The Shining (Stephen King)

Jack Torrance's life is in shambles. An alcoholic struggling with sobriety, fired from his job, he clings to his last chance: the winter (off-season) caretaker job at The Overlook, a ritzy hotel high in the Colorado mountains. He moves Wendy and son Danny west for the winter, confident that the months-long isolation will be just what he and the family need. And a change is coming . . . just not one that any of them want. For Danny has a gift—some call it a 'shine'—that gives him premonitions of sorts. He can see glimpses of the Overlook's dark past . . . and its desires for a darker future. Will any of them escape?

I spent part of last week in Maine, near Stephen King's home. As this title was on my American Reading List, and I like engaging with local authors, I decided to pick this up on the trip. What a thriller! And, as many King novels do (I'm told), this one's horror is not just about what is "out there," but what is "in here"—in the darkness of our human hearts. It is terrifying for both reasons: there is something supernatural going on, but the darkness within is the ultimate fear.

Note: this sort of writing is not for everyone (or anyone all of the time). I appreciate things like this in small doses, but only inasmuch as highlighting the darkness within makes us yearn for the light.

Rating: A