The Shining

Easily the most frightening novel I’ve ever read. Easily.

I kid you not, I slept with my lights on for a week after I finished reading. While I was reading, I read it outside in a lawn chair, and only when the sun was out. When the sun went down, I put the book in a corner of my apartment and covered it with blankets.

None of that is hyperbole.

I don’t know if it’s the settings or the characters that will haunt me more, but both are driven by this insane—literally—atmosphere that swallows every word in the book. It’s like a cloud of wasps that…actually, never mind. I can’t go deeper into that image. I can’t.

Also, hedge animals.

Sadly, this book will never get five stars because I’m incapable of reading it twice. Jack Nicholson is incredible, but the movie is a Saturday morning cartoon in comparison.

Read this book. You’ll regret it, but it’s awesome.

Favorite Quote

Wendy? Darling? Light of my life. I'm not gonna hurt ya. I'm just going to bash your brains in.