The Shining - pre-read

[Kaseadillla]

Hello all - starting up discussions for the April 2017 BOTMs. This discussion is for the group's poll selection for the MODERN CLASSICS/POPULAR reads category: The Shining by Stephen King.

This discussion will be SPOILER-FREE. If you have read the book and want to discuss, please refer to the spoiler-filled discussion HERE .

Happy reading!
Kasey

[aPriL does feral sometimes]

This is my favorite King book.

[Jessica]

aPriL does feral sometimes wrote: "This is my favorite King book."

Whoa! Big claim. Now I'm really chomping at the bit to read this book.

[Sarah]

I have never read any Stephen King, but this has been on my TBR for awhile.
Hoping to fit this in this month!

[Sarah]

Sarah, do it!! I haven't come close to reading all of his stuff, but everything I have read I have loved! One of my fav reads of all time is The Green Mile.

[Courtney]

I am so excited to read this!

[Kaseadillla]

Just saw the movie for the first time. I thought it was pretty different from the book. So if you have only seen the movie... highly suggest you read this. both are creepy in their own way.

[Emma]

Getting ready to start this one. I haven't read any of King's books (even though I have almost all of them), but I've heard great things!

[Tori]

Just started reading this today! I've read The Green Mile before and thought it was really good. I've also read Pet Sematary and thought it was a little boring. So, I don't know how I feel about Stephen King, but so far I am enjoying this one.

[Sarah]

I've noticed Stephen King books are real involved to include little every day life things with his characters, which can make the books drag sometimes. If you find his books hard to get into, try his short stories! My fav is The Mist!

[Kelly]

I agree with Sarah. Some of King's short stories are really good. An old favorite of mine is The Jaunt, one of his earlier works if I remember correctly.

[Sarah]

I don't think I've read that one, Kelly. I'll check it out!

[Jennifer]

Honest and vulnerable question: I love all of the excerpts from Stephen King that I read. ( I show them to my students when we talk about writing creatively.) I'm also a scaredy cat/pansy when it comes to horror. Do you think I could stomach this one? I've had it on my shelf for so long, knowing that it's among his most popular, but afraid to begin it. Is this one the worst of the worst? Or could someone like me enjoy it?

[aPriL does feral sometimes]

Jennifer wrote: "Honest and vulnerable question: I love all of the excerpts from Stephen King that I read. ( I show them to my students when we talk about writing creatively.) I'm also a scaredy cat/pansy when it c..."

Ummmmmmmm. No.

[Jennifer]

aPriL does feral sometimes wrote: "Jennifer wrote: "Honest and vulnerable question: I love all of the excerpts from Stephen King that I read. ( I show them to my students when we talk about writing creatively.) I'm also a scaredy ca..."

To which question?

[Kaseadillla]

save some room in your freezer.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-qqaC...

[Leesa]

Love it Kasey!

[aPriL does feral sometimes]

Kaseadillla wrote: "save some room in your freezer.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-qqaC..."

: D

[aPriL does feral sometimes]

Jennifer wrote: "aPriL does feral sometimes wrote: "Jennifer wrote: "Honest and vulnerable question: I love all of the excerpts from Stephen King that I read. ( I show them to my students when we talk about writing..."

If you are sensitive to gore, violence, bloody fights, torture, deaths of innocents, children being tortured or terrified, you will not like Stephen King's novels. Even the most tame books with minimal scenes of horror will cause sensitive people to vomit. King is graphic. His books always have a graphic scene, although he has written books with only one such scene.

I had a sensitive friend, and she could not stand even adult literary novels with any cruelty.

[Kaseadillla]

I can't really do scary/jumpy movies. I didn't find this book jumpy BUT it was definitely creepy. Got my heart pumping too for sure.

[Jennifer]

Thanks for the feedback, everyone! Gore doesn't really bother me so I should be mostly ok based on what you've told me. Perhaps I'll give it a shot!

[Sarah]

Jennifer, it depends on what type of horror scares you. I see gory is fine, but in the 300 pages of this book it gets more supernatural. It's hard to say for someone else, we all have different levels of imagination and ideas of scary. Just wanted to let you know that now that I'm in the 300's, there's supernatural stuff that includes danger. Let us know if you decide to read it and how it affects you if you do! I'm curious to see the different imprints this book leaves on people, plus we will be able to better warn you in the future!

[Lena]

Guess I'm a bit late for this one, but I hope I can fit this book in my schedule! I've read Under the Dome by King and it made me look forward to more of his books!

[Roaa]

Lena wrote: "Guess I'm a bit late for this one, but I hope I can fit this book in my schedule! I've read Under the Dome by King and it made me look forward to more of his books!"
i'm late too, i got into this group this week and i was like ok let me at least read one book this month
i don't know if i can finish it in a week, i will try though.

[Adomeh]

Write a comment...I have watch the movie Under The Dome but not the book

[Lena]

Roaa wrote: "Lena wrote: "Guess I'm a bit late for this one, but I hope I can fit this book in my schedule! I've read Under the Dome by King and it made me look forward to more of his books!"
i'm..."

I hope I'll make it. I started yesterday and made it through almost 25% of the book in one sitting ;-)

[Kandice]

I don't think it's fair to say all of King's books are gory. A lot have absolutely nothing scary or even resembling gore, but, of course, many do! If you are looking for un-gore/scary, I'd suggest Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption: A Story from Different Seasons, The Eyes of the Dragon, The Colorado Kid, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft, or any number of his short stories.

The Shining, by contrast, has some very nasty parts and as someone pointed out, the sheer evil/supernatural portions are scarier to me than any gore could be. The fact that a place can use a man's love for his family against him is pretty scary.

[Rahul]

The Shining as a movie, one of Jack Nicholson's best performance and still gives me creeps(Saw it at 4:00 AM).I should try the book.King is a master of horror stories.