The Shining by Stephen King

A teacher had recommended this as one of the best Stephen King novels, and as I was in the mood for some modern classic horror, I decided it was high time to get acquainted with Mr. King. 

This book immediately had me hooked.  The writing was complex yet quick-paced, never once beocming dull or boring. 

The official descrip:

First published in 1977, The Shining quickly became a benchmark in the literary career of Stephen King. This tale of a troubled man hired to care for a remote mountain resort over the winter, his loyal wife, and their uniquely gifted son slowly but steadily unfolds as secrets from the Overlook Hotel's past are revealed, and the hotel itself attempts to laim the very souls of the Torrence family. Adapted into a cinematic masterpiece of horror by legendary Stanley Kubrick -- featuring an unforgettable performance by a demonic Jack Nicholson --The Shining stands as a cultural icon of modern horror, a searing study of a family torn apart, and a nightmarish glimpse into the dark recesses of human weakness and dementia.

The writing was highly unique, using multiple points of view and often interjecting misplaced, "crazy" thoughts throughout, using italics and lack of punction to denote these.  The plot was very fast-paced and I often found myself unable to put the book down, and when I finally would I would have to rub my eyes because they'd be all dried out from being saucer-like for the past 2 hours.  Seriously, I looked like this the whole time I was reading...

Riveting stuff!

The slow descent to madness that John experiences is easy to see coming, but it's not the shock of his lunacy so much as the journey towards it that makes the novel exciting.  The reader gets to watch him and his family unravel, baited by the hotel itself, which becomes more and more of its own independent character as the tale progresses.  The highly perceptive Danny, John's son, ended up being my most endeared character though;he's both highly intelligent but highly naive.  At 5, he doesn't understand sex or alcoholism or "losing your marbles", but he DOES pick up on more of the evil they're living with than either of his parents and seems to understand what is happening to them at the Overlook better than both of them combined.  His commentary is insightful but amusing too, as his young mind is prone to the whimsical or fantastic creations of his imagination. 

The only problem I had with this novel is that it could be pretty gruesome and graphic at times.  I'm not a huge fan of blood and gore, so when brain matter starts to hit the wall, I start to check out. The last two hundred pages was a lot of mallet-squashed melons and broken bones so that was hard for me to read, but if that kind of suff doesn't bother you, then this book is probably out and out perfect!

Final verdict Fantastic horror.  It's easy to see why it's already a modern classic!  I'd recommend this book to nearly anyone; it's long but reads quickly and the prose isn't overbearing.  Definitely read this if yo haven't already!