Post by Joanna on Oct 18, 2015 1:22:41 GMT -5
Books, Stories More Frightening Than Movies
If you dare, turn in for a real page-turning scare this season with tales of horror to read before nighttime. The movies and shows that tend to mark this month of terror are most often inspirations from classic horror stories. Figure out whether the book is better than the movie with these ten haunting books to read until the witching hour strikes this Halloween:
1. It by Stephen King. Forget rabid dogs and haunted hotels, the theme of fear itself is among King’s scariest. It made clowns join the ranks of nightmare-causing monsters and demons. This terrifying masterpiece follows Pennywise, a malevolent shapeshifting entity who preys on the young, exploiting their phobias as he entices them with his clown manifestation.
2. The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson. Jackson perfected the haunted house genre, focusing more on true terror and suspense than images of horror. Chilling sequences will suddenly creep on readers as they navigate through what is really going on behind the door's of Hill House.
3. Ghost Story by Peter Straub. The simple title may suggest another run-of-the mill ghost story but this multi-layered classic is among the literary leaders in haunted tales. It tells the story of paranormal revenge against four men, who share a deadly past.
4. Girl Next Door by Jack Ketchum. Delve into the fictional tale of the true murder and torture of an Indianapolis teen in 1965. This gruesome story will scar readers as they are unlikely to forget the horror protagonist Meg endures. The book is more important as a psychological investigation into why people commit horrendous acts, more than just a book of chilling scenes.
5. The Amityville Horror by Jay Anson. It's a classic for a reason – the scariest stories are usually the ones based on truth. Anson reveals the true horror story behind the murders and hauntings in Amityville, N.Y. The descriptive imagery is likely to spook readers far more than the movie did.
6. The Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris. The Oscar-winning film has long overshadowed the book, but readers get a deeper look into Hannibal Lecter's disturbing mind in this international best-selling novel. The book also fleshes out the motivation of FBI trainee Clarice Starling.
7. Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark by Alvin Schwartz. Take a frightful nostalgia trip with this children's book that featured folklore and urban legends, along with troubling horror illustrations. If you enjoy what you read, flip through the next two books in this series. A film adaptation is currently being produced
8. The Turn of the Screw by Henry James. James’ story of a haunted governess is one of the most well-known ghost stories. The Gothic novella tells the tale of a young woman left to care for two lonely charges. It delivers a shocking ending that continues to mystify readers who try to determine the evil source of the story.
9. "The Tale-Tell Heart" by Edgar Allen Poe. Not a book, but a short story, however, this one is iconic for its lasting heartbeat. It will haunt the reader’s own sense of right and wrong as it questions the lingering power of guilt. It tells the story of a man attempting to convince himself of his sanity, following an inexplicable murder he committed.
10. Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs. Any story with eerie children is sure to be a must-read for Halloween. Add to that an abandoned orphanage, terrifying renditions of nursery rhymes and vintage photographs and readers are in for a scream.
Source: Melanie Dostis, The New York Daily News, October 9, 2015.
