angerball Posted June 4, 2007 Share Posted June 4, 2007 Here's an addition to the original question, actually - what is it specifically that you find unreadably scary? Is there anything in particular that would just give you too much of the willies to read a book? I get more scared of horror movies, rather than books; probably because I'm not very good at visualising. Actually, one thing that really scares me is True Crime (to the point where I was put off the genre for several years after reading about the Black Dahlia murder). But going back to fiction books, I can't think of anything that has really scared me to the point where I have to put the book down. I'll think on it for a while; I'm sure something will come to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KW Posted June 5, 2007 Share Posted June 5, 2007 My problem with horror is the graphic nature of the deeds done. I can't stomach most of it, so I don't read it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest fireball Posted June 6, 2007 Share Posted June 6, 2007 First off I don't have a problem with horror.! I do have thing about horror that's just gory for gory sake and that leaves me cold as a fish hate those types and a waste of time reading; I've read all of James Hebert's books bar one, 'cause it was just plain silly.! Mary Shelley's Frankenstein was brill, and only a woman could've written it. Bram Stocker's Dracula really had a 'nasty' bit and it had bugger all to to do with Drac..! He describes in one "mild" graphic detail of a patient called Renfield who's quite mad, and likes eat things as in spiders, birds, insects and the like.! It was the fly bit that's awful queasy, so don't read THAT bit on a full tum.! Then there's a different horror of the HUMAN kind, A very human MONSTER/s. Let me explain. Ever here of Special X ?. Special External Section (Special X) of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. A marvellous series of books by Jay Clarke and his daughter. Check out this on said man. : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Slade If you like police procedurals, you got THAT,! you like history you got THAT,! You want to talk to him? no problem check out THIS place. : http://www.specialx.net/specialxbbs/and'>http://www.specialx.net/specialxbbs/and this too: http://www.specialx.net One hell of nice bloke too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JudyB Posted June 6, 2007 Share Posted June 6, 2007 one thing that really scares me is True Crime . We have a True Crime collection in the library at the moment - there's a lot of books on serial killers being taken out at the moment - now that's scary! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kitty_kitty Posted June 7, 2007 Share Posted June 7, 2007 I just had this one arrive this very weekend, courtesy of Gyre, who very kindly sent it to me. I've very much looking forward to reading it as not only is it by James Herbert (who has written a lot of books I've enjoyed), but I've heard very good things about it from folks on here I have just started this book too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
angerball Posted June 7, 2007 Share Posted June 7, 2007 We have a True Crime collection in the library at the moment - there's a lot of books on serial killers being taken out at the moment - now that's scary! It's funny, but I feel a bit self-conscious borrowing books like that. I always think the librarian is wondering, "Why do you want to read this?" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JudyB Posted June 7, 2007 Share Posted June 7, 2007 It's funny, but I feel a bit self-conscious borrowing books like that. I always think the librarian is wondering, "Why do you want to read this?" Oh dear! No offence meant. We did have a day when a lot were issued and it was coincidently the same day that the police passed on a poster of a murderer who liked to visit libraries - very strange timing. I do joke sometimes that when I'm shelving I'm clearing up the 'crime' - we have a separate crime section. Funnily enough sometimes I get self-conscious when reserving stuff for myself because my colleagues often deal with it when it arrives - I ordered a book by a French novelist for my daughter not realising it was in French. I wondered when it arrived, whether my colleagues wondered what I was doing reading French literature in French - pretentious moi! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
angerball Posted June 7, 2007 Share Posted June 7, 2007 Oh dear! No offence meant. None taken. Going slightly OT, another book I'd love to read but feel self-conscious about borrowing (or reading in public), is Lolita. I know it's gotten rave reviews, but considering the subject matter, I'd feel odd borrowing it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JudyB Posted June 8, 2007 Share Posted June 8, 2007 None taken. Going slightly OT, another book I'd love to read but feel self-conscious about borrowing (or reading in public), is Lolita. I know it's gotten rave reviews, but considering the subject matter, I'd feel odd borrowing it! I suppose one way of looking at it is to think that if the library bought it to be borrowed then it's there to be borrowed -just remember the library chose it first. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moonchild Posted June 9, 2007 Share Posted June 9, 2007 None taken. Going slightly OT, another book I'd love to read but feel self-conscious about borrowing (or reading in public), is Lolita. I know it's gotten rave reviews, but considering the subject matter, I'd feel odd borrowing it! I'll lend you my copy if you'd like. Save you the embarrassment of the library;) PM me your details if you're interested. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wrathofkublakhan Posted June 13, 2007 Share Posted June 13, 2007 My problem with ... horror ...is... books.... like..... The Silence of the Lambs. Now, I've only seen the movie and once was enough! I completely acknowledge that it's a brilliant work but I don't want to go through THAT again! What an experience. A friend of mine read the book. She told me that the scene where the girl is kidnapped, the guy is so twisted that when she speaks all he hears is the sound of bees buzzing! He has zero sense of the girl as a person, human, whatever. Yikes! I don't know if I want to go there, y'know? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lexiepiper Posted March 19, 2009 Share Posted March 19, 2009 I'm really into Horror books atm, what are some of the creepiest/scariest books you've read? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rawr Posted March 20, 2009 Share Posted March 20, 2009 I thought 'The Haunting of Hill House' by Shirley Jackson is a really suspenseful book with a creeping atmosphere which really gets to you. The film adaptation is okay but nothing amazing, it had Catherine Zeta Jones and Owen Wilson in. I found it a riveting read. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
liveguy7 Posted March 20, 2009 Share Posted March 20, 2009 Well, the problem with horror is that most people think it's ...REAL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lexiepiper Posted March 20, 2009 Share Posted March 20, 2009 I thought 'The Haunting of Hill House' by Shirley Jackson is a really suspenseful book with a creeping atmosphere which really gets to you. The film adaptation is okay but nothing amazing, it had Catherine Zeta Jones and Owen Wilson in. I found it a riveting read. Oo thanks for that, I've seen the film but didn't realise there was a book, I'll be sure to get it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
busy91 Posted March 20, 2009 Share Posted March 20, 2009 I'm not a horror reader either. The only horror author I've read on a regular basis is Stephen King. And sometimes some of his stuff is more supernatural or metaphysical with bits of horror thrown in. I don't know if I'd enjoy a pure horror book. If anyone can suggest a good one to me, I may check it out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rawr Posted March 21, 2009 Share Posted March 21, 2009 Oo thanks for that, I've seen the film but didn't realise there was a book, I'll be sure to get it Me either, which was why i was intrigued, Stephen King's 'The Shining' and 'Salem's Lot' are inspired a lot by it, you can see the influences in them once you've read it, which i think is cool xD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christie Posted May 29, 2009 Share Posted May 29, 2009 I would have never seen myself reading horror! For the simple fact is that I nearly always read just before I go to sleep so I didnt want anything to spur on any nightmares but my Grampa insisted that I had to read Misery by Stephen King and although it is found in the horror section I didnt find it that bad so now I am warming to the horror genre and I am very soon going to be reading Rats by James Herbert (another suggestion from my Grampa) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BookJumper Posted May 30, 2009 Share Posted May 30, 2009 Christie... tell your Grampa from me the following: he rocks! "Misery" is simultaneously my favourite King and all-time horror, and I've read so many through the years... Although the funny thing is, I'm growing into a scaredy-cat with, er, old age. I used to devour any horrific book that came my way, from King to Clive Barker to Christopher Pike, aged 11 onwards - I was in love with Christopher Lee, delighted in murderous lifts (cf. a brilliant Ducth film, not the yawn-inducing American remake) and nothing (save King's "Carrie", but that's just because I identified) was able to truly terrify me. Now... I saw 1408 (based on a King short story) a few days ago, and trembled with fear start to finish. After reading a review on here I really, really want to read Danielewski's "House of Leaves" but I'm terrified it will... well, terrify me. Haiulp. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nollaig Posted May 30, 2009 Share Posted May 30, 2009 I'm happy to read horror books, but they don't generally scare me, so they have to be genuinely good books, not at all reliant on horror to be good, in order for me to enjoy them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scarlette Posted May 30, 2009 Share Posted May 30, 2009 I thought 'The Haunting of Hill House' by Shirley Jackson is a really suspenseful book with a creeping atmosphere which really gets to you. The film adaptation is okay but nothing amazing, it had Catherine Zeta Jones and Owen Wilson in. I found it a riveting read. That movie is a book?! Well, film version of a book.... Anyway, I found the film quite creepy. And the book is even (much) better? I have to get it, now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nollaig Posted May 30, 2009 Share Posted May 30, 2009 I know somebody who got 'House Of Leaves' in the library today. I wants it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rawr Posted May 31, 2009 Share Posted May 31, 2009 That movie is a book?! Well, film version of a book.... Anyway, I found the film quite creepy. And the book is even (much) better? I have to get it, now. The book is really good yes i think the film adaptation was a little dodgy really. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pablo Posted June 2, 2009 Share Posted June 2, 2009 Who would be considered a strict horror author then? Richard Laymon (randy teenagers being chased by psycho killers ), James Herbert, and Clive Barker? These are the only authors that I know of that have been branded as horror, though I'm sure there are dozens more out there. Got to pull you up a bit there. I can't speak for the other two but Clive Barker's style far transcends the basic laws and style of the horror genre. Most of his output, in fact, could be classed as dark fantasy. When it boils down to visionary, metaphysical writing he's in a very exclusive club. I'm surprised at how comfortable you are with labelling writers' styles, having, in so many words, confessed yourself to following media 'branding.' Sometimes its better to focus on the areas/genres that really interest you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Univerze Posted January 16, 2010 Share Posted January 16, 2010 Well generally I read everything as long as it's got nothing to do with every day life, or our every day world. So this genre topic really, horror/supernatural/fantasy and sci-fi. But in the horror genre these days there seem to be so many of the same books. (Okay in every genre but now we speak of this one in particular) So many ghost books, of someone that moves to some old house, usually after they've had some traumatic experience and then strange things start happening. Bah. Like you have so many movies like that these days, there are so many books like that too. Not saying there can't be good books in there, but I am just disappointed when I pick up something that seems like a nice horror book and you get something like this. Besides that I don't really know, for me there's very little book that actually are horror, and I read mainly fantasy these days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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