So far, I am greatly enjoying the novel The Shining by Steven King. It is certainly easier for me to understand compared to the previous horror novel I read which was a collection of H.P. Lovecraft's short stories. Steven King's vocabulary is simple and relatively common. Also, the events in the novel are written in a straight forward, clear manner. This makes it easy to understand, follow and imagine.

From the beginning of the story I could already tell this was going to be a creepy book. The book starts out with a job interview. Jack, a recovering alcoholic, lost his job as an English teacher due to him losing his temper.

One of Jacks students claimed Jack did not like him and one day this boy, George Hatfield, went crazy and started to stab holes into Jacks car tires. This angered Jack so much that he tried to get George to stop and George hit his head. This was the end of his job as a teacher.

In order to support himself, his wife and his son, Jack needs a job. He applies to be the manager of a hotel for the winter. The hotel, however, is nearly cut off from all civilization.

"The telephone lines between here and Sidewinder are still aboveground, and they go down almost every winter at some point or other and are apt to stay down for three weeks to a month and a half. There is a snowmobile in the equipment shed also."

"Then the place really isn't cut off."

"Suppose your son or wife tripped on the stairs and fractured his or her skull, Mr. Torrance. Would you think the place was cut off then?"

Jack saw the point.

Just that fact alone is a warning sign for trouble.