Hell House

This kept me on the edge of my seat and awake all hours of the night. It is one of those rare novels you relish so, that you don't want it to be over. You actually care about the characters to the point you will miss them. Wonderful.

Loosely based on The Haunting of Hill House, this book was chilling but read more like a movie script for yet another remake of The Haunting (1963) starring Julie Harris and Clair Bloom. This still ranks as one of the scariest movies ever made yet never shows any gore or monsters. Skip this book and get the Shirley Jackson version. You'll be glad you did.

As someone who has read a lot of horror and other types of fiction I can tell you this was probably the dumbest book I have ever read. Silly writing and ridiculous characters make for a read that you just hope gets better- but never does. This from the writer of I Am Legend. I admit I've only seen the movie but really liked the story and thought about reading the book. If it's written like this, forget it. The screen writers may have saved that story. The writer uses corny phrases such as " a cold breeze brushed by them". This book wasn't scary it was silly. Pick another book if you have any sense.

I remember an older review of this book crowing over the explicit sex that had only ever been hinted at before in other books. Two men resistant to sex, two women easily lead astray. Ho hum.
The book is dated, the writing clunky, and the characters move jerkily around a cardboard cut out haunted house. And the mansplaining, oh the mansplaining!
Perhaps I'm an Olde Cynical Constant Reader...

Stephen King himself calls HELL HOUSE "the scariest haunted house novel ever written." The book has harvested acres of accolades from countless horror fans. The novel even spawned a movie or two. So why did I finish HELL HOUSE and yawn, nonchalantly scratch my groin, and wish I could have several hours of my life back?

Could it be, perhaps, that the story was contrived, often even laughable? That the characterization was weak? That the story contained a "mystery of Hell House" that really wasn't a mystery at all? That the author's sexual jollies added nothing to the plot whatsoever? That the ending, which took forever and a day to arrive, was as weak as a popcorn burp?

Yes to all of the above.

Even worse was Matheson's writing style, which had me squirming with its weak word selection (often redundant, with the same words in the same sentence) and obscene reliance on awkward adverbs. Confusedly? Frightenedly? Frenziedly? What the heck(ly)? I kept wondering if I was reading a novel or a mediocre effort from some college kid submitting a classroom assignement.

I was really looking forward to this book, as I bought into the hype that HELL HOUSE was one of Matheson's "signature" works. If this is a signature work, Matheson needs to go back to penmanship class. Very disappointing.

--D. Mikels

I read the reviews thinking that this would be a scary read. It wasn't the least bit scary. The writing was very quick and the characters underdeveloped. The ending was also very confusing. Not worth the money

Much like The Haunting of Hill House I chose this book based on the reviews of other readers. Once again I made a mistake. This book has a weak and predictable plot. Characters that are so utterly annoying in every way I actually kept reading hoping that something horrible would happen to them. To top it off this has to be the absolute dumbest ending to a book that I have ever read. Do yourself a favor and avoid this one at all costs.

I saw Hell House listed somewhere as one of the "50 Scariest Books of All Time." The brief review included a quote from Stephen King asserting as much. That should have been my first clue. Nevertheless, I bought it anyhow, thinking it might provide an interesting Halloween scare. Wrong. The book is HORRIBLE. Plodding, leaden pace; banal one-dimensional characters; a plot that flatlines by about p. 10 and never recovers. I ground my way through to the bitter, decidedly un-scary end, hoping all the while that it would live up to its advance billing. It never did. Not even a little bit. In hindsight, I should have re-read Peter Straub's Ghost Story again. Now there's a truly scary book..

Amazing story but the number of typos in this Kindle version are astonishing. I've never purchased an ebook with this many typos. It's clear that someone scanned the text in and didn't bother to proof at all. The publisher should be ashamed for releasing a book with absolutely no proofreading whatsoever. the store should refund money for anyone who purchased this and/or give us a new copy without all the typos. Totally ruins the story. I don't recommend that anyone purchase until these issues are fixed.

It started off strong, but the one dimensional characters never unfolded into developed protagonists you wanted to root for. Ended up being a genuine Scooby-Doo villain reveal at the end too. Really pissed off about this...

I found the characters irritating and the plot devices worn and overly contrived. I couldn't finish the book. It felt like a knock off of Shirley Jackson and not nearly so well done. I really expected more from such a respected author. Maybe if I'd read it back in the 70's I'd be less critical. As I thought about this book over the last week I was repeatedly reminded of the cliched image of a volumptous blond in a negligee holding a candle as she descended the cellar stairs to investigate a noise. I thought the characters behaved stupidly. I routinely enjoy horror fiction and don't raise the bar too high. So many people appear to have enjoyed this book; I feel a bit cheated that I didn't.

This book was probably VERY SCARY fifty years ago, but I found it boring, typical, and more often than not more than a little misogynist. There's really nothing that happens in it that hasn't been done to death by films in the intervening decades, so none of the ideas felt particularly novel (or worse, particularly effective). Probably a great book for horror nerds, but I was mostly just bored.

If your looking for a fantastic haunted house book, this isn't it. It is SLOOOW and extremely boring. Couldn't even finish it. Complete waste of time. I would give it half a star but the system isn't set up for halves.

High hopes based on the sample and the premise were dashed by the uninspired plot which just sort of went nowhere. Lack of compelling characters added nothing, and the climax was anything but. I found myself rooting for Hell House to kill them all by midway through the book so I could escape.

Hell House follows the tale of Dr. Lionel Barrett and company, including his wife Edith, spiritualist Florence Tanner, and medium Ben Fischer. Team Lionel find themselves at the behest of dying millionaire Deutsch who hires the Scooby gang to investigate the possibility of life after death. To do so, they will enter the infamous Belasco House in Maine (seriously, is there something going on up there in Maine or what?), which is regarded as the most spooktacular house in the world. Its even got the nifty title, “Hell House” due to, according to the story, horrible acts, rumors really, of the worst kind of depravity imaginable, all under the keen tutelage of manic Emeric Belasco. Fischer also happens to be the only survivor of a failed investigation attempt in 1940. During the investigation, various influences begin to affect each character’s personal weaknesses: Florence through her belief in Spiritualism and her over-eagerness to rid the house of its evil and obsession in helping Daniel Belasco’s ghost. Barrett through his arrogant disregard for anything than his own beliefs in science and the rational. Edith is assaulted through her personal fears, insecurities, and pent-up sexual desires. Fischer through his deliberate caution, but can you really blame the guy? By the end, Hell House not only seeks to defeat those who enter its doors mentally, but physically and spiritually as well.

My Two Cents:

Honestly, before reading and finishing, I thought the book was going to be a bit childish. My opinion on this was solely based on the era of its release and having seen The Legend of Hell House, and oh-boy, how I was wrong! The book starts off very subtle, purposely you might say. Matheson tricks the reader into the easy to the read flow and gentle character descriptions, jumping carefully between perspectives without causing any kind of derailment. But its a trap! Much like Belasco, Matheson bids you to take a seat in the comfortable rocking chair — no worries, no troubles. Blandly he rocks you, back and forth, back and forth. You smile, drifting comfortably in the summer breeze. Enjoying the slow mosey pace… and then BAM! Through intrinsically laid subtext and very choice descriptive words he weaves in the horror without much notice until it becomes overwhelming noticeable. What I found most striking was how sexually graphic some of the parts were. It wasn’t offensive, it was just like, ‘alright then!’ as they say. The plot twists were also equally tasty. I will not spoil for those who have not yet read, but let me say, its a solid classic twist. If you’ve seen the movie, don’t worry, its not going to ruin anything for you. In fact, as stated above, I had previously seen The Legend of Hell House and after reading the book I found the movie to be very banal compared to print. And another added side-effect from seeing the movie first, while reading, I gave all the characters English accents. I’m not complaining nor do I have any regrets.

So here's the thing... When Stephen King raves about a book that's topic is the "Mount Everest of haunted houses," I expect a REALLY scary book. Hell House has even been called a horror classic! So what the heck did I just read?? It couldn't have been the book all these people, including Stephen King, have raved about! I hate to contradict the Master, but Hell House was just... not scary.

There were several problems I had with this book, one being that I really didn't like most of the characters. They all came off as either really arrogant, annoying, helpless, or a combination of those. The only character I somewhat enjoyed was Fischer, and I honestly had to just go hunt down his name because I'd forgotten it less than an hour after finishing the book, if that's any indication. Even more than that, these characters are really, really stupid. There were so many moments where I wanted to just ask them if they were serious. I cannot actually believe that anyone with a brain would do most of the things these characters did.

Another major problem I had with Hell House was the horror. Where was it? What I learned from this book is that horror = sex. (Cover your eyes, kids.) I don't even mean violence! I just mean... sex. Even between a woman and her husband. The sexy horror ranged from Edith attempting to come on to her husband, ghosty sex, lady sex, basically all the sex. was. horror. I wish I was joking. Maybe sex was terrifying in the 70s? I honestly don't know how this was considered scary. There were a few possessions (and a few had to do with sex) but they were more amusing than scary. There was a teensy bit of tension here and there, but it quickly dissipated each time.

The ending of Hell House was also a huge let down. Huge. I didn't -totally- HATE Hell House. Hate is such a strong word. I did think that Dr. Barrett's idea for conquering the house was an interesting one and I did like Fischer enough, although even he was forgettable. Ultimately, I would not recommend this book.

Actual rating: 1.5 stars

A good haunting story is difficult to come by. There are many pretenders, many authors who overwork the tale in one way or another, leaving the reader frustrated or overworked. There are those who simply do not put enough into the story, so that it feels so preposterous as to prevent the reader from getting lost in the story the way they can with a really good book. "Hell House" hits a point somewhere between a great haunting story and a poor one.

On the positive side, I really enjoyed several of the concepts Matheson introduced. The cast of characters that makes the 1970 expedition to Hell House is well-balanced and intriguing. The Scientist, the Spiritualist, the Jaded Boy Wonder, and the Innocent all come together with a goal of finding out, with scientific certainty, whether there is spiritual survival after death. There is a secondary goal of unlocking the secret to the haunting of Hell House so as to tame it and make it habitable again. The first will make them wealthy. The second will make them infamous.

The dynamics between the four once they enter the house are absolutely fascinating. Barrett, the Scientist, is supremely convinced that he has the key to ending the haunting. All it requires is sound science and a machine of his design that cost nearly $100,000 to build. His wife, the Innocent, joins him in going to Hell House because she is more afraid of being alone than going into a haunted building...at least, at first. Florence, the Spiritualist, finds herself at loggerheads with Barrett at seemingly every turn. Their beliefs seem at times to be mutually exclusive, and at times almost identical. That they are so near in philosophy, and yet at vastly different conclusions, frustrates them all. And Fischer, the Jaded Boy Wonder, appears to be taking a spectator role in it all. Having survived Hell House once before, he is determined to best it this time, and is biding his time, waiting for certainty in a course of action.

The concept of a villain so driven by ego as to sacrifice his family, his comfort, his very self, in order to go on and continue to affect those who enter his domain, is really intriguing. The specifics of the original owner of Hell House are shocking, even to a veteran reader, and that in itself is impressive.

However, in the telling, there is a heavy reliance on pseudo-scientific philosophy. If you think that sentence is a mouthful, you'll find that many pages in "Hell House" are practically indecipherable. In particular, there was a passage wherein Barrett described the way his machine works. In part of that description, he talked about an experiment another scientist conducted using magnets. I literally had to reread this portion of text five times to feel I had any kind of grasp on what was being said. And when I did understand, I didn't feel that it added a great deal to the story. To the contrary, I felt it took away from the story by taking me entirely out of it. It should not be so much work to read what someone has written in a fiction novel.

I also had a difficult time reconciling the description of Hell House's owner with the actions he took. A person truly motivated by ego would much sooner change the people around them than themselves. A person suffering from egomania would most likely find themselves to be superior to such a degree that if there are any issues to be resolved in their world, it must be the part of someone else to change to resolve it. So when the owner of Hell House is described as going to extreme measures to change himself, it felt like that did not flow with the description given of his personality. Especially considering that he supposedly had a cult following. Wouldn't he sooner expect his followers to change to suit him?

By far the most difficult part of the story, for me, was the way it meandered through the pages. There were many points where I wasn't at all sure that any progress was being made in the plot. I actually checked multiple times to see how many pages were left in the story. And then, suddenly, all parts of the plot are resolved in the final ten pages. It can be very frustrating when authors do that. It's one thing when the author pulls together loose threads of the story and ties them together in a pretty bow. It's another thing entirely when concepts that have been before been brought up are suddenly smacked onto the page and the reader is told, "This is why." "Hell House" was the latter, I'm afraid.

Overall, I'm glad that I read this book, but I would not read it again.

The ectoplasmic sh!t hits the fan in Richard Matheson’s brooding tale of paranormal phenomena and sexual repression. Set in the 1970s, Hell House begins as a wealthy octogenarian (with apparently too much money and too little time left) hires expert parapsychologist Dr. Lionel Barrett to answer the metaphysical question of life after death, promising Barrett and his fellow investigators each $100,000 to bring him the answer. As if proving survival post-death wasn’t tricky enough, the hapless team is dispatched to the long abandoned Belasco House somewhere in rural Maine, a decadent manor that fell into disrepute after a dark period of drug addiction, alcoholism, debauchery, with just a dash of cannibalism—all of which occurred there under the silent influence of Emeric Belasco. Armed with troves of scientific equipment and an orange cat, the good doctor, his insecure wife Edith, and two spiritual mediums named Florence and Fischer arrive to discover this creepy estate possesses all the amenities ranging from an icky tarn to a death-defying steam room. Things go horribly awry, the spooks come out, and this ragtag group soon finds their sanity being subtly undermined by the malevolent forces housed within. It’s pretty clear why this deserted manor is dubbed "Hell House" by the good townsfolk. As Barrett and the others resolve to rid Belasco House of its evil affliction, they soon learn that the ghosts here won’t go down—at least not without one hell of a fight.

I had high hopes for Hell House, which had glowing endorsements from such auspicious writers as Stephen King. Alas, save for a couple of gripping moments, the book was so-so at best. Matheson’s writing here is pedestrian, repetitive, and wrought with awkward adverbs. The narrative plods at a leaden pace. The fright elements are familiar by today’s standards (I realize the book was published in the 1970s, but so was ‘Salem Lot and The Shining—both of which continue to stand the test of time). Although the ending was unpredictable and rather fitting, it still felt anticlimactic and maybe even a little contrived. The characters are banal, their motives one-dimensional, and the reader is given little as to their lives outside of Hell House. Dr. Barrett is overly arrogant and his attempts at explaining the nature of ghostly phenomena through the lens of cold, scientific logic bridges on nonsensical techno-babble; Edith is meek and repressed; and Florence is stubborn and overeager to prove she’s correct about the source of the haunting, even at the expense of her own life. Of the quartet, Benjamin Franklin Fischer was perhaps the only likeable character. In addition to the characters' lack of depth, I found myself occasionally frustrated by both their strange behaviors and their rash decisions, some of which proved fatal.

As I was reading Hell House, I had a hard time not drawing comparisons between this tale and Shirley Jackson’s seminal novel, The Haunting of Hill House (1959). While the plots of both stories surround four ghost seekers probing a notoriously unfriendly pile with only a single vowel to distinguish the two—Hill House v. Hell House—the more notable similarities are found in the principal protagonists. There’s little doubt that Matheson took some of the key traits and identities of Jackson’s players and injected them into his own. On the other hand, Matheson’s horrors are openly exposed while Jackson’s are implied and more frightening for that very reason. Matheson's prose doesn’t even come close to reaching the poetry of Jackson's elegantly woven web of words. (Simply read the first paragraph of Hill House and you’ll see what I mean.)

The story is so steeped in depraved eroticism that some might argue there’s more sexual content going on here than horror. It’s true, there’s plenty of flesh on display and sexuality certainly plays a chief role in the backstories of both the characters and the Belasco House. I won’t mince words—there were times when I sensed the book was lewdly indulging in sex, much like a titillated teenager (unlike William Peter Blatley’s The Exorcist, which handles similar adult themes but with greater sophistication). But if you ask me, lurid sex actually sets the book apart from other forays into the haunted house genre. While I had no objection to Matheson’s depiction of spirit possession coupled with sexual kinks (hash-tag ghost sex), which have their place in books like these; however, readers may find the sexualization and brutal abuse of the female characters gratuitous at times.

Despite being given high marks, Hell House doesn’t live up to its advance billing. Sure, there’s some memorable stuff found in the pages of this cinematic novel (which was later adapted into a 1973 film for which Matheson wrote the screenplay). Hell House is a both beguiling feat for its time and a respectable contribution to the development of the modern horror genre; but is Belasco House really the “Mount Everest of haunted houses”? Meh, let’s just go with K2 and call it a day, shall we? While the book suffers from poor characterization and stilted writing, I’d still recommend it to you Matheson appreciators and you lovers of the haunted house conceit…though I can’t promise you’ll like it.

Well, that was not what I had expected. I didn’t expect all the sexual and passionate aspects of this novel. I did enjoy this novel though and I thought the historical elements and the characters in the novel complimented each other. All the while I was reading this novel, I kept thinking “Vincent Price”, this novel had his name written all over it.

When Barrett is asked to investigate the Belasco House in Maine, I, myself was intrigued to find out the secrets that this house possessed. Being sealed up tight for thirty years, would the mysteries that this house once possessed still be alive after all this time? The history of this house, it’s owner and the guests that once walked through its front door was quite the story. The house became more like a fortress, the occupants choosing their own fate.

Barrett had a week to complete his mission and once inside the house, I didn’t feel like a week was long enough for him. I liked how the house was interacting with its new guests. Accompanied by his wife and armed with a few individuals who might be able to help the physicist, the doctor realizes soon that, they are not alone.

I liked how everyone in the house has their own story. They all have their own point of view of the mysteries that are surrounding this house. The events that are occurring are not repetitive and routine but they spark curiosity and imagination. The character of Florence, she was the most fascinating and interesting one of all. I just never knew what she would do. I’m glad I finally got around to reading this. 3.5 stars

A rich guy offers to pay a group of people to stay a few nights in a haunted house to prove there is life after death. All previous attempts to do such a stupid thing at this particular house have ended very badly for the suckers brave or stupid or hard-up enough to have a sleep-over. It’s no different this time around.

I read this book closely on the heels of finishing up Shirley Jackson’s The Haunting of Hill House which was probably a big mistake on my part as the premise of these two books is nearly identical and Jackson’s story didn’t thrill me the way it did most people. Same goes for Hell House though I did like it a wee bit more than Jackson’s story but probably only because it was more lurid and crazy-pants and I like that kind of thing but it does suffer from the same over the top characterization.

This story is much more sexually horrifying. Some of the things that happen within these pages are upsetting. Trust me on this. The house was basically turned into a pit of debauchery and hellish events when its original owner cuts loose with a group of hangers-on who dip into orgies, drugs, murder, cannibalism (as you will, I guess) and every other nasty thing your brain can imagine! The house is tainted and incredibly haunted by a horny ghost who eventually infects the woman folk and does shocking pervy things.

I listened to this story on audio and the narrator, Ray Porter, does an excellent job. He is deadly serious which suits the story and he manages to deliver the lady voices in a way that doesn’t make them sound completely ridiculous even when they’re forced to behave in overly hysterical ways. He does a good job with the men and the evil inhabiting the house as well.

I’m going to give this the same rating as the Jackson book. 3 Stars.

The story tells of a man who wa so rich, he could do absolutely anything he wanted and get away with it. He held seances, orgies, murdeorus, even cannabalistic get togethers and all in the name of science. Or was it greed, filth and hubris? The house held all the history, mystery and souls, making it one of the spookiest houses on the map for decades. When a team decides to debunk, in the name of science, they all learn tht it was a true mistake. Nothing can stop Hell House.

Matheson can write some crazy stuff. Richard Matheson, the creator of I Am Legend, wrote this book in 1971. Two years later it was made into a movie, but I am very sure it was a mild version of what the book takes on. Filled with sex, talks of sex, visions of sex, even mentions of necrophilia- it's not for everyone.

