Matheson's Hell House Read-Along - Final Discussion

Beware...spoilers ahead!

Now I remember why I thought this book was so scary on my first reading. The final third of the book is the scariest part in my opinion. Things come to a head with Florence, as she now seems to be possessed by Daniel, but is it really Daniel... The glimpses of horrific apparitions doing horrific things (the man cutting the woman's head off for instance) really added to the scare factor. 

I want to segue a bit to the sexual elements of this story. They are very degrading to women. The house's effects on Edith pray on her guilt of perhaps she might be a lesbian. Which is a product of the time the book was written, I'm sure. Let's face it though. If the things that went on in that house were considered depraved (for the time period of the glory days of Hell House) then I would think it would be highly possible that there were some male on male situations as well. I feel if this book was written in the present day, there would be a more even portrayal of sexuality (depending on the writer I suppose as well), and probably even more depravity. Would the latter be a good thing? I'm not so sure I'd want to read that book.

I watched the film (The Legend of Hell House) last night and it really doesn't change much from the book, except as I mentioned previously, the women do not look like their descriptions in the book. Also, Barrett does not have a disability, and Edith's name is Ann in the film. The deaths of Florence and Barrett are different as well. And, of course, the sexual elements are toned way down. Not surprising considering it's a 1973 film and anything too strongly sexual back then probably would have received an X rating. I first saw the film when I was very young and I always thought it was scary. 

I still consider the ending one of the best of the horror novels I have read. The very ending of the film is the same (which was also one of the things I loved about the film). I did like in the book how the spirit of Belasco actually shows itself to Edith and Fischer before the final reveal. It made for a more menacing, satisfying scene (which does not happen in the film). 

I enjoyed my reread of Hell House, but I have to admit I didn't enjoy it as much as I did the first time I read it....which was about 15 years ago. I guess that shows how reading tastes can change over the years. I read so much horror now too so that could also explain my feelings changing.

What did you think of this section, and the book as a whole? Let me know if I failed to touch on anything, and add your personal thoughts in the comments (or if you posted on a blog or elsewhere, share the link and I'll stop by). 

Thanks for joining another Something Wicked Fall read-along. I can't believe tomorrow is the last day. I guess we will just have to look forward to next year. 

Wishing you a very Happy Halloween!

Matheson's Hell House Read-Along - Discussion Two

Sorry I'm a couple days late. Let's dive into what happened in our second reading section.

This part tricked me (even though I've read it before) into almost believing that Florence was making up Daniel Belasco. Then Barrett is attacked in the steam room. How could he still not believe there is more than just "energy" in that house? Stubborn man. Poor Edith being sexualized by the house. Fischer finally opened up to the forces of the house. But his fear made him close off again, and in his anger and fear, he accuses Florence of manifesting Daniel herself, but I don't think he truly believes it. The entry of Daniel's birth in the Bible in the chapel...does this prove his existence, or is it yet another trick? 

Manipulation is the key. It was the vehicle when Belasco (the father) was alive, and it's the vehicle driving everything that is happening in the house in the present. So, when Florence finally gives in to Daniel, is it really Daniel, or did Belasco (the elder) create him in order to vanquish Florence...or is it Belasco himself? What happens to Florence is horrific! 

For the life of me, I cannot remember if we finally get answers by the end of the book. I remember one detail, but it may be from the film, not the book, but I will wait to see if it plays out the way I remember. 

What did you think of this section? Let me know if I failed to touch on anything, and add your personal thoughts in the comments.

Our final discussion will be on October 30th. If you need to refresh your memory on our reading schedule, check out this post.

I'm still hoping to post more by the end of the month. Time has been getting away from me, and work for my job has increased of late, so I feel like I'm juggling at times. In case you missed it, check out my Banned Books Week post about Stephen King.

This post is part of Something Wicked Fall.

Something Wicked Fall - My spooky season TBR

I've been meaning to share this since Something Wicked Fall began, but...September was a crazily speedy month! Anyway, in light of our FrightFall 24-Hour Opposite readathon tonight at 8:00 pm, here is my ridiculously ambitious spooky season TBR. Will I read all of them? Probably not, though I have finished a couple, so there is that. 

The Pale Blue Eye, Louis Bayard 
The Sorrows, Jonathan Janz (currently listening)
Hell House, Richard Matheson (currently reading)
The Reckoning, Jeff Long (currently reading)
Merrick, Anne Rice
Dead Until Dark, Charlaine Harris

The Keep, F. Paul Wilson
The Wendigo, Algernon Blackwood
The Long Walk, Stephen King (reread)
The Running Man, Stephen King (reread)
Slewfoot, Brom
Children of Demeter, EV Knight
The Beast of Brenton Woods, Jackson R. Thomas
The Doll, Daphne Du Maurier
Hummingbird, T.C. Parker
The Toll, Cherie Priest
The Jersey Devil, Hunter Shea
Jack, Howley & Willcocks
The Root Witch, Debra Castaneda
Frankenstein: Prodigal Son, Dean Koontz

I'll be finishing The Reckoning starting off the FrightFall 24-Hour event and will pick up The Keep next.

You can still join us for the FrightFall Readathon which lasts through the end of October and/or join us for tonight's 24-Hour readathon. Sign up for FrightFall here. Full details on the 24-Hour event here.

I was hoping to share more scary in September, but...see my comment about September above. I'm planning a review of the film, Weapons. Also, tomorrow is the start of Banned Books Week 2025. I'll be doing a series of posts on my sister site, True Book Addict. However, since learning that Stephen King is the most banned author in schools (2024/2025 school year), I will probably include a feature here as well. Stay tuned!

What kind of scary have you been getting up to?

This post is a part of...

Matheson's Hell House Read-Along - Discussion One

My favorite horror novel, or at least a top five favorite, just as I remember it. A total feeling of unease as I'm reading. I don't know how he did it, but Matheson makes me feel like I'm there, experiencing what the characters are experiencing. 

I had to laugh over the paragraph below. I don't remember noticing it back when I read it the first time. This is Edith ruminating on page 21 (in my edition):

Still, she had to go. She'd face anything rather than be alone. She'd never told Lionel how close she'd come to a mental breakdown during those three weeks he'd been gone in 1962. It would only have distressed him, and he'd needed all his concentration for the work he was doing. So she'd lied and sounded cheerful on the telephone the three times he'd called--and, alone, she'd wept and shaken, taken tranquilizers, hadn't slept or eaten, lost thirteen pounds, fought off compulsions to end it all. Met him at the airport finally, pale and smiling, told him that she'd had the flu.

Not to sound judgmental but give me a break. I realize this was published in 1971 and at the time, many men were not convinced about women's equality (something we are clearly steering back toward in the current social climate of our country. Egads!). Still though. Something I've learned in my almost 57 years on this earth...the best gift you can give yourself is learning how to be alone. Because if you don't have yourself, you have nothing. 

Okay, climbing down off my soapbox now.

I had forgotten the utter depravity of the Belasco/Hell House backstory. Wow. If you've never watched the film based on this book, The Legend of Hell House, you should watch it. I first saw it in the late 70s or early 80s and I've watched it many times since. I think it's an excellent film. However, I don't remember them going into such detail on what went on in the house. I plan to watch it again either during or after reading the book. I definitely picture the actors as I'm reading, even though Edith and Florence look quite different in the film from their descriptions in the book. 

As I was reading, I was sitting there thinking that I would not be in that house with only candlelight...and then going off to bed BY MYSELF in that pitch blackness...NO WAY. When Florence experiences the ghost/spirit who keeps having the bedclothes land over (his) body...nope, not happening. And then he utters BOO. That really threw me off. She didn't even scream. I would have at least screamed, or maybe fainted, or ran out the door screaming. 

What do you think about the poltergeist occurrence when all the dishes are flying seemingly on purpose at Barrett? Do you think it was done subconsciously by Florence because of her anger? I'm coming down on her side. I think the entity in that house is trying to divide them.

So, I'm thoroughly enjoying this reread. Just as unsettling as I remember. It's refreshing to read a horror story that is just scary in more subtle, less obvious ways. I love horror, but sometimes the blood and gore can be too much. Stories like this remind me of Edgar Allan Poe and similar authors. A more Gothic tone. 

What did you think of this first section? Let me know if I failed to touch on anything, and add your personal thoughts in the comments.

Our next discussion will be on October 12th. If you need to refresh your memory on our reading schedule, check out this post.

I've been slacking a bit with posts, but stay tuned. I'll be sharing my scary fall reading plans, and I'll do a short write up on the horror film, Weapons. 

This post is part of Something Wicked Fall.

Happy 14th CM...and save the date for Something Wicked Fall 2025!

I'm passionate about horror, as anyone who knows me is aware. I had some years of segue into reading mostly historical fiction, but horror is once again at the forefront of my reading, and writing (I'm currently at work writing my first horror novel). So, I've gone back to my roots since horror was the genre I mainly read when I started reading adult fiction as a preteen. 

A big thank you to all the horror lovers out there, authors and readers alike! Also, thank you for following this little corner of the horror universe. It means more than you will ever know.

Here's to many more years of horror!

Save the date for our scary fall events. Something Wicked Fall, which runs through September and October, kicks off on September 1st. I will have the kick off post live with all the info, and the reading schedule for our read-along of Richard Matheson's Hell House that day (this is a reread for me and I'm excited because it's my favorite horror novel!). The FrightFall Readathon, hosted over at my readathon blog, Seasons of Reading starts on October 1st. Sign up for that event will be posted by mid-September. 

Check out the FrightFall event button. So excited for spooky season! I hope you will join us for all the fun!

Stephen King's Fairy Tale Read-along - Final Discussion

This is going to be a short post. I know I'm already late. I apologize. My head is not in a good space right now so developing thoughts is proving to be difficult at the moment.

I will say...I LOVED this book! I was already enamored of the ties to fairy tales and The Wizard of Oz. Adding in the Lovecraftian Cthulhu vibe added just the right amount of horror to make this a dark fantasy, and I'm impressed.

Wrong-o about Charlie's mom being from there (lol), but correct about what was under Flight Killer's robes. Yuck. Kind of bummed that Charlie and Leah could not be together, but it wasn't that kind of fairy tale. I thought the ending was quite appropriate actually. So happy that Radar lived, and Charlie went on to live a good life...and protected Empis from being discovered by our treacherous world and destroyed. 

What did you think? Let me know if I failed to touch on anything, and add your personal thoughts in the comments.

Thanks so much to those of you who joined our Something Wicked Fall read-along. If you're participating in the I Read Horror Year-Round challenge, I will be posting next year's challenge before the end of the year (and I might have something extra this year). Stay tuned!

Stephen King's Fairy Tale Read-along - Discussion Three

Now we've arrived at the horrific part of the book. Many have said this book is not really horror, but the section we just read was pretty scary in my opinion. Those Night Soldiers, and Lord High (Kellin) are pretty terrifying. Not to mention the ghastly Flight Killer (Elden). What exactly does he have hiding under that massive caftan? I'm picturing something almost like Cthulhu. Could King be venturing into Lovecraftian territory here? How about this? "Don't ever say that name! Do you want to wake what sleeps in the Dark Well? The Dark Well sounds very much like where Cthulhu came from in Lovecraft's story, or maybe it's the representation of Hell.

This prince business. What do you think? Did the world change him, or is there something more to this? I have a theory. What if Charlie's mother came from Empis? We don't know much about her. Surely if people from our world could get to their world, people could certainly get to our world from there. It may be a far-fetched theory, but is it possible that his mother could have been one of the "whole" offspring of one of the "randy" royals? 

I have to say, I'm pretty excited to find out how this ends. Also, forgot to mention how wonderful it was that Radar is young and whole again. Maybe she will save the day, or at least help. 

Wanted to also mention that I've learned that this book is getting a 10 episode series adaptation from A24. If they do it right, it should be awesome. I was impressed with the adaptation of The Outsider (one of my favorite King books). You can read the article here.

What did you think of this section? Let me know if I failed to touch on anything, and add your personal thoughts in the comments.

Our final discussion will be on October 31st. I moved the date because I've been so behind. I apologize. October, November, and December are always so busy for me. I'm sure many can relate. If you need to refresh your memory on our reading schedule, check out this post.

This post is part of Something Wicked Fall.

Stephen King's Fairy Tale Read-along - Discussion Two

Wow! Things really developed in this section of our read-along! I am really loving this book. As a lifelong lover of fairy tales, and The Wizard of Oz, and yes, Something Wicked This Way Comes (which is the actual inspiration for this yearly Something Wicked Fall event), I think how King has woven these themes into the story is fantastic. 

We found out what was in the shed! So, is Empis another dimension, or a world beneath our world? The weird feeling experienced just before exiting the tunnel leads me to believe it's the former. Theories?

Stories with animals are always so hard for me. I'm constantly thinking Radar is going to die before Charlie can get her to the sundial. But seriously, how absolutely terrifying it all sounds. This Hana he is warned to watch out for...I can only imagine how horrible she is. A giant (or giantess?), but what does she look like? I hope we get a good description, or a picture at the beginning of a chapter. Side note: I've been enjoying the illustrations too.

And who is this Flight Killer? I can't wait to find out. I just keep hoping Radar is going to make it, but I'm also trying to shield my heart from the inevitable. If only pets could live as long as we do. It's just heartbreaking.

I must circle back to Charlie though. I mean, how brave can he be? I guess he is like the prince in all the stories. And did you notice how Woody said the prince should have blond hair and blue eyes, and then later, Charlie notices his hair looks lighter in the mirror. Hmm.

A final thought on this section. The poor people of Empis and their afflictions. How awful. And while the royals, the Gallien, escaped the grey, they still were cursed...blindness, mouth closed up, no ears to hear. What evil overlord is responsible? Gogmagog? Flight Killer? I'm equally excited and apprehensive to find out. 

What did you think of this section? Let me know if I failed to touch on anything, and add your personal thoughts in the comments.

Our next discussion will be on October 13th. If you need to refresh your memory on our reading schedule, check out this post.

This post is part of Something Wicked Fall.

Stephen King's Fairy Tale Read-along - Discussion One

What's in the shed?! I guess we will find out in the next section...maybe. Yikes. I found myself feeling quite emotional in this first section. Charlie losing his mom, his dad's alcoholism, meeting (saving) Howard Bowditch, and Radar. Knowing the impending deaths of Howard and Radar. Somehow Radar makes me particularly sad. Pets have such short lives. Anyone who has them knows just what I'm talking about. Of course, she hasn't died yet, but it's inevitable, isn't it? Maybe I'm thinking there is something magical in the story that will save her. Naive, right? 

Stephen King always meanders along with his stories, but I'm never bored. Maybe it's just because I know his writing so well. There is always a feeling of impending doom under the words, no matter how mundane the details may seem. He's great at coming-of-age stories, as we know. Also, friendships, whether it be a group of friends, or a teen and an elderly man. My mom and I were discussing the latter and she said maybe he had an elderly friend when he was a teen. I've never heard that, but as they say, write what you know. Of course, people can "know" a lot of things so I myself don't put too much stock in the phrase.

I guess this is all I can really think of to say at this point. Regarding the gold...anyone else thinking there might be a leprechaun involved? It did cross my mind. Pot (bucket) of Gold. I guess we shall see about that as well going forward.

What did you think of this first section? Let me know if I failed to touch on anything, and add your personal thoughts in the comments. 

Our next discussion will be on September 29th. If you need to refresh your memory on our reading schedule, check out this post.

If you haven't already, be sure to stop by my Friday the 13th post. I created a fun gift for my followers and friends. 

This post is part of Something Wicked Fall.

Stay spooky!