The Shining by Stephen King
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The Shining by Stephen King

78%

22 Critic Reviews
In "The Shining," Stephen King resorts to summoning up a melange of ghosts and mixing them with voguish interest in precognition... Mr. King serves up these horrors at a brisk, unflagging pace, and he undeniably keeps things moving.
-NY Times

Recommended by

Kirkus, Guardian, Guardian, Book Reporter

Synopsis

With an excerpt from the sequel, Doctor Sleep.

Terrible events occur at an isolated hotel in the off season, when a small boy with psychic powers struggles to hold his own against the forces of evil that are driving his father insane.
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About Stephen King

See more books from this Author
Stephen King is the author of more than fifty books, all of them worldwide bestsellers. His novel 11/22/63 was named a top ten book of 2011 by The New York Times Book Review and won the Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Mystery/Thriller as well as the Best Hardcover Book Award from the International Thriller Writers Association. He is the recipient of the 2003 National Book Foundation Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters. He lives in Bangor, Maine, with his wife, novelist Tabitha King. Joe Hill is the author of the New York Times bestsellers Heart-Shaped Box and Horns and writes an ongoing comic book series, Locke & Key. He makes lots of noise on Twitter under the handle @joe_hill.
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Published June 24, 2008 by Anchor. 466 pages
Genres: Mystery, Thriller & Suspense, Horror, Literature & Fiction, Education & Reference, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Children's Books, Action & Adventure, Biographies & Memoirs. Fiction
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Critic reviews for The Shining
All: 22 | Positive: 21 | Negative: 1

Kirkus

Above average
on Sep 26 2011

The reader needs no supersight to glimpse where the story's going as King's formula builds to a hotel reeling with horrors during Poesque New Year's Eve revelry and confetti outta nowhere. . . . Back-prickling indeed despite the reader's unwillingness at being mercilessly manipulated.

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NY Times

Above average
Reviewed by Richard R. Lingeman on Mar 01 1980

In "The Shining," Stephen King resorts to summoning up a melange of ghosts and mixing them with voguish interest in precognition... Mr. King serves up these horrors at a brisk, unflagging pace, and he undeniably keeps things moving.

Read Full Review of The Shining | See more reviews from NY Times

Guardian

Above average
Reviewed by James Smythe on Jun 22 2012

The Shining is two stories, both the same, but somehow very different.

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Guardian

Above average
Reviewed by Amanda Leitch on Mar 20 2014

As is almost always the case, the book is much better, and in this instance, far more terrifying and psychologically probing than the movie. The Shining pulls the reader into the psyche of JAck Torrance, the protagonist, and into an understanding that borders on his defense from the very beginning.

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Examiner

Good
Reviewed by Christina Durner on Nov 11 2011

Possibly one of the most frightening tales ever written, this novel has the ability to scare even the bravest of readers. With extreme attention to detail and uncanny foreshadowing utilized by the author, The Shining is a bone-chilling account that will leave readers in awe.

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Book Reporter

Good
Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub on Jan 23 2011

People who think more about these types of things than I do believe that THE SHINING will still be read, studied and debated 50 years from now. Don't wait that long to read it...with most of King's novels, the true, real horror presented is not of a supernatural nature but made up of things we visit upon ourselves and each other.

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Teen Ink

Above average
Reviewed by Kaitlynn S on Feb 03 2015

If you love mysteries, suspense, and anxiety in a book, you will love The Shining...They undertake a life changing, life crippling journey, in which you will feel the suspense in the pit of your stomach, and hate and love many different and intriguing characters.

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http://caffeinatedbookreviewer.com

Good
Reviewed by Kimberly on Oct 30 2012

This time rereading it...I got to fully appreciate King’s talent at fleshing out his characters. Filled with subtle horror, madness and a hotel that manifests and takes on a life of its own, this tale gave me all the creepy goodness only King can deliver...While I love many of Stephen King’s work, this tale will forever be one of my favorites.

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The Book Smugglers

Good
Reviewed by Thea on Sep 11 2013

...King’s The Shining paints an entirely different picture of its tragic hero-cum-villain, Jack Torrance. The Jack in the book is a struggling writer and a family man whose career is in shambles and whose marriage dangles by a frayed, worn thread...The Shining remains one of my favorite Stephen King novels...

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Inverarity is not a Scottish village

Above average
Reviewed by Inverarity on May 17 2012

The Shining still has everything people who like King's books enjoy, and avoids most of his more annoying habits (like ridiculous amounts of padding, or gratuitous use of aliens).