Hell House is written well, but wow... way crazy. It was like a civilized version of Caligula or something. I don't know. Crazy good? I'm moving on to the next read.

Cheers!

*For the full review: www dot areneehunt dot com
Hell House
Richard Matheson
Published by Viking Press, 1971
302-Pages
Literature/Horror/Fiction

Hell House is a classic horror story. A dying billionaire offers a group of damaged people oodles to prove there’s life-after-death. To do so, the group visits the infamous Belasco House, which has corrupted and destroyed its previous guests. It starts working on its visitors immediately—playing on their deepest needs and insecurities.

Dr. Lionel Barrett is the group’s leader and biggest skeptic. He’s determined not to believe any of the phenomena he witnesses. He’s a crippled physicist who has an interest in parapsychology, a bunch of cool-science gadgets and a clingy wife named Edith. Edith is shy, repressed, sexually frustrated and pretty much afraid of everything. Two mediums accompany the couple. Florence Tanner, who is a former starlet turned-spiritualist and minister. She’s convinced that she can rid the house of its evil. Benjamin Franklin Fischer is the sole survivor from the previous Belasco house party. He was a teenager at the time and it pretty much wrecked his life. Now a forty-something ne’er-do-well, he’s determined not to get suckered into caring about the other guests or letting the house get to him again. He remains aloof and disinterested, but soon the brutal mystery behind the ghostly manifestations draws him in along with everyone else.

Within hours of entering the house, the malevolent spirit of Emeric Belasco and perhaps a legion of his ghostly victims terrorize his new guests. They should leave, but they don’t. Then, they can’t, and you can probably guess what happens next— more creepy encounters, and some blood-chilling scenes. Hauntings reveal the house’s history and people die horribly. What kept me from rating this book as an awesome five was that I didn’t like any of the characters and they didn’t seem to like themselves. Still, the final confrontation was a satisfying surprise.

I like how the terror inflicted on the guests synced up with their personalities and fears and how well planned the entire haunted-house experience was. If you like psychological horror and carefully-plotted mysteries, this is a tale for you.

I never know what to expect with Matheson. It moves freely between fantasy, paranormal and speculation fiction, always proposing stories outside the box. This, compared to other books I’ve read, is different because of the lack of a real main character around which the whole story revolves. It is in fact a choral novel that fully falls within the canons of horror, where one by one the characters that seem to have a primary role die, leaving only one or two at the end. In addition, there is the paranormal element that returns frequently in his works and here is yet addressed once in an original way.
Overall it is a novel that seems almost contemporary, since it is not afraid to put together violent, thorny and blasphemous elements, despite forty years passed since it was written.
The plot is compelling, especially in some passages. The subdivision of the scenes through the timestamp, therefore without chapters, encourages reading and increases the anxiogenic effect.
Unfortunately I read an Italian edition with a very old translation, although it does not affect much the perception of contemporaneity of the work, once you get used to the language, but it obviously cancels the illusion. Added to this is a classic horror ending that is quite predictable and leaves a bitter taste in the mouth.

Rita Carla Francesca Monticelli, author of Red Desert - Point of No Return

I don't read much horror fiction, so I was expecting this book to be interesting, with a lot of suspense and gore, but it was so boring I would have returned it if I could (I bought the Kindle version). The most interesting bits were in the last 10%, like, the last 5 pages. The rest read more like a little kid's idea of "scary" pornography. Seriously. "Oh my god, maybe she's a lusty lesbian in denial!" Oooo, scary. Which, I must say - if you are disturbed by sexual violence, this book might likely bother you.

It seemed like he meant it to have a psychological "fear of the true self" element but it was soooo shallow it was truly comical. And there's more interesting attempts at scientific phenomena in Pullman's His Dark Materials. MAYBE if I believed in ghosts I would have been more entertained, but I seriously doubt it. It maybe would work better as a graphic novel. A total yawn.

Such a fantastic novel. I read it for the first time back in 2011 as I was finishing up my own debut (BLOOD AND RAIN). Picking it up again a couple weeks before Halloween, I was excited and apprehensive in revisiting the evils of Hell House. My fear was that I may not be as impressed. That was not the case. Following hot on the heels of my re-read of THE SHINING, HELL HOUSE reminded me of why I held it in such high regard. While THE SHINING is among my favorite haunted stories, HELL HOUSE is still the top dog. King has mentioned his love for Matheson (HELL HOUSE in particular) many times throughout his career. There would be no SHINING without HELL HOUSE.
If you've never read this classic, rectify that.

HELL HOUSE stands alone.
5 stars!

“It's the Mount Everest of haunted houses.” Hell House is a novel written by Richard Matheson about the “Mount Everest of haunted houses.”It is a fitting quote as Matheson was Sir Edmund Hillary to the sci fi and horror genre. Modern writers, like Stephen King, and filmmakers, like George Romero, list him as one of their major influences. His credits include novels, short stories, screenplays, television, and even one non-fiction. Reading Hell House is almost a rite of passage for lovers of the haunted house genre.

The book is centered on the Belasco House is rural Maine, so rural not even Stephen King has been there. The house was owned by an extraordinarily wealthy and amoral man. He built it as far away from everything as he could and in a generally unhealthy area to discourage unwanted visitors. While he lived, the opulent house was host to ongoing parties which increased in depravity and violence over the years. When family of guests finally checked on them, they found everyone dead, Belasco missing and the house abandoned.

As the story starts Dr. Lionel Barrett is hired by another fabulously wealthy man to put an end to the question of whether there is life after death. Barrett does not believe in the soul. He is a scientist. In addition to his wife, Barrett takes Florence, a mental medium, and Ben, a physical medium and the only survivor of a previous Belasco investigation team. The ectoplasm hits the fan almost immediately on their arrival. The questions of who or what is haunting Hell House grow with each incident until the final chapter.

Hell House is a very good haunted house story. It is not the best though. The Mount Everest of haunted house stories title belongs to Shirley Jackson’s The Haunting of Hill House. Matheson was definitely taking Jackson on with Hell House (Stephen King did his homage to her with his screenplay of Rose Red). There are many similarities in the beginning. Matheson uses a lot of sexual situations where Jackson does not. Matheson’s horrors are fully exposed while Jackson’s are implied and more frightening for that very reason. While it is not Mount Everest, Hell House is K2, still a good book and a classic in the genre.

Ray Porter did a great job narrating it. His voice is smooth and calming, which adds to the horror in a very unique way. Even at the height of action, his voice never rises. He conveys all the emotion and horror without yelling or screaming. His characters are great. He must have an amazing vocal range. Barrett’s character has a deeper voice than Fischers. The women’s voices are slightly higher and the speech patterns different so it is easy to tell them apart. The production values were excellent. I also found that Ray Porter’s voice reminds of Bill Ratner (“Alexander feels a strange pulling sensation.”).

I must confess that Haunted Houses are my favorite part of the horror genre. The audiobook of Hell House is a wonderful addition to my collection.

Audiobook provided for review by the audiobookreviewer dot com

Story (Plot) 5
Performance 5
Production Quality 5
Attention Holding 5

I have to say that I bought it moee for the cover, for some reason it enticed me and I bought it in a whim, but I don't regret it.

It was truly interesting really and it kept me on edge the entire time, the characters were complex and very animated, at some point I thought that I was living this episode with them, they felt so alive.

The narrator was good and had a good pace at reading, it made understood the world and situation this characters were living like telling me of something that he saw somewhere.

Truly a good balance between horror and human essence.

Belasco House was a home of great horror and depravity in the early 1900s. Emeric Belasco had the windows bricked up so no one could see in and, more importantly, his guests could not see out. Cut off from the natural world, they lived a debauched life that descended into madness, eventually turning on each other in the most gruesome ways possible. He died and the people were cleared out but the house was still unlivable because it became haunted. Nicknamed Hell House, it attracted two groups of spiritualist (one in 1931 and another in 1940) to try and exorcise the house. Both groups went crazy within a week and killed themselves. The only survivor (from the 1940 group) was a hot-shot spiritualist teenager, Benjamin Fischer, who lost his powers after failing to change the house.

The novel Hell House starts in 1970 when another group comes to the house to discover and remove whatever forces lurk within. Fischer comes back for a second try. Florence, another psychic who has promising powers, also comes. They are joined by Dr. Barrett and his wife. Barrett has been studying psychic phenomena in a scientific way and plans to prove his theories about what really causes "hauntings." He has a bit of disdain for the psychics but sees them as necessary to spark activity in the house. They've all been promised a lot of money by the current owner of the house, Mr. Deutsch, who wants proof of an afterlife. Deutsch even fronts money to Dr. Barrett to build a machine that he needs to "take care" of the haunts.

Once ensconced in the house, the group has a few seances that bring out the typical "you'd better get out of here or we'll have to kill you" messages, which they are more excited about than fearful of. Tensions mount between the psychics and the Barretts. Their continued investigations bring some insights into each other and the house's history but also causes a lot of pain and danger. And ectoplasm!

The story follows some standard haunted house tropes (science vs. psychics, is that ghost really who they say they are, etc.) but the characters are interesting enough that I bought into the plot. The book is graphic in that way many books from the 1970s are (the novel Jaws springs to mind), giving explicit details both sexual and gory. The graphicness bothered me, but the book is a horror story. I probably won't shelve it where the kids can reach it. The book is an interesting, typical haunted house book.

My "go to" book when I want to read a "real" ghost story. And it doesn't hurt that the house is in Maine where I live. Get a few people together with differing backgrounds and beliefs, stick them in the "Mt. Everest of haunter houses" and sit back. Not sure why someone wrote about poorly created characters because they were real to me. I also liked the substitution of Roddy MacDowall and can't think of another actor who would have fit the description of Fisher, besides bringing needed action to the movie. Sometimes I read just to get to the last chapter!

I could launch into an extended rant about the intrinsic weakness of horror that needs to rely on squicky sexual situations or subtext, the laughability in this day and age of a story which seems to find lesbianism more frightening than (or perhaps tantamount to) demonic possession, or the sheer pull-the-other-one unbelievability of anyone willingly staying in a haunted house whose windows have been bricked up where the lights won't stay on, but instead I'll confine myself to simply noting: Shirley Jackson did it better.

This book is a monster of a haunted house novel, and easily, of any story involving hauntings whether of a house or a hotel or anything of the sort, is one of the best and one of the scariest and, easily as well, most horrific.

Richard Matheson, the legend, is clearly at his prime in this book. It follows a small group of people who dare entering the walls of the Belasco House, regarded as the most haunted house on earth, in search of proof of life after death. One of them is a scientist/parapsychologist with a plethora of information and gear, and his wife, intent on proving the Belasco House, nicknamed Hell House, to be the product of science, not the supernatural. And with him are two psychics, one of whom has been in the house before, and was the only survivor of the last group to have entered.

So, quite the classic setup, right? This book might seem dated in some ways, rightfully so, but to me it made this book no less terrifying and no less satisfying of a read. It's pure, relentless horror, sometimes delving into controversial and truly discomforting realms, right from the start. And Matheson writes with his usual skill: simply, concisely, yet elegantly and sometimes even poetically. This book wastes no time and throws you right into it, and the horror builds and builds. It's absolutely brilliant, intelligent, spiritual, and gothic and unapologetically dark. Matheson wasn't afraid to "go there," and in this book especially, into the realms of horror, he "went there."

In brief summary, this is a masterpiece, a classic--underrated and under appreciated classic, at that--of the horror genre. I consider it a legend, of sorts, because just flipping through my copy, looking at the cover or reading the blurb, is unsettling enough because of the memories it brings up of the experience of the first read.

Another Great book by Matheson. I really liked "I am legend" by Matheson and Hell House did not disappoint. I admit, I did pick up this book after seeing it on the "50 scariest books of all time" list somewhere on the internet. The beginning of the book started out a little slow for me; however, Matheson does know how to build the tension as he builds his plot. Once things started happening in this book, Matheson did not hold back. This book is about a Haunted House and being possessed.

Four people enter "Hell House" in Maine after being hired to do so by a dying Millionaire to determine if there is life after death. Dr. Lionel Barrett, a physicist his wife Edith, Florence Tanner, a Spiritualist and Benjamin Fischer, a physical medium (and the sole survivor of a failed investigation of the haunted house) enter the infamous Belasco House in Maine, regarded as the most haunted house in the world.

In one way or another, each individual begins to experience trauma especially Florence by unknown forces. If you like scary books, books on ghosts, haunted houses, paranormal activity, or possession this may be the book for you. Some reviews felt the book may be dated. It was written in the 70's so keep that in mind while reading.

When I think of audiobooks about haunted houses, Shirley Jackson's The Haunting of Hill House is the first one that comes to mind, and I inevitably compare all others to that masterpiece. It's not really a fair comparison, I know, because The Haunting of Hill House sets the bar impossibly high; it's like comparing other rock ballads to Kiss' Beth. When I look at Hell House in that light, it too falls short of the mark, but if I really try to be objective about it, I have to admit that Richard Matheson did a pretty fine job.

Where Shirley Jackson is subtle, penetrating the layers of our minds with the precision of a scalpel, Matheson is more blunt, like a chainsaw. I'm not saying that's a bad thing. Hannibal Lecter and Freddy Krueger have very different methods, and who's to say which one is more terrifying. When you get right down to it, it's a little like comparing apples to oranges: both are fruits, sure, and both taste good, but how different they are.

Okay, enough with the fruity comparisons. I like the way Richard Matheson blends traditional horror elements with scientific theory, or put another way, the way he blends the supernatural with the natural. In his story I Am Legend, Matheson wrote about zombie/vampires. They were not typical zombie/vampires, however, their condition was the result of a plague. The hero of the story, Robert Neville, strove to develop a vaccine that would cure the effected and return them to normal. In Hell House, the character of Lionel Barrett proposes that hauntings are nothing more than a physical energy left behind by a deceased person, something that can be measured and controlled, similar to radioactive fallout. In both cases, the heroes seem to have come up with a solution to the problem, but we never quite get to find out for sure if they work.

Matheson's hypotheses have an air of plausibility to them, an important factor that I always look for in any book. Knowing the theory behind a phenomenon will usually make that phenomenon less strange, or less scary, but somehow that is not the case with Matheson's stories. Even after explaining how or why something works the way it does, he can still make you fear it, raising the suspense to a level that is nearly unbearable.

Hell House was my first experience with narrator Ray Porter. He impressed me right away. There are a lot of narrators that can do pretty good character voices, but ultimately they still sound like one person doing a lot of voices. My first impression of Porter was that his voices actually sounded like different people. Even his voices for the female characters were convincing, something that very few male narrators can pull off. Ray Porter is good, and I would like to hear more from him.

You'll find only one haunted house story better than this one, as I have already mentioned. When you've finished that one and are ready for number two, Hell House will be waiting. Proceed with caution.

"There's no such thing as the supernatural, is there?"
"The word is `supernormal'."
"It's superstition, all of it!"
"I'm sorry, but it isn't...anyone who chooses to refer to psychic phenomena as superstition simply isn't aware of what's going on in the world."
-from Richard Matheson's "Hell House"

Richard Matheson's very short novel follows a group of four experts with various supernatural-related backgrounds, who seek to prove or disprove the existence of ghosts in a super-creepy home that's become known as Hell House. And a hellish house it is indeed.

The roots of the story are built on a foundation of gothic horror. I've not read a lot of HP Lovecraft, but I couldn't help but be reminded of his very heavy and mythic language throughout Matheson's story. "They all stared through the windows at the curling fog. It was as though they rode inside a submarine, slowly navigating downward through a sea of curdled milk."

The following exposition describes what the group sees as they approach the house for the first time: "It had been raining hard since five o'clock that morning. Brontean weather, Dr. Barrett thought. He repressed a smile. He felt rather like a character in some latter-day Gothic romance."

It also appears that the movie series "Saw" paid homage to this classic short novel in its' structure around the ever-disembodied presence of Jigsaw. Emeric Belasco was the owner of Hell House and his voice is heard on a record, started by an unknown force..."Think of me as your unseen host and believe that, during your stay here, I shall be with you in spirit."

"It knows we're here."

Matheson builds plausible reasons why these supernatural phenomena happen...two of the three characters believe without a doubt in the existence of ghosts and otherworldly supernatural beings. One believes that the phenomena are real, but projected through the living, not the dead. This conflict creates a good bit of dramatic tension, though not enough to drive the story and characters on its' own.

"Hell House" is an enjoyable read and it's short. It left me, a few times, taking a peek behind my back in my darkened bedroom, though I feel the story had much greater potential. I liked it, but didn't love it.

Recently I re-visted reading Richard Matheson's novel "Hell House." For those of you who remember the 1971 film starring, Roddy McDowell, Pamela Franklin, Clive Reville and Gayle Hunnicutt, which is titled, "The Legend of Hell house". I was a young boy when I saw the film, and as far as scares go, nothing to hide under the sheet at night about. But many years later, while browsing a used book store, I found this little 300 page gem. For the next couple of days, I had two hour lunches and now I had something to read. Richard Matheson's book far surpasses anything the film attempted to do. It creeps into your imagination and plants itself firmly. The characters are richly layered and the house itself becomes a character. I always find it a welcome surprise, when I find a book that really starts to make me feel like something is very wrong. Like a master painting, the author creates an image that keep the reader unnerved the entire time. The brief chapters and countdown of time makes one feel time is indeed running out.

Twenty years later, I still love this novel. It reveals why Richard Matheson was so prolific at writing so many episodes of "The Twilight Zone" and scripts written for movies made for t.v. Such as "The Night Stalker". I would say will all confidence, Hell House holds up today as much as it did when first published.

Leave the lights on.

Thomas Amo
author of "An Apple For Zoe"
[...]

I just didn't love this book like I always thought I would. Sometimes I expect so much from a story I'm looking forward to that it's hard for it to actually live up to expectations, but I don't think that's the main reason I felt underwhelmed by this book. The fact is, it just isn't anywhere near as great as I wanted it to be, and I did very much want to love this book.

The main problem is the story has a small plot. With your basic premise being a house that's haunted, there's bound to be quite a bit of filler along the way. Indeed, some of the scenes seemed repitive and I got tired of the next "occurrence" to happen as most of the instances don't lead to anything dramatic happening (some do, of course, but not the majority). Also, it kind of bugged me why every one of the four characters were so reluctant to leave the house. There's reasons why of course (not the least of which is a $100,000 pay day), but I just felt that realistically, anyone would be hightailing it out of Hell House pretty quickly (I guess Barret would be the exception).

Still, it's a three-star book, and there are positives I can say. Matheson's writing is nice and simple, at times intelligent and pretty sharp for the most part.
Also, the atmosphere is great, especially when the four characters first enter Hell House. I do like books set in the winter time, so that was a nice touch. And, of course, this is a horror novel, so there were plenty of scares along the way. The end was a nice touch as well.

Overall, not too strong of a book, not too horrible either, just a book that I thought would amaze me turned out to be pretty average in the end.

Four psychic investigators agree to spend a week in the Belasco House in Maine--the Mt. Everest of haunted houses. They're there to prove the existence of life after death for a rich dying millionaire. Two previous expeditions have resulted in death and madness with only one survivor. They go in and the house gives them the full treatment. Will they find out what they came for...or will the house kill them all?

This was published in 1971 and made into a movie in 1973. I saw the movie first. It's PG but pretty graphic, disturbing and VERY scary. I didn't think the book could be as good as it and I was right. It's better! It's VERY graphic--full of violence, blood and sex. The book moves very quickly--it's written in short chapters that get right to the point and don't hold back. The characters themselves are interesting and well-developed. You really do care about these people and what happens to them. There are only a few drawbacks. There's a lesbian scene which comes across as more homophobic than scary and the ending where they come face to face with the main villain is kind of silly. Still this is a very scary book and highly recommended. Don't read it late at night though--you won't be able to sleep!:)

A physics doctor and his wife, a medium woman, and a men psychic go into the Belasco House that is supposed to be haunted. Strange thing happens, poltergeist, visions, that suddenly become attacks on the house visitors. The physics doctor also brings an EMR machine that is to clean all residual energy from the house, the medium tries to solve the haunting by contacting the spirits, they psychic just wants to survive the visit. Would they solve the haunting or would they die like the previous researchers. A few good fright, a very powerful poltergeist scene marvelously written. It was a good read but unfortunately the author gives a big expectation at the beginning when they explain why it’s called Hell house and the many phenomena supposedly happening, yet it keeps it low.

