The Shining Review ⭐
‘The Shining’ is a must-read classic of the psychological horror genre. First published in 1977, the novel solidified Stephen King’s legacy as one of the most skilled authors of his generation.
The novel is fueled by King’s skill for creating realistic and believable supernatural events and unknown haunting entities. Such forces fill the Overlook Hotel and drive Jack Torrance to violence and insanity. Despite his desire to be a good husband and maintain sobriety, the hotel has different plans.
Key Facts about The Shining
- Title: The Shining
- When Written: 1976
- Published: 1977
- Literary Period: Contemporary
- Genre: Gothic / Horror / Psychological
- Point-of-View: Third-person omniscient
- Setting: Overlook Hotel in the Colorado Rockies
- Climax: When the boulder explodes in the Overlook Hotel killing Jack and destroying the hotel.
- Antagonist: Jack Torrance and the evil entities in the hotel.
- Point of View: Third person
Stephen King and The Shining
‘The Shining’ was Stephen King’s third novel and first hardback bestseller. It helped establish the author as one of the most important contemporary fiction writers in America.
Before writing the novel, Stephen King visited the famous Stanley Hotel in Colorado, taking a great deal of inspiration from the hotel’s purported ghostly history. He visited the hotel in 1974, wrote the book two years later, and published it in 1977.
Famously, Stephen King’s ‘The Shining’, and specifically the character of Jack Torrance, was inspired by King’s history with alcoholism. Stephen King has been sober since the late 1980s after his family staged an intervention for him. He attributes his experience with Alcoholics Anonymous as the primary reason he was able to succeed in his sobriety.
When speaking about his own history with alcohol, and if he too experienced a rock bottom moment as Jack Torrance did, he says he does not “have anything as traumatic.” The thing he remembers most he says is:
being at one of my son’s Little League games with a can of beer in a paper bag, and the coach coming over to me and saying, ‘If that’s an alcoholic beverage, you’re going to have to leave.’ That was where I said to myself, ‘That’s something I’ll never be able to tell anybody else. I’ll keep that one to myself.’ I drew on that memory.”
Books Related to The Shining
Stephen King returned the famous characters in ‘The Shining’ in his 2013 novel ‘Doctor Sleep’. Danny, once five-years-old, is now a grown man struggling with alcoholism himself. This more recent novel won the 2013 Bram Stocker Award for Best Novel and was adapted into a film, as ‘The Shining’ was.
Other related novels include Stephen King’s own ‘Misery’, ‘The Outsider’, 11/22/63, and ‘Mr. Mercedes’. These haunting horror stories take very realistic plotlines and merge them with darkness and supernatural elements.
Edgar Allan Poe’s “Fall of the House of Usher” is another story that readers of ‘The Shining’ may find themselves drawn to. It follows the story of twins set in a dark, haunted house. ‘Haunting of Hill House’ by Shirley Jackson has been cited by King himself as an influence. He also named ‘Something Wicked This Way Comes’ by Ray Bradbury as an inspiration for the novel.
The Lasting Impact of The Shining
‘The Shining’ was only published in 1977, so its full impact has yet to be realized. But, King’s writing more broadly has been incredibly influential on the genre of horror fiction throughout the last five decades. Authors like Bret Easton Ellis, author of ‘American Psycho’ and ‘Less Than Zero’, and author Haruki Murakami, known for ‘IQ84′, ‘Killing Commendatore’, and ‘Kafka on the Shore’, have cited Stephen King as follows: an influence on their own work.
A few years after ‘The Shining’ was published and its popularity was solidified, it was adapted into a feature film by Stanley Kubrick. Today, the film is as famous as the original novel. It has also served as an inspiration to numerous filmmakers and screenwriters.
The Shining Film Adaption 🎥
‘The Shining’ is a 1977 novel written by the “master of horror” Stephen King. It was his third published novel and helped to solidify his career. The book was adapted into a well-loved film in 1980 by famous horror director, Stanley Kubrick.
The Shining Summary 📖
‘The Shining’ was Stephen King’s third novel and the first that brought him public acclaim. It was published in 1977.
The Shining Character List 📖
‘The Shining’ by Stephen King is a novel filled with richly complex characters. These include the three central characters and supernatural entities.
The Shining Themes and Analysis 📖
‘The Shining’ is a classic of the horror and psychological fiction genres. It was published in 1977 as Stephen King’s third novel.
The Shining Best Quotes 💬
‘The Shining’ by Stephen King is filled with memorable quotations, many of which convey Jack Torrance’s is rapidly declining mental state.