The Shining (Magill’s Guide to Science Fiction and Fantasy Literature)
At a glance:
- Author: Stephen King
- First Published: 1977
- Type of Work: Novel
- Type of Plot: Fantasy—extrasensory powers
- Time of Work: The present
- Setting: Colorado
- Genres: Long fiction, Fantasy, Horror literature
- Subjects: 1970’s, North America or North Americans, United States or Americans, Twentieth century, Supernatural, Extrasensory perception or powers, Ghosts or apparitions, West, U.S., Alcoholism or alcoholics, Domestic violence, Mental illness, Substance abuse, Hotels, motels, or inns, Colorado, Southwest
- Locales: Sidewinder, Colorado
The Plot
The Shining was Stephen King’s third pub-lished novel, written as his rise to fame as a horror writer was beginning. The story centers on Jack Torrance, a struggling writer and recovering alcoholic with a history of violence. Jack obtains a job as winter caretaker of the magnificent Overlook Hotel in the Colorado mountains, hoping that the solitude will help him finish the play he is writing. The manager tells Jack about a former caretaker who went insane, murdered his family, and committed suicide. Later, in Boulder, Jack’s five-year-old son Danny has...
[The entire page is 1294 words long]
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