I've always enjoyed the Hell House tale. Matheson had a way with his wording and the haunted house impact was really something he seemed to understand. That really comes through in this showing from IDW, too, because the book has an appeal that seems like more than a story and pictures coming together. It seems like words gaining another level of atmosphere and, honestly, it is hard to say that about some tales.

Hell House is an old tale that takes place in a really terrible place. Strange things have happened here and a team of people are assembled to access the home. You can tell the age of the idea by the team but the rustic way they present themselves simply adds to the horror. And then there's the home itself.

For some people, one problem might be the black and white presentation. Another might be the way the art is present BUT I really liked it. You can see samples of both if you need to know about that, and I would suggest it. I say that because the art makes or breaks the atmospheric back of a tale and, really, you can't go through a haunting without feeling the terror of the place. It relies on that imapact.

As far as translation of the tale, this is done wonderfully. I thought I might have a problem with this but, once in, I felt the book flow. It isn't a small thing, either, so you are not going to feel like you go a small publication. This is a thick book with a lot of ideas and a lot of dialog. It also has a lot of other stuff too, not ripping away the horror element.

For people who want the Graphic Novel imapct of the tale, I would say go for it. I would also say that fans or that people who don't know it alike might like the showing. If you feel some purist need when it comes to your stories I would say that this might be something to stay away from, but only then. Otherwise it is a nice taste and you will go out feel a little more connected with what a haunting should feel like.
I wish more authors knew these golden ways.

The Belasco house has been investigated twice before by groups of mediums and scientists and no one who entered came out unscathed. Most died in the house leaving it known as Hell House. Now a third group is set to spend a week there, including the only survivor of the last expedition. Along with him is another medium and a scientist and his wife. The scientist, Dr. Barrett, is there to prove that ghosts and spirits do not exist. He has a machine of his own invention that he believes will prove once and for all that there is no afterlife. The strange happenings begin almost immediately, affecting Florence the vulnerable medium the most violently. None of the four escapes harm however, including Dr. Barrett who steadfastly refuses to believe in a sinister explanation.

This is a hard book for me to review. When I think about the writing it is well done. Fleshed out characters acting as you believe they should based on their personalities. The background of the house and its spirits is certainly grotesque and the supernatural experiences build toward the climax. Having said that, for a reason I can't pinpoint, it never grabbed me totally. I wasn't mesmerized nor scared, putting the book aside at one point for a week before returning to it. Despite the author's pedigree and the reputation of this book, it didn't make a deep impression but I can't explain why.

I greatly liked the overall story of Hell House. However, I felt that the characters made some decisions that did not make sense. I will explain that later...

In short, it is a great ghost story. Some of the overall scenes in the book are definitely gory, sexual, and a bit disturbing. However, I can understand why some of those elements were included - they did contribute to the evil that was lurking within the undertones of the book.

SPOILERS (MAYBE)

One of the things that bothered me was the ending. All of this massive build up, all of the hoopla about how Hell House is the "Mount Everest of Haunted Houses". After all the drama of several people dying, and then Belasco is eliminated by basically being shamed by Fischer in the chapel? What? Should it not take a little more than that? It was an odd ending that did not make the best of endings. I felt it should be much more grand.

Additionally, why on earth would those people stay around in the house after one of the mediums died such a gruesome and awful death? Who could stare at that carnage and just stick around? Really?

As far for my "a bit slow" comment above, I was referring to the amount of time it took to get a resolution on what was happening. It did seem like it took forever to really understand why certain things were happening in the house, and why they were happening. It dragged a little bit, because it did focus a great deal on the mechanics of the investigation and haunting.

Still, it has a great deal of fast-paced drama, interesting details about mediums & seances, etc. I liked the exploration of the house, and the historical details of the hauntings. The characters were explored and more in-depth, and I liked that. Many scary novels focus on outer details, just the surface details of what is happening. I would prefer to know more about the background of the characters, what they are feeling, and why they are in a particular situation.

All in all, I would instruct others to read this. It's a fun and scary read. I like the concept and I think any reader will enjoy it as well.

I am a huge fan of Matheson's superb novel, I Am Legend so naturally Hell House was on my must-read list. I must say that the description of this mansion's past was hellish and horrid. I found the description of the house guest's peril and fear well worth having to sleep with the lights on for several nights! A classic in the haunted house genre. Rating: A-

Though it is a quick read I do admit there are parts that drag just somewhat even for the quickness of it that being said there are some parts I couldn't read fast enough. What a great book. I heard I am legend is even better and I will get to that. This book I thought was pretty scary as when the lights are off in my house and I creep downstairs for a midnight snack I find myself looking over my shoulder. It's been a looooong time since a book caused me to do that . Strongly recommended and after all these years I'm glad I finally got to this and the haunting of hill house; that book is more subtle but none the less great two horror classics. Excellent.

This book is often compared to Shirley Jackson's book The Legend of Hill House. I think Jackson's is the more eloquent, better written book, but it is truly a "6 of one, 1/2 dozen of another" situation. Matheson's book is an easier read, but far more lurid, even profane. Despite the excess, it is a very good book and one I would absolutely recommend. The only reason I deducted a star is the ending felt like a bit of a throw away to me.

I picked this up because I adore haunted house stories, they're a nice juicy break when I'm in the mood for something wicked and I was curious about it after hearing everyone always recommending it as the scariest haunted house book ever. Well, it's not the scariest, in the least, I was disappointed that it never chilled me but it was entertaining and it didn't shy away form the usual formula these novels follow.

Abandoned and left to decay, the Belasco house is called the Hell House because of horrific and despicable acts that took place there in the early 1900's leaving the building enveloped in a thick, cloying coat of black aura and seeping negative energy. Years ago some very indulgent and immoral parties took place in the once great house but overtime the madness got so big that the energy couldn't be contained and everyone that indulged there disappeared and was never heard form again. All the expeditions that were send to demystify the bizarre happenings have turned up dead, all but one man, Benjamin Franklin Fischer, and twenty years later he is back at the dark, heavy doors with a new team and perhaps a new way of battling the demons of his past. Accompanied by Dr. Barrett, a physicist and his wife Edith along with Florence Tanner who's a medium, the small group gets a salary form a dying millionaire and is send to prove any facts they can about survival, mainly about surviving death since the Hell House is anything but abandoned even thought no one dares to live there. Each character has his and her own reason for wanting to prove something, but not everyone is as passionate about saving any souls form the house as Florence, whose extreme openness makes me vulnerable form the start. It isn't long before everyone starts bickering about what really haunts the house when the manifestations grow form eerie to violent and intense. Tour of the house reveals perverse and perhaps dirty photos and art that give it a menacing feel and it touches the female characters as they have some major issues with their own $exuality. The spirit of Emeric Belasco is not only always present but those who dined and partied in his house also seem present, keen on keeping the new guests trapped forever.

Overall I liked the story, it was interesting and had a nice feel to it, but it wasn't very scary, I enjoyed that the haunting started manifesting rather quickly, there was no beating around the bush but I felt that the characters fell a little flat and were slightly underdeveloped. The most annoying was the medium; Florence Tanner. She was a necessary vehicle for unleashing the evil but she was so susceptible and weak that she made me angry, always putting everyone else in danger with her actions. In the end we were supposed to care about her but I found it hard, she disagreed with the doctor and was always protected by Fischer, why, I don't know, it was never really clear and the weirdness between the doctors and his wife was also suddenly almost uncomfortable. An older couple who never lie close and are never tender, only polite and professional towards each other suddenly have issues in a haunted house that is famous for it's perversions, hmmm big surprise there...can you guess what happens? Another annoying bit - after the scares, and beating and blood the characters kept coming back to the house, I swear the book almost begged for revolving doors because they just couldn't stay away...dead bodies, possessions, flying tables, who cares, lets all sit at the table and finish our pork chops and peas then wash it down with coffee, never mind that half way though someone can be killed......It's almost as if the ego to solve the mystery was bigger than everyone's desire to salvage what they had left and live. I did like one part of the ending, when a chunk of the mystery is finally revealed, it was a little kick in the gut and I said out loud " No way!" and it certainly added to the book but it didn't make it a perfect horror novel. I say read it, enjoy and don't get too annoyed, and I will certainly read more of Matheson, his ideas are interesting and he's a talent in the literary world.

- Kasia S.

The atmosphere in this book is fantastic; I saw every room and corridor. I saw the tarn and the bridge and the fog. Creepy, creepy, creepy. And the story idea is great--the house haunted by a perverted cult leader and his doomed followers after they killed each other in a blood orgy. But the writing distracted me. So many adverbs and not even in a cute way, as in the Harry Potter books. The first time someone saw something that startled them and turned their head so fast it hurt their neck was okay. The second time pushed it, and the third time was just funny. At least half a dozen times and probably more, someone slid or otherwise moved their legs over the edge of their mattress to get out of a bed. The dialogue was often dull. But the story interested me, and I read to the end.

I wasn't satisfied. Without writing a spoiler, I'll say the climax and explanation after didn't hold together for me. I may try reading one other book by this author. Maybe not.

The story is structured well and held my interest throughout, but the writing style was rigid and lacked immersion. The segues were often confusing, especially at the beginning of chapters. The character development was fairly good, particularly the psychic Florence, but the obscure elderly couple bringing foodstuffs rated more description. Also: (SPOILER) Law enforcement wasn't mentioned in the narrative—including when the protagonists twice delivered dead bodies to the nearest town!?

No doubt about it, Matheson is a master of horror. Matheson weaves a tale about Emeric Belasco, an angry, twisted man, who builds a temple of evil. As the story reads, all sorts of perversions took place in this house (some of which are described here). Belasco revels in the activities of his "guests" until all of them are found dead in his home; Belasco, however, is never found. What happened to him?
Fast forward to 1970. An unlikely team of "professionals" are hired by an eccentric millionaire to stay in Hell House for one week to either prove or disprove some type of existence after death. Imagine Gilligan's Island with Lovecraft as the writer and Poe as the director. Florence, a mental medium, opens herself to one too many supernatural impressions. Ben, a physical medium, just wants to collect his money and run. He once survived Hell House and knows the horrors it holds. Lionel is an educated skeptic; he sees this adventure as a chance to try out his invention which will prove that supernatural phenomenon is all a product of the energy given off by human beings rather than acts from beyond the grave. And then there is Lionel's wife, Edith, who accompanies him to look out for him due to his poor health; she gets more than she bargains for. This newest batch of guests is subjected to all sorts of chilling terrors, all the while fighting amongst themselves and confronting their own fears and doubts.
Matheson is an expert story teller. Here he creates a creepy, read-it-with-the-lights-on tale which will still leave you wondering: Are there really ghosts or do we simply create these phenomenon from our subconscious? There are some parts not suited for the extremely squeamish. If you've seen the movie, be prepared for some graphic sex and violence left out of the script! However, if you like solid, gothic ghost stories, if you like classic horror and good writing, then you need to give this one a read. Fans of Matheson know: read anything he writes. It's always a great ride.

Not bad, not great. It's The Haunting of Hill House mashed up with The Exorcist, though I'd have to check the publication date of The Exorcist to see which influenced the other.

While not exactly a rip-off of Shirley Jackson's classic, it's pretty close.

Whether you prefer this to The Haunting of Hill House, depends on what you're looking for in a haunted house novel. If you want sex, violence, blood and action Hell House is for you. If you prefer subtlety and to leave your novels with a sense of questioning, well, you might prefer to check out The Haunting of Hill House.

Ultimately I was satisfied with the end, but if you're looking for deep philosophical thoughts on life after death, I suggest Matheson's kinder, gentler work on the subject, What Dreams May Come.

I litened to the audiobook version and enjoyed it quite a bit. The narration was well done, even if I thought it was a little overdone at times. The story was interesting and well written. I wasn't sure what to expect but I was pleased with the ways things turned out. It was a unique take on the haunted house sub genre of horror. A good read.

For many years my familiarity with Richard Matheson's Hell House was not of the novel, whose reputation as a classic is deserved, but of the equally effective, and very faithful, movie version, known as The Legend of Hell House. When Matheson adapted his novel into a screenplay he toned down the sexual tensions and altered the characterizations a bit. But the greater freedom of the comic book format allows writer Ian Edington and artist Simon Fraser to keep those tensions and characterizations intact and they let those elements play out without the constraints of a tight budget or an hour and a half running time.

Multimillionaire Rudolph Deutsch is dying and he wants hard evidence of survival after death. To collect this evidence Deutsch hires physicist and parapsychology investigator, not to mention life after death debunker, Dr. Lionel Barrett to investigate the phenomona at the Belasco House. A place that has earned to title Hell House. Joining Barrett in the investigation are his assistant wife Edith, Florence Tanner, a mental medium, and Benjamin Fischer, a physical medium and the only survivor of a previous investigation. Volume One (of Three?) introduces the characters and the Belasco House nicely, the creepy artwork is topnotch and, if the reader is familiar with the movie version, you can almost hear the creepy music that underscored The Legend of Hell House. I don't think there is a horror fan out there that wouldn't want to have this version of Matheson's frightening story. Highest recommendation.

This is a great ghost story. Unlike alot of horror novels which contain blood, gore, and graphic violence, Hell House sneaks up on you in a quiet, subtle way. It's eerie, fast paced, and fun.

4 people are hired to stay for 5 days in a supposed haunted house referred to as Hell House, owned by a man named Emeric Belasco. Belasco used his house to promote excess and human depravity. Drugs and alcohol were plentiful, and those who followed him lost their minds. Eventually, the house was broken into and everyone inside, 27 people, were found dead. Belasco was never found. Lionel Barret; a parapsychology professor, his wife; Edith, and 2 mediums; Florence Tanner and Benjamin Fischer are given 5 days to discover if Hell House is really haunted and if so, by whom. Let the games begin.

Things go bump in the night, voices are heard, bedding rises up in the air, taking shape as though a human is hiding under it. Record players play by themselves and rocking chairs move with no one sitting in them. It is a roller coaster ride into the supernatural.

The characters are all human and believable. They are just as scared as you or I would be, given the same circumstances. No one is a hero. They just want to survive the 5 days, collect their money, and get out, alive. Can they do it? Will they all leave alive? This is a fun book. I really enjoyed it and am sure you will too.

After reading Hell House, I immediately ordered all three volumes of Richard Matheson's Collected works. It is hands-down the best haunting novel I've read, and possibly the best horror novel. Steven King often refers to Matheson as his main influence - and it is abundantly clear why when you read this book. I think I can safely say that The Shining, Pet Semetary, 1408, Rose Red and others would not exist without this book having lead the way (and I think it is better than each of those, including Kubrick's Shining). Coldheart Canyon is an excellent horror novel by Clive Barker - and I feel it was also very heavily influenced by Hell House.

Almost each scene begins with the characters sliding their legs out of beds in a house regarded as `the Mount Everest of Haunted Houses'. You come to feel that sensation of sheets on your legs - and it's a real gateway into sharing the rest of their experiences, both physically and psychologically. I don't want to ruin any surprises for anyone - but this book is the real deal. The images linger with you when/if you go to bed at night. It triggered a couple very late reading sessions - I couldn't put it down (cliché but true).

It has been a while since I have not wanted a book to end - since I mourned the final pages and losing touch with well realized characters in a story that never grew (at least a little) stale. I got that feeling in this case, and I'm sure it's a book I'll reread. Spread the word: Matheson is genius. He is going onto my short list of favorites somewhere beside Ray Bradbury and above Steven King.

I'm just going to say it: I found Hell House to be a bit of a poor man's The Haunting of Hill House. I just can't help it. Hell House seems to borrow a lot from that particular book only doesn't utilize it half as well. Of course, it probably doesn't help that I absolutely love and adore The Haunting of Hill House and it's one of my favorite novels ever (and definitely my favorite horror novel ever).

The first 100 pages or so of Hell House were pretty amazing. They were creepy, intriguing, and more than a little bizarre (I love bizarre). But Matheson pretty much lost me at teleplasm. I'm sorry, but oozing material coming out of a person's hands isn't really that scary to me. I'm sure I'd feel differently if the ooze was protruding from my hands, but as it wasn't, I just couldn't help but be underwhelmed by that particular plot point. Since Hell House used this a lot in its scares, it stopped being particularly scary at that point.

Another thing I was underwhelmed by was the secret of Hell House. It's supposed to be this tremendous thing that is built up so much that by the time it actually came I was like "That's it? THAT'S the secret of Hell House?" That was a bit of a letdown. After all that build-up, I was expecting something BAM-worthy. That wasn't really it.

Hell House wasn't all underwhelming, though. The actual scary: Belasco. That man was just all types of bizarre, weird, and terribly sick. But man, was he fascinating! I loved learning about him even though I was repulsed at everything he did. Also, those times where the blanket covered someone who wasn't there before? Pretty terrifying. That's stuff directly from my nightmares, so I liked it.

So, all in all, I thought Hell House was an okay haunted house story. It was mildly creepy, pretty violent and sexualized, and plenty gross. The makings of horror, no doubt. However, a classic it is not (or at least in my humble opinion). It probably doesn't help that I read a SUPERB haunted house story a few days before reading this one (Naomi's Room by Jonathan Aycliffe) and I have previously read The Haunting of Hill House which were superior to Hell House. But still, Hell House was a good Halloween read. Just not really my fave.

I had high hopes for this book, as I like Matheson and I had heard good things about it. And the first two-thirds of the book, if familiar, still built up a creepy atmosphere and really felt like they were leading to a great climax. In the end, though, the wrap-up to the book is completely absurd, and the whole thing reads like "Haunting of Hill House" as written by someone who has never had sex. Sorry, but Shirley Jackson did it before and did it better.

"Welcome to my house, I'm delighted you could come. I am certain you will find your stay here most illuminating. It is regrettable I cannot be with you, but I had to leave before your arrival. Do not let my physical absence disturb you, however. Think of me as your unseen host and believe that, during your stay here, I shall be with you in spirit." ~ Emeric Belasco

Belasco House...Hell House...within these dark passages and cavernous rooms resides the residue of pure, unadulterated evil.

This book begins with the new owner of Belasco House assembling a crew to determine what, if anything, haunts this tomb-like mansion. The crew consists of Dr. Lionel Barrett (a scientist), his wife Edith, Benjamin Franklin Fischer (a physical medium whom had experienced the house previously), and Florence Tanner (a mental medium with a profound religious faith). We accompany the group on the third attempt to discover the source of ghostly disturbances within the house. The first two attempts resulted in the murder, suicide, or mental deterioration of the investigators involved...all those except Fischer that is.

Our introduction to the House is through brief glimpses as the thick, eerie fog surrounding the mansion and Bastard Bog clears. The tour through the house leaves us chilled to the bone. As we walk room to room, corridor to corridor, the foreboding feelings steadily increase. These walls have witnessed all manner of unspeakable events.

The House is dark and angry and soon begins its attack on its unwelcome guests. The House exploits the weaknesses that reside deep within one's soul and employs those weaknesses to devour and utterly destroy the host of such vulnerabilities. Can anyone truly survive the horrors of Hell House?

Matheson is a true literary genius. He swiftly seizes the reader and propels you into a sinister world of appalling sexual exploitations, atrocious physical cruelties, and sickening mental molestations.

Hell House is one of the greatest haunted house stories I have encountered. This book is an older book, with its first publication in 1971. However, its age does not diminish its content or reduce its affect on those who face the challenge of Hell House itself.

Though the book draws you in and confronts you head on, do not look to the movie, The Legend of Hell House, to give you the same frightful sensations. The film was released in 19-seventy...something...and was not produced for the zombie-movie generation.

Hell House is not a book for you of weak character. Read it only if your soul is stout and sturdy enough to withstand the atrocities which dwell between these eerie covers.

"All your needs have been provided for, nothing has been overlooked. Go where you will, and do what you will - these are the cardinal precepts of my home. Feel free to function as you choose. There are no responsibilities, no rules. `Each to his own device' shall be the only standard here. May you find the answer that you seek. It is here, I promise you. And now..,auf Wiedersehen." ~ Emeric Belasco.

