Maine, comforts Danny over the loss of his father.
(Source: Wikipedia)
CRITICS!
First off, not for the weak-hearted! Second, this really convinced me to read more of his works, but because I was busy with studies and took too much interest in music, I literally forgot and kind of stopped reading novels for some time. But anyways, back to the critics...
In terms of diction, King sure knows how to play common, simple words which gives deeper meaning than the usual ones, and this is one of the things that made me interested too read further.
Plot-based, this novel gives out curiosity to the readers, since it all started with Jack undergoing a chat (maybe interview) about becoming the winter caretaker. This opening makes the fellow readers feel like they're watching a movie, and the character development in the story is pretty well done, for a horror novel. Emotional-based, this is one amazing novel that is scarier than horror films. I won't recommend this to people who are imaginative and dislike horror. This novel really gives out the creepy atmosphere with descriptions of bloody flashbacks of "redrum" (read it backwards, you'll get "murder"), and of course, presence of supernatural beings. The ending, however, might either be 'forced' to be done or there is probably another episode to this book. I haven't done much reading nowadays, but once I get my hands in the probable next chapter, I'll share my thoughts on it. In the mean time, I'll focus more on Science. Anyhow, this is one 'killer' novel for horror lovers. Try reading it if you haven't!
Read the novel already? What were your opinions about it? Share your thoughts below!
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