Image retrieved from http://www.stephenking.com/library/novel/shining_the.html

Reader’s Annotation: A family of three living alone in a snowed mountain hotel for months, what could go wrong?

Plot Summary:
Jack Torrance has had some problems. He is a recovering alcoholic with anger issues and was recently fired from his teaching job. When he is offered the job as winter caretaker of the Overlook Hotel, he jumps at the opportunity. Being snowbound for a few months will give him the opportunity to work on the book he has been trying to write and spend time with his wife Penny and young son, Danny.

However, the hotel is not what it seems to be. Filled with spirits of past guests, the hotel begins to worm its evil into Jack. Danny is scared. He sees many of these spirits and they see him “shine”. As the evil begins to build, Danny and Penny begin to worry that spring may never come for them and their family will be another Overlook victim.

Critical Evaluation:
Master horror writer, Stephen King knows how to scare a reader. The Shining is a perfect example of this talent. His descriptions of the hotel and its grounds bring the scene to life in the reader’s mind. There are five main characters to develop in this book: Danny, Penny, Jack, the cook Dick Halloran, and The Overlook. King is one of the few writers that can make a building into a major character of a novel.

The story is told in the third person and plays out in the present with flashbacks to the past to assist in character development. The reader wants to like Jack. He tries to be a good father and husband. He takes the job to give them all a better life. However, it is difficult to like him. Even without the alcohol, Jack is mean. He has to consciously suppress a need to lash out at people. This is due to him feeling like a failure in life.

Jack’s wife Penny is submissive, but strong. She did not leave Jack when he broke Danny’s arm in a drunken rage, but is very watchful of him now. She sees that he is trying to be better . . . and he has not touched Danny since that episode. However, it is difficult to like this passive character. You know that she wants to protect her son, but she seems almost afraid to leave her husband – even though she is not currently in what we would call an abusive relationship.

Danny is the true protagonist of the book – although his part is just  as large as the rest of the characters’ parts. He has an extrasensory perception that is recognized by Dick on the first day. There are a few things about Danny – some symbolism that I think I should understand, but I do not. For example, why does his imaginary friend Tony live in his mouth? . . . . It is definitely a book I will have to read again to grasp all the pieces that King has written.

It is strange to think of a hotel as being the antagonist of a story, but in The Shining it is the hotel. The hotel is out to destroy. King has given a building breath, thoughts, and a heartbeat. Even when he describes the characters lounging around in the yard or in their apartment, the feeling of unease never leaves. The hotel is out to get them. As a reader you know this immediately and urge the characters to leave before it is too late.

If you have not read the book, but have seen Kubrick’s film – I urge you to still read the book. Kubrick did a phenomenal job with his camera work and interpretation, but there is so much more to the story that you have missed. The endings between the film and the book are completely different . . .

Compared to many of King’s novel, The Shining is a fairly short book (under 700 pages compared to the tomes he typically writes) where the action begins almost immediately. Those readers who like a good horror/thriller, but do not typically enjoy King’s seriously long introductions will be pleasantly surprised. Give The Shining a chance and you will not be disappointed.

Bibliographic Information:
King, S. (1977). The shining. New York, NY: Doubleday.

Image retrieved from http://www.stephenking.com/the_author.html

Author Information:
“Stephen King is the author of more than fifty books, all of them worldwide bestsellers. Among his most recent are the Dark Tower novels, Cell, From a Buick 8, Everything’s Eventual, Hearts in Atlantis, The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon, and Bag of Bones. His acclaimed nonfiction book, On Writing, was also a bestseller. 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.” Author information retrieved from http://www.amazon.com/Stephen-King/e/B000AQ0842/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1355111356&sr=1-2-ent.

Genre:
Horror – Adult Crossover

Booktalk ideas:
Talk about “the shining” and how you would work with having it.
Introduce the book as Danny and talk about the hotel ghosts.
Introduce the books as Jack and talk about the troubles you are going through and why you are moving your family out to the Overlook.

Curriculum ties:
N/A

Reading/Interest Level:
15 & up/14 & up

Why did I choose this book:
I chose this book because King is a god in this genre. Teens typically watch the movies made from the books and this is one of the better (and quicker reads) that he has to offer.

Selection Tool:
Amazon.com

Challenge Issues:
Strong language.
Sexual situations.
Ghosts.
Demons.
Psychic abilities.
Child abuse.
Drinking.

In case of challenges, my library would have a selection policy in place that would include how books are selected and a section on “Reconsideration Policies and Procedures” that would outline the steps for reconsideration. A challenge file for each book would also be available. Included in the file are the following items:

1. The ALA’s Bill of Rights,
2. Intellectual Freedom Policy,
3. Those parts of the selection and reconsideration policies that pertain to challenges and reconsiderations,
4. Positive and negative book reviews from notable journals (School Library Journal, Publisher’s Weekly, etc.),
5. Request for Reconsideration form.