This book is MESSED. UP. !! A very good read, engaging story, very hard to put down, because you want to find out WHAT. HAPPENS. NEXT. But the excessive gore described, and unabashed variations of sexuality depicted, are not for the weak of stomach. I actually felt queasy at some scenes, they were so vividly written. I can see how this would be groundbreaking writing for the early 1970's .. it just WENT FOR IT! and it works, It all fits into the story. But, it was quite a shock when a lot of 70's horror novels are pretty tame by comparison. This Makes Stephen King's Carrie, look like Twilight. This is a masterpiece of horror fiction, and I enjoyed most of the story. but be warned. this is not a book for a bedtime story, and definitely not one for the kiddies!

I'll agree with at least one of the other reviewers, in that Matheson SERIOUSLY used the words "hissed" and "started" (as in twitched, jumped) WAY TOO MANY TIMES. Halfway through the book it was unfortunately something that really stood out and got on my nerves. Fortunately, the writing and story were excellent. It really flows like few others. I loved the way the story NEVER got stale. It kept things moving quickly and interestingly by rotating through the events and thoughts of all four main characters. The ending (which was at least the last fifty pages) was very climactic, and had several twists so that you are never really sure what is going on or going to happen until the last few pages. I loved it.

That being said, it would probably be my favorite horror book if not for his lack of a thesaurus and the way-over-the-top horror-porn. Both were very aggravating.

This was my first Richard Matheson book and currently my favorite. What starts off as sort of a basic ghost story goes deep, deep, deep into what can happen when human evil is hiding behind closed doors.

It hasn't aged spectacularly well, a lot of the dialogue would sound REALLY out of place if people were trying to talk like that today, but the story, backstory, and twists are so well put together and significant on their own that they have shades of classic in them lasting well throughout the 40 years or so since it came out. Surprisingly erotic too - I somehow manage to forget how much Richard really liked to go on into the curvature of a certain character in there. That's right, this is probably the only book I can think of where the story, events, and twists are so good, you forget about the sex elements in it.

Definitely a keeper for any serious reader. Vulgarity For The Masses

It is quite a pleasure, being scared. While most people would argue this statement, claiming that being frightened is not pleasurable in the slightest, nevertheless it is true. We go out of our way to be scared, either through literature and movies, or through the more visceral route of roller-coasters and bungee-jumping. But within this ever-growing need for thrills lies a problem; we are becoming inured to fright, becoming jaded by the horrific. What was once terrifying is now mundane, or so the audiences of today would have us believe. By remaining an arms length away from any emotional connection with the subject-matter, through a sort of ironic detatchment, we have become immune to the sheer thrill of what may lie beyond that door. It's a shame, as Richard Matheson's HELL HOUSE is a novel that cries for the reader's rapt attention and suspension of disbelief. If that can be achieved, then HELL HOUSE is a hell of a ride.
HELL HOUSE functions as a revved-up hounted house cousin to Shirley Jackson's THE HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE, taking Jackson's basic premise, and ratcheting up the adreneline. Matheson presents the story as a scientific test of the paranormal, as four disparate characters take up residence inside the infamous Belasco house, united together by the lure of money, and the hope that the evil can be dispelled. No time is wasted moving the story along, the characters entering the house in record time (page 12, I believe). As the story progresses over four deeply disturbing days, the characters find themselves increasingly affected by whatever forces inhabit the house. Florence, a medium, contacts the spirit of a young man who died within the walls. Dr. Barrett is obsessed with finding a mechanical means of dispelling the force. His wife, Edith, takes to sleepwalking. And Fischer has personal demons to battle, as well; he was the only survivor of a previous expedition.
Unlike Jackson's more sedate and internalized novel (the modern standard of haunted house stories), Matheson externalizes the horror in ever-increasing gruesomeness. The walls of the house are riddled with visions of obscenities. The manisfestations are decidedly physical, and unsubtle. Matheson seems to have a high time rubbing the reader's nose in every unpleasantness, every degradation. It is a testament to his skill as a writer that the reader never feels dirty afterwards. This is vivid and gruesome writing, but it never becomes exploitative. It sure teeters on the edge, though.
Matheson allows the story to flesh out the characters, their motivations and weaknesses slowly becoming apparent. This is as it should be, as the house preys on such fallibilities. And, as in the best novels of the genre, the house itself becomes a character, gradually revealing its weaknesses as well. Much like the Overlook Hotel in Stephen King's THE SHINING (which owes a great deal of debt to HELL HOUSE), the Belasco house is an entity unto itself, with a history so disturbing that it would take up a few more novels to fully expose its character. HELL HOUSE is not simply a series of events the human characters react to: it is alive, and wishes to remain so.
But unlike Matheson's I AM LEGEND, which completely re-imagines the vampire myth as an apocalyptic nightmare, HELL HOUSE does not re-invent the haunted house novel. Unlike THE SHINING, it does not create a personal empathy with the reader through the downfall of its characters. HELL HOUSE is an homage to the haunted house, adding modern sensibilities to the genre. It raises the gore level and sexual content beyond that of previous attempts, which is a mixed blessing. Matheson can sustain the story through his abilities as an author, but how many novels have been written since that present the reader with blood instead of scares, with guts in place of horror?
And perhaps that is a problem HELL HOUSE can't overcome. HELL HOUSE's scares, as pleasurable as they are, may not be able to overcome the jaded nature of today's audience, who prefer to view horror as 'camp'. I recall with dismay a recent viewing of the re-release of THE EXORCIST, and hearing many audience members laugh at particularly upsetting scenes. HELL HOUSE requires a suspension of disbelief, a rare commodity these days; if that can be achieved, it becomes a frightening tale of terror, concerned with nothing so much as scaring the wits out of you.

It's Old Skool Horror,I enjoy knowing younger people are reading intelligent fiction Mixed in w/something pertaining to( better writers only needed minimal) to sex. And it seems at times, there is confusion from the writer that ends up in the story.. I really didn't understand a paragraph .. Writers can't allways spin up a Home Run. But we read on.. I love Richard Matheson & try to read his books. This 1 is more gets bigger attention since it became a movie.He's got great shorts; "Duel" is a classic & a Great Story/Movie. Try it, you might like it. Try reading it first... Sometimes the change the endings.

The history of the book is almost as fascinating as Hell House, itself. Matheson's amazing sci-fi/horror/murder mystery was first packaged as - of all things - a Gothic romance, with a stormblown woman on a Wuthering Heights moor gracing its cover, which must have given quite a few dainty ladies at the hair salon expecting a mere bodice-ripper a heart attack or two. It quickly was repackaged a la The Exorcist, when that notorious Blatty book and flick came out, in fairly mundane fashion - again, with a windblown woman looking over her shoulder, this time simply holding a candelabra. Many years later, it came out with an absurd comic-opera cover showing disembodied head and hands menacing a cartoon heroine. Finally, in this edition, it looks most like what it is - a chilling excursion into a malevolent house.
Superficially, it is almost identical to Shirley Jackson's The Haunting of Hill House: both stories have a quartet of varied researchers studying a famous haunted house, both focus on the neuroses of a central female character, both have at least one fatality, and both even have a lesbian undercurrent between the two female characters. But Matheson typically makes the story his own.
Belasco House is explored by a hidebound scientific psychic researcher, his insecure wife, a physical medium who survived a disastrous previous excursion, and an emotionally unstable, gullible, and overly-religious mental medium. Florence Tanner, the unstable medium, becomes Belasco House's favorite new playtoy, in short order. Matheson, like Jackson, is careful not to tip his hand too heavily in the beginning as to whether the house is genuinely haunted/possessed, or is simply reflecting the personality of its least grounded guest.
This is a very easy, breezy read - but the breeze has spiders and knives in it, and Matheson is a master at delivering horrifying surprises.
The '73 film version, The Legend of Hell House, is a faithful adaptation (by Matheson), but don't short-change yourself. Discover why this book has stood the test of time.

Hell House is a straight forward haunted house tale that uses a conventional set-up to deliver some authentic frightening moments.
An old man on his death bed enlists two paranormal scientists (a spiritualist medium and a parapsychologist), along with a previous survivor of Hell House and the wife of one of the scientists, to "establish the facts" that there is survival after death. The destination of this group is Hell House, the "Mt. Everest of haunted houses". The house has a long history of sheltering immoral and sinful behavior and has supposedly trapped these tortured souls within its walls.

The conventional set-up and conveniences of plot weakened the first quarter of the book, but all the pieces built nicely upon each other and before the reader knows it (much like the characters in Hell House), the tension and horror is upon you and it doesn't let go. There is a section about half way through the book where one of the characters takes inventory of what has occurred in Hell House during the first day. As he lists these odd and strange happenings, the reader is surprised to realize: "Yes, a lot of pretty strange things have happened already". From this point the horror is much more direct and much more intense.

The characters may not be as developed as most readers would like. However, they are developed enough that the reader is worried about their individual motivation, sanity and ability to survive this house. It is that constant questioning of each characters role in the changing atmosphere of Hell House that keeps the tension tight. The different paranormal "answers" each character believes, and contributes to the conclusion of the book, are a bit silly, but once the reader is trapped in the house with the characters - who cares.

Hell House seems to pay homage to many horror authors that may have influenced Richard Matheson. There were definite nods to Shirley Jackson (of course), Bran Stoker, Edgar Allen Poe and H.P. Lovecarft.

Have characters who are receptive to ghosts, throw them in a haunted house, have a lot of frightening things happen (voices, ghosts, bodies, possessions, mutilation...), build the tension and then see who survives. That is Hell House. And for what it is, it is damn good.

After reading Matheson's unforgettable `I Am Legend' I endeavored to find a copy of his likely more famous `Hell House' and upon doing so tore through it in a day. Well, if you can call a `day' being finished it at seven in the morning, good thing I work nights. I must admit that I do not read enough of the horror genre to know what is and is not predictable, and while others said the ending was I confess to not having seen it coming. Matheson's text reads like prose and glides easily from page to page without burying the reader in superfluous detail, giving the right amount so the reader has some bearing on where they are.
The story entails the wishes of dying man who wishes to know if there are indeed ghosts, and to those ends has purchased the grand bull mouse of haunted mansions, Belasco House, in Maine and has sent in a team of investigators to verify the existence of haunts. He chooses Lionel Barret, a physicist and scientist who has built a device capable of negating the EM radiation produced by spooks, his wife, Edith, a Christian minister and medium, Florence Tanner, and the only surviving member of the 1940 expedition into the house, Benjamin Fischer, who is also a medium. A medium us a person who is sensitive to super natural events like hauntings and can open themselves up to them.
Arriving at the house through thick fog they find that all of the windows have been bricked up while the mansion itself rises like some terrible monolith before them. Events begin to unfold as they hold their first sitting and Florence opens herself up to the house where she makes contact with one of the former residence, an Indian named Red Cloud, but is soon interrupted by another spirit who claims that if they do not leave it will be forced to kill them. While startled, they are largely unfazed and proceed with other forms of paranormal research such as Tanner's ability to control extoplasm, a substance believed to be associated with ghosts. And later explained by Dr. Barret as simply a manifestation of Tanner's own self, composed mostly of detritus from her own body.
The story follows through with some genuinely creepy moments, but it is all standard haunted house fair, just exceptionally powerful occurrences. Fischer relates the history of Belasco house and how it was built by Emeric Belasco as a sort of standing experiment in every conceivable form debauchery until the tenants had been so corrupted that they eventually turned to cannibalism in order to stay alive. All the while Belasco quietly watched and encouraged the use of drugs, alcohol, even bringing in young artists from around the world to study and create there until they corrupted by the vile happenings. Barret and company even witness some of the more brutal happenings by way of visions. Truly a house of the dammed.
The house is literally a juggernaught of haunts-one that destroys Tanner slowly through convincing her that Belasco had a son, Daniel, who was swallowed whole by the house. Tanner believes that Daniel's spirit is in a constant state of torment and can only find true rest if he is given proper burial after she is led to his body which has been hung in between the walls of the wine cellar. But everything they try fails, even Barret's machine fails, much to his dismay. The power of the house seems unlimited. Everything else you will have to find out for yourself.
The flavor of the book will be familiar to anyone who has played Call of Cthulhu, because it has that same sort of feel. The characters are interesting and believable, but Hell House perhaps takes itself too seriously, lacking even dark or ironic humor to any extent. I would have also preferred a larger team, say six or even eight people for the house to play with rather than four. It would have given a more varied forms of terror. It will also offend you if you have strong religious beliefs, but other than that Hell House is a pretty good read.

Since there are numerous reader-reviews located here, I'll try to keep this short and just summarize some of the points I think are relevant to consider before purchasing Hell House. I have long appreciated the movie and wanted to read this book to gain detail and background where the movie fell short. For those that have seen the movie and recall the storyline, the book does provide background and detail but not to the extent you would expect. In fact, it appears Matheson had a screenplay in mind when writing this (as described in other reviews contained here). Whether it is worth it to you acquire and read it knowing it won't yield much story beyond the movie is your choice. I am straddling the fence on on whether that was the case, myself.

The story tells of a investigation of the house haunted by the vile former owner, Emeric Belasco. Good, old Emeric was of such evil nature that he used the house as his own evil proving ground and, therefore, created the Mt. Everest of haunted houses through his design. (Think a perverted Josef Mengele on LSD). Anyway, several of the reviews written here accuse the book of being based on soft porn. While I do agree that it might have gone a little far in sexual content, I do think it was relevant in developing the sexual deviance and evilness of the hauntings. If a sexual act or body part descriptions bother you, don't read the book. They don't permeate the storyline, but the hauntings revolve on their theme.

I thought it was a great read, but wish I not seen the movie first.

I was in the mood for some nostalgia the other day and remembered a fantastic scary movie I'd seen when I was about twelve starring Roddy McDowell and the perpetually naked Pamela Franklin called 'The Legend of Hell House'. Since it's nearly impossible to find in video stores I decided to read the book it was based on instead and picked this up. Granted, my inner child is not the most reliable source of information (I caught 'Jack the Giant Killer', what it rated as my 'favorite' childhood movie, on tv the other day and was so appalled we're still not on speaking terms) so I didn't open up the cover with the highest of expectations.
Fan-freaking-tastic is all I have to say. Now I'm not rating this as how it compares to Shakespeare, but rather judging it on what it is: pulp. And as pulp horror goes this is a fun jaunt through scary house land. All the requisite elements are here: creepy fog, seance gone wrong, spirit-sensitive cat, sole survivor of previous attempted exorcism, and the paranormally clueless character that gives the author a reason to explain everything to you. Plus, it being the seventies and all, you get the added sex and open perversion earlier books of this kind had to leave out.
I know most horror connouseurs consider 'The Shining' as the book by which all other haunted house tales are judged but I never liked that novel much anyway ('Blasphemy!' The review readers cry. 'Burn the heretic!'). When I pick up a horror novel I want to be scared or uncomfortable or made to feel at least *something* and when you pick up a hefty Stephen King you have to break it into pieces which ruins any suspense you might get. With Hell House you can just dive in, get your scares, and crawl out again all in the space of a single sitting. No fuss, no muss, and the intended impact stays intact.
So four stars for Hell House and all its' campy, seventies pulp-porn glory. It might not make anyone's top horror list (myself included) but it will give you a few hours of rainy-day/snowed in/beach weekend entertainment and for that you will be grateful.

Richard Matheson wrote so many tremendous horror/sci-fi novels, but this may be his best. For sheer sense of dread, isolation, paranoia, and, yes, even sensuality (though of a truly brutal sort), this novel ranks as one of the best haunted house novels ever, just like so many have said. That Matheson could have clued in to such an obvious truth--that science, ultimately, can't save us from the worst horror of all (our own deaths), is such a remarkable accomplishment, particularly given the tendencies of so many other horror/sci-fi novels of the first 3/4 of the 20th Century, that we forget what all else was being written when this book was published. Since, with films like Eraserhead, Hellraiser, and the relatively cartoonish work by Clive Barker, we've grown accustomed to the idea that we each are trapped within the physicality of our bodies, but Matheson keyed on this idea to create a brooding, dark, masterpiece of a haunted house story. There just hasn't been another novel like this.

A great and terrifying read.

I liked this book. Some say it's too derivative of Shirley Jackson's <i>Haunting of Hill House</i>, but I see it a bit differently. This novel is not a ripoff, though I had my doubts during the first few pages. Having read <i>Hell House</i> directly after reading Jackson's novel *and* after watching Stephen King's <i>Rose Red</i>, I began to wonder exactly how many iterations of 'haunted house eats small group of scientists / psychics / searchers-for-truth' the world really needs. But, I admit that in the end, I was surprised and delighted by the uniqueness of all three stories. Just as academics build ideas and arguments on prior research, it would make sense that artists do the same! And as an artistic representation of 'academic' (even if fictional) ideas, the 'crusade for truth' nature of this type of haunted house story calls for some level of reanalysis of old concepts.
If <i>Hell House</i> is a conscious duplication at all, the intent is to show how much two similar haunted house concepts can diverge. Where Jackson is subtle and nebulous about the validity of the paranormal, Matheson is outright. However, his story reaches beyond the existence of the supernatural to explore its possible root. Is it psychological? Is it tangible? Is the energy directed by one's own perceptions and fears, or do ghosts have a volition of their own?
The ending may be a disappointment to some, but to others, it simply reinforces - in a new way - what you may have suspected all along. :o)

"Hell House" isn't your typical gothic terror novel. Writer Richard Matheson's novel attempts to create a haunted house novel without the gothic trappings that have so dominated the genre. With a tip of the hat to Jackson's The Haunting of Hill House, Matheson takes many of the same themes and gives us a more modern, updated version. It's a pretty daring move and not one that was done out of the need for money or laziness. Think about it--do tackle a type of story that had been done definintely by another talentd writer. The challenge must have kept Matheson up at night as he tried to figure out ways to spin a story just as riveting using the same basic plot device and yet make it uniquely his own.

I have to disagree with other reviews here regarding Hell House; while it isn't Matheson's most accomplished novel (I Am Legend is a better written novel of terror as is his fantasy novel Bid Time Return which was made into the movie "Somewhere in Time")but it does exactly what it sets out to do--create a sense of foreboding and menace. Like Stephen King's The Shining (which actually is an inversion of the haunted house formula; it's about a haunted man triggered by a house filled with evil spirits), Hell House digs in deep into the characters and what ultimately drives them to seek out the house. These characters are as haunted in some respects as the main character in Jackson's novel and King's. Like all great haunted house novels, Hell House is about the changes the house triggers in these haunted, scared individuals not the evil spirits possessing the house itself.

There are only 36 dramatic situations in the world. The Greeks created all 36 and every variation on these 36. We live in a time of mass media where great writing is devauled. Matheson's novel develops characters and puts them in a difficult situation where their own Ids are allowed to play and contributed to the mayhem of a house at once possessed and possessive of the people it "takes".

Hell House becomes the vehicle to explording the dark side of these seemingly "normal" individuals. It's a credit to Matheson that the characters are so distinctive and yet he can still pay tribute to the genre, one of the best novels from the genre and still create a spooky experience. It may not be raw (like many of Clive Barker's well written novels) or nasty enough for some folks, but that's part of its charm as well. It's designed to instill terror not absolute horror. Terror is about anticipation horror is seeing the thing you anticipate. The former can instill greater, more powerful emotions because you haven't seen yet what might be stalking you and it's larger than your imagination. Just like Matheson's book.

Matheson, usually an amazing storyteller, falls short on this one novel. The story had an amazing set-up, very Jamesian history. I read the first hundred pages without taking a break then after that the story sort of lost the energy it started out with. All three stars are for the first hundred pages, give or take a few pages. The history of Belasco House that Matheson describes is amazingly rich and sinister, it was Matheson writing at his best. But then the middle and last part of the book had the reader waiting, and it was a wait without any suspense that readers of Matheson normally expect from his stories. The ending seemed hastily thrown together as if Matheson didn't know exactly how to finish the story. However, I have read a great portion of Matheson's body of work and I have been disappointed, thus far, with this one novel only. For those readers who are familiar with Matheson and have read some of his work, especially those of you who have only read his short stories, please skip this novel as it will leave a bad taste in your mouth for Matheson's work which is on the average very excellent. However, for those of you who know nothing about Matheson or are just familiar with him by seeing his name on the credits of Twilight Zone episodes start off with this novel as it will give you a greater appreciation for his other works. I highly recommend The Shrinking Man (also under the title The Incredible Shrinking Man), and I Am Legend along with any number of his short stories. You will not be disappointed with his other works, guarenteed.

