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

I was worried that this was going to be just another "Haunting at Hill House" clone, but it was actually a good read. The characters weren't wholly unique but I did enjoy them. Some parts of the book were kind of predictable while others kept me guessing. No matter what, it was always hard to put down. If you are into horror/thriller novels I would highly suggest this book.

No rhythm, confusing dialogues. I truly do not get why people enjoy his writings. As a true book nerd I read this novel through. Big yawn. No nuances. Horrible reading as in boring.

The ending seemed campy, and random. I was pretty disappointed. It wasn't particularly scary, seeming to focus mainly on sex nightmares. I thought it was ridiculous that they continued to go back to the house, it didn't seem realistic at all.

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.