I know Halloween
seems like it’s forever away, but Pumpkins at the Park begins in just over
three weeks. For me, this means that 50 to 90 hour workweeks start next week
and won’t stop until I get through the event. That being said, after this week,
I’m going to need to take a hiatus until the first week in November. I have a
few book discussion posts ready to go, and I’ll post those over the next month
or so, but I won’t have ANY time to write new content.
So for this last
Top 5 Tuesday Wednesday before my break, I thought I’d give you my
Favorite Horror Books!
1.
The
Shining, Stephen King
I was bound and determined to choose only
one Stephen King book for this list (which wasn’t easy), but The Shining HAD to be my choice – it’s
one of my favorite books of all time and my favorite King book (if you don’t
count any of the Dark Tower books,
anyway). I love the story of Jack Torrance, a man slowly driven insane by otherworldly
forces. Everyone knows the story thanks to Stanley Kubrick’s film, but the
novel is so much better (isn’t that always the case?). Jack Torrance is not a
great man, but the horrible things that happen to him at the Overlook Hotel
aren’t really his fault. I mean, his alcoholism and temper force his family to
move to Colorado, but the spirits within the hotel take over Jack so completely
that at the end, Danny doesn’t even recognize Jack as his father anymore. Jack
Torrance is not a man driven insane, per se. Rather, he’s a man being acted
upon and influenced by his surroundings with horrifying results.
2.
The
Silence of the Lambs, Thomas Harris
I’ve got to say it: I like Red Dragon better as a story, but I
think The Silence of the Lambs makes
for a better horror novel. There are so many good horrific things in
this book (I mean, really. The skinsuit? Try not to let that one get to you),
but the best thing that Thomas Harris gives us is Dr. Hannibal Lecter. Hannibal
Lecter is the consummate gentleman, right up until he eats your face off. And
that’s what is so damn unsettling about him – he’s smart, cultured, and
refined, but a complete psychopath at the same time. Harris introduces us to
Lecter in Red Dragon, published some 7
years previously. And while The Silence
of the Lambs follows a very similar approach (in both novels, Dr. Lecter is
creepy as hell and helps an FBI Agent/trainee catch a serial killer), it
doesn’t feel like a rinse and repeat of Harris’s earlier novel. Oh, and also,
MOTHS. If anyone ever murders and skinsuits me, PLEASE don’t shove a moth down
my throat. Let’s not add insult to injury.
3.
The
Exorcist, William Peter Blatty
I first read this book when I was in
elementary school – I know, that’s not normal – and it scared the hell out of
me. That was also back when I was convinced demonic possession was a real
thing, so that might have contributed to my initial reaction. At any rate, the
story of the possession and exorcism of Regan MacNeil is as terrifying as it is
shocking. Not only is Blatty’s description of Regan’s physical decay
stomach-churning, but the things this little girl says and does while possessed
are downright unsettling (like crab-walking down the stairs, masturbating with
a crucifix, and using every manner of swear word known to man). When an author
is able to leave readers with those kinds of images – unpleasant though they may
be – he’s done his job well.
4.
The
Amityville Horror, Jay Anson
I can still remember the first time I read
this book. I was in 6th grade and couldn’t sleep, so I pulled it off
my “to read” shelf (what were my parents thinking?) and stayed up half the
night reading. And then I stayed up the other half of the night too scared to
sleep, since the book is about a freaking
possessed house where all sorts of weird shit happens. The thing that’s
stuck with me the most is one of the Lutz kids’ imaginary friends – a pig-like
demon named Jodie with glowing red eyes (which, by the way, I convinced myself
I could see through my bedroom window). At any rate, the things that happen to
the Lutz family are deeply unsettling, especially because some of those things
do happen in real life (odd whiffs of perfume or thinking you’ve heard a door
slam).
5.
The
Pillowman, Martin
McDonagh
As I think I mentioned previously, this is
the only play to ever give me nightmares (and pretty much nothing has scared me
enough to give me nightmares in the last 10 or so years). The thing that makes The Pillowman so scary is the imagery
McDonagh uses. Events are described in gory detail, but it doesn’t come across
the same way a horror novel by, say Stephen King would. King (and lots of other
great horror writers) love to use detail in describing scenes, which is
fantastic for providing the reader with a more authentic experience. With a
play, though, the author can’t spend a lot of time describing things unless the
characters are using descriptive dialogue. The stories Katurian and others tell
during the course of the play are far more chilling than almost anything I’ve
ever read, partially because they evoke such strong visuals, even though
nothing gory is being directly depicted. It’s hard to explain, but it’s almost
like the horror gets in your head and refuses to go away, making it all the
more terrifying.
Alright, folks, on
that cheery note, it’s time for me to take a Top 5 Tuesday Wednesday
Some Day break for a few weeks. I’ll be back after Pumpkins, but, as always,
leave your responses in the comments!
Mischief Managed,
Slim Pearl Silver-Feather
Currently Reading: Looking for Alaska by John Green
Books Read in 2012:
23
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