2017 Nov 5
Halloween festivities in Colombo may be done and dusted with, but that doesn’t mean the horror has to end! If you’re still in the spooky mood that Halloween brings with it, don’t just limit yourself to horror movies. The suspense and chills in a horror book definitely make it scarier than any cliché movie! As such, we have compiled a list of the universally-acknowledged five best scary novels for you to read this weekend!
- The Shining – Stephen King
Jack Torrance’s new job at the Overlook Hotel is the perfect chance for a fresh start. As the off-season caretaker at the atmospheric old hotel, he’ll have plenty of time to spend reconnecting with his family and working on his writing. But as the harsh winter weather sets in, the idyllic location feels ever more remote…and more sinister. And the only one to notice the strange and terrible forces gathering around the Overlook is Danny Torrance, a uniquely gifted five-year-old.
The mastermind of everything horror and scary, Stephen King is most certainly at the top of this list! Possibly the greatest classic horror novel, The Shining is a must read on any book list. If you haven’t read this yet, it’s definitely about time to get your hands on it. A sinister novel, it delivers on the scary end without excessive blood and gore. King won a number of awards and received much acclaimed fame upon the publishing of this novel. After all, this book was scary enough for Joey Tribbiani to hide it in his refrigerator – making it the best recommendation possible!
- The Exorcist – William Peter Blatty
Inspired by a true story of a child’s demonic possession in the 1940s, this iconic novel that focuses on Regan, the eleven-year-old daughter of a movie actress residing in Washington, D.C. A small group of overwhelmed yet determined individuals must rescue Regan from her unspeakable fate, and the drama that ensues is gripping and unfailingly terrifying.
The Exorcist is a tale which gripped the nation, and paved the way for a whole new sub-genre of books. Blatty’s novel is still recalled as perhaps one of the most controversial and terrifying novels ever written. Raw and profane, shocking and blood-chilling, it remains a modern parable of good and evil. The Exorcist is as compelling as ever, with its thrilling tale of faith and demonic possession. Blatty’s novel will always remain an unforgettable reading experience. It spent 57 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list, and has seen several adaptations in movies and TV both. It is truly a literary phenomenon.
- IT- Stephen King
Welcome to Derry, Maine…It’s a small city, a place as hauntingly familiar as your own hometown. Only in Derry the haunting is real…
They were seven teenagers when they first stumbled upon the horror. Now they are grown-up men and women who have gone out into the big world to gain success and happiness. But none of them can withstand the force that has drawn them back to Derry to face the nightmare without an end, and the evil without a name.
Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past few months, you certainly must have heard about IT, the movie remake of 2017 which returned to terrify its viewers once again. It has certainly reached an iconic status around the world, and this terrifying vision all originates from the Stephen King novel, which is scarier than both movies combined! Throughout the novel, King maintains the creepy, suspenseful and eerie sense of storytelling. IT is the inspiration for all the scary clowns out there, and definitely the reason you spotted so many at your Halloween parties this year!
- Dracula – Bram Stoker
Jonathan Harker is travelling to Castle Dracula to see the Transylvanian noble, Count Dracula. He is begged by locals not to go there, because on the eve of St George’s Day, when the clock strikes midnight, all the evil things in the world will come full sway. But business must be done, so Jonathan makes his way to the Castle – and then his nightmare begins. His beloved wife Meena and other lost souls have fallen under the Count’s horrifying spell. Dracula must be destroyed…
Long before Stephenie Meyer penned Twilight and romanticized the idea of vampires, Bram Stoker terrified the world with Dracula. This book paved the way for a whole sub-genre of fantasy fiction, and will forever retain its classical standing. Although countless stories over the years have rehashed and modified the idea behind these bloodthirsty creatures, the original will always remain as creepy as ever. At its core, Dracula is not a love story. It is a creepy tale which remains suspenseful and scary throughout its pages.
- The Silence of the Lambs (Hannibal Lecter #1) – Thomas Harris
There’s a killer on the loose who knows that beauty is only skin deep, and a trainee investigator who’s trying to save her own hide. The only man that can help is locked in an asylum. But he’s willing to put a brave face on – if it will help him escape.
The character of Hannibal Lecter is certainly iconic even on modern day television, and the creepiness behind the mere idea of cannibalism and its history has kept the tale alive. Hannibal Lecter is known as one of the most ruthless and sinister fictional characters of all time. The original set of novels are certainly undeniable as classics, reinventing the horror genre completely. It is a horror story which does not lean on the supernatural at all and relies completely on the twisted nature of the human mind, an idea which revels readers and keeps them captivated.
So there you have it – the five spookiest and creepiest novels of all time, some of which will most definitely have you checking under your bed and staying wide awake at night. Nothing will reignite the vibes of Halloween more than these classics. After all, horror stories never grow old!
