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THE SHINING by Stephen King
GENRE: Horror
PAGES: 659
PUBLISHED DATE: July 1st 1980
PUBLISHER: New English Library
As you’ve read from the title, I picked up The Shining for the first time, my very first Stephen King book. Weird I know, that it took me this long to pick one up! But we’re finally here folks…
I picked The Shining specifically because everyone says its Stephen King’s best work. And seeing as he is the king of horror, I thought what better place to start?… So when I got the book in my hands, I found myself being really intrigued. (But I won’t lie a tiny part of me fully expected to be snoozing by page 2.)
But I don’t know, something about that opening scene in Mr Ulmans office just hooked me. Jack’s thoughts and actions immediately intrigued me. I could not put the book down even despite the really slow pacing of the story. In fact I think that’s actually what made me quite enjoy this story; the creeping pace, the slow descent into madness…
I won’t lie I went into this 100% certain I would not scare I mean take away the visuals of it and what is a horror? Turns out I was dead wrong.
It almost creeps up on you, the scare. I builds and builds and you keep wondering why the hair on your neck is standing up and then… oh my gosh there is a dead woman in the bathtub! And then I put the book down because I just CAN’T…. Only to pick it up 10 minutes later because turns out I can.
The casual, almost flippant racism I was NOT a fan of. I do however understand that it was probably allowed because of the times, this was the 70’s after all, so that was probably the norm. I’m just sad to know that things were that bad as recently as 40, 50 years ago but I’m also kinda proud at the remarkable strides we’ve made as a people in the same amount of time.
Overall I really enjoyed this book and that really surprised me but I guess it was stupid of me to think millions of readers have bad taste lol, I mean they all love Stephen King for a reason. I’m definitely going to pick up Doctor Sleep next just because I’m curious to see how the story is continued…
SAVE THIS POST FOR LATER…
I just finished watching Doctor Sleep????????????????
And I have one question, where have you been when we were all going crazy with Stephen King, glad you have seen the light,
Though I will confess after my affair with horror stories I feel the title master of horror is a little overrated… The are guys who right incredibly freak stories some just never quite made the big leagues and Stephen king had reached a stage he can do no I bet if he wrote a book with just one word in it… It would be another bestseller horror novel by the master of horror????????
Still he is one of my all-time favorite authors
~B
I NEED to watch Doctor Sleep, it seems I’m in the mood for horror! I don’t know how I missed the Stephen King craze, musta been under some kind of rock ???????? I’m glad I gave him a chance though, it was a nice intro into the horror genre! I’m officially a fan I’ll probably be screaming for him to take my money when the next book come out ????????