Physicist Lionel Barrett is the nominal leader of a small group of investigators hired by a dying man to investigate a supposedly haunted house in order to establish conclusively whether or not there is survival after death. Barrett doesn't think so; Florence Tanner, a mental medium, disagrees; and Ben Fisher, a physical medium and the only sane survivor of a previous investigation years before, agrees with Florence -- but he's there less to prove anything to his employer than to avenge his previous failure. Edith, Barrett's seemingly timid wife, is along for the ride. It's a wild ride, to be sure. This is not a book that skimps on its supernatural manifestations. Spirit guides, poltergeist activity, possession, teleplasmic extrusions -- the list goes on and on. You want action? You've found it. To Matheson's credit, it isn't, however, mindless mayhem. He doesn't toss a ghost in the house and figure anything goes. Matheson weaves together the personalities of his investigators with the sordid history of the house to create a believable framework for all the insanity. The final revelation -- a psychologically weak explanation for the house's most evil ghost -- can't spoil an otherwise satisfying resolution. Made into a film, The Legend of Hell House, in 1973.
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Physicist Lionel Barrett is the nominal leader of a small group of investigators hired by a dying man to investigate a supposedly haunted house in order to establish conclusively whether or not there is survival after death. Barrett doesn't think so; Florence Tanner, a mental medium, disagrees; and Ben Fisher, a physical medium and the only sane survivor of a previous investigation years before, agrees with Florence -- but he's there less to prove anything to his employer than to avenge his previous failure. Edith, Barrett's seemingly timid wife, is along for the ride. It's a wild ride, to be sure. This is not a book that skimps on its supernatural manifestations. Spirit guides, poltergeist activity, possession, teleplasmic extrusions -- the list goes on and on. You want action? You've found it. To Matheson's credit, it isn't, however, mindless mayhem. He doesn't toss a ghost in the house and figure anything goes. Matheson weaves together the personalities of his investigators with the sordid history of the house to create a believable framework for all the insanity. The final revelation -- a psychologically weak explanation for the house's most evil ghost -- can't spoil an otherwise satisfying resolution. Made into a film, The Legend of Hell House, in 1973.
5 Comments
bookstooge
10/29/2016 06:30:35 pm
How does this compare, style wise, to his "I am Legend". I watched the latest version, with Smith, and while it was slightly entertaining, it certainly didn't fill me with any desire to read the book.
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Brian
10/30/2016 07:04:19 am
Now that I think of it, Matheson isn't like King or Barker. He has no flashy style, so his plots tend to take center stage, and his plots are always different. I'm no great fan of I Am Legend; contrary to popular opinion, I don't think it's a very good book; this one is much, much better.
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Bookstooge
10/30/2016 10:14:26 am
I read the Shining but it certainly cemented my idea to only read 1 King book a year. I just can't deal well with horror...
Brian
10/31/2016 06:39:02 am
Which is why it saddens me that you choose to read Necroscope... : -)
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Bookstooge
11/9/2016 08:45:49 pm
That wasn't scary. That was just pulpy vampire fiction. Bloated, turgid, angsty vampire fiction at that :-)
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