If you read my blog: Old Habit- New Challenge  than you will already know that one of my reading goals was to tackle popular books that I have never read before.

The Shining by Stephen King was at the top of my list!

Before I go any further- Here is the official synopsis for those that are not familiar with this novel (or film):

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.

My Take:

I haven’t read much written work by Stephen King- the only other novel of his I have actually read is ‘Under The Dome’ (and that is because I was obsessed with the television series) –  The majority of my Stephen King knowledge comes from the film versions that depict his works. The movie ‘IT’ (the original version- you can not pay me to see the new one) absolutely terrified me to the point that I am still afraid of clowns to this day.

Lets face it… the man knows how to scare!

This novel was incredibly slow to start- I was getting annoyed at the characters and their backstory… but I think that is more my impatience at wanting to ‘get to the scary stuff’ then the actual quality of the writing.

It took me a few days to get into this novel- I would read a chapter here and there but it was ‘ho-hum’ and I found it dragged a bit- I finally forced myself to sit down, concentrate and get as far as I could.

I was more than halfway through the book when I remarked to my husband:

“Hmmmm- Maybe the movie is better? It’s rare that I say that- but I dunno- this book doesn’t really scare me….”

Little did I know that I was going to eat those words.

Those who are familiar with the novel know that it may start off slow, but the scene is being set… the reality is that its a masterful slow build which with every chapter gains steam towards the end.

This is how I learned my lesson…

I will set the scene for you.

I was relaxing in our living room, gently reclining, mildly rocking back and forth in my rocking chair. My youngest daughter is also an avid reader so she had brought one of her novels into the room and had her feet up on the couch nearby.

It was dark outside.

The time? I couldn’t tell you but it was sometime after dinner. Our house was quiet.

The Shining was really pulling me in, ‘things’ were happening…

At the moment I finished Chapter 46- I started to lean forward with the intent to set my novel down- I do this sometimes when I read, as I want to take time to process what I have just read for a bit and take a break before continuing on with the next chapter.

As I went through the motions of closing the book, the front door (located near me) suddenly opened with a rattle and a stomp.

To say the noise startled me in an understatement.

I screamed, simultaneously jumping out of my chair and throwing the book down.

This in turn caused my seven year old to also scream, jump and drop her book.

“What the heck is going on in here??? It’s just us!”

With my heart pounding, I turned to see my husband and dog looking up at us from the entryway. They had just returned from their nightly walk!

My daughter started to giggle and responded:

“Mommy scared me!”

Yeah… Well kid- Stephen King AND my loving husband (not to mention Otis) just joined forces to scare a few years off my life.

My heart was pounding a mile a minute.

“Ummmm- You know how I said the book wasn’t that scary? Yeah- Apparently I was wrong!”

All that said- Learn from me! Don’t let some written work fool you into thinking it is mediocre at the start. You may not realize how deeply you have been pulled into a novel, until it is too late…

I look forward to reading the follow up novel: Doctor Sleep 

(Which has now been bumped quite high up my massively long TBR list!)

…and I am certainly looking forward to finally getting around to watching The Shining (which I am going to make my husband watch with me… revenge you know….)

Happy Reading!

My 2018 Completed Novel list to date:

  1. The Shining by Stephen King
  2. Roomies by Christina Lauren

(As always- if you have read this novel and want to leave a comment/your thoughts on the book- Please do so- but please keep it spoiler free! I will be moderating them to avoid any spoilers for those who haven’t read it yet!) 

Feel free to hit the ‘Book Recommendation Tab’ on the sidebar to find more Spoiler Free- Book Recommendations and keep checking back on Wednesdays when I try to update them for you!