Do
you watch scary movies and TV shows? Do you watch them alone or with someone?
The latter, we are sure. When it comes to reading books, we all want to be
alone, don’t we? That’s because book-reading, especially at home, is a solo
activity, unless you’re reading to a child. Well, here we have 10 scary books
that you’ll definitely not want to read alone. We mean it. We dare you to read
them on your own, and not grab for your phone. Go on. We double dare you.
1. Christine by Stephen King
2
young friends, a car and the ‘anything goes’ atmosphere of the ‘70s – what
could possibly be wrong with this picture? The car turns out to be haunted,
that’s what. The thing with a premise like this is the abject disbelief that
sets in even before one opens the book. Not with Christine, however. So
cunningly does Stephen King present the vehicle’s malice that Christine becomes
a character in the milieu, not just a car. This book will keep you up nights,
and when you walk to your car in the morning, just for a moment there, you will
wonder if the headlights are following you …..
2. The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson
Shirley
Jackson’s ‘The Haunting of Hill House’ holds far more subtlety and terror than
all haunted house movies put together. Jackson’s book isn’t all about horror
through and through though – there’s humor too, and very approachable
characters. Still, right underneath it all, running like a fine line of blood
under the nails, is the subtle horror that’s tailored into the text. Get this book from holocaust books and approach it with
great respect, and in company.
3. The House of Leaves by Mark Danielewski
The
scariest part about a haunted house isn’t just what haunts it – it’s the house
itself. Mark Deneilewski understands this in his bones, as you can tell from
this book. The Navidson family can tell that something’s not ok with their home
when they return home. They see doors where there were none and sinister
passageways open. The house itself
is turning into a live, sentient creature, full of miasmic malice. Mark
Danielewski’s use of blank spaces and other visual cues bring forth such a
chaotic sense of suspense, you’ll be biting all your nails by the end.
4. The Shining by Stephen King
The
premise is simple – an alcoholic father, an abused mother and a psychic son, a
‘shiner’, and therefore the title of the book. The father takes up a winter
caretaker’s job at a hilltop hotel, which is haunted with many ghosts. This
book’s beauty lies in the way King makes every room and every corridor in the
hotel vibrate with tenseness. Supernatural events occur when you least expect them, hitting
you in the solar plexus, robbing you of your breath. After sometime, you start
doubting your own grip on sanity. The book shocks you at many levels – the
supernatural presences, the human-on-human violence and the little boy
witnessing his father descend into madness.
5. The Exorcist by William Peter Blatty
The
Exorcist is a true classic, but don’t be hasty and derive comfort from that.
Just imagine your little girl possessed by an unimaginably malevolent entity
that will not rest until it has fully devoured her soul. The exorcist begins
mildly, taking you through sweet glimpses of the child’s life, till you cannot
turn a page without the horror seeping into your very bones. This book deals
with the concept of a god who allows an innocent to suffer needlessly. It makes
you ponder your own vulnerability and question everything you’ve taken for
granted till now.
6. Rustication by Charles Palliser
This
book revolves around a junkie teenager, Richard Shenstone, who lives with his
newly-destitute family in an old rambling mansion. Richard’s world is one of
murder, sadistic letters, sexual obsession and delusions. Make what you will of
the reality that Richard sees there – beds made for people who don’t exist, weird
noises and inexplicable whispers. The house isn’t evil in this book, but you’ll
have a hard time discounting that. It’s just as evil as the evil in it. It’s
hard to see if Richard is just a kid or the root of the evil in the house.
7. The Little Stranger by Sarah Water
Ever
dismissed creepy noises or scribbles on the wall? Read this book and you’ll
wish you hadn’t. The book is about a former aristocratic family that’s residing
in an old 18th century mansion. Events occur, such as a young kid
being mauled by a complaisant family dog for no reason, and childish scribbles
appearing on walls. All these spooky events are explained away by the narrator
Dr. Faraday. However, it’s all going beyond the realms of science and the grasp
of logic. The reader is left trying to make sense of scorched walls, strange
noises and other events with no explanations. Unsettling is the word we’re
after.
Consider
this – life is going on as usual, and you kiss your wife goodbye and head out
to the store with your kid. Then an abnormally thick and very unnatural mist
descends all over town. That’s when people become aware of the otherworldly
predators coming out of it. The whole book moves slowly, yet seems to race
along. A group of people bar themselves into the store, hoping to survive the
mist. People turn against people, and chaos results. This is a book that will
rob you of sleep for weeks to come.
Conclusion
Cinematic
representations of horror stories are well and fine, but it is books that let
the horror seep into your bones. That’s because it’s your imagination bringing
the environment to life. The more books you read, the more imaginative you
become. So try it! Give some of these scary books a try, and tell us what you
think.
Rose Martin loves blogging on lifestyle, self-improvement, women, parenting and travel. Rose is also interested in music, fitness and art. In spare time, she loves to spend time with family and friends.
