The Shining - A review

The Shining - A review

 

         The Shining is basically a story of three main characters. There’s the little boy with whom the story opens, his father (I think his name is Johnny in the book. It has been a while since I’ve read this book and while the book has remained memorable, the character names have not. Still, if I’m not mistaken his name is John Torrance.), and then there’s his mom. Sorry, I don’t remember the names of the other two characters. But that’s not important. What’s important is what I do remember. I’m sure I did my best to forget the unimportant details! And if they do not stand out till this day no doubt it is deservedly so.

         

         So, as I was saying the story is about three main characters. In truth, it is about one character only, the little boy. The father and mother are only important for they make up part of his life.

 

         The father is semi-autobiographical as Stephen King was also a former English Teacher, but maybe most of the similarities stop there. If I remember correctly he is a loving husband and a devoted dad just trying to do the best for his family. He does have anger issues though and that cost him his job as an English Teacher. Life hands him what he thinks is a second chance, as a winter caretaker for a boutique hotel.

 

         So, he drags his family from New England to Colorado, maybe even Boulder. For long stretches of the book, this book is about him, until it isn’t. Then, his wife takes over. Ever seen the gradual or even rapid fall from grace of a character? A slow descent into madness? I do not want to spoil too much. It has been said that for a little boy his father is his hero. This book is heartbreaking in so many ways, or perhaps only in one way.

 

         The perils of a lonely childhood, dreams and their significance to the future, the struggles of a nuclear family, a haunted hotel, terror, isolation during a snowstorm, the desperate struggle for survival, crushing heartbreak, and looking forward to the future. Perhaps, that is The Shining in a nutshell. It was only King’s second book, but it definitely marked him down as a writer who could not be ignored. His first book features an interesting plot, but the writing in it is as if someone fresh out of writer’s school wrote it. The Shining is a far more polished effort. Most of King’s books flatter to deceive. They do not always end as well as they start. I do not think you can say that about The Shining. Start to finish it is at a consistent level. To me, it has always been his best effort. Others swear by The Stand. Some say The Dark Tower is his life’s work, but I don’t know. To me, it’ll always be about  The Shining. Love him or hate him, this is one book that almost by itself ensures you will not be able to dismiss him. 

 

At times I have been harsh on King, but it is at these times that I  am reminded of the old saying - you reproach those from whom you have expectations. The opposite of love as they say is not hate, it is indifference… Anyways, this was my edited review of The Shining. I had more to say on King, but I cut out most of it. Maybe some other day…