The Shining
Book • 1977 • Horror
ReportSynopsis
The Shining is a 1977 horror novel by Stephen King about the Torrance family, who become the winter caretakers of the isolated Overlook Hotel, where the hotel's sinister supernatural forces prey on the family.
The story explores themes of isolation, addiction, and domestic violence, focusing on Danny's psychic ability, "the shining," which allows him to see the hotel's dark past and present.
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Both
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Your Triggers
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14
Needs More Answers
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Abandonment
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Abuse
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There is a ton. A main character has many times where he abuses his family. He also has vivid flashbacks of his own father abusing his family. It is all very graphic.
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Is someone stalked?
1 supporters
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Several characters are being chased/stalked through the hotel near the end
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Several descriptions of child abuse with all three main characters.
1 comment | Add comment
Does the abused become the abuser?
National Domestic Violence Hotline (1-800-799-7233)
1 supporters
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Addiction
Does someone abuse alcohol?
26 supporters
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Alcoholism is a recurring theme in the book.
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Alcohol is a major part of the book. A character frequently uses the medicine Excedrin and describes how it makes him feel high.
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Is there addiction?
1 supporters
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It's a central theme of the book.
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Animal
Are animals abused?
316 supporters
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C14
Described in chapter 14 when Jack is reflecting on his rage issues appearing in his childhood. Skip this paragraph when you get to it.
1 comment | Add comment
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Are there bugs?
53 supporters
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Wasps are mentioned multiple times. 3 people get stung by wasps. If you're afraid of wasps or bees, these parts can make you very uncomfortable.
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Are there snakes?
27 supporters
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There are no physical snakes but one of the characters imagines a hose to be a snake chasing him.
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Assault
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Is someone restrained?
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A character is briefly imprisoned in a large walk-in pantry with a locking door.
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Bodily Harm
Is there eye mutilation?
148 supporters
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Not described explicitly, but you could count (SPOILERS) when possessed Jack hits himself in the face over and over again with the mallet
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Is someone tortured?
129 supporters
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More psychological than physical torture. The hotel kind of torture Jack and Danny. Tony show horribles images to Danny
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Does a head get squashed?
81 supporters
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Jack has a nightmare where he is beating George over the head with a mallet and then it changes to Danny.
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Is someone burned alive?
71 supporters
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(SPOILERS) It is implied Jack dies in the hotel after it catches fire when the boiler explodes. BUT you can argue that he was already dead, and the hotel inside him died.
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Is there a hanging?
69 supporters
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The ghosts tell hallorann they are going to hang him, but nothing like that happens
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Is there cannibalism?
58 supporters
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many references to the Donner Party, but not graphic details or anything
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Does someone struggle to breathe?
47 supporters
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(Spoilers) Danny is strangled by “the woman” in Room 217
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Does someone break a bone?
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(SPOILERS) Jack, Wendy, and Danny all have recurring flashbacks to when Jack broke Danny’s arm
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Is there excessive gore?
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Yes, especially at the end. A character self-injures, and it is described vividly.
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Does someone have a seizure?
1 supporters
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Danny is described as having episodes that may appear as seizures.
1 comment | Add comment
Children
Does a kid die?
113 supporters
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There are references to dead children, but we do not see a child die.
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Death
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Family
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Is a child's toy destroyed?
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Someone destroys a room which includes a child's toys.
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Fear
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Is there a shower scene?
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Nothing s*xual, but there are recurring references to a ghost in a bathtub that got out and strangled Danny.
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Are there ghosts?
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It's pretty central to the book.
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Is someone possessed?
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Jack is possessed by the hotel at the end
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Gross
Does someone vomit?
175 supporters
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Also, it's said that a man in Halloran's plane whoopsed on his paper and had to get cleaned up. Plus, Jack says he v*s out the coke he drank.
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Does someone wet/soil themselves?
34 supporters
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after one of danny's "shinings" it is said that he wets himself. this only happens once in the beginning
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Large-scale Violence
Are there 9/11 depictions?
8 supporters
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This book came out in 1977
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Law Enforcement
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LGBTQ+
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Medical
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Is there a mental institution scene?
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Danny talks about “the men in white coats” many times
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Mental Health
Does someone attempt suicide?
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (1-800-273-8255)
124 supporters
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(SPOILERS) at the end, when Jack is possessed by the hotel and trying to kill Danny, Danny gets through to him and Jack hits himself in the face with the mallet repeatedly, but I don’t think it’s consciously.
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Does someone say "I'll kill myself"?
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (1-800-273-8255)
42 supporters
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Is there a claustrophobic scene?
33 supporters
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Danny gets trapped in a snow tunnel and he thinks something is coming for him
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There are several mentions of side characters who committed suicide, and one character considers it in a flashback.
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Noxious
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Paranoia
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Pregnancy
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Is there childbirth?
37 supporters
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C6
Described in chapter 6 part 1
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Prejudice
Are there homophobic slurs?
65 supporters
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Main character imagines a side character saying the f slur
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Are there fat jokes?
65 supporters
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Not jokes but definitely nasty comments about people's weight
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Is there ableist language or behavior?
53 supporters
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Jack makes fun of a boy who stutters.
3 comments | Add comment
Does an LGBT person die?
43 supporters
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One of the ghosts is a gay man, but we don't see him die.
1 comment | Add comment
Are there usages of the n-word?
41 supporters
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some intense threats towards a Black character that includes the n-word multiple times
2 comments | Add comment
Is there hate speech?
41 supporters
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The N word is used near the end of the book.
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Does the black guy die first?
28 supporters
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he doesn't die at all, he saves the day
1 comment | Add comment
Relationships
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Sex
Is there sexual content?
85 supporters
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Many references to s*x throughout the book, (SPOILERS AHEAD) first early on and is only described after, Danny talks about his parents “doing the thing that makes babies”, after Danny gets strangled there is a s*xually explicit scene, and Danny finds a cuckoo clock where two figures pop out and start giving each other or*l s*x. That’s all I can remember off the top off my head.
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Are there incestuous relationships?
National Sexual Assault Hotline 800.656.4673
1 supporters
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Sexism
Is a male character ridiculed for crying?
27 supporters
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However, Danny berates himself internally for feeling like crying in the playground.
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Sickness
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Social
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Vehicular
Is someone hit by a car?
33 supporters
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A crash does take place whilst one of the characters is drink-driving, though no-one is hurt.
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Does a plane crash?
23 supporters
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several characters suspect a plane will crash but it doesn't
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Violence
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Is there gun violence?
42 supporters
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described in dialogue, but not seen in detail
1 comment | Add comment
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Where to Watch
