Bianca Harkless
Staff Reporter
Whether you know me personally or have seen me around campus, you would know I love horror movies and everything scary. From numerous different shirts, to Jason Voorhees on my keys, to Pop Figures, I seem to have it all. My love for all things scary continues in the books I read.
Stephen King is notorious for writing unsettling books. Whether it is clowns eating children, pets coming back from the dead or a teen girl getting covered in blood at her prom, the novels always keep you on edge. With The Shining having themes of alcohol abuse, fear for both paranormal and reality, and recognition, also known as second sight or the shining, this book is no exception.
Within the first few chapters of the book, the readers learn that Jack Torrance, the main character, is a recovering alcoholic and his son, Danny, has the gift of second sight. He moves his family to the Overlook Hotel where things go from being slightly weird and uncomfortable to the wheel continuing to turn but the hamster is dead.
Fear in the book is demonstrated in a number of different situations. The parents are fearful for the safety of their child. Danny is scared of the things he is seeing in the hotel. Wendy, Jack’s wife and Danny’s mother, is scared of her husband due to speculations of him being an alcoholic again. These events are both caused by natural and supernatural events.
The idea of the second sight being called the shining is brought up by the chef of the hotel before he is leaving for the winter. He talks to Danny privately about what he is able to see or what he notices. When he learns the extent of the power he is quick to tell the boy to avoid one room in the hotel. During Danny’s stay in the hotel, he sees a hose turn into a snake, is able to read his father and mother's thoughts, and sees what his parents believe to be his imaginary friend, Tony.
The Shining is a great book to read if you want to be kept on edge. I absolutely loved every second I was reading it. The beginning may seem to take a long time to get through but it is truly needed so the reader understands the effects of everything happening later in the book. I highly recommend this book if you would like to be scared. The Shining by Stephen King is a book I would recommend to anyone who wants a book that will immerse them into a different world.
Image Credit: Glen Noble on Unsplash
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