I'd never read Hell House although I'm a fan of horror. But browsing the rack one day I noticed this gem and reading the back cover piqued my interest. I was not disappointed. I re-read the story 3 times and kept wishing I could find out what happened next.

I finally couldn't stand it anymore. I bought the novel upon which it's based. OK, so I now know how the trade is going to end but it's not going to stop me from buying each issue. Edington and Co. has done a great job of adapting the story to the graphic novel format. All the key scenes, the nuiances, character personalities are preserved. Eddington preserved even key dialogue straight from the novel to the trade. The artwork is black and white yet for me seemed to work. It added strength to the creepiness of the house.

Anyone who is a fan of the original novel may well find this graphic novel adaption a new, interesting way to enjoy the story.

This is one of the few horror novels I read where parts actually scared me! Four people spend a week at a haunted house for $100,000. Similiarly, several years earlier four people did the same thing and three died and one was practically driven mad!
Almost immediately upon arriving things start happening, some being very life-threatening. When reading this book you wonder what is keeping the people from just getting the hell outta there (I know I would!).
We find out that the house was originally owned by a mad rich person that liked to have wild orgy-like parties that started moving into torture, murder, cannabalism and anything else you can think of (I wonder if Stanely Kubrick got the idea for his mansion in Eyes Wide Shut from this book?). Because of all the evil and death that have occurred in the house, there is a lot of evil energy floating around that seems to be amplified by two of the guests (both mediums with very strong psychic abilities).
Some of the attacks on the guests turn out quite gruesome (one of the guests is viciously attacked by a possessed cat).
Don't read this one when you're alone!

Based on what other reviewers of this book has already stated, this is NOT going to be a well-received review. With that in mind, let me say that I was more than a little disappointed with "Hell House".
This may be one of the only times in my life when I've stated that the MOVIE might be better than the BOOK. Richard Matheson, whom I have the greatest respect and admiration for, really didn't hit the mark with "Hell House". Oh, I know that most of the reviews here go on and on about what a terrific book this is, but IMHO it comes up short in the "thrills" department.
It's really hard to like most, if not all, of the characters in "Hell House". They are not very sympathetic which seems to be an important element in horror novels. Don't get me wrong, Matheson is a great storyteller, it's just that I feel that THIS story comes up a little short. After you get into the first 100 pages or so, it's easy to see why this book would be a great movie (based on special effects) but a rather limp book!
The thrills are limited and it's extremely hard to "connect" with this novel. The best ghost stories are those that have a bases in reality and, unfortunately, this one misses the mark.
Matheson does a tremendous job in his books, "I Am Legend" and "The Incredible Shinking Man" and I wholeheartedly recommend these to the reader. His contributions to "The Twilight Zone" are beyond compare, as well!
But unfortunately, I can't recommend "Hell House" in the same way. If you want to read something that contains really scary mental scenes involving haunted houses, pick up "Ghost Story" by Peter Straub or "Poltergeist" by Colin Wilson and bypass this book.

Matheson is one of the originators of modern day horror.
Hell house is the origin of what is now the standardized haunted house. But because of this it makes much of the story seem old hate.

Most of the time I found myself groaning over scenes that have been repeated in a million horror stories. Of course that't not the books fault and credit should be given.

On the other hand, while Matheson has many good storyline ideas, he isn't exactly the best writer. His characters are shallow pop-ups of stereotypes.

This is another one you should read if you're bolstering your literary horror history, but don't expect it to rock your world.

First, let me respond to the other reviews. Apparently some people found that the sexual aspect of the book was too much. Well everyone has their opinions but I think some people just failed to understand what the point was. These are not the sick fantesies of the author no more than someone who writes a fictional account of the Nazis is himself a Nazi. If people can't write about such things then what's the point? We'll just have cute bunny rabbits and rainbows.

Seriously, it's a horror novel about a haunted house and what made it haunted? Matheson, both in this book and in I Am Legend looks at the subject in a different way. Rather than have your usual ghosts who were murdered by some random killer haunt a place until justice is done and the ghost can go away.

Is it so hard to believe that someone with alot of money would delve into perverted acts? Just look at the Imperial families of Tiberius, Nero and Caligula and you'll understand. Belasco lived like a modern-day Nero except that he delved into the paranormal...hence the haunting. Yes imagine that, a perverted sexually-driven guy turns out to be evil and his spirit haunts a house.

And yes, the sacrilige is pretty horrible but Belasco was evil, so you'd kind of expect that sort of thing from the guy. It wasn't intended to be some smear against religion at all, only to accent how twisted the villian was.

Now, the book isn't the best book you'll ever read but it's entertaining and will definitely keep you up at night. Some people have mentioned various haunted house movies...they aren't the same, sorry. Even the film adaptation of this book doesn't come close. If you're looking for an easy read and an entertaining horror book, pick this one up and enjoy. If you prefer light stuff that doesn't delve into true horror and darkness...you better stay away.

I wanted to try a really scary novel, and from the store.com's reviews I thought Richard Matherson's `Hell House' would fill my wished. And it did. This novel is one of the most scaries I've ever read. The last one that really `stole' my sleep was `The Exorcist', and so did `House'. It became a compusive reading for me. I needed to know soon how all that would end. And, what an ending!
The novel tells the story of a haunted house --well, nothing new so far-- but the way Matheson describes the house and its history is creepy. The cover itself is already disturbing. The characters are not perfectly developed they have many flaws, but one gets so involved with the house itself that they actually have supporting roles in the story. The writer is not afraid of describing violence both physical and psycological. And some parts that are very graphic may offend some sensitive people. I highly recommend this book for those who like horror stories, and are not easily impressed.

The anthologist Marvin Kaye called this novel "as subtle as brass knuckles in tissue-paper gloves." That about sums it up. Some of Matheson's basic ideas are interesting, and a better writer might have made something of them. But here at least, Matheson is lazy, and simply piles excess upon excess until the story loses all semblance of credibility and dissolves almost into a parody of itself. I muddled through to the end, but had stopped caring long before then what befell any of the one-dimensional characters.

I have a lot of mixed feelings about this book. The writing was decent, the premise genius, the characters fully fleshed out and interesting. I thought the end was incredibly hokey/unrealistic (even for horror), and it had that Scooby Doo "bet you didn't expect that, see we're smarter than you" feel about it. Even for 70's horror, there was a lot of not just sex, but violent sex in this book. It felt a little bit like some kind of terrible 70's porn mixed with a mediocre horror novel. This is a weird book.. I mean seriously weird.. I like weird, this is just beyond the beyond. I'm not sorry I read it, it was scary in places, I just wouldn't necessarily recommend it to anyone or read it again. For a better ghostly read, try Joe Hill's "Heart Shaped Box".

I loved The Incredible Shrinking Man and I Am Legend. Big fan of those books but this one left me cold. Started off strong enough and Matheson's a hell of a writer, even if he's meandering. And this one meanders. Great setup leads to a lot of false leads and red herrings and back and forth chatter while the main characters debate the nature of this "Hell House" they've come to investigate. Like Matheson loved this idea so much he didn't want it to end. When it does though, it's a dashed-off and real contrived affair. He's a smart man and connects all his dots but it's one of those you put the book down with a big eyeroll like "Really? That's IT?" Pass on this one, folks. Grab Shrinking Man or Legend or give Stir of Echoes a shot.

This is a fine presentation by Tor Books, with a very atmospheric cover painting, of the Richard Matheson classic, filmed in 1973 by John Hough for James H Nicolson of AIP fame. Those who have seen that film will be familiar with the plot, which the film adaptation adheres to fairly closely, but there are some added scary sexual shenanigans which Hough thought he probably wouldn't be able to get away with. The haunted house subgenre has always been at risk of falling prey to "Scooby Doo" syndrome where the protagonists end up running from room to room, the goings-on are cliched and the climax risible. Richard Matheson got around these problems back in 1971 by creating a suitably depraved, debauched background for his mansion, and a suitably unpleasant owner in the form of Emeric Belasco, whose evil presence permeates the book without Matheson ever having to over-emphasise his presence. The characters are sympathetically drawn and I agree with one of the previous reviewers that if you can get through this book in one sitting it will leave you feeling emotionally exhausted. An all-time classic and one fully deserving of remaining in print

I expected so much more..
I read this a few days after finishing Shirley Jackson's The Haunting of Hill House, which I loved. I expected Hell House to have the same kind of feel, having drawn inspiration from Shirley Jackson's classic. It was a major disappointment. I had to force myself to finish this novel. I found myself irritated with the characters, not caring about what happened to them - not pulling for anyone in particular. The description of the house itself was lacking. I had trouble imagining what the house looked like based on Matheson's boring and "general" description of it. It seemed Matheson struggled in this area quite a bit - repeating descriptive words and phrases over and over throughout the novel. I found his word usage boring, repetitive and down right lazy.
If you are looking for a so-so haunted house read, this is it. You won't be let down. Those of you who are looking for a smart read that will keep you entertained and leaves no time for you to pick apart the author's weaknesses, then you might want to skip Hell House.

What can I add to my title? Well, I wasn't bored with Hell House but I was never all that impressed by it. I am not sure how valid it is to tar and feather this book as "the poor man's Hill House" because Shirley Jackson's novel now and forever sets the standard for haunted house stories, and just because Mr. Matheson's work doesn't reach the heights (and lows) of Mrs. Jackson's magnum opus doesn't mean Hell House didn't have its own bag of goodies to dole out. Hell House was compelling, it did keep me reading, it did make me want to know what was coming next, which is a mark of a good story. However, it never spooked me, even a little, the attempted eroticism was a textbook example of how sex can make for a boring subject if presented wrong, and (no spoiler coming) the ending was not what I wanted it to be after investing three hours in getting there. (Is there anyone who likes Matheson's ending?) So ultimately I wouldn't discourage anyone from reading this book and I wouldn't encourage anyone, either. It's not good enough to be a classic of the genre, and it's not bad enough to be unworthy of someone's time. Maybe it says something else if I add that I normally keep every book I buy and put it in my library but Hell House, which I took with me on a recent trip to France, I just left behind without regrets.

I really enjoyed most of Hell House, it was a very scary read, and had an interesting end, however... I hated the almost end of the book which degenerated into some sick pornography (at least as far as I'm concerned).

What's to like about Hell House?
It is scary if you like ghost stories it is a good one.
It looks at what could be the essence of evil as a force, and looks at how a place might be theoretically infected with evil.

If not for the foray into the pornographic "ghost sex" I would readily recommend Hell House to anyone who likes a scary read, but be warned I was uncomfortable and offended at that part of the book which I felt was added for no good reason.

But that's me.

3 ½*

"I couldn't put it down" is a phrase so overused as to be nearly devoid of meaning, yet it almost literally applies in this case. I started "Hell House" the afternoon before a concert I'd been looking forward to for months; by evening, the concert had become an irritating intrusion on my reading. I jumped back into the book during intermission and ran home after the concert to finish the novel in one nail-biting sitting.
Yes, it's really that good, assuming one has any affinity for horror fiction. Even Matheson rarely achieved the continuous intensity of this gem. "I Am Legend" may be superior from a literary standpoint, but "Hell House" is his most memorable accomplishment.
One warning: don't come to this book expecting cheap thrills. It's disturbing-scary, not Boo!-scary.

I had high hopes that this would be a great Halloween book, but I was a little disappointed. Hell House didn't have the creepiness factor of other horror books of the era like Rosemary's Baby or The Exorcist. The premise was good: big sinister house previously owned by a sadistic and depraved guy who corrupted a number of other individuals and therefore their souls. A team is sent in by an eccentric millionaire to either debunk or prove the haunting and therefore determine whether there is life after death. There is constant conflict between spiritualism and science, but each theory has its weaknesses and neither one comes close to exposing the truth. I was disappointed with the notion of the haunting being nothing but an insecure spirit hung up on his own physical inadequacies. Sure the characters got thoroughly beaten and terrorized by the malevolent force that controls the house, but I was never truly frightened for them. There were some good aspects, but the scare factor fell flat.

"Hell House" author Richard Matheson has always been one of the great supernatural authors of recent history. His novels may not hit the bestseller lists with the frequency of Stephen King or Dean Koontz, but his contributions to the genre are legendary. His resume includes episodes of "The Twilight Zone," "I Am Legend," "Somewhere In Time," "The Shrinking Man" and "Stir of Echoes." For me, "Hell House" stands out as his great contribution to the genre, a storied and historical form of literature traveled by the likes of Shirley Jackson, Bram Stoker, H. G. Wells and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Just when you think all has been covered in the haunted house genre, here comes Matheson with this electric and extraordinarily creepy variation circa 1971.
Wonderfully realized and darkly imaginative, "Hell House" is a simple tale of four unluckly folks hired to crack the legend of Hell House, an isolated mansion in Maine with a history as dark as the Manson Family at Spahn Ranch. Once owned by a Mr. Belasco, the house was an early 20th century hangout of deviant folks who explored carnal avenues to the ultimate point of starvation and death. Two previous expeditions of scientists ended in suicide and disaster, and our modern-day protagonists, needless-to-say, have their work cut out for them.
By novel's end, each character must come to terms with their own human weaknesses and repressions, exposed by the overwhelming evil of Hell House. Matheson's novel is brilliant because it brings a sexual awareness to the genre only flirted with in the past. The house, in many ways, is a prison with windows bricked over, nestled uncomfortably in an isolated, fog-covered valley. Matheson's characters are painfully alone, battling forces psycologically and eventually physically.
What is most memorable about "Hell House," is the set-up and creation of one of the most evil houses in literature history. Matheson's dark imagaination has created a character that is both repulsive and erotic, possessing an energy that slowly works on human frailty, devouring and dominating. Past haunted house novels have enthralled with gothic and mysterious allure. Matheson's novel throws goth out the window, replacing such conventions with an oozing, carnal evil, grotesque in nature, overwhelming and horrifying.
"Hell House" is so good, one wonders how it could possibly be topped. I don't think it ever really will, but recent authors such as King and Anne Rice continue to create epic variations on the haunted house story. But the brilliance of Matheson's novel is its primal simplicity. Horror has rarely seen a tale as creepy as "Hell House."

Though they do not know it, two of the four investigators of Hell House have become hopelessly trapped by its power. Florence Tanner is possessed, and tortured by, the randy spirit of who she thinks is Daniel Belasco. Meanwhile Dr. Barrett is preparing to test his Electromagnetic Radiation Reversor in an arrogant attempt to dissipate the haunted house's psychic energy. What Barrett does not know is that the house already has a defense against his little electric shock box and it fully intends to use it against them all, starting with Florence. The graphic novel adaptation of Richard Matheson's classic horror novel comes to a rousing and action packed conclusion that will thrill and delight horror fans. Highly recommended.

I've been indulging in horror novels for the past year and I've read everything from Anne Rice to Stephen King. This novel was the most frightening novel I've laid my eyes on. While reading it, someone knocked on my door and I screamed so loud that I practically gave my visitor a heart attack.
So would you like this book? Picture this. There is a house where only one person has survived living beneath its roof in over 30 years. Four people return (a physicist, his wife, and 2 mediums); with a reward of 100,000 to see if they can get rid of the "hauntings" at Hell House. The physicists, Lionel, insists that there are no such things as ghost; that paranormal occurrences are a natural part of the world created by electromagnetic forces rather than the dead. The spiritualist, Florence, argues that the phenomenon's are a result of trapped and torments spirits which she has the power to relinquish from their prison. The mystery emerges as the debate of the force behind the phantoms grows. Will any of these four survive to solve the mystery of Hell House and if they do did they really learn the truth or just what the house wanted them to learn?

For those of you looking for a classic ghost story, open this book and give it a chance. It might not scare the Hell out of you, but this book will certainly meet you half way. It's full of vivid descriptions, eerie interpretations into ones personal madness and inner frustrations. The book starts off with four strangers with varying interests and skills in the paranormal field. A house with a terrible past with an attitude, nestled in a swampy fog ridden valley...in Maine (Stephen King's house?). Stir it up. Throw in some shadows and a dab of the jaw dropping sexual comments and actions. You'll encounter these demonically possessed individuals, sort of like The Exorcist. In the latter portion of the story, there's a handful of lesbianism too...yes, which I believe is also in Shirly Jackson's novel, Haunting of Hill House. I was impressed with the style of writing. The author's delivery is top notch. I really enjoyed how he crafted out the illusion and reality sequences, dreams versus madness. It was all sewn together so nicely, I often wondered...is this a dream, or is this really happening? The descriptions of each room and hallway, pool and marsh made such a vivid image in my head, it's almost eerie in itself. I must say, on a personal note. All of the characters are well rounded, and well written. I found one of the characters, Florence, a little too brave when she's confronted with these apparitions in her bedroom at night. I found it hard to believe she'd stay as long as she did, with all the horrible events that occured inside Hell House. I would not have lasted more than one day...if that. I also enjoyed the ending. Just when I thought, everything was winding down, and I was somewhat crestfallen...the story had a pulse once more. It's alive! It's has more to give! It ended like most horror stories, leaving you a little stunned, wiping sweat from your head, but happy you've reached page 300. Was I scared? No, but it was eerie. Was I interested? Very much so. Was I trying to squeeze extra chapters in before I went to bed? Yes.

Easily one of the best books I have ever read; certainly HELL HOUSE is the finest horror story I have ever come across. The plot is simple; 4 field professionals agree to spend one week in the most widely known haunted house on the planet. What they don't realise is how much danger they are in.

Just like all great tales, the suspense builds, the creepiness builds and the horror! Oh! The horror. But with a supremely satisfying ending the survivors can return - to a degree - back to what passes for normalcy in New York City, circa 1977.

I suspect I'll take a great deal of chiding for this, but I really wasn't very impressed with "Hell House". Indeed, I'm not too overwhelmed by what I have read of Richard Matheson overall, which is not much, admittedly. I liked "I Am Legend" quite a bit. "Hell House" is at times gripping, creepy, and silly. While always entertaining, it's too silly to really be effective as a horror novel.
The horror of this novel really comes from the nature of Hell House itself. The creepiest moments of this novel come when the history of the house is recounted. However, much of that horror is undone by the novel's central conceit that even the supernatural can be handled by scientific means, and that even ghosts can be banished with the right tools. This ultimate solution pretty much drains the horror out of the proceedings.
While Matheson is a solid writer, the plot here never suspends disbelief. "Hell House" is a page turner, with a lot of atmosphere, but a minimum of chills in favor of rationalizing phantoms.

The potential for Hell House to scare you is there. It has all the elements: darkness, psychics, a great back story (and haunted house), and intriguing characters, but explain why the story seems to get stale and go no where? The major theme of sexuality are very strong, at times bordering on pornographic, but instead of uplifting the plot it just suppresses it. While reading I had to double check the title and back cover to make sure I was reading a "horror story", and not "gothic erotica" (a better genre choice for this book).

And that is as far as "Hell House" goes. Nothing is explained. Revelations and insights fall on deaf ears and are hardly surprising because you are numbed by undefined dialogue and little detail.

The truly horrifying thing about "Hell House" is the fact that the reader never finds any answers for herself and is left to put scattered and buried clues together. The conclusion is not satisfying. At least one that settles well with you. Wait to you find out what is actually haunting the house. You would either laugh or say "duh!".

Like I said, the elements to scare you are there, but it just doesn't feel completed. Unless you find lesbianism, mutilation of the female body, and misogyny horrifying, I guess you might have some bad dreams. Other than than...three stars

Unfortunately, I had difficulty writing this review; you see, I had seen the film, "The Legend of Hell House" several times before ever reading the book, so I worried that this review would not be as objective. Nevertheless, "Hell House" surpasses the movie in many respects, the most obvious being characterization. We find out much more about our heroes' motivations, and Matheson's skill at turning the ordinary into the malevolent and frightening is in top form. To anyone who has NOT seen the film, please read this book first! I promise you'll come away more frightened if you do. "Hell House" is a seminal work on the genre, and its influence is felt still today.

