The Shining - Stephen King

Scaring people has been a form of amusement for our species since time immemorial. (We’ve all jumped from around the corner, going boo at some friend of ours, sometime in our lives) And the thrill we get from being scared spawned a genre of entertainment called “horror”. But then, the supreme human being I am, so above everyone, I always enjoyed horror in a detached kind of a way. I have never really been scared of any horror movie or a book for that matter. And even the one that I call good horror is where the “what next” excitement causes an adrenalin rush. I am one of those, who don’t believe in ghosts, not even remotely so. So, invariably, even the ghost stories that I enjoyed never quite managed to germinate fear in me. And then came “The Shining”. And horror will never be quite the same again. I love the way Stephen King writes. His ability to get into the head of his characters and convey all their emotions with utmost clarity, somewhat like being in a dream that you know is a dream, is unparalleled. His characters don’t really know what they are thinking. But all those thoughts are communicated to us. Being aware of the characters subconscious thoughts gives a surreal reading experience. This is exhibited in all of his few books that I have read so far. And isolation is an important element he uses in his stories. Thematically, these two concepts are present in The Shining as well. But SK out-surpasses himself in The Shining. Not to dole out spoilers, but the book is about a family which goes to live up in a hotel on the mountains, as Jack Torrance gets a caretaker’s job there for the winter. And the his little boy, Danny, has what is called “The Shine”, a psychic ability to see the future, to read other people’s thoughts, to see what had happened in the past, even to see ghosts, etc; The proverbial “gift he didn’t ask for”. And the horror begins from there, and how! Writing from a little boy’s perspective can never be easy. And yet Stephen King manages that. His fears, his confusion about his “Shining” has a poignant effect as you feel nothing but sympathy for the child. His parents are the other central characters in the book, and their relationship with each other, and with Danny is again extremely well played out. SK also dwells into the past of both Jack Torrance, and Wendy Torrance (father and mother) which lends a lot more credibility to their actions and thoughts. And then the possession… boy oh boy. I always thought that SK did a brilliant job with Arnie Cunningham in Christine. But Shining outclasses it by miles. Shining has one of the best villains a horror novel will ever have. Everything about the villain, its purpose, its modus operandi, its tenacity, is a treat. And it’s really, really scary. Anything more, and I will give away too much. The climax is the crowning glory of “The Shining”. If you sit back and think about it, you might feel in retrospect, that the ending is probably a bit predictable. But SK gets you so involved in the events and happenings of the hotel that you totally forget about it. And when it dawns upon you… you feel a huge burst of relief and triumph at the thought that the good people might just have a chance. They might just survive. Read the book to know if they do. The weak hearted readers; you would be advised to please consult a physician before reading this one. It will give you a lot more than just goose bumps! - Himanshu
PS: In FRIENDS the very popular TV sitcom, Joey Tribiani keeps his copy of “The Shining” in the freezer of his refrigerator to keep the ghosts locked up.