Name: The Amityville Horror
ISBN: 9781982138264

Jay Anson

“A fascinating and frightening book” (Los Angeles Times)—the bestselling true story about a house possessed by evil spirits, haunted by psychic phenomena almost too terrible to describe. In December 1975, the Lutz family moved into their new home on suburban Long Island. George and Kathleen Lutz knew that, one year earlier, Ronald DeFeo had murdered his parents, brothers, and sisters in the house, but the property—complete with boathouse and swimming pool—and the price had been too good to pass up. Twenty-eight days later, the entire Lutz family fled in terror. This is the spellbinding, shocking true story that gripped the nation about an American dream that turned into a nightmare beyond imagining—“this book will scare the hell out of you” (Kansas City Star).

The Amityville Horror

28 Days of Terror in a House Possessed by Evil Spirits

In December 1975, the Lutz family moved into their dream home, the same home where Ronald DeFeo had murdered his parents, brothers and sisters just one year earlier.

the psychic phenomena that followed created the most terrifying experience the Lutz family had ever encountered, forcing them to flee the house in 28 days, convinced that it was possessed by evil spirits.

Their fantastic story, never before disclosed in full detail, makes for an unforgettable book with all the shocks and gripping suspense of The Exorcist, The Omen or Rosemary's Baby, but with one vital difference...the story is true
--back cover

It was fast and straight to the point. I've fallen asleep a few times but didn't feel like I've left out any details whilst listening to the audiobook. It's like I've been there for the ride, but didn't necessarily felt interested to move along. It wasn't as horrifying as I thought it would be, I think by idea it would be, but my imagination lacked to help me "see" how horrifying it would be. It's a me problem, I believe others have seen the horrifying events and have most likely had a nightmare of it but for me, I wasn't compelled enough by the voice that this is "scary". I guess it's alright, not exactly an off-one star because it was a fast read and I liked that it didn't eat majority of my time only for me to end up being disappointed.

Most often tagged as “a true story”, this is more likely ‘inspired by’ as the countless lawsuits have tried to prove. Anyway, this was included with audible, so I gave it a go as I haven’t read it or seen any of the movies about it.

This is the story of the haunting that took place during the 28 days the Lutz family stayed in the house they purchased at 112 Ocean Avenue. The previous owner had been sent to jail for killing his entire family within the house, but the Lutz family did not mind at the time.

Part of this really comes down to whether or not you believe in paranormal activity and ghosts. That seems to be the biggest deciding factor between the reviews I’ve seen. If you’re a nonbeliever and you take the ‘true story’ to heart, then yes, this sounds insane. If you’re a believer, this is probably a horrifying example of possession, obsession, demonic presence, and haunting.

For me, this was just super cool to see how influenced horror is by it. Not only general things, but actual huge plot points as well as how they actually happened. I am not a believer, but I enjoyed this a lot. Not scary, because it’s written kind of documentary style, with fact after fact (scene after scene) happening without much separating them. It makes it quick and snappy, but you lose what the people were feeling and thinking, for me that’s normally where the creepiness comes from…

Personally 4/5* I wouldn’t want to stay there regardless.

C. J. Daley 

Most often tagged as “a true story”, this is more likely ‘inspired by’ as the countless lawsuits have tried to prove. Anyway, this was included with audible, so I gave it a go as I haven’t read it or seen any of the movies about it.

This is the story of the haunting that took place during the 28 days the Lutz family stayed in the house they purchased at 112 Ocean Avenue. The previous owner had been sent to jail for killing his entire family within the house, but the Lutz family did not mind at the time.

Part of this really comes down to whether or not you believe in paranormal activity and ghosts. That seems to be the biggest deciding factor between the reviews I’ve seen. If you’re a nonbeliever and you take the ‘true story’ to heart, then yes, this sounds insane. If you’re a believer, this is probably a horrifying example of possession, obsession, demonic presence, and haunting.

For me, this was just super cool to see how influenced horror is by it. Not only general things, but actual huge plot points as well as how they actually happened. I am not a believer, but I enjoyed this a lot. Not scary, because it’s written kind of documentary style, with fact after fact (scene after scene) happening without much separating them. It makes it quick and snappy, but you lose what the people were feeling and thinking, for me that’s normally where the creepiness comes from…

Personally 4/5* I wouldn’t want to stay there regardless.

Emily Perkovich

This is not surprising I guess, but having seen the movie basically makes this book useless. There isn’t really anything different or new. I hadn’t seen it in quite a few years, so I was still entertained. But this ain’t special or well written. I would recommend just watching the film.

Jade Iveson

Celeste Richardson

You can find this review and more at Novel Notions. 

There’s no place like home. As long as that home isn’t trying to eat you.

This book proved true the idea that, sometimes, fact is stranger than fiction. Or can at least spawn said strangeness. I had no earthly idea before last week that this was (billed as) a nonfiction book. Seriously?! I’ve always had this fascination with the macabre and the unexplained, so I would’ve read this book long ago had I known that it wasn’t entirely fictional. (Yes, I’m aware that the book has since been proven to be only loosely based on the truth, but it’s way more fun to pretend that it’s true while reading it!) I think there’s a reason the fictional horror genre is so successful and draws so many readers and viewers; horror speaks to the fear we