Decent "haunted house" story; although I'm spoiled by Stephen King's writings on the same subject, as he does it so much better. The writing here is more Victorian in tone, in that graphic descriptions of horror are kept to a minimum and are more psychological than blatant. I found it hard to care about any of the characters, and passed the book on as soon as I'd read it. I can now say that I've read it, and will let it go at that.

'Hell House' is an enjoyable yet puzzling read. Without a doubt it is the most outrageous, tawdry, over-the-top haunted house story ever conceived. It is so utterly preposterous that one wonders if Richard Matheson wrote it as a farce/satire or as serious literature? I have to think the former since the author has written truly compelling horror stories before, such as 'I am Legend'. 'Hell House' is the polar opposite of that horror classic.

Yet still, 'Hell House' is compulsively readable. All the characters are deliciously strange or outright neurotic, the ghosts are all perverts, lesbianism pops up at the most unexpected times, and female nudity abounds. Again I didn't say all this makes any sense.

Bottom line: definitely falls into the "so bad that it's good" category.

I'm a sucker for good horror stories and "Hell House" really hit the spot. It is truly one of the most entertaining and fun horror novels I have ever read. It is a book that knows what it is; "Hell House" does not take itself too seriously and stays on task. Its simple, direct and reads quickly and easily.

Four people are sent on an expedition to explore Balasco House, which has been called "the Mount Everest of haunted houses". The notorious terror that has taken place within its walls has offered the house a more appropriate name: Hell House.

It didn't take long for me to get goose bumps while reading this book. Richard Matheson so effectively built up the atmosphere and tension in Belasco House that it only took a rocking chair seemingly rocking by itself to seriously creep me out.

The most intriguing part of the book, in my opinion, is the sordidly morbid and vile history of Belasco House. It is certainly not the typical simple or cliched history you might find in present day Hollywood movies; Hell House's past is much darker and macabre then one might expect. Matheson has a frighteningly vivid imagination that knows no bounds.

The characters in "Hell House" are not particularly memorable or overtly important. They have enough humanity, however, to facilitate the necessary conflicts that unfold and to make the reader care whether or not they meet their doom in the dark halls and dusty rooms of Belasco House.

The most engaging character, of course, is Hell House itself. It takes many forms and keeps Dr. Barret, Mrs. Barret, Florence Tanner and Benjamin Fischer guessing about its true identity and the source of its power. Are the victims of Emeric Belasco trapped in Hell House, forced to terrorize those who dare enter the front door? Is Belasco's son involved in the haunting, or a tormented soul not permitted to continue on to the next life? Is Belasco a being so powerful he can manifest your deepest fears before your eyes? Most importantly, will any of them be able to survive a force that knows their darkest desires and primary weaknesses?

Richard Matheson is a master story teller, but one gets the feeling he may have rushed through this book. There were times I found myself chuckling at the simplicity of the writing and wondering if Matheson misplaced his thesaurus while writing it. He seems to have a tendency to reuse verbs adjectives to the point of distraction.

Other than a few minor grammatical and syntax annoyances, "Hell House" is a lot of fun to read and will likely stick with you long after you've finished. The characters, while stubborn and arrogant at times, play an important role. Matheson was careful to use them to effectively move the story along yet make sure none overshadowed Belasco House, the most important character of all. This is a magnificent book and I would highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys feeling their hair stand up on the back of their neck.

I've seen Shirley Jackson's HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE mentioned here but I'll start by admitting that I haven't read it yet.
But I have read HELL HOUSE.
In fact, I read it in high school over twenty years ago and I still think it's the best haunted house horror novel I've ever read. The Belasco House. So evil that the windows have been bricked up to keep out any light. The naive psychics trusting the ghosts and the naive scientist trusting too much in science. The murky swimming pool and the obscene chapel. I remember it all.
(They'd made a film called THE LEGEND OF HELL HOUSE in '73 with Roddy McDowall but most of the novel had to be left out. This novel needs a remake--and some of the novel should STILL be left out!).
In my opinion, this is one of the great horror novels of all time. Thank you, Richard Matheson, for my favorite "Twilight Zone" episode ("Nightmare at 30,000 Feet"), my favorite TV movie ("The Night Stalker"), and my favorite haunted house novel.
You're truly one of the greats!

I was very disappointed in this book. I had read reviews saying that it was the "ultimate" in horror novels and was very scary. I did not find it scary at all, in fact I was bored throughout the whole book. I skipped a couple of sections just to get through to get to the end. Even the ending was anticlimactic. Stephen King's Salem's Lot is much scarier!

I really thought I would like this book more based on all the positive reviews.

Even though it kept me reading until the end, that was mostly just so I could find out that the ending wasn't worth it.

I completely agree with the reviewer who said it's like a "poor man's Haunting of Hill House."

And it's really too bad. When I first began reading this, I thought this was going to be a *great* book until it just... wasn't. Maybe it was my high hopes or the fact that I prefer ghost stories where the ghosts are either not real (or only implied and you never know if they are real or not), but I just found the ghosts and the hauntings in this book really corny, cheesy, and not at all scary. Not even creepy, really. The only truly "creepy" thing to me about the story was the "real life" thing that Belasco did to make himself look the way he wanted to in life (that should not spoil anything).

If anything was "scary," it was, like another reviewer pointed out, having to wade through all that gore and those sex scenes (if that makes you want to read it, you should know that these ones were pretty bad and pretty stupid, and I think I'm being generous by saying that about them) only to find that it was all for nothing because the ending is horrible (not horrifying, just horribly bad).

Richard Matheson is more famous, deservedly, for I am Legend than Hell House but this classic horror novel is still worth a look. It pales somewhat when compared to its progenitor, Shirley Jackson's far superior Haunting of Hill House. The author takes Jackson's basic premise (and very similar characters) and throws in more gore, switching psychological suspense for outright physical terror following the same patterns movies had taken in the late sixties following Night of the Living Dead. Actually this novel is one that reads like it was meant to be filmed. This is not necessarily a bad thing. It is a chilly little story that is worth a quick read showing the best of the horror genre before Stephen King came along in the mid-seventies.

I read I Am Legend and loved it. Took me awhile to get around to Hell House, but once I started I couldn't put it down. Had to finish as soon as possible because the book sucked me in from the very beginning. I loved the description of Belasco - his teeth, his face, his house - this character rewrote the definition of evil. The great thing about Matheson's writing is that he holds back nothing. No sunny Hollywood endings, which is how I like my horror. The way he beat down the 4 main characters and the various "spooks" that took place within the house was brilliant. If I could write a haunted house story half as good as Hell House I'd be a happy man! I highly recommend this book!!!

A malevolent house, a tarn, a man walled in with bricks, a host of lascivious guests entombed, unwittingly, with death in their midst. Many of the themes and details of this novel smack of Poe's most successful short stories; The House of Usher, The Masque of the Red Death, and The Cask of Amontellado, to name a few. That being said, I found it a largely satisfying read. The sense of vague unease stemmed not from the current occupants so much as the string of past atrocities. I found myself darkly fascinated with the history of the place, while the graphic sexuality of the current occupants struck me as less than frightening--and rather more offensive. As one reviewer pointed out, this is in some respects soft porn masquerading as a ghost story. All things considered, I found the book to be a satisfying read, with the possible exception of the ending. I can't explain it properly without spoiling the ending. Suffice to say, the summit of the thing, which should have been riveting through and through, lost a bit of its steam, and seemed to fizzle--if only a little. Still, a very enjoyable, and very disturbing, read.

A lot of people seem to say that this book isn't what they expected. The trick is not to expect anything. I didn't really know what to expect, having only read one other Matheson novel (I Am Legend, awesome book). This book started off a little slow, yes, but many books do that so as to develop the story. It also helped build up the tension; the more that things started to happen, the better and better it got. When everything starts to really come out and come together, this book gets to be relentlessly creepy, borderline disturbing at some parts, it was awesome. Yes, there are overtones of sometimes gruesome sexuality, but it is a part of the story, and it does fit. If you want to read a book that will really hit you hard, get this book.

I am now officially a fan of Richard Matheson.
I started out by reading "I am Legend", which is one of the best horror stories ever written, so I was expecting a little less from this. And, it isn't as good as "I am Legend", but then again, not much is. I am on a crusade now to get all of my horror-loving friends and family to read Matheson - it seems his work has been virtually buried by the enormous amount of really bad horror that seemed to spring up in Stephen King's wake (which isn't King's fault...publishers just started seeing dollar signs...). Matheson is a rarity in the field of horror - he's classic.
"Hell House" is a fast read. Each chapter consists of one day, and the chapters are broken down into little sections (7:08pm, 1:39 am, etc.) that keep the pace quick, and make it very easy for you to say, "Oh, I guess I can squeeze in just a little more before turning out the light." (Or at least going to sleep!) The writing is snappy, and to the point. Matheson creates vivid, cinematic images without having the writing call too much attention to itself. Surely this is a skill he perfected while writing for "The Twilight Zone".
"Hell House" has enough twists and turns to satisfy, and enough really scary, disgusting stuff to possibly haunt your dreams. I found myself having to think happy thoughts as I closed my eyes at night. I haven't had to do that in a while...not since reading "It" by Stephen King as a kid.
Fellow horror fans, you really ought to do yourselves a favor and read this book (and all of his others, too!). And remember, if anything seems familiar -- like it's been done before -- then it was probably lifted from this!
Highly recommended!

I have wanted to read this book for years and was thrilled to discover it available here. I had seen the movie before reading the book and enjoyed it immensly. This book has a lot of strange soft porn in it that was definitely absent from the movie. I didn't think it added anything to the story. I found the book genuinely frightening and mean-spirited. Particularly the fate of the poor medium Florence really struck me as horrible. I think the author simply goes to far. He certainly manages to shock, I don't want to give the plot away but I found the death in the chapel of one of the main characters so distasteful and shocking that I almost stopped reading right there. I found the ending of the book particularly frustrating. It was too simplified. I think it would have been better and made more sense if everythign weren't so spelled out (and in such a ridiculous way). I am a fan of horror novels and movies but I wouldn't recommend this book. The movie is MUCH MUCH Better and less offensive.

..I was ... disappointed with "Hell House".
It has similiarities with Shirley Jackson's Haunting of Hill House: a mysterious house with a dark past, 4 people sent in to investigate, lesbian undertones between the 2 female characters and even a couple of silent housekeepers who refuse to live there.
Where the two books differ is in the thrills and chills department. Jackson's Haunting delivers while Matheson's Hell House doesn't.
The author failed to make the reader feel any sympathy for any of the 4 sacrificial lambs...sorry, protagonists. Not for the scientist Barnet, nor for his wife, nor for the enthusiastic Florence and no sympathy either for Ben Fischer, the sole survivor of a previous expedition to the house. Lacking a character to root for, one felt like an outsider distantly observing these characters running around without caring what happens to them. What could have been a great book became a mediocre one.
The only saving grace is the brief history of Belasco and Belasco House as told by Ben Fischer. Reading Belasco's origin and the depravities he brought to the house is like looking at a gruesome accident. You'll feel disgusted but you can't help looking anyway.
Unfortunately, Fischer's tale lasts only for a few pages. After that its back to not very frightening scares and low-level thrills. Mind you, there was one chilling scene when Florence the medium was attacked by a cat. The description of the attack was such that one could almost feel the cat biting and clawing on one's self. But one good scary scene in an almost 300 page novel does not a good horror novel make.
Richard Matheson is a great writer. He has written excellent stuff such as, "I am Legend" and his collection of short stories, "Nightmare at 20,000 feet" is a must have. "Hell House" however is not an essential book to have in your library. So Stephen King likes it. So what? He aint God.
For a very good haunted house novel other than the aforementioned Shirley Jackson's "Haunting...", I heartily recommend Susan Hill's "WOMAN IN BLACK".

Though I think this book failed to live up to its potential, I still believe it to be one of the three truly great haunted house novels out there. Shirley Jackson's _The_Haunting_of_Hill_House_ ranks at the top of that list, with Stephen King's _The_Shining_ close on its heels. Matheson's _Hell_House_ rounds out the top three. The parapsychology gets a bit hokey, and the characters aren't quite as well-rounded as I'd like, but I was impressed with this novel overall. Some readers are also going to be offended by sexuality and a depiction of a satanic chapel, although I have to say I didn't consider either to be gratuitous in any way. As several other reviewers have mentioned, it doesn't quite compare with Matheson's masterpiece _I_Am_Legend_, but it is an intelligent, well-written, incredibly fast-moving haunted house novel. If you like haunted house novels or if you're a fan of Matheson's other work, you won't be disappointed with this one.

I listened to this on audible and actually stopped halfway through. Too gratuitously sexual for my taste. just couldn't keep my attention until the raunchy parts and that just kind of icked me out. Granted, I had just listened to "The Exorcist" which is excellent and beautifully written.

The first 50 pages or so are a bit dull (but then that's the case in most books) but suddenly it gets going and it is a really creepy and frightening book. I haven't read a "horror" book since 2001 when I read the dreadful "Dreamcatcher" which really put me off but this has made me want to read more again.
The characters in Hell House can be a bit irritating - the sceptical doctor who gets hit on the head by a ghost but still won't believe in them, his pathetic mouse of a wife, the "loony" medium, and the do-nothing loner who....does nothing. But all together they make for a good read.
I would have given this book 5 stars if it wasn't for the silly ending, but aside from that this book is well worth reading!

Here is the best haunted house story ever told, according to Stephen King. It is the first I have read, so I agree. That said though, these characters are kind of annoying, and I found myself rooting for the house.

I think the author sets a mood here, he builds a myth, but he ultimately fails to deliver a story worthy of that myth.

I have to see the movie now, but it doesn’t look good…

Hell House captured me right from the beginning and didn't let go until the very end. With just the right mix of mystery, horror, science, sensuality and empathy, this story will keep you on the edge of your seat, gripping the armrest and cringing with eyes averted all at the same time. A very enjoyable read.

Although Richard Matheson is one of the most prolific writers of this or any other era, I believe "Hell House" is his masterpiece. Psychological horror is difficult to write, and yet Matheson builds tension easily, leaving you turning pages rapidly, even though you know that what's in store might not necessarily be good for you.
The theory of surviving spirits is hotly debated among scientists and spiritualists. Matheson provides us with a truly evil man, Emeric Belasco, who achieves immortality among fiction ogres by systematically wrecking the morals and beliefs of all those who enter his home. Belasco created a place where nothing was sacred, and anything went. Dozens of people entered his home, and most never left, instead eventually losing their sanity along with their inhibitions.
Into this maelstrom of evil venture four people-two mediums, one scientist, and the scientist's naive wife. It is up to them to prove or disprove the existence of evil spirits, at the behest of a wealthy old man. In their efforts to succeed, they are besieged at every turn by apparations and ghosts, most of which are malevolent. The female medium becomes possessed by the spirit of Belasco's son (or so she believes), and refuses the advice of the others to leave his soul alone. The climax is at once terrifying and sobering....definitely food for thought for those who believe either theory.
It is impossible to read this book clinically. Although you may be tempted to come to your own conclusions regarding spirit survival, ultimately this book is about the enormity of evil, and the ability of ordinary people to deal with it at their own level.
Enjoy this wonderful work of an important author, but be warned:you will be changed after reading it. How much you will be changed depends on how seriously you consider the subject.

Scary, spooky, haunting? When I read a book about a haunted house I want to feel uneasy and turn on a few more lights in the house. I want to look up every so often and be thankful that the movement I saw out of the corner of my eye was merely a cat gliding from one room to another. This book didn't do this at all. What a disappointment.

Clinical, passionless, predictable, implausible, laughable and ludicrous...

For the most part, the plot advances by having a character enter a room and having "something spooky" happen to that character. Really. Over and over and over and over for 300 pages. As a matter of fact the book wraps up by having characters enter a room for a final resolution.

Don't these people watch movies? Don't they know not to go in the basement?

However there were no typos which gained this struggling story one star.

"Hell House" is you typical haunted house story. A reclusive millionaire hires a group of 3 people to investigate a huanted house. A physicist and his wife, a physical medium, and a mental medium. The group soon begins to discover that something is going on within the walls of this house. The group slowly begins to loose cohesion and the evil of the house begins to attack them.
I picked up "Hell House" because I loved "I Am Legend" so much i thought I'd give Matheson another try. I can't say I did'nt enjoy the book but i was dissapointed. The book is very well writen and keeps you reading page after page with anticipation. The one and only complaint I have about "Hell House" is the ending. I agree with another reviewer that it feels as though Matheson simply ran out of ideas and scrapped something together. Despite the bad ending i recommend this book to anyone who is not easily offended, as there are parts involving graphic sexual descriptions and a rather sick afront of christianity and the crucifix.

Although someone mentioned that the movie "The Legend of Hell House" was written word for word from the book, I would say that is only partially true. The book does give a bit more insight, but I would have to say that I was more impressed with the film version. To me, Belasco house was more suited to a bleak English countryside than...Maine? Also I liked the character of Florence Tanner in the film much better; she wasn't very young or virginal in the book, and I thought that aspect of the film gave her more depth. A good read, though, and scary, even after viewing the film.

This book is a typical Matheson book. It pits a hero/group of heroes against an endless and unknown terror, and the hero either wins or gains some sort of positive closure or reckoning in their struggles. By no means does it even slightly compare to I Am Legend, which in all accounts is godly, but it does captivate the reader.

To sum it up, a group of paranormal experts are hired to investigate the hauntings of this house for a measly $100,000 by staying for a week and collecting facts and solid evidence of it's activities. This house has a reputation, hence the name, and has claimed victims in the past. Guess what happens?

Overall, I think this book was pretty good. Matheson's books are highly descriptive and well-written. If you're highly imaginative like myself, you will enjoy this book. Please do not expect something extrodinary...it's a typical haunted house - ghost story with a Matheson twist. If you like and read his other books, then this is a must read. On a final note...another reviewer said that this book is descriptive in a graphic nature. I disagree. Three words that he uses in certain sceens for description are loins, breasts, and member. If you have read any of Barker's books, such as Cabal, then you will know what I mean when I say that this book is minor in it's sexual innuendo. If you can find it for $10, I'd pick it up. The hardcover edition is very nice.

I was compelled to keep reading, although grew weary toward the end.
The beginning seemed to offer promise of some real scares, but it devolved into bloodletting and stupidity. Also, the plot is too close to Shirley Jackson's
The Haunting of Hill House -- which is far superior -- too many horror story writers think that over-the-top gore and explicitly bloody and "perverted" (please - lesbianism? Isn't this the 21st C.?) sex will carry the book, when I find that what scares me is exactly the opposite - subtlety, ambiguity, the feel of someone perhaps looking over your shoulder -- that's the scarey stuff of nightmares.
Read Shirley Jackson and the Turn of the Screw instead.

A great creepy and foreboding tale that sucks the reader in from the first page to the last.

The story will keep you on the edge of your seat and keeps you guessing page after page as to what is behind the Haunting of Hell House/

I purchased Hell House to read since I like horror stories and Ghosts. I can say this book keeps your intrest from begining to end, not a dull moment.

Richard Matheson is pretty talented and imaginative in his books, bringing it to life and plus you should have a vivid imagination to boot, that is what makes the book so interesting, that.., and the writer. If it isn't there it isn't happening, but this book is happening. I only like to read stories that are interesting and holds my intrest.

Richard Matheson is one of the leading lights of horror fiction,and this is one well-done creepfest!This is a great haunted house novel!A dying millionaire hires a parapsychologist to go to Belasco house,a notoriously evil place,stay a few days,and find out once and for all if the place is indeed haunted.With 3 others,his wife and 2 mediums,he agrees.WELL,things DO get weird!The parasychologist sees the atmosphere in purely scientific terms.The mediums see it differently.Don't wanna give anything away,but this book is fast paced,absorbing,and SCARY.

