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Literary Escapism Book Club

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The Shining

Jack Torrance's new job at the Overlook Hotel is the perfect chance for a fresh start. As the off-season caretaker at the atmospheric old hotel, he'll have plenty of time to spend reconnecting with his family and working on his writing. But as the harsh winter weather sets in, the idyllic location feels ever more remote...and more sinister. And the only one to notice the strange and terrible forces gathering around the Overlook is Danny Torrance, a uniquely gifted five-year-old.

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Published Aug 27, 2013

528 pages

Average rating: 8.28

518 RATINGS

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Community Reviews

Nikky
Jun 26, 2022
9/10 stars
Very unpopular opinion.....LOVED the book, not a fan of the movie
abookwanderer
Oct 09, 2025
8/10 stars
It seems like I've wanted to read The Shining forever, and I finally finished it the day before Halloween. So some backstory first... I've never seen the film, but of course I know of all the iconic scenes. I wanted to read the book first, because, well, that's what good bibliophiles do. I started reading anxiously waiting for all the iconic moments only to realize when I was almost done with the book that those iconic moments are only in the film. Wait, what?? So while this was still thrilling, well-written, iconic Stephen King material, I was not nearly as creeped out as I expected to be. I even read most of it in the dark on my kindle. But don't take my word for it. I don't scare very easily when it comes to books. I'm just happy to cross this one off my list and now I can go watch the film!

#popsugarreadingchallenge2019 (prompt #14)
CheriF
Sep 25, 2025
6/10 stars
I thought I read this book in my teens but the farther I got into it, the more certain I became that I hadn't. I would have remembered how well done Jack's descent into madness was. For me, that was the best part of the book. I did enjoy Danny's parts of the book, and Wendy's to a lesser extent, but the star of the show was Jack's changes and his growing connection to the hotel.

I think my biggest shock was just how different Kubrick's film is to the novel. I need to watch the movie again since I don't remember a lot of the details. That and the insane number of times the N-word was used. I wasn't expecting it and it really put me off.

I listened to the audio book and initially Campbell Scott's calm tone made me wonder if I wouldn't fall asleep while reading. Luckily, he got down to business when the dialogue and more intense narration called for it. He did a really good job.

I don't know if it was just the audio book and there were clearer demarcations in the physical book, but I was throw off regularly which POV switches. There were a few times when I had to rewind to see if I either missed something or to figure out who was sharing info.

I'm glad I read this one. It won't end up on my all-time favorite Stephen King list but I enjoyed the story. 3.5 stars for me.
iwra___
Sep 19, 2025
5/5 Absolute masterpiece of horror. One of our best reads.
Rhirhih
Jul 26, 2025
9/10 stars
Gave me nightmares about moving animal-shaped hedges

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