Arguably the most famous King story of all

Hey, guys!

As many of you know, I've already written reviews for a couple of Stephen King stories: Cujo and Misery. The only other King novel I've read thus far (other than a couple of novellas) is The Shining. I believe I may have mentioned that I have put Pet Sematary on hold until after I finish Wooding's The Haunting of Alaizabel Cray.

So, while all of that is in the line-up of books I need to read/finish, how would you guys like to read a review of one of King's most famous horror stories of all time: The Shining.

The main character is named Jack Torrance. He is an aspiring play writer as well as a recovering alcoholic who has had some history with violence while inebriated. That is why he lost his job as a teacher and is applying for a job as caretaker of the Overlook Hotel during the winter. After all, he does have a wife and child to support.

Thanks to his past alcoholism, Jack's marriage to his wife, Wendy, is struggling to keep afloat, especially after how he hurt their child, Danny, while drunk one night.

And what an interesting child is Danny. A five-year-old who loves his father and is extremely sensitive to the moods of those around him, especially his parents. That is because he has something that the Overlook Hotel's head chef, Hallorann, calls the Shining.

Hallorann has the Shining, his mother has the Shining, and Danny has the Shining too. In fact, Danny probably has the most powerful Shining that Hallorann has ever seen in anyone. The Shining in Danny allows him to be extremely sensitive to his surroundings and to be able to talk to Tony, a mysterious kid who shows him visions of future events.

Although the Shining is quite a gift, it is also rather powerful for a five-year-old boy, which worries Hallorann, especially considering the Overlook's history: murders and bad goings-on that resulted in ghosts and evil presences. Evil, I tell you!

And guess what they're after? The writer, Jack Torrance, weakened by his repressed anger and constant longing for a drink. But if he succumbs, what does that mean for the rest of his family?

Why not give the book a go?

And for those of you who have seen the movie but haven't read the book, I would definitely recommend it. Although The Shining is a classic horror movie, the special effects and camera quality aren't exactly up to snuff.

In addition, although I adore Jack Nicholson, some of his facial expressions in the movie (facial expressions that were meant to be unsettling) strike me as rather humorous. I just can't help but laugh sometimes when I watch the movie.

I would love to see a remake though. The remake of Carrie was a great improvement on the last as far as special effects go. I'm sure the same would be true of The Shining.

Anyway, I would recommend the book for any fan of horror. I mean, come on. If someone says horror, the first two names in literature to pop up would be Edgar Allan Poe and Stephen King. I read The Shining when I was in high school, and I really enjoyed it. Appropriate for ages thirteen and up (depending on the mental maturity of individual thirteen-year-olds . . . that's a bit of a gray area). And I'm sure that fans of King would adore this book as well.

Hope you enjoyed the review and that you guys are thinking of reading the book. Check back in again this week for more reviews and lists.

Happy reading!!