The beauty of this tale is in its ageless storyline and the superb character development. I saw the movie adaptation years ago and in recollection am pleasantly surprised at how close to the deeper story the movie struck. I am not usually a big "haunted house" fan. But this was great. In my humble opinion this was better than anything by James or Bierce. Well done.

This was my first introduction to Richard. I had read so much about this book I couldn't wait to begin! It's been frequently included on various top 10 lists of scariest books ever, Stephen King has stated Richard was his biggest inspiration, etc. However, the book itself honestly fell fairly flat. Sure the house is creepy and supernatural events begin as soon as they step in the door, but is this book "scary"? No. Violent? Yes! Very! Especially towards the end there's a LOT of sexual violence with extreme detail (warning: you better be okay with rape!). I didn't find it extremely off-putting, however. The author makes a feeble attempt to try to twist who the ghost REALLY is but utterly fails at trying to trip up the reader. Come on, you KNOW that the main supposed ghost is the real one all along *(with the only twist being it was solely him all along). *sigh*
And the depth of denial the parapsychologist displays, in the face of contradictory empirical evidence no less (which is against the scientific method - gotta love scientific conservationism) was beyond annoying. I would really give this book a 2.5 (especially with the way others had touted it) but was generous enough to bump it up to a 3.
I don't mean to portray this book as completely a poor read, though. His description of the house itself, the ways in which the ghost reveals itself (which are somewhat spooky), and the possessions during the seance made this worth reading til the end. I also listened to the audio book and the reader was very talented. I know I certainly would have enjoyed this book much, much less if I had just read it. His voice inflections (especially with the ghost) were the most redeeming aspect to the book in my opinion. So in the end, if you want to read a good story about a haunted house look elsewhere. But if you want to read a story about a lustful ghost who loves to mess with others' minds, rape women, and pretend (unconvincingly) to be others then maybe give this a try. At least if you did you can judge for yourself whether this book should really be on a top 10 scariest book list.

I had read a couple of Matheson novels prior to reading this book. They were of a much higher quality than this novel, sad to say. As a Matheson and horror fan, this book certainly did not meet my expectations. It starts off as a promising horror story, with the now usual "if we give you money, will you rid of us ghosts?" i was completely confused at first though, because i had thought the guy who had offered them money was asking them to do one thing and they did another in the course of the novel, but whatever floats your boat. As for the characters, I had no idea why the older scientist married his wife. She was clearly a distraction and served no purpose in the novel. The story was too long in that it seemed for several pages he described procedures for her, which a two-year old would have been able to get. It wasn't necessarily difficult to get into the characters, but you can tell there's a border placed in between you and them. It was a quick read, but by the end of the novel, I wished that I could offer them the money and fame they wanted, to get them out of that stupid house.

Full book review post on my blog in the link in my profile!

As this was my first step into the lovely word of horror novels, I had pretty high expectations. Even though it didn't hit the bullseye every second for me, it was still a very chilling and entertaining read. This is a great first book for people trying to get into reading the horror genre!

I too am going to risk being one of the few detractors of Hell House. I have the utmost respect for Matheson as a horror writer, but for me Hell House has one very fundamental flaw... it's not scary. The writing is atmospheric, moody, occasionally even shocking, but.... it's not scary. The only character I even felt remotely sympathetic towards was the psychic Florence, as for the rest.. lets say I was often rooting for the house. A truly scary haunted house story needs to quicken the pulse, give a shiver, or make you jump at a strange sound, all were sadly lacking at the Belasco residence.

I too read the reviews and figured I'd give one of my first actual "horror" novels a try. I enjoyed the writing style, and the characters weren't all that annoying, I just did not find myself scared one time while reading this. The scariest moments in the book were the short descriptions of the history of Hell House, and those were few and far between. The ending was pretty lame to be honest, and totally anti-climatic. I give it a 3/5.

After picking up this book on by accident, after seeing the movie many moons ago, I was throughly surprised again to see that was so much of deeper tale. While it is a dated tale, the movie came out in the 70's if that helps, it still has the power to shock. Not in so much a gruesome sense, but genuinely creepy way. That being said, it does show its age in the shock department sometimes. The characters are easy to get involved with. It is a simple story, about the fates of four strangers trying to conquer the almost unstoppable haunting of an old house in New England.
If you have seen it's movie counterpart, this story is by far much more complete in that some essential parts have not been removed for the sake of "adult content". Whereas the movie focuses on the supernatural activity and it's consequent destruction, the book focuses more on what happens to the characters physically and psychologically. It's fare lies along the lines of "The Haunting" or the "Turn of the Screw". Don't be afraid to pick this one up as Matheson's story telling is excellent. Even if others' say that the book is narrow, it is truly a classic and must read for those who love tales of horror and haunted houses.

Ive read a few of Mathesons books before this one and I loved each one of them. I knoew a little of the story line before reading it, I mean, its just your basic haunted house book. It was more than that I found. It was very well written, very spooky and weird at times, and even a little erotic. The ending was surprising, and I thougt it was a great read. Not the best Matheson book Ive read, and Im sure its not the best hauted house book ever written, but its totally worth checking out!

I read Hill House fresh on the heels (and this might have been the problem) of Shirley Jackson's masterpiece The Haunting of Hill House. I've heard some great things about Hill House and Matheson who has written some really great stuff (Nightmare at 20,000 Feet, Little Girl Lost, etc.). So I decided to read it and after Hill House and The Shining, I was ready to have my mind blown again by an old master. And honestly, it did scare me. It scared me because of the idea that the house could find your weakness and exploit it. It scared me because of the characters, which all seemed nutty in their own ways. I love that about haunted house stories: How the characters can provide terror just through their interactions. And when I was finished with Hell House, honestly, I liked it. But the thing is is that I didn't think it was fantastic. And judging from the amount of praise it got I was expecting the greatest haunted house novel ever written. I didn't find that here, and I think I can explain why.

The best to me is still Haunting of Hill House and this is for a very simple reason. In Hill House, you don't know if the house is really haunted. Sure, it's hinted at and you are supposed to think that Hill House is truly haunted, but it is NEVER stated and the genius of Jackson's writing is that she makes sure to make any scene with "ghosts" hazy and difficult to decipher. This works because the true terror of Hill House, and I think this is why it's not as popular as Hell House, is from the idea that the house was never haunted and that the "ghosts" all come from the mind of a truly disturbed young woman. As for The Shining, well, there's not much that can be said that hasn't already been said. Yeah, it's a masterpiece, but I never liked it as much as the 1980 Kubrick classic. Yeah, it's different, but I think the changes make the film better than the novel. I don't know, I always thought The Shining had too much fluff and not enough action of payoff (as is most of Stephen King's work). And that's a big problem with Hill House. Much of the novel, short as it is, has too much fluff and not enough payoff. I feel that Matheson tried to work around this by adding needless sex and violence. Now don't get me wrong, sex and violence is sometimes pivotal in horror, but here it seems tired and out of place with the rest of Hell House.

In conclusion, it ain't bad. But it ain't as good the others and it seems to be sandwiched between two superior novels. I like Matheson's style of writing and in all, it's a positive read. But if you're going on a plane ride and you can only take one, toss out Hell House and choose between The Shining or The Haunting of Hill House. And between those two, choose the Jackson novel.

I guess this is a classic of the horror genre, but honestly, it didn't work for me. A flat, pedestrian prose style, leaps in logic, nonsensical technobabble, a full cast of TSTL, two-dimensional characters, and some gratuitous sexualization and abuse of the female characters really rendered this one more like one and a half star if the rating system would allow it. I can't see myself rereading this any time soon.

I didn't find this book to be particularly scary or creepy. I did find it interesting in how the scientist thinks he has figured out the ghost phenomena and goes on to prove(?) his findings, although the ending with the "special" room (can't spell it out here or I give away too much) was very silly... one of those "yeah, right" moments. Also, I thought the sceance scene was overdone with the ectoplasm. Another "yeah, right" moment. The main ghost character was very disturbing. Hearing the history of the house made you get a real sense of the deprevity and vileness involved. Overall, interesting concepts put forth regarding ghosts, but nothing really scary or shocking.

I guess Richard Matheson was hard up for cash when he penned THIS potboiler. It is a direct descendant of Shirley Jackson's infinitely superior "Haunting of Hill House", with MORE than a soupcon of William Castle's/Robb White's "House on Haunted Hill" thrown in. You know you're in "paid-by-the-word" territory when you get an itemized list of at least fifty "things I saw in Hell House". (BTW - can anyone tell me the difference between "apparations", "aports", "asports", and "phantoms"?)
For some reason, Matheson sets the Belasco House in "Caribou Falls, Maine". Maybe he looked at a map and thought "Caribou, Maine" sounded neat, and it IS a bit out of the way, so we'll tweak it a bit. Guess what - I spent almost five years in Caribou with the Air Force, and in December (the novel's time setting), it isn't chilly, it isn't damp, it isn't foggy - it's THIRTY DEGREES BELOW ZERO! Please, Mr. Matheson, you will have to try a bit harder.
Given all that - it is your standard "investigative team takes up residence in a haunted house" story. Stock characters: the dedicated scientist, his loving but unstable wife, the way-out-there medium, and a Watson Pritchard (go back and watch "House on Haunted Hill") imitating psychic who is the sole survivor of the "last disastrous attempt". Shake until all mixed up.
Better examples of this sub-genre': the afore-mentioned towering classic "Haunting of Hill House", ANYthing by M.R. James or E.F. Benson (THERE'S some SCARES for you, folks - I MEAN it!!), the ghost stories of H. Russell Wakefield, nuts, I'll even stoop to name King's "The Shining" as a more *original* ghost story.
Matheson is a GREAT writer, with a string of classics that any author would be extremely proud of. THIS book, however, catches him either out of his realm, or on an off day. Anyway - try my other suggestions if you want a REALLY good "ghost story".

A deviant entity or entities possess the once prominent figures former house and even the guest that come to visit the so-called Hell House. The house with its manipulative hauntings also has a tone of demonic possession. The story follows also the conflictof four people trying to understand the house through science and paranormal psychology.

I was torn on this book. The atmosphere of the house and the things happening kept giving me goosebumps but when it came down to the characters interacting, I would cringe every time. Out of the 4 characters in the house, 3 got on my nerves. Only Fisher was tolerable for me. Most of the scary scenes were scary enough but some just didn't do anything for me. Then near the end the incident with the hand and Edith (if you read it you'll know what I mean) actually had me laughing. I pretty sure I wasn't supposed to find it amusing. It was still a good read. I was hoping for so much more though.

I just finished reading Hell House by Richard Matheson, and I must say that I am not at all disappointed with the story. It seems to start out really slow, no doubt building the story and establishing its characters and setting, but then it takes off suddenly, and doesn't stop until the end of the book. I read it in about 2 days; once I'd pick it up it was really hard to stop reading and put it down again. It does have a lot of harsh cursing, and some graphic scenes throughout the story, but, I, myself, think they were written very well to establish the type of "hell" this house really was. I was definately spooked by it, and recommend it to anyone that likes a thrilling and creepy haunted house story.

I've never read a Richard Matheson book I didn't like. I love his imagination and storytelling ability. Tense, suspenseful, fast to read..... he creates scary scenarios that will keep you awake at night.

I first was introduced to Matheson's work by the novella "I Am Legend", which I loved. I got this book from the local library and it kept me up for two nights. Matheson's a skilled storyteller and he never lets up on the action, even during smaller passages that he uses for character development. I can see why Stephen King calls him a great influence. I'd place Matheson on equal footing with HP Lovecraft any day.

This is probably the best haunted house novel ever. Richard Matheson is the second most important horror-writer of the twentieth century, and this is my favorite novel by him. On the surface, it bears many similarities to The Haunting of Hill House: four paranormal investigators, a lesbian relationship, etc. This novel however is much grittier and the scare factor is greatly increased. For me, the most interesting part of the book is the backstory about Victor Belasco and how Hell House earned its name...

Hell House is definitely the best haunted house novel I've ever read (followed closely by The Shining which was inspired by Hell House). The text is easy to read, but also rich with detail. I've seen some of the reviews saying the ending was predictable and the occurances are cliche, but you have to remember that when Matheson wrote this, it was pretty original. Matheson was a pioneer of 20th century horror writing, and this is one of his masterpieces.
Yes, the book is disturbingly haunting, not cheap "BOO" thrills. You will look over your shoulder for a while after reading it. Also, check out the film, The Legend of Hell House. The parts that are in it are just like the book right down to the dialogue in most parts. But since it was filmed in the late 70's, they couldn't film certain parts due to content or budget. Still a great film.

Richard Matheson is undoubtedly one of the greatest writers of the horror genre, but this novel goes no further than being a very feeble imitation of Shirley Jackson' "Haunting of the Hill House". The characters are shallow, the setting is too exagerrated, and the climax is really, really poor. If you are a fan of haunted house novels, then Hell House may interest you, but I'd definitely suggest other books of haunting than this loss of time. Try Jackson's masterpiece, Marasco's "Burnt Offerings" or King's "Shining", they all are far better than this.

This was a good read. I like a scary book and this was a fun one to read. The most important thing is well developed characters. The people in this story felt real, they all had their own distinct personality. That in itself sets it above most horror fiction I have read. The book provides some great chills and moves along at a fast pace. And unlike most horror fiction has a satisfying conclusion. If you are a Stephen King fan I think you will enjoy this book

Hell House is exactly what you want it to be.........a chilling, straight-forward haunted house story. It is highly entertaining, intelligent & worth every penny you pay for the book.
Far too often a book is spoken of as "scary", but once you reach a point, it spirals into a weird, hardly believable mess. Hell House is exactly what you hope for in a novel of its type. While the ending is ever-so-slightly a let down, it is quite appropriate & mostly satisfying.
While I've read books that have certainly chilled me more than Hell House (Summer of Night by Dan Simmons to be specific) it is certainly one of the best horror/supernatural/haunted house novels ever written.

Matheson's HELL HOUSE deserves a special place in the archives of haunted house fiction. Like Shirley Jackson's THE HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE and Tristan MacAvery's TEA FOR TWENTY, this novel presents us with puzzles made up of both the history and haunting of the house itself and the demons and memories haunting the characters as well.
Matheson has the ability to get into your head directly, by writing in such a way that you are drawn into the mind of the explorer, who is himself drawn into the heart of the house -- the mind, the evil soul, of the house -- and both of you are locked onto a collision course with terror.
Tristan MacAvery's haunted house tale, TEA FOR TWENTY, even pays an homage to this book, when one of his characters is watching late-night cable and sees a spooky re-vision of the film based upon this book. Few contemporary authors have made a proper study of Matheson's ability to bring about sheer terror, but MacAvery has done his homework and gotten back a string of A-plus grades. I recommend buying both books and enjoying the frothy, frosty terror of them both.

I feel myself fortunate having seen the movie first, because if I had read this book I would have had no inclination to see the film, which would have meant missing out on an excellent horror flick.

It appears that the author has used the haunted house theme as an excuse to fill a book with sexual obsessions and an intent to shock people with lurid, obscene religious images. One has to wonder what Mr. Matheson has against women, as the sexually explicit and very painful attacks upon the character Ms. Tanner indicate something not quite normal and were totally unnecessary in building the suspenseful horror so prominent in books of this type.

Because the film downplayed the sexual elements, while not totally covering them up, a truly scary story was told. With the book and its almost soft porn thread which runs throughout the narrative, the horror truly takes a backseat to the perverted sexuality so apparent on almost every page. That Belasco was a deviant in all conceivable aspects may be a necessary component of the story. But the reader could do without the intense descriptions of both the depraved acts committed in the house as well as the above-mentioned attacks on a principle female character. Her older counterpart, the researcher's wife, fares better only because her apparently suppressed sexuality is explored in place of the actual and vividly described attacks on the medium.

I don't consider myself a terribly religious person, but Matheson even managed to offend me with the description of Belasco's perverted crucifix and what eventually occurred with this item of worship. Simply terrible and totally unnecessary.

A poor excuse to use a haunted house theme to hide a soft porn book. This book tells more about the inner depths of the author's mind then it does about the terrifying Belasco House.

I guess I gave it two stars simply because it spawned a very decent and frightening horror film. I actually was not only disappointed by the book, but it is one of the few in my life that I have even regretted reading.

I haven't felt really scared reading a horror novel in a long time, but this one did scare me. And this isn't a new book, but I just read it for the first time. Lots of action and horrible things happening kept the spookiness factor going. If you like haunted house stories, this is one of the best.

Hell House is a classic haunted house story, told in the inimitable style of Richard Matheson the master. The chapters are interesting in that all tell the time of the events as they happen, as if it's counting down to the final climax. The Bellasco house is a rival to Shirley Jackson's Haunting of Hill House for being one of the creepiest inventions in the world of supernatural fiction. The characters have their psychological nuances that make them not just run of the mill, halfway protagonists. I saw the movie of this many years ago and it was pretty good, one of the first things that got me into reading horror novels. Then I got this book and it's so much better than the movie; Richard Matheson is one of the best horror and sci fiction novelists of all time.

This book has it all: A haunted house, a group of people who wish to dispel the evil that resides in it and a sinister presence behind the haunting. The reader turns the pages captivated by the story, as the facts around the evil presence unfold. However, if you have read MANY horror stories, as I have, you may find the ending a bit disappointing...

I was drawn to this book after first reading I am Legend, also by Matheson. Since IAL was such an awesome book I thought I'd branch out and read more of Matheson's work. Hell House is a pretty good book about the Belasco mansion a.k.a. Hell House. A paraphyscologist and his wife and two mediums (one who was the only survivor of an earlier expedition into the house) enter to try discover what makes Hell House tick. Some pretty creepy stuffs goes on and Matheson is excellent at description. Still I didn't love this book as much as I am Legend. I am still reading Matheson and he is such a great talent that I would suggest everybody should pick up his stuff at some point. As for Hell House, I'd still say to read it. It was my absolute favorite but it's still a spooky, fast paced read.

I love horror books, especially ghost stories. My husband researched this one and found it for my birthday.

Without any spoilers this one wont likely dissappoint, with a rather timeless creepiness, but it does have a mildly unsatisfying ending.

Overall very good, keeping in mind that I RARELY give 5 stars.

A friend gave me this one a few years ago, telling me it was "the sickest thing he had ever read." I finally picked it up and read it today (yes, in one day, it is that short) and I understand why he said that, because titillating nuggets of Marquis de Sade-style sacrilege and perversity are the centerpiece of the book. Even though the sadistic sexuality is described in mercifully elliptical terms, Matheson still tells enough to make you imagine it, and it created a very uncomfortable squirmy sensation .. at least for me. Some reviewers have described it as "erotic" but I thought it was sickening .. overtly, grossly misogynistic.

The pornographic shock value is this book's only power. It isn't scary, not even slightly. The "haunting" aspect of it is laughable. It plays like a by-the-numbers Hollywood "frightfest" that throws a bunch of meaningless special effects at the audience to distract from the fact that the story makes no sense and the characters are as shallow as cardboard cutouts. Dr. Barret was ludicrous as a "scientist" and nobody's behavior had any sort of logical consistency. One minute they're being exposed to mind-numbing horror, and the next minute they're acting as if everything is fine. If the house just tried to kill me, I wouldn't be putting on my pajamas and getting into bed. I would be trying to get the heck OUT of there. This book had potential .. the backstory about "Evil Emeric" Belasco was tantalizingly horrific (he's like a combination of the Marquis de Sade and Aliester Crowley) but it reads like Matheson wrote it in a hurry; he just wasn't trying. I feel disappointed and a little DIRTY after reading _Hell House._

Shirley Jackson's masterpiece _The Haunting of Hill House_ might not have all the salacious thrills that jaded modern horror fans crave, but it was much more finely crafted and much more MATURE than this. At least Jackson's characters were believable and her ghostly phenomena were more realistic (based on actual accounts of genuine hauntings, not Hollywood movie versions). I recommend Hill House, but Hell House is not worth visiting unless you have no other way to waste an afternoon.

This little work is hard hitting and extremely tense throughout most of the book. I am glad it is not a very long book as the suspense would probably have been too much to sustain over a long period.

I started reading this book knowing nothing of its plot and nothing about the movie based on it. I feel that was probably the best way. Knowing anything about what happens in the book other than the basic premise would probably ruin it.

