Review: The Shining by Stephen King

Danny Torrence knows things. He can tell you about a phone call he wasn't in the room to hear or what you were thinking about a moment ago. Most of all Danny knows, Daddy, Mommy and him, should not spend the winter in the Overlook Hotel, but when you're only 5 years old, how can you warn anyone?

This book works so well on so many different levels, but what really sells it is Danny the - perfect balance between knowledge and innocence.  Here is this little boy, whose vocabulary and sentence structure is years beyond him, but the shining always leaves him confused - even comatose at times.  The same gift makes him highly empathetic to people, but he doesn't always understand what their feelings mean.  While he wants to understand it all, at 5 Danny already knows how too much information can people hurt people and has already begun to keep secrets in order to protect those he loves.  It's as if he's been given a dictionary to read without knowing the alphabet.

It's a masterpiece of terror.  Can't wait to read the sequel!!!