Review of The Shining- Stephen King

The Shining- Stephen King

From the Publisher-

First published in 1977, The Shining quickly became a benchmark in the literary career of Stephen King. This tale of a troubled man hired to care for a remote mountain resort over the winter, his loyal wife, and their uniquely gifted son slowly but steadily unfolds as secrets from the Overlook Hotel's past are revealed, and the hotel itself attempts to claim the very souls of the Torrance family. Adapted into a cinematic masterpiece of horror by legendary director Stanley Kubrick -- featuring an unforgettable performance by a demonic Jack Nicholson -- The Shining stands as a cultural icon of modern horror, a searing study of a family torn apart, and a nightmarish glimpse into the dark recesses of human weakness and dementia.

The Shining was October's pick for both the book club I belong to, and my 1001 Book Challenge. I was so impressed with how scared I actually was while reading it. Stephen King is a phenomenal storyteller. He really takes you for a ride.

The characters were dynamic. I loved that they all have had intricate lives, and it showed in there personalities. The fact that Jack had such a hard demeanor, and had a temper that was beastly was a direct consequence from growing up with a dad that would terrorize him and his family. Stephen King gave the readers a background to his characters, I actually felt like I knew them.

I thought The Shining was a scary book, particular the parts about Rm. 217. I've read scary books before, but there is something about the words he uses in his description, plus the descriptions themselves, that leave you with a horrific image. The ballroom parts were also good, but in a different way. I loved reading about the Overlook's history, it was very interesting. I could have read a whole other book about the history of the Overlook alone.

The book and the movie are different, and I can honestly say that the movie is missing so much. I always thought the movie was great, and I still do, but I can see it could have been so much better. At the same time though the movie would have had to be 2 hrs longer.

The Shining is a great book, especially for Halloween. Even though I had seen the movie, I'm really glad I read the book.

Rating: 4.5/5

Product Details

Pocket, October 2002
Trade Paperback, 528 pages
ISBN-10: 0743437497
ISBN-13: 9780743437493

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas- Hunter Thompson

September 1001 book challenge pick

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas- Hunter Thompson

From Goodreads-

Heralded as the "best book on the dope decade" by the New York Times Book Review, Hunter S. Thompson's documented drug orgy through Las Vegas would no doubt leave Nancy Reagan blushing and D.A.R.E. founders rethinking their motto. Under the pseudonym of Raoul Duke, Thompson travels with his Samoan attorney, Dr. Gonzo, in a souped-up convertible dubbed the "Great Red Shark." In its trunk, they stow "two bags of grass, seventy-five pellets of mescaline, five sheets of high-powered blotter acid, a salt shaker half-full of cocaine and a whole galaxy of multicolored uppers, downers, screamers, laughers.... A quart of tequila, a quart of rum, a case of Budweiser, a pint of raw ether and two dozen amyls," which they manage to consume during their short tour.
On assignment from a sports magazine to cover "the fabulous Mint 400"--a free-for-all biker's race in the heart of the Nevada desert--the drug-a-delic duo stumbles through Vegas in hallucinatory hopes of finding the American dream (two truck-stop waitresses tell them it's nearby, but can't remember if it's on the right or the left). They of course never get the story, but they do commit the only sins in Vegas: "burning the locals, abusing the tourists, terrifying the help." For Thompson to remember and pen his experiences with such clarity and wit is nothing short of a miracle; an impressive feat no matter how one feels about the subject matter. A first-rate sensibility twinger, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas is a pop-culture classic, an icon of an era past, and a nugget of pure comedic genius. --Rebekah Warren

When I had chosen this book for my September 1001 Books Challenge pick I knew it was widely popular, and had a cult following. It was a wild, and crazy ride.

From the first paragraph, I was already laughing.

"We were somewhere around Barstow on the edge of the desert when the drugs began to take hold. I remember saying something like "I feel a bit lightheaded; maybe you should drive..." And suddenly there was a terrible roar all around us and the sky was full of what looked like huge bats, all swooping and screeching and diving around the car, which was going about a hundred miles an hour with the top down to Las Vegas. And a voice was screaming: "Holy Jesus! What are those goddamn animals?"

I was surprised at how hilarious this book was. It follows a journalist, and his lawyer on a drug induced trip to Las Vegas to cover a story. What ensues is nothing short of bizarre. I was completely appalled, and thoroughly entertained. Throughout there are illustrations so you can actually picture what these guys were seeing, while completely drugged out.

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas is a very quick read, and a window into the world of drugs, and utter craziness. I really liked this book!

Rating: 4/5

Review of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time- Mark Haddon

(August's 1001 Book Challenge Pick)

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time- Mark Haddon

From Goodreads- The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, is a murder mystery of sorts--one told by an autistic version of Adrian Mole. Fifteen-year-old Christopher John Francis Boone is mathematically gifted and socially hopeless, raised in a working-class home by parents who can barely cope with their child's quirks. He takes everything that he sees (or is told) at face value, and is unable to sort out the strange behavior of his elders and peers.
Late one night, Christopher comes across his neighbor's poodle, Wellington, impaled on a garden fork. Wellington's owner finds him cradling her dead dog in his arms, and has him arrested. After spending a night in jail, Christopher resolves--against the objection of his father and neighbors--to discover just who has murdered Wellington. He is encouraged by Siobhan, a social worker at his school, to write a book about his investigations, and the result--quirkily illustrated, with each chapter given its own prime number--is The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.

I've had this book in my TBR pile for awhile now, finally got to read it since I made it my first pick for my 1001 Book Challenge.

This book was heartwarming, and funny. The main character Christopher has autism, and it was very interesting seeing how his mind works. The book was Christopher, if that makes sense. The chapters were numbered with prime numbers because he loved prime numbers. There were also diagrams, and illustrations throughout the book. It just made it more touching for me. The story itself was not great, but it was good. I just think that I love reading more about Christopher than the actual mystery, The characters played so much more of a part in this book than the actual story, to me.

Final thoughts, this book is a quick and fun read. I enjoyed the character of Christopher, the plot was definitely secondary to me.

Rated: 3.5/5

1001 Books You Should Read Before You Die Challenge

I recently was scouring over the 1001 Books You Should Read Before You Die list, and I was blown away by how many of those books I haven't read.

So, I've decided to start a challenge. The 1,001 Books Challenge is a way for me to incorporate one of these must-reads monthly into my reading.

Here are the rules:

Must read 1 book a month from the list.

Must rotates lists every month.
(For example, August I will take a book from the 2000's list, then following month choose a book from the 1800's.)

Pretty simple, huh?

You can find the list here.

Come and join me!

*************************************My 1001 books challenge reads.

August- The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time- Mark Haddon Review

September- Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas- Hunter Thompson Review

October- The Shining- Stephen King Review