I’m very late to the party. The Shining was first published in 1977. Why am I reading this now? Its on a list of good horror fiction books to read for self-education in writing.
Mr King invented Jack Torrance to solicit empathy from readers. One of the lessons in writing says to create characters that your reader can identify with. This will maintain interest to continue reading to discover what happens next.
Jack was a heavy drinker until an inciting incident which made him wake up. He broke his son’s arm in a rage. In another independent incident, his rage incited him to assault his student and this cost him his teaching job.
Every underdog has a cloud with a silver lining and for Jack, it is his best friend, Al, who has contacts to arrange a job for him. Jack and his family of two others could live in Overlook Hotel up in the mountain, to be its caretaker, for winter.
Jack Torrance’s five year old son, Danny, isn’t the only one who sees invisible friends and talks without using vocal speech. Hallorann, the cook in charge of the Overlook Hotel’s kitchen, recognizes him as having the talent which he called the shining. Hallorann tells Danny that it runs in his family as his grandma used to talk to him without non-verbally.
There are people who have developed their skills to understand body language, intuition and non-verbal speech. It is possible to understand some basic communication by reading signals, and non-verbal intention.
This is the introduction and I’ll leave the story for you to read without any more spoilers.
Blogs inviting book related post links:
https://www.myslicesoflife.com 1st Thursday of the month (June 5 2025)
What’s On Your Bookshelf? (3rd Friday of the month, June 20 2025) by Joann Tracey
Bookish Bliss, Musings & More hosted by Paula. From May 1 to June 12 2025.
