January 2012 Guest Editor Simon Lelic selects The Shining...

I must have read every Stephen King novel published before, I’d say, 1996 – at which point, I stopped, mistakenly deciding that I was too old; that his stories weren’t ‘proper’ books; and that, if I really wanted to be a writer, I needed to broaden my literary horizons. I recently picked up The Shining again, with a view to ‘having a flick through’. No chance of that – if you start it, you’ll finish it (unless, of course, the terror is too much). And how mistaken I was about King. His characters are flesh and blood; his tone and technique masterful. The best part is, I now have a decade and a half of his books to catch up on.

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Comparison: Dan Simmons, Clive Barker, Peter Straub
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Synopsis

Danny is only five years old, but in the words of old Mr Hallorann he is a 'shiner', aglow with psychic voltage. When his father becomes caretaker of the Overlook Hotel, Danny's visions grow out of control.As winter closes in and blizzards cut them off, the hotel seems to develop a life of its own. It is meant to be empty. So who is the lady in Room 217 and who are the masked guests going up and down in the elevator? And why do the hedges shaped like animals seem so alive? Somewhere, somehow, there is an evil force in the hotel - and that, too, is beginning to shine ...

Reviews

'Obviously a masterpiece, probably the best supernatural novel in a hundred years'
Peter Straub

'As a storyteller, he is up there in the Dickens class'
The Times

About the Author

Stephen King was born in Portland, Maine in 1947, the second son of Donald and Nellie Ruth Pillsbury King. He made his first professional short story sale in 1967 to Startling Mystery Stories. In the fall of 1973, he began teaching high school English classes at Hampden Academy, the public high school in Hampden, Maine. Writing in the evenings and on the weekends, he continued to produce short stories and to work on novels. In the spring of 1973, Doubleday & Co., accepted the novel Carrie for publication, providing him the means to leave teaching and write full-time. He has since published over 40 books and has become one of the world's most successful writers.   Stephen lives in Maine and Florida with his wife, novelist Tabitha King. They are regular contributors to a number of charities including many libraries and have been honored locally for their philanthropic activities.   Stephen King photo © Shane Leonard More books by this author Author 'Like for Like' recommendation