The Shining was originally published in January of 1977.Warning, this review does contain spoilers.
Jack Torrance is a writer struggling to overcome alcoholism and anger issues. After assaulting a student at the school where he taught, Jack loses his teaching position. In an attempt to regain control of his life, he stops drinking and accepts a caretaker position at the Overlook Hotel.
Jack's son, Danny, has a clairvoyant ability he calls "the shine". When the family moves into the hotel, he immediately realizes that the hotel is an entity that seeks to harm his family. The hotel learns of Danny's abilities and sets out to take possession of him. Unable to control Danny, the hotel turns to his father.
Jack slowly succumbs to the hotel's will. He finds the previously empty hotel bar, filled with liquor and gets drunk, allowing the hotel to gain further control over him. Jack goes on a terror and attempts to kill Danny's mother and then Danny.
Danny contacts Dick Hallorann, the hotel's chef, and he comes to aid them. Jack goes after Hallorann, breaking the man's jaw. He then goes after Danny who escapes by telling Jack that the hotel boiler is about to explode. Danny, his mother and Hallorann escape as the hotel explodes.
This book is great for it's in depth character building. The cast is somewhat smaller than most of King's novels, so he goes into even more detail about each one. The struggles Jack faces are what make the book for me. First he has to continually fight the alcohol and rage, then the struggle with the evil of the hotel.
The Shining was a great novel, however, Kubrick butchered King's work with his movie. A lot of people seem to rate the movie among the best horror movies ever. Clearly, these people are not fans of Stephen King. Kubrick took the main character and dumbed him down to fit the part for Jack Nicholson and then threw in some gratuitous horror to make people scared.
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