Hell House

 Last night I finished reading Hell House by Richard Matheson. It's not the first time I've read the book, but for whatever reason this time just seemed to be more enjoyable than previous read throughs. Maybe it's because I'm working on my own haunted house novel? Maybe. If you've never read Hell House, I highly recommend it if you're a fan of the Old Dark House genre - it definitely lives up to its name!

The basic plot of the book goes something like this: A eccentric millionaire hires a parapsychologist to determine the facts if life after death is real or not, and is sent to an old mansion in the middle of Maine called the Belasco House a.k.a. Hell House due to its sinister reputation. The parapsychologist, Dr. Barrett, is joined by his wife, Edith, along with a Spiritualist medium called Florence Tanner, and Benjamin Franklin Fischer, who was the most gifted physical medium in America in his prime, and the only survivor of the previous attempt to "find the answers of Hell House" in 1940 (the book is set in 1970). Barrett intends on solving the haunting of Hell House by proving his theory on hauntings through scientific means, Tanner believes her faith in God and her abilities as a medium will cleanse the house of it's evil, and for most of the novel, Fischer just seems to be there to provide information on the house and the man for which it is named, the evil Emeric Belasco. 

As one can imagine, things don't go according to plan. I won't give away any of the juicy parts, but needless to say, not everyone makes it out of Hell House alive. It's a great story, but my only real gripe with it is the ambiguous ending. The main plot mostly gets wrapped up, but there are a few things that are implied rather than stated that don't sit right with me as a reader. Don't get me wrong, I'm not accusing Matheson of lazy writing - that man is a legend and is responsible for some of the greatest horror and sci-fi stories ever told (I Am Legend, What Dreams May Come, Stir Of Echos, and a slew of original Twilight Zone epodes to name a few), but I suppose what I'm getting at is that I don't feel that the conclusion of Hell House was a definitive as it could have been. Maybe that was the point though. 

By leaving things on nebulous terms, Matheson (in my opinion) is basically saying "It's over...or is it?", which is a fine way to end a novel, but it always leaves me wanting more. Again, maybe that was the point?

Anyway, that's all for now!

B.

Currently Reading: Dark Places by Gillian Flynn

Current Mood: Mondays Suck.