Hell House by Richard Matheson Summary and Reviews
|
List Price: Our Price: $7.60 You Save: $6.35 (46%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $5.48 (click here) Category: Book See more book details and other editions |
|---|
Book Reviews of Hell House
Book Review: Interesting Failure from a Master Storyteller
Summary: 3 Stars
After reading the mind-blowingly brilliant, metaphorical masterpieces I AM LEGEND and THE INCREDIBLE SHRINKING MAN (two of the greatest novels of the second half of the 20th century), I was pretty disappointed with Matheson's haunted house story. One amazon reviewer called it "seventies pulp-porn," which is a perfect description. Though well-written, HELL HOUSE is not very scary: the scientist is hilariously unscientific, the characters are all a bit cartoonish, and the ending is incredibly rushed and silly. BUT the book is VERY entertaining, especially as an artifact of the era's "sexual revolution." The book revels in, and leers at, sex like a titillated teenager -- in fact, lurid sex is what sets this book apart. It's as if Matheson intentionally decided to rewrite Shirley Jackson's HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE for a new hard-to-shock generation of swingers, tossing in "perverse" sex acts, rape, nudity, pop psychology, religious blasphemy, and the Marquis de Sade. Groovy. William Peter Blatty's book, THE EXORCIST, came out the same year (1971) but handled similar adult themes with far more sophistication, and much scarier results. Still, HELL HOUSE is fun and goofy and sleazy and shocking and harmless. I just don't understand how so many reviewers here actually found it scary, let alone "one of the best horror books ever." There are a LOT better ones out there.Book Review: An average read
Summary: 3 Stars
I read this about a month ago after wanting to read it for a while. I did read some of the reviews before I brought, but I mostly read the 4 & 5 star reviews. So I kinda had high hopes for the book. Well, I discovered that the book wasn't the greatest or the worst. It's just average. I wasn't scared, a bit disturbed at times, but not scared. The book does limp thru to the end, with a half hearted ending. I was entertained with this book, so I don't have any major complaints about it. Other than it could've been scarier!Book Review: Just burn the damn house to the ground!
Summary: 4 Stars
This book is a typical Matheson book. It pits a hero/group of heroes against an endless and unknown terror, and the hero either wins or gains some sort of positive closure or reckoning in their struggles. By no means does it even slightly compare to I Am Legend, which in all accounts is godly, but it does captivate the reader.
To sum it up, a group of paranormal experts are hired to investigate the hauntings of this house for a measly $100,000 by staying for a week and collecting facts and solid evidence of it's activities. This house has a reputation, hence the name, and has claimed victims in the past. Guess what happens?
Overall, I think this book was pretty good. Matheson's books are highly descriptive and well-written. If you're highly imaginative like myself, you will enjoy this book. Please do not expect something extrodinary...it's a typical haunted house - ghost story with a Matheson twist. If you like and read his other books, then this is a must read. On a final note...another reviewer said that this book is descriptive in a graphic nature. I disagree. Three words that he uses in certain sceens for description are loins, breasts, and member. If you have read any of Barker's books, such as Cabal, then you will know what I mean when I say that this book is minor in it's sexual innuendo. If you can find it for $10, I'd pick it up. The hardcover edition is very nice.
Book Review: Very Interesting.
Summary: 4 Stars
This book is very interesting. I think it keeps the reader enthralled all the way to the end. It's pretty twisted, but that's what makes it so cool. It reminds me of a lot of scary movies I've watched recently, but I'm sure they got their ideas from Richard Matheson. Stephen King says that he was most inspired by Richard Matheson. It's a pretty quick read, and if you like horror, you'll like this book. Book Review: Great book..
Summary: 5 Stars
I just finished reading Hell House by Richard Matheson, and I must say that I am not at all disappointed with the story. It seems to start out really slow, no doubt building the story and establishing its characters and setting, but then it takes off suddenly, and doesn't stop until the end of the book. I read it in about 2 days; once I'd pick it up it was really hard to stop reading and put it down again. It does have a lot of harsh cursing, and some graphic scenes throughout the story, but, I, myself, think they were written very well to establish the type of "hell" this house really was. I was definately spooked by it, and recommend it to anyone that likes a thrilling and creepy haunted house story.