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The Shining Book Summary and Study Guide

Detailed plot synopsis reviews of The Shining


After his father takes a job as caretaker of a secluded hotel/resort for one winter season, the main character must fight for his life when the grim history of the hotel is revived due to his "shine." The battle is further complicated when the presence "attacks" his parents, driving his fahter to madness and his mother to a near-death state.
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The review of this Book prepared by K. Barta




A father is a recovered alcoholic, and he loses his job due to his alcohol problem. So now he's offered a job managing a resort/hotel in the winter in Denver Co.
His son Danny, who has the ability to almost foretell what happens, is scared for some reason. He has an imaginary friend, Tony, who is telling him very clearly that something is wrong here at this hotel. His parents don't really believe him, and think he is being silly, until things REALLY do begin to happen. There was trouble from day one with the bees, and it goes on from there.

Room 217 at the hotel is a horror story in itself. It has a great big lock on there, and people are forbidden to enter. Danny is curious, though, and he manages to get a key and enter the room. More trouble starts.

The review of this Book prepared by Boppy




This is the story of a man suffering from failure in teaching and writing who is also facing a degenerating marriage. He accepts a job as a winter caretaker at a mountain resort with hopes that his friend will be able to get him his teaching job back and with hopes that he will be able to re-gain his creativity in writing. His son has psychic powers and his wife is loving and overprotective of their son. The hotel itself is alive and inherently evil due to the past occurances that happened in it. Throughout the novel, the family must face the challenges presented to it by the hotel and by themselves.
The review of this Book prepared by Andy




Jack, Wendy, and Danny: a simple family, with simple family problems. Problems that manifest when conditions are just right...and there's no escape...
The review of this Book prepared by William Henning



Chapter Analysis of The Shining

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Plot & Themes

Composition of Book descript. of violence and chases 20%Planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives 10%Feelings, relationships, character bio/development 40%How society works & physical descript. (people, objects, places) 30% Tone of story    -   suspenseful (sophisticated fear) Time/era of story:    -   1980's-1999 Kid or adult book?    -   Adult or Young Adult Book Horror Story?    -   Yes Horror plotlets    -   Why do they stay in the haunted house/boat?

Main Character

Gender    -   Male Profession/status:    -   writer Age:    -   20's-30's

Setting

United States    -   Yes The US:    -   West Mountains/Cliffs    -   Yes Mountains:    -   climbing on trails Misc setting    -   resort/hotel

Writing Style

Accounts of torture and death?    -   moderately detailed references to deaths Explicit sex in book?    -   Yes What kind of sex:    -   vague references Unusual form of death?    -   Yes Amount of dialog    -   roughly even amounts of descript and dialog

Books with storylines, themes & endings like The Shining

Stephen King Books Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s).
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