Title: The Shining
Author: Stephen King
Publisher: Doubleday
Genre: Horror, Psychological Thriller
Year of Publication: 1990
Date of Publication: May 1, 1990
Pages: 450
ISBN-10: 0385121679
ISBN-13: 978-0385121675
Summary
Main Plot & Characters
The Shining follows Jack Torrance, an aspiring writer and recovering alcoholic, as he takes a job as the winter caretaker of the isolated Overlook Hotel.
Jack moves to the hotel with his wife, Wendy, and young son, Danny, who possesses psychic abilities known as “the shining.”
As winter sets in and the family becomes trapped by snow, the sinister forces within the hotel begin to affect Jack’s sanity.
Meanwhile, Danny experiences terrifying visions of the hotel’s violent past.
As Jack succumbs to the hotel’s supernatural influence, he becomes a danger to his family, leading to a horrifying climax of terror and survival.
Key Themes
- Madness and Isolation: King explores how isolation can lead to madness, especially through Jack’s gradual mental decline. The hotel’s influence exacerbates his instability.
- Supernatural Forces: The Overlook Hotel itself is a character, haunted by malevolent forces that manipulate Jack and prey on Danny’s psychic abilities.
- Family and Abuse: The novel delves into the dynamics of family, particularly focusing on Jack’s history of abuse and the effect it has on Wendy and Danny.
- Psychic Powers: Danny’s shining ability plays a central role. His psychic visions reveal the hotel’s dark history and serve as a warning of the dangers ahead.
Writing Style
Stephen King’s writing in The Shining is suspenseful.
He uses internal monologues to give readers a glimpse into Jack’s unraveling psyche.
Impact of The Shining
The Shining quickly became one of Stephen King’s most famous and influential works.
The novel was adapted into a successful 1980 film directed by Stanley Kubrick, which further popularized the story, though it differed significantly from the book.
Over the years, The Shining has continued to captivate readers with its themes of madness, supernatural terror, and family dynamics.
It remains a cornerstone of the horror genre and a classic of modern American literature.
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