This is the only book I've ever read that was actually scary. The setting is amazingly dark. It read like a nightmare. An excellent book. I was never bored.

This was a great read for those who like horror and Stephen King like stories. Compact in its story line and characters, it makes you rethink how you may feel about ghosts and science and how closely coupled they may be.

I bought this book with very high hopes. It had gotten high marks, and I was suppose to be very scary. I'm more into terror novels than I am horror novels, and thought that this sounded like a good one. Sadly, I was as disappointed after reading it as I was excited before I read it. Tables flying around and women ripping their clothes off aren't frightening. Terror stories also tend to be more frightening when the story isn't about a bunch of "experts" in the paranormal. Edith was the most interesting character, because she didn't know (or think she knew) what was going on all the time. If the character isn't frightened, it is far less likely that the reader will be. Fischer was good, but the other two were unbearable with their awful explanations of what was going on. Keep the characters oblivious, and the story will actually be frightening.

I was curious why everyone "started" throughout the book. The characters never started anything. They just "started." Ex: "Jim refused to leave. Frances started, and then thought better of it," or "Hank was wondering what to do and then started." Many characters "started" throughout the book, and it made the entire experience very clunky.

The ending to this book was awful. I'm not going to spoil it, but it is a horrible ending.

I was very disappointed after reading this book, because I had such high hopes going into it. The premise is very good. An isolated house with no windows that nobody will go near. It's fantastic. Sadly, the execution falls far short of the premise. If you're looking to be frightened, look elsewhere.

Hell House keeps you on your toes and guessing the whole time. A book that actually scared me is definitely worth reading. Don't expect a lot of flourish or puff, Matheson gets right down to the story and you feel it not just read it. Truly superb.

I have read this book so many times, I have to replace it now. My book is ripped in half and falling apart, it is so good. It is such a good, interesting read, that I don't even read horror or novels, yet I love this book. It is supernatural and scary, and the ending is so suprising that it will make you think for a while. Good read.

Another Matheson stone-cold classic. Again, the majority of Gen-X'rs just don't seem to have the educated taste and background knowledge to appreciate it - a true shame; even scarier than the novel is the fact that we are losing this generation to illiteracy. But to continue, this is one creepy story. And Matheson's assistance on the 1973 film helped immeasurably - the only REALLY scary movie made outside of THE HAUNTING and THE INNOCENTS.

This is one disturbing house. It's like Shirley Jackson's "Hill House" on steroids. Matheson creates a mood of dread from the first page and carries it all the way through to the gruesome climax. The gore is not heavy handed but is used to great effect in portraying the house as a malevolent force. The author's screenwriting abilities (Twilight Zone, etc) helps keep a cinematic pacing through the book's concise 300 pages. This is a very satisfying chiller. Don't read it late at night!

Readers who enjoy the hypnotic pulse of a finely woven ghost story will find this book irresistable. The richly developed characters trancend the written page to become familiar to the reader, old friends. The plot revolves around the "Mt. Everest" of haunted houses, and the diluded attempt to exorcise it. There is no finer haunted house story written.

Do you believe in ghosts? Would you live in a haunted house where people that have lived their had become insane and even killed themselves. What if you lived their for some time, and be rewarded 100,000 dollars if you survive. Some authors say that they have writen some pretty scary books that you have never even thought of, books that will make you quite scared. That is not true for most readers who considor horror books. Most mature readers dislike books that have classical horror for example, characters in the story who actually become friends with ghosts, or giant spiders taking over the world. "Hell house" actually puts you in a actual situation where you are in a haunted house where anything is possible. If your a reader who is in horror stories, this is the book for you. The reason why I rated this a 5 was because of its very discriptive way of describing the scene and situation. It describes how everybody is feeling and thinking so that you know exactly whats going on. The book doesn't have a slow start where it gives you a list of characters and describes each of them. It goes with the flow. The book is similar to the movie "House on a Haunted Hill", where a group of people are rewarded money if they stay in a house for sometime. "Hell house" is a more realistic kind of book that takes place in the 60's. It doesn't give you that "blood and guts everywhere", kind of description. This book will seriously give you nightmares. You'll be shocked and scared if you were actually a character in this book and how much you will go through. I highly recommend this for mature readers for its sexual content.

I had just finished reading another Matheson classic, I Am Legend, when I found out, to my delight, Hell House was being reprinted. Having missed the book the first time around, I wasted no time in ordering it from the store.com. Wow! It sure was worth it. The atmosphere in this book was unparelled; the tension unbearable. I read this in 5 hours and when I completed the book, I couldn't tell if I was more sad for it's passing, or afraid from it's content. Hell House is the standard all haunted house books have been and will be compared against.

Four people spend a week in a known haunted house, trying to prove or disprove the phenomena. Sound familiar? That's because Shirley Jackson already did it in the masterpiece "The Haunting of Hill House," which I recommend 100% more than this book. "Hell House" is not scary. The storyline is choppy and the writing isn't good. Richard Matheson is a wonderful writer, but dropped the ball with this book.

I read this book when it first came out, in the late '70's. As usual, I was disappointed by the movie, but not as badly as with other beloved books. May be due to Mr. Matheson writing the screenplay! Yet, the book was so scary. OMG! It was so detailed and involved but it moved so quickly because of the suspense. The explanations were easily visualized, and sometimes you'd wish they hadn't been!

This book is very interesting. I think it keeps the reader enthralled all the way to the end. It's pretty twisted, but that's what makes it so cool. It reminds me of a lot of scary movies I've watched recently, but I'm sure they got their ideas from Richard Matheson. Stephen King says that he was most inspired by Richard Matheson. It's a pretty quick read, and if you like horror, you'll like this book.

This was an okay book to read. It's basically your typical haunted house storyline with a tiny twist. The book does contain some strong sexual scenes that I found uncomfortable to read. I was disappointed with the ending of the story...it was kinda a dud. Overall it wasn't that bad of a book. I still wanna see the movie.

I read this about a month ago after wanting to read it for a while. I did read some of the reviews before I brought, but I mostly read the 4 & 5 star reviews. So I kinda had high hopes for the book. Well, I discovered that the book wasn't the greatest or the worst. It's just average. I wasn't scared, a bit disturbed at times, but not scared. The book does limp thru to the end, with a half hearted ending. I was entertained with this book, so I don't have any major complaints about it. Other than it could've been scarier!

Book was very interesting. I'd say it is a solid horror read. Problem, though, is the writing is a little bit choppy and it's not as scary as I would have wanted it to be. It is a good read nonetheless!

I didn't care for the characters too much, except for the psychic who lived to tell about his experience. The rest I thought were cliches of the 50s. The story and its premise, I thought, were great and the way he describes the horrific scenes is brilliant. The ending was surprising in its simplicity.

After reading "The House on Haunted Hill" I was so dissapointed that I quickly searched for an actually scary novel. "Hell House" was highly recommended, and it is indeed a good haunted house story. No, it didn't keep me awake at night, but I did read it in a couple sittings and I felt satisfied when finished. It's more mysterious and disturbing than frightening. And much more erotic than I expected; similar to Steven King's writing I suppose. A good ghost story.

Bravo Richard Matheson!
You have written us a suspenseful and frightening tale without relying on pure gore! I have read some of the other reviews that have a bad opinion, but I fail to see what all of the harping is about. First of all, I don't think he was trying to frighten us with the lesbianism, it was all about losing control and some outside entity being in charge of your body and thoughts. The character, Edith, that is most desturbed has a problem with sex in general not just lesbianism. It is more than the sexual aspects, it is about how one man can corrupt so many and how evil can survive.

I really enjoyed this book. There were a few spots that dragged a bit, but overall I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I was in the mood for a horror book, and it definitely delivered. I read some reviews saying it was a bit hokey in parts. I don't agree. I can see where they would say that, but I thought it read like some of the old horror movies from way back when. Anyone looking for a good, old-fashioned horror book - you won't be disappointed.

This book is one of the scariest horror novels ever written and THE best haunted house novel, period. No lesser scribe than Stephen King has also expressed that sentiment. This book has no faults; it moves with a stream-lined precision and ratchets up the tension to an almost unbearable pitch before coming to a satisfying conclusion.

Made into an excellent film in 1973.

It is really a nice book. I can't wait to finish it. However, it's like a B movie -- it has been done before, done again and again. I don't seem to be fair: because this book was published in 1971, whichever came after it was, let's say, "not as original"; but, if you already read similar books, why bother any more?

I read this book hoping to be scared and amused. Unfortunately, I was amused, but for all the wrong reasons. This book is a collection of flat characters, and cliches which actually had me rolling my eyes at certain parts. The ending, which i will not disclose for those who haven't read "Hell House", was too convinient and neatly packaged, as well as ridiculous. I recommend "I am Ledgend" to readers who will better appreciate a scientific explanation of the supernatural that is suspenseful as well as entertaining.

I was a fan of Matheson before I read this book but my esteem of him has diminished since reading this book. First of all let me warn you if you are offended by sexual religious references you probably want to stay away. But aside from that I found the story to be very derivative or The Haunting Of Hill House. My recomendation is that you read I Am Legend instead.

I'd seen the movie as a kid and decided to read the book when I came across it at a secondhand bookstore. It reads a bit dated, but still has some very good, scary moments. As with all good horror, it is the psychological torments which keep you glued to the pages. Enjoyed it.

One of the scariest books ever written. Richard Matheson knows how to chill your bones. I found myself unable to turn my bedroom light off after a few chapters! Well written as usual and easy to read. You wont be able to put this book down. If you liked "The Haunting of Hill House" by Shirley Jackson you will really enjoy this book.

Ok, let's get something straight, it is a good book, probably a great book, very intriging, but not as scary as everyone is making it seem. I read this book because I had read What Dreams May Come, and I looked up Matheson on the store.com. I found this and how everyone said how terrifying Hell House was, so i checked it out at the library. It was a neat book, i liked it, but it did not have me "looking under my bed or in my closets"

I've been looking for this book for years, and couldn't be happier to see that TOR has had the good sense to reissue it. A fast, frantic, frightening read, this is right up there with Matheson's other classics: I Am Legend and The Incredible Shrinking Man. For those who claim not to be bothered by it, a challenge: read this one alone, in the dead of night, at home, with a good storm blowing around the house. It's scary without these props, but even more chilling with them!!

Matheson does a great job of creating suspense from the first paragraph to the ending climax. I thought I knew what was going on untill the very last chapter and I was totally shocked at how the story ended. The lush descriptions transported all of my senses to the fog shrouded Hell House property. It usually takes me at least a month to read an averge sized novel (approx. 300 pages), it only took me three days to finish Hell House. I loved this story.

This is a good book if you know how to comprehend the material. Smart people will appreciate this book, even if they don't like it.

This book will probably bore you when it trys to be scary in the traditional sense WHICH IT DOES. But the majority of the book explores the minds of the characters and the history of the house making you wonder what would happen to you if you ever came across Belesco, freaky stuff(at least to those of us with moral fiber).

I would read more reviews if I were you There is much more information to be read

I read Shirley Jackson's Haunting of Hill House many years ago, so I found Hell House and decided to give it a try, thinking it could never measure up to Hill House. Boy, was I wrong! This is the scariest story I have read. I read it in a matter of days only because I forced myself to slow down. I will admit, though that I left it at work rather than have it at home! Terrifying!!!!!!

This is the granddaddy of all ghost storys!! they based the movie : The legend of Hell House(1974) on this book!! The screenplay for the movie was written by Mr. Matheson. A excellent read!! You'll jump at every creak that you hear in your house after reading this one!! The very best that I've ever read!!

I LOVE Richard Matheson's short stories, so I was very eager to try his novels--especially one so highly regarded. I've seen many people calling it the best haunted house story every written, so... It was Blah. There were a couple of moments that had some tension, but nothing was scary let alone terrifying. The characters were OK. The story was OK.

Richard Matheson has written a pulse pounder in this one. He makes you feel down to your bones that you are actually experiencing this horror. The characters are so real and the place so extreme. I was so frightened that I had to keep putting it down to stop my heart from racing. From first page to last, it is a winner for anyone who appreciates a good scare!

I couldn't wait to read what was going to happen next. If I could make one suggestion, don't watch the 1974 movie version first. It is exactly the way the book is-word for word. So when I read the book, there was no deviation and so it left me kind of bored.

I picked up Hell House in a used book store knowing nothing of the author or book. Easily the best book I have ever purchased. The moment I picked it up I couldn't set it down. I was jumping in terror at any small noise. This is a must read.

This is the first book of Richard Matheson's that I have read - and I must say, I am an instant fan. It was difficult for me to put the book down - an "edge of your seat" read. Honestly, I didn't expect too much at first, but now I am enthusiastically looking forward to reading more of his work!

Without doubt the best book I have had the honour of reading, Mathesons Hell House is far more twisted than I have ever imagined, his discriptions are frightingly real, his style is unique, his intentions are dark, the book has a shocking twist of an end and a roller coaster of chills to get to that ending, truly a masterpiece, Hell House...

I had high hopes for this book after reading the reviews. However, i found this book slow and boring. No chills, no feeling except boredom? He could have made this the best haunted house story ever, and it fell flat. Heres this creepy mansion w/no windows and a creepy chapel and nothing ever happened. He blew and awesome oppertunity. I was not happy at all.

I read the reviews for the book online and it sounded really good so i ordered it... it was so awesome, I loved it! If you like scary books, you'll love this one. It wasn't really anything like the movie, it was so much better! The whole thing was just really well written!

Might have been scary had I been 8 years old;I found it to be fairly disengaging. Gave up about halfway through-- too much Gothic description that doesn't really lead anywhere.

Instead, read Matheson's I Am Legend. Now that's a true ***** star classic!

Not gonna make a real long drawn out review on this one, but i will simply say that it is well worth it to read this horror story. Kinda like, wow cant believe im reading this...but i cant put it down sort of horror. Read it.

I read this book for the second time and it is still just as great as I remember. Matheson is a giant of horror fiction and it's easy to see why. Some books don't get dated with time and this is one of them.

People, I just got done with this clunker of a novel...thank god. First, the author states, ENDLESSLY, the common response of every character to anything unpleasant..."he HISSED at the hot water...she HISSED as she sat on her sore behind...the cat HISSED...the staircase HISSED."
Redundant.
Secondly, lesbianism ISN'T scary. To be possessed by a solitary ghost who, we find in the very end, suffers from a napoleonic complex and a need to make the inhabited female act like a cat in heat, strutting about, looking for a woman to have (...) with, this is the TERROR of the novel. Spooky, scary bite marks on (...), lesbian antics and loud cussing.
Thirdly, the giant crucifix with a phallus that eventually swings and "impales" to death a female medium (who is a cat-like lesbian beast). Now that's just dumb, people. This isn't creepy....no, I take that back. It IS creepy that a man thought this up as something entertaining or frightening.
And, lastly, they call the ghost names until it gets scared and vanishes. Totally anticlimactic and unimaginative.
Please, save your money and skip this author.
Mike...who will NEVER read another Matheson novel again.

It was a very good book. I liked this book, but then I read "Flesh Gothic" by Edward Lee. That book by Lee was way more fun covering the same basic premise. Neither book is for the squeemish or easily offended.

Richard Matheson's novel Hell House borrows heavily from Shirley Jackson's novel The Haunting of Hill House. Hill House is more a gothic novel written as a lyrical novel while Hell House is a contemporary horror novel complete with blood and gore and violence (and true to form, much of the most grotesque violence in the novel is towards women). Both novels center around houses that give the impression of something hideous. In both novels, a party of four enters the house to explore the haunting. Both books have lesbianism, and characters often have problems with their mothers. By the novel's end, the mysteries of Hell House are full elucidated. We never really find out about Hill House.

Hill house is a lonely house, and loneliness is a major theme in Shirley Jackson's novel. Hell House on the other hand isn't a lonely house. Sure it is out of the way and exists in country of perpetual fog, but what Hell House is famous for is its parties. These parties occurred in the lifetime of a previous owner named Emeric Belasco. These weren't ordinary parties however. These parties were infamous for debauchery. Then they evolved over time to include sadism and then outright murder. Now Hell House is haunted by these house guests and most likely Emeric Belasco himself (although his body never really was found). A set of paranormal investigators is sent to the house in order to study the nature of the house's haunting. These include Barrett, a scientist who specializes in paranormal phenomenon (I wonder where he went to grad school), Florence a spiritualist and religious medium, Fischer who used to be the greatest medium, and Edith, Barrett's wife and assistant (i.e. extra pair of hands; she also gasps and screams at all the right times).

The novel feels a little like a detective novel. The two primary detectives are Barrett and Florence. They take what seems to be opposite approaches to solving the haunting. Barrett's understanding comes through science (?). Florence takes a religious approach. In a way the story is setup as a battle between religion and science. Matheson clearly favors Florence who herself likes a synthesis between science and religion. Barrett on the other hand comes off as a pompous ass, and for him, it's either his way or the highway. They both set about investigating, and both come to false conclusions. The haunted house tricks them.

I kept wondering what the house stood for. At first I though it was to stand in for the world- full of horror and crimes- and we were going to have an exorcism. Straightforward good vs. evil stuff. But then most of the horror appears sexual in nature. Having read Hill House I thought Hell House was the key, but that too is a red herring in the mystery. Hell House is not about the house and when the mystery is solved it's about the will to dominate, the will to power. (Popular fiction seems to hate Nietzsche. I've been reading a lot of pop fiction lately and this whole will to power stuff comes up as a theme again and again.)

The book has a poorly executed ending which is why I am only giving it one star. It was all right to read (and quick) but the ending was just awful. After the two detectives fail, Fischer steps up to the plate. He learns from their mistakes. He makes heroic postures. We see so little of him during most of the book that his sudden heroics seem abrupt. Sadly it turns out that all the clues to the haunting were revealed in the first twenty pages.

It's too bad also that Matheson used Hill House as a template. Reading the book I spent so much time thinking of Hill House itself. I kept wishing to be there again. I kept thinking of its façade which looks like a human face, with its roof jauntily perched on its head, rakishly. Hill House was seduction itself.

Despite what the title suggests, this book is NOT actually about my apartment during the holiday season. Though, frankly, I do feel somewhat haunted by the amazing piles of crap that are accumulating while I'm too busy wrapping gifts, baking cookies, and making shopping lists to keep on top of chores. However, lucky for me, that haunting doesn't involve evil ghost thingies that zoom around and rip my limbs off. The people in this novel? Ehhhh, not so fortunate.

Those of you who saw the 1973 movie "The Legend of Hell House" already know the plot of this novel (because the film was based on it). Those of you who saw "The Haunting" starring Owen Wilson, Liam Neeson, and Lily Taylor, or "House on Haunted Hill" starring Geoffrey Rush, also know the plot of this novel, even though "The Haunting" was actually based on a Shirley Jackson story and "House on Haunted Hill" was based on, uh, who knows what. The thing is, you read one haunted house novel or watch one haunted house movie, you read or watch them all. This book has nothing interesting or original to give to us, at least not anymore (who knows, in 1971, when it first was published, it may have been really fab). And, what's worse, it's not even scary, though it tries very, very hard to be.

The story is about a group of paranormal researchers and psychics who decide a really entertaining way to spend a week would be to go to the Belasco house (AKA "Hell House") and hang out. Yes, this despite the fact the previous two groups of yahoos who tried this very experiment all ended up dead. Eh, nobody said psychics were smart. Of course, they show up, the ghosts go bananas, most of them end up six feet under. Big surprise. La la la. Yawn. I confess, I've seen all three of the movies I just mentioned, and many of them more than once. And I did that for the same reason I read this book all the way through. I'm a sucker for ghost stories. But don't be like me. It can only cause you great amounts of pain, misery, and many, many good hours wasted on unoriginal crappola. Read something better. Like, say, the phone book. Recommended! But only if you are TOTALLY INSANE.

I purchased this book in ebook format. The formatting was so terrible that it was unreadable. It was obvious that the publisher scanned a hard copy and no human ever looked at the output. If you are buying this for your Kindle, DON'T. The publisher clearly doesn't care about ereaders. Save your money. The ebook is unreadable. DON'T BUY IT!!