Hell House: A Novel

Richard Matheson

Apr 2011 · Sold by Tor Books

About this ebook

"Hell House is the scariest haunted house novel ever written. It looms over the rest the way the mountains loom over the foothills." -- Stephen King

From the author of I Am Legend comes Richard Matheson's Hell House, the basis for the supernatural horror film starring Pamela Franklin, Roddy McDowall, Clive Revill.

Rolf Rudolph Deutsch is going die. But when Deutsch, a wealthy magazine and newspaper publisher, starts thinking seriously about his impending death, he offers to pay a physicist and two mediums, one physical and one mental, $100,000 each to establish the facts of life after death.

Dr. Lionel Barrett, the physicist, accompanied by the mediums, travel to the Belasco House in Maine, which has been abandoned and sealed since 1949 after a decade of drug addiction, alcoholism, and debauchery. For one night, Barrett and his colleagues investigate the Belasco House and learn exactly why the townsfolk refer to it as the Hell House.

At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

Ratings and reviews

Solid book with some memorable imagery, but it definitely shows its age in places. The way the female characters are handled feels shallow and exploitative to me. Yes sexuality is a major theme, but it's one that the story doesn't have much to say on. So many times it could've been taken in a very interesting direction, but ultimately it just serves as a setup for scenes of gory pornography. It's hard to ignore the fact that the men are *totally* devoid of any sexual feelings. Weird for a major theme to have zero relevance to half of the cast, huh? Also, this is unrelated, but there's a very dated and out-of-place sequence involving a native american caricature, who talks exactly like you'd imagine him to. All that being said, the book's still pretty good overall. If you like haunted houses it's def worth a read, especially if you can get it on sale. I blew through it in about 2 days and don't regret the time I spent.

A very good read. Gets into the story very quickly and stays there. No real lulls. Very scary and easy to put yourself in the shoes of the characters. Satisfying ending. A great haunted house tale.

visceral, compelling and a thoroughly good read. I found it hard to put down. I have seen the movie adaptation many times, one of my favorite horror stories but the book expanded upon the tale as I understood it and filled in the blanks I had always found confusing or abrupt about the story. Turn down the lights, get your favorite beverage and prepare for a ride you won't soon forget...

About the author

Richard Matheson (1926-2013) was The New York Times bestselling author of I Am Legend, Hell House, Somewhere in Time, The Incredible Shrinking Man, Now You See It..., and What Dreams May Come, among others. He was named a Grand Master of Horror by the World Horror Convention, and received the Bram Stoker Award for Lifetime Achievement. He has also won the Edgar, the Spur, and the Writer's Guild awards. In 2010, he was inducted into the Science Fiction Hall of Fame. In addition to his novels Matheson wrote several screenplays for movies and TV, including several Twilight Zone episodes.