Hello {{ subscriber.name }},
It was late September 1974.
Around this time, the personal computer was being developed. Way before the internet, before social media - when people actually interacted and talked to one another rather than spending time behind screens.
It was around this time that Stephen King and his wife, Tabitha, checked into the Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, Colorado.
King described this as a “grand old hotel”. Notably, the Kings stayed in room 217, which would become a theme and one of the stand-out scenes from his classic
horror novel.
It was the stay at this hotel which served as his inspiration to write The Shining, one of the most famous and enduring shocking tales composed up to that point.
Rare & historically important
The Shining, first published in 1977, became Stephen King's third published novel and a first hardcover bestseller.
The novel quickly became a benchmark in the literary career of Stephen King. The success firmly established him as a preeminent author in the horror genre.
Right up to the present day, The Shining still stands as a social symbol of modern horror, a searing study of a family destroyed, and a horrible look into the dim openings of human shortcoming and dementia.
The novel was adapted into a 1980 film and a 1997
miniseries. The book was followed by a sequel, Doctor Sleep, published in 2013, which in turn was adapted into a film of the same name in 2019.
The Doubleday publication (1977)
"The Shining" was published by Doubleday in January of 1977 with an original First Edition production run of only 25,000 copies.
These first printing copies had "FIRST EDITION" printed onto the copyright page, a price of $8.95 on the dust-jacket flap, and "R49" in the gutter portion of page 447.
Unfortunately, Doubleday books from this time span were created relatively poorly. Many copies of this book suffer
from the same poor quality binding and dust-jacket as many other early Doubleday books.
That is why very few have survived in Fine or Near Fine condition. It is a difficult one to locate.
But there is good news...
If you are a fastidious book collector, here is an extraordinary chance to possess this stand-out First Edition of THE SHINING.
This classic novel has now become a highly sought after first edition in
the Stephen King collector's community. It is not only about the binding, the boards, the pages, and the dust-jacket. It is also about what this first printing of the book represents that gives its unique power.
This first edition is house in a handsome custom slipcase, featuring green and black
titling to match the look of the original book.