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Sarah Reads Too Much

Good
Reviewed by Sarah Reads Too Much on Jun 03 2012

The creepy scary levels are off the charts in this book. I literally had to pause between chapters toward the end, just to catch my breath...This book was written in 1977, and superfluous details may feel dated to the reader, but the sheer horror and creepiness of the tale is timeless.

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Between The Covers

Above average
Reviewed by Heather on Feb 08 2013

This book…THIS BOOK…really did a number on me. Holy smokes...But you know what? I really liked The Shining. The writing and the story were so good. I often read books that make me feel some kind of way, but rarely do I come across a book that makes me feel like this one did.

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Cuddle Buggery Book Blog

Good
Reviewed by Paul Beimers on Sep 26 2013

The Shining did something that few books before have ever managed to do: frighten me...Through only his pen, King manages to make the darkness of my room eerie and uncomfortable...Despite its length, The Shining is a remarkably quick read. It’s frightening, it’s complex, and it’s a wild ride.

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The Book Lover's Boudoir

Excellent
Reviewed by pamelascott30 on May 08 2014

King knows how to pack a punch over and over. The last hundred or so pages are packed with tension, drama and action as terrible vents approach a climax. I literary raced through these pages. My heart pounded and my palms sweated the whole time. Talking about scaring the pants off your readers.

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Having Said That

Good
Reviewed by Lauren on Nov 09 2013

...there is just something about Stephen King’s writing that always manages to move past the basic elements of storytelling as he takes the time away from focusing on the characters and plot to set up a tactile aura that both feeds into our deeper understanding of what is happening and leads the reader into feeling a certain way.

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Reader Dad

Good
Reviewed by Matt Craig on Sep 26 2013

The Shining stands the test of time better than most. As relevant today as it was when it was first published over 35 years ago, it is also as deeply disturbing and outright frightening as it has always been...The Shining should be top of your list for haunted house stories, for great horror fiction, for great fiction.

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Suvudu

Good
Reviewed by Matt Staggs on Feb 11 2014

It’s a classic, and even after thirty four years, this terrifying story of madness, possession and paranormal powers still packs a wallop...One of the great things about The Shining is how King uses very frightening or stressful things to amplify the supernatural terror.

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Strange and Random Happenstance

Above average
Reviewed by Miss Eliza on Jan 24 2014

In the final analysis though, the one major flaw of the book was that it needed to be edited. Cull about half the book and you would have had a taut, terrifying, horrific book...Yet, despite all the flaws, this book holds up particularly well. It was a fun read to pick up on a hot summer night when snow actually sounded appealing.

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http://beckybentrim.wordpress.com

Excellent
Reviewed by Becky on Oct 18 2013

Stephen King is a masterful storyteller. He is able to take truth and fiction and weave it all together to make a terrifying story. “The Shining” is a wonderful book and a must-read for any fan of the thriller/horror genre.

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A Fantastical Librarian

Good
Reviewed by Mieneke on Sep 20 2013

...while it has some seriously creepy moments, I didn’t find The Shining that scary. I did find it to be very much a psychological mind game, where for a while I wondered how much of it was true and how much of it was just in the heads of Jack and Danny...If you’re interested in horror, then The Shining is a must-read.

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The Lone Writer

Above average
Reviewed by shannonyarbrough on Nov 12 2012

Now, I will give King credit where it is due. After all, this was only his third book at the time. King excels at writing good characterization. He still does today. Right from the start, you are in Jack’s head and that’s where you stay as his mind spirals out of control.

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Mithril Wisdom

Good
Reviewed by Jamie Gibbs on Nov 22 2013

The Shining is dripping in suspense and tension from beginning to end. From the moment that Danny has his first vision to the final confrontation, you’re gripping the pages with white knuckles...Any horror fan worth their salt should read this, and serves as a brilliant start into the genre.

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Reader Rating for The Shining
91%

An aggregated and normalized score based on 4487 user ratings from iDreamBooks & iTunes


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Michael Manley 19 Aug 2013

Rated the book as 5 out of 5

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BruceNolan 20 Oct 2013

Stephen King will always be the best of the best!!!

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Kristin Dorsett 10 Mar 2015

I remember liking it.....

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Stephen Taylor 23 Oct 2013

Rated the book as 4.5 out of 5

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Michael Deckard 10 Oct 2017

Rated the book as 3.5 out of 5

Lauren Hortum

Lauren Hortum 7 Apr 2015

Has read the book

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