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my_hearts_in_atlantis's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
c_marie_writes's review against another edition
5.0
I have to admit, I don't think this is one I ever read before! Even though I've "read" most of his novels in my younger days, I'm revisiting some in the audiobook format. This one I couldn't recall ever reading, and I'm so glad I did. I do love the original movie, but knowing that Mr. King wasn't a fan, I could see why, AFTER reading the book. There is so much inside of the Torrence family that is left out of the original film. The struggles with Jack's alcohol addiction are just barely touched on in the movie, yet are a recurring strong line in the book. It really adds a lot of depth to what is going on, when it's brought in that way.
As for the audio portion, I was quite pleased with the narrator. As a lot of audiobook lovers will tell you, the narrator can make or break it quite quickly, and Campbell Scott did a great job on this one.
As for the audio portion, I was quite pleased with the narrator. As a lot of audiobook lovers will tell you, the narrator can make or break it quite quickly, and Campbell Scott did a great job on this one.
urdragonmom's review against another edition
4.0
me gustó muchooo
yo no estaba leyendo, yo estaba viendo una película
yo no estaba leyendo, yo estaba viendo una película
kate_kd's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
errski's review against another edition
5.0
A little slow in the middle but the ending was just so good.
hurrikanekathrina's review against another edition
4.0
Actual rating: 4.2 stars
This is not a movie review, but can I just mention that I really expected this scene to be in the book and IT'S ACTUALLY NOT? I mean, this is one of the most iconic "Shining moments" of all, and one of the most famous movie scenes of ALL TIME. AND IT'S NOT EVEN IN THE ORIGINAL SHINING BOOK
Okay, moving on to the book review.
This classic has been sitting on my shelf since forever and I finally forced myself to pick it up. I'll be honest, I thought a lot of people only pretended to actually be terrified of Stephen King's books (mainly because it's been a long time since I've actually been scared by a book) but man, this was actually scary as hell.
I always had my vague ideas of what "Shining" is about. I knew that it was about a family, living in an isolated hotel. I knew that the husband goes crazy and tries to murder his wife and son. What I didn't know about was the huge paranormal element of the story (in fact I thought it was purely psychological horror) and it made the whole book so much more enjoyable.
The first 100 pages I struggled. The writing annoyed me (so messy and all over the place), the pace was slooooooooooooooooow, and there wasn't any element in the stroy that interested me.
And then suddenly, the story pulled me in. At first, it was the family drama aspect that got me interested. I didn't expect to find myself drawn to this element in the story as much as I did, just as I didn't expect to be as depressed by the sad turn for Jack Torrence as I ultimately was.
Shining is a terrifying read and after the initial phase, I loved the writing, the slow evolution of madness and psychological terror, and the escalative, thrilling (if pretty graphic) ending. It was my first Stephen King book, and I'm def. going to read more by him soon!
This is not a movie review, but can I just mention that I really expected this scene to be in the book and IT'S ACTUALLY NOT? I mean, this is one of the most iconic "Shining moments" of all, and one of the most famous movie scenes of ALL TIME. AND IT'S NOT EVEN IN THE ORIGINAL SHINING BOOK
Okay, moving on to the book review.
This classic has been sitting on my shelf since forever and I finally forced myself to pick it up. I'll be honest, I thought a lot of people only pretended to actually be terrified of Stephen King's books (mainly because it's been a long time since I've actually been scared by a book) but man, this was actually scary as hell.
I always had my vague ideas of what "Shining" is about. I knew that it was about a family, living in an isolated hotel. I knew that the husband goes crazy and tries to murder his wife and son. What I didn't know about was the huge paranormal element of the story (in fact I thought it was purely psychological horror) and it made the whole book so much more enjoyable.
The first 100 pages I struggled. The writing annoyed me (so messy and all over the place), the pace was slooooooooooooooooow, and there wasn't any element in the stroy that interested me.
And then suddenly, the story pulled me in. At first, it was the family drama aspect that got me interested. I didn't expect to find myself drawn to this element in the story as much as I did, just as I didn't expect to be as depressed by the sad turn for Jack Torrence as I ultimately was.
Shining is a terrifying read and after the initial phase, I loved the writing, the slow evolution of madness and psychological terror, and the escalative, thrilling (if pretty graphic) ending. It was my first Stephen King book, and I'm def. going to read more by him soon!
asiachudzik's review against another edition
dark
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
didn’t love it as much as i loved misery, but still really good. love a bit of stephen king.
lemundy_luv's review
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
jenmangler's review against another edition
4.0
I first read this book in high school. It was the first book I ever read that truly, deeply scared me. I had trouble sleeping for about a month after I finished the book. I wondered if, re-reading it some twenty-odd years later, it would have the same effect on me. It did. There were moments reading this book when I held my breath without realizing it, only to have someone sitting near me ask, "Are you OK?" My family had to frequently ask me that question as I apparently gasped and moaned as I read it. Usually my reactions to books are bigger and involve me talking back to the book. This book is different. All my reactions were small and quiet, as if I want to make sure the Overlook didn't notice me. The fear this book stirs up in me is different from other fears I feel when reading or watching something scary. There was an inevitable sense of dread that grew inside me as I continued to read. It caused me to hunch deep into my chair and cover myself with a blanket up to my chin. I can't remember having such a physical reaction to any other book I've read. This is masterful storytelling.