Hell House
by Richard Matheson
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Book Summary Information
Author: Richard MathesonEdition: Paperback
Published: 1999-10-13
ISBN: 0312868855
Number of pages: 288
Publisher: Tor Books
Book Reviews of Hell House
Book Review: Can't hold a candle in the dark against other Matheson writings
Summary: 3 Stars
Interesting little homage to Shirley Jackson, Matheson's "Hell House" gives us a walloping premise (I, too, loved the whole 'back' tale of Emeric Barasco above everything else in the book) but just doesn't follow thru with characters a reader can feel for. By the end of the book, I cared not a whit who was left standing, and almost began to cheer for the house to win. Compare Florence to Jackson's Eleanor (from Haunting of Hill House) and by Jackson's concise use of words, and significantly less action, I found myself far more mesmerized by Eleanor's character than I could have believed possible. Florence falls flat for me. Her "internal struggles" were so completely laid out for us in the book that there was no subtlety to her actions at all. Nor did I care at all about the doctor and his wife, finding their relationship completely unrealistic (surely he'd have KNOWN she was dying for a little physical love at some point before their venture into Hell House, and they would have worked through that little problem long before then? How long were they married? It hadn't come up in a single conversation in their life together? She was such a doormat that she'd never expressed even a hint of interest in physical love, out of respect for his "condition"? He had never been concerned about the lack of intimacy's effect on her before, or given it much thought? Gee, I think absence of sex is the least of their problems together then.) And who cared about the other guy, who was too frightened to even participate until the last 5 pages of the book? What did we really know about him, since Matheson chose not to elaborate much on the time he'd been in Hell House before? C'mon, if he's going to spill his guts about the wicked history of the house, let's hear the sordid details of the 1940 expedition inside! Others have spoken here about the soft ending, the overuse of the verb "hiss" (everybody and everything, living or dead, animal or vegetable in this book hisses, and repeatedly - that is all you need to keep in mind!) and the weirdly boring "salacious" details - I don't have to elaborate on any of those, except to say that I agree.
One can see the progression from Jackson's novel to Hell House and then on to Stephen King's homage to Matheson's book in "The Shining", however, and from that perspective, Hell House ought to be read if you are a fan at all of the other two books. But it is the weakest link of those three. I am a huge fan of "I Am Legend" and "The Shrinking Man", which are both far superior in character development, among other things. I'm sure Matheson intended well, but this just doesn't stand up to either of those other two books of his. Again, if you start with "The Haunting of Hill House", sandwich in "Hell House", then finish up with "The Shining", you may find yourself with a suitable progression of terror on your hands - it would make an excellent weekend of scary, leave-the-lights-on reading. On its own, "Hell House" needs Dr. Barrett's cane to struggle about on its own legs, moreso than the poor doctor does.
Summary of Hell House
Rolf Rudolph Deutsch is going die. But when Deutsch, a wealthy magazine and newpaper publisher, starts thinking seriously about his impending death, he offers to pay a physicist and two mediums, one physical and one mental, $100,000 each to establish the facts of life after death.
Dr. Lionel Barrett, the physicist, accompanied by the mediums, travel to the Belasco House in Maine, which has been abandoned and sealed since 1949 after a decade of drug addiction, alcoholism, and debauchery. For one night, Barrett and his colleagues investigate the Belasco House and learn exactly why the townfolks refer to it as the Hell House.
Dr. Lionel Barrett, the physicist, accompanied by the mediums, travel to the Belasco House in Maine, which has been abandoned and sealed since 1949 after a decade of drug addiction, alcoholism, and debauchery. For one night, Barrett and his colleagues investigate the Belasco House and learn exactly why the townfolks refer to it as the Hell House.
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