Books

Garden City, New York: Doubleday & Company, Inc., 1977. First edition of King's third novel, the basis for one of the greatest horror films ever made. Octavo, original half black cloth. Presentation copy, inscribed by the author on the title page, "To George - Best, Stephen King 9/8/79." Near fine in a near fine dust jacket. Jacket illustration by Dave Christensen. Jacket typography by Al Nagy. An exceptional example. Inspired by Poe's short story "The Masque of the Red Death," King's first hardcover bestseller is "his consummate ghostly tale" about "the haunted house to end all haunted houses" (Underwood & Miller, 174, 184) "The fact is that The Shining is a masterwork, a bold product of an original vision, a novel of astonishing passion, urgency, tenderness, understanding, and invention In its uniting of an almost bruising literary power, a deep sensitivity to individual experience, and its operatic convictions, it is a very significant work of art" (Peter…

In Stephen King's "The Shining," published in 1977, Jack Torrance, a recovering alcoholic and struggling writer, accepts a job as the winter caretaker at the Overlook Hotel in Colorado. Jack sees this as an opportunity to reconnect with his family—his wife Wendy and their young son Danny, who possesses psychic abilities known as "the shining." As winter descends and the hotel becomes snowbound, strange and eerie events begin to unfold. Danny, sensitive to the hotel's dark history and its supernatural influences, starts experiencing visions of the hotel's disturbing past. He communicates telepathically with the cook, Dick Hallorann, who also possesses the shining and warns Danny of the dangers lurking within the hotel. As the isolation and malevolent forces of the Overlook take hold, Jack's mental stability begins to crumble. Influenced by the hotel's sinister spirits and haunted by his own demons, he becomes increasingly erratic and violent. The malevolent entities within the hotel exploit Jack's vulnerabilities, leading to his descent into madness. Danny's psychic abilities intensify, allowing him to see the horrors hidden within the hotel and foresee the danger posed by his father. With Wendy increasingly worried about Jack's erratic behavior, Danny and his mother attempt to escape the hotel's grasp while evading Jack, who has become a terrifying and dangerous threat. Throughout the novel, King masterfully portrays the psychological horror of isolation, addiction, and the disintegration of the family unit. He explores themes of supernatural malevolence, the impact of past traumas, and the struggle against inner darkness. "The Shining" is celebrated for its atmospheric tension, vivid characterization, and the haunting portrayal of a family unraveling in the face of supernatural evil. The novel has captivated readers for decades, earning its place as a cornerstone in the horror genre and solidifying Stephen King's reputation as a master storyteller of chilling and psychologically gripping tales.