Okay, Listen Here

Okay, Listen Here

Monday, October 17, 2011

Things That Go Bump on the Page

In spite of the fact that my book club is made up of a bunch of rule followers, we don't have a lot of rules. I know people who belong to the "two classics, one current bestseller, don't come to drink if you haven't read the book" kind of book club. That's not us. We just make a list in December for the new year of what strikes our fancy.

But we do like for our October book to fit with the season. Last year we read Blood Born by Linda Howard and Linda Winstead Jones. We had planned to read the sequel this month, but, as happens in the world of publishing, its release was moved back. So in August, we had to make a decision quick.

Precious to the rescue. "The Witching Hour, by Anne Rice," she said. That was fine with me. I'd read it before, maybe fifteen years ago. In fact, I'd read, and liked, the entire Mayfair Witches series.

Trouble was, though I knew the gist of the story, I couldn't remember the details. This is unusual for me, as I love details and hold them dear. So I began to reread.

Soon, I discovered why I didn't remember the fine points of the story. I think I blocked it out because it scared me so bad. I don't remember being scared when I read it before but I must have been because I became terrified the second go round. I was so scared I could only read a little at a time, so I did not finish before book club met. I learned I was not alone. No one had finished and it had scared everyone. In fact, we plan to finish the discussion next month and put off Catcher In the Rye until January.

How rational is that? The only book that scared me more was Ghost Story by Peter Straub. I couldn't finish it. I didn't even consider watching the movie.

Ever had a book or movie scare you so much you couldn’t finish?

12 comments:

  1. "Phantoms" by Dean Koontz. I did finish the book and have watched the movie hundreds of times but when I was first reading it, the book terrified me. I hate to admit it but if I had to go into the bathroom I would make the dog go with me (remember the thing coming out of the faucet?).

    ReplyDelete
  2. Pet Semetary and It. The Shining. A dozen Stephen King short stories. Movies rarely scare me as much as a book, but I will not watch a bloody slasher movie. (shudder) Years ago I was home alone -- hubby working out of town, kids spending the night with friends -- and I watched the movie Fear on Showtime. Before I went to bed not only did I check all the doors and windows, I tied the doorknobs of the back bedrooms together so they couldn't be opened, because I decided the windows in those rooms were the most vulnerable.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I don't do scary...at all. No Jason, Freddie Kruger, Chucky, Stephen King...etc. I like to sleep at night. :-O
    I always go to sleep watching DIY or HGTV. Last night DIY had a new show I hadn't seen before. Haunted House for Sale. Now I love my DIY but I just couldn't do it. It started out about a house for sale in Gulfport, FL that was haunted by a small child. I switched over to HGTV. I ended up watching a couple pick out a $1 million dollar home in Port Douglas, Australia. :-D

    ReplyDelete
  4. Cheryl--No I don't remember it, because I steer clear of Dean Kootz. Even his name scares me.

    LJ--I quit Pet Semetary in the middle--something I rarely do. I was single and living alone. I haven't read Stephen King since, though I always liked his books. I should try again, but not Salem's Lot. It scares people who never get scared. Obviously, that would not be me. It makes no sense that The Shinning did not scare me because it's on almost everyone's Most Scary List.

    Sherry Werth--Yeah, I don't do haunted houses. My neighbor has a ghost of a little boy that even my pragmatic engineer husband has reluctantly agreed exists. There are certain times I will not go in her house. I seem to sense when I need to stay out of there.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Mine was Stephen King too but it was The Stand. It was just so creepy. I felt like it could really happen!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Stephanie, I loved The Stand! One of my all time favorite books. It didn't scare me the way King's other books did. Oh, Cujo, anyone? Yikes.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Stephanie--That's the thing with King. He makes you believe it.

    LJ--Cujo--I felt worn down just like that woman and child trapped in the car. I didn't see the movie but it seems like someone told me that child didn't die in the movie.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Helter Skelter, about Charles Manson and Alive, about the Soccer team that crash landed in the Andes. Very scary, real stuff!!!

    Like Sherry, I don't do scary. Heck, I can barely watch scary movies anymore. It shied me away from clowns. Dreamcatcher nearly shied me away from the bathroom.

    Funny ap you can get for your iphone now. It's called Ghost Radar and it's free. The boys had it at work today and apparently we have ghosts in the store named Charles and Dark, to name just a few. We are Ghost happy! Made me want to download the ap but I'm afraid I won't sleep at night, if I do.

    ReplyDelete
  9. I love "The Stand"! It's my all time favorite of King's. I have all the versions and have read it over and over. I love the mini-series too. Love Gary Sinese in it.

    ReplyDelete
  10. I can comment at home. Yay!

    I loved the Witching Hour. I don't remember it being scary. I loved going through this history of the family. The next two books - Taltos and Lasher - is where is just gets darn weird. But not super scary.

    Scary - IT. I loved the Stand, it was a little creepy at times, but not scary. I've read many Dean Koontz books. No problem. But IT scarred me. The movie has got nothing on this book. I do not walk near storm drains, I do not stick my fingers down the sink drain, I do not go under bridges, I don't go out into the woods alone, and I sure as hell have no plans to ever go to Maine. Why you ask? Because a giant alien spider living deep in the sewer is masquerading as children's biggest fears to feed off their fearful energy and rip their arms off. That razor toothed clown is just the beginning. "We all float down here, Beverly." *shiver* I read that book WAY too young. I think I was 12. Bad idea.

    ReplyDelete
  11. I don't usually read horror/ scary stories unless I stumble onto them. I thought "Swimsuit" by James Patterson was scary. Actually gave the book away because I didn't want it in the house.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Apologies to those of you I didn't answer. I did and it went away--like a ghost

    Kathy--Rationally, I know it's the real stuff that should scare us and yet--

    Andrea--I love TWH too. Anne Rice is very powerful. Like the witch books much better than the vampires. I'm glad I haven't read It. I'd probably be afraid to sit on the toilet with a big spider spooking around in the sewer. Then, where would I be?

    Cathy--I didn't want Ghost Story in the house with me either. When we were engaged, The Guy and I rented Angel Heart. Though nothing scares him, he took it back after watching it because he didn't want it in the house. Angel Heart didn't scare me. It had the whole good verses evil thing going.

    ReplyDelete