I have to give a big thanks to Matt at A Guy's Moleskine Notebook. He posted a link to this today, here is his original post, and here is the link to the article listing the 50 Scariest Books of All Time.
So, tell me. Do you agree with the list? Would you have picked something else on it? I have to say that it's a pretty good list, though I would have picked The Shining over It for Stephen King, and lost boy lost girl over Ghost Story for Peter Straub.
Here's what I've read from the list:
It - Stephen King
The Exorcist - William Peter Blatty
Ghost Story - Peter Straub
Hell House - Richard Matheson
Dracula - Bram Stoker
some of Lovecraft's tBloodcurling Tales of HOrror and the Macabre
The Haunting of Hill House - Shirley Jackson
The Silence of the Lambs - Thomas Harris
Rosemary's Baby - Ira Levin
The Amityville Horror - Jay Anson
Books of Blood - Clive Barker (some of the stories for certain)
Tales and Poems of Edgar Allen Poe - some of
Lord of the Flies - William Golding
The Ruins - Scott Smith
Ghost Stories of an Antiquary - M.R. James - some of
The Woman in Black - Susan Hill
Swan Song - Robert R. McCammon
The Wolfen - Whitley Streiber
18/50......sigh. Not as much as someone who reads horror regularly, should have read!
I also added a few to my list. The Ritual by Adam Neville looks very interesting, and I've had Carrion Comfort by Dan Simmons on my to get list for a little while now. I own Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill, just have to get to it now. I also own October Country, I just can't remember if I have read any stories from it yet. I think this list is missing among other things Angela' Carters The Bloody Chamber and other stories.
If you are looking for RIP books to read, this is a good resource list to begin with.
10 comments:
I'd only read 8 so you're doing a lot better than me, Susan! I wasn't really surprised at that, tbh, as I know I've not read a lot of the more modern classic horror stories.
I've just been trawling round Goodreads as I seem to do a lot these days. Came across Bonechiller by Graham McNamee and have just reserved it from the library. It sounded to me like it might be your sort of thing too. Like you need more books... LOL.
Don't feel bad. I've only read 17, and I'm supposed to be a big horror fan, too. I'll agree about IT (which I tried to read when Bob was in seminary, and I was alone a lot. I don't know what I was thinking. It was way too scary, and I had to quit). THE EXORCIST, yes, is terrifying (I reread it last year to confirm my suspicion that it's one of the scariest things I've ever read). But there are some things missing from this list. Makes me want to do my own. Maybe I will.
P.S. I posted my take on Doctor Sleep here: http://pvreader.wordpress.com/2013/10/12/doctor-sleep-by-stephen-king/.
Cath: I tried to find Bonechiller at my library, but it's not there :-( so I'll keep an eye out. It looks interesting. Goodreads is a dangerous place, isn't it?
Emily: Did you ever finish IT? You have to!! I've just started Doctor Sleep, and am enjoying it so much. As soon as I get chores done today, I am settling down to read it all afternoon :-) I do the turkey thing tomorrow for thanksgiving. So I have to get it read today! lol plus it's so good, I'm really happy it is. I'll go read your review as soon as I;m done it.
So I guess we all have some horror reading to catch up on, right?? :-) (looking at Cath and Emily)
PS I thought of doing my own list too, of essential horror reading. I didn't agree with the choices of books for all the authors.
Goodreads is *highly* dangerous. LOL.
I would be interested to see your list, Susan!
Currently reading Mayhem by Sarah Pinborough. *Cough* Another one you might like. *coughcough*
I remember how scary I found The Telltale Heart by Edgar Allen Poe in school and later on discovering Stephen King I found Pet Semetary quite frightening. It is fun to know what scares all of us.
I'd read about 12, I think, but unlike you guys I don't feel the need to read any more :-) my appetite for horror is very limited. You're all much braver than me.
I'm not much for scary books, having only read Dracula from your list.
I think one of my all-time scariest reads is Daphne du Maurier's Don't Look Now.
I like my ghosts to be friendly :)
Cath: one day I will do it! I think it would be fun.
So Mayhem is that good, eh? It's not over here until January, I've already checked and have it bookmarked! I hope you do a post, I'm anxious to find out more - the Amazon listing makes it sound very intriguing.
Travelling Penguin: It is fun to know what scares us, isn't it? I've read The Tell-Tale Heart, and Pet Cemetary - just reread it two years ago, in fact. Have you read any others by King?
Geranium Cat: It's funny, I used to read more horror than I do now, but it has be eerie ghost/supernatural, more than slasher, which I don't really enjoy. For a long time in the 1990's I didn't read much except King and some Straub because there wasn't much ghost stuff being written. Now there's much more, so I am enjoying it. Many bloggers don't like horror at all. What's fun is what they do find to read, like you, for RIP :-) Books for every taste, indeed!
Jane: As I said to Geranium Cat above, still many bloggers manage to find scary books that aren't horror to read for RIP. I don't have a copy of Don't Look Now, though I do believe I read it many years ago - certainly I have seen the movie and love it- so I have decided I need to have a copy of the story, and have it on order from Amazon. I didn't know Daphne had written other ghost/eerie stories, so I have a collection of her stories coming to me. I'm so excited!
So if you were to read one, Don't Look Now is a great atmospheric eerie - and sad - story, isn't it? What other ones have you read? Friendly ghosts.....I would like some titles! lol or a post (hint).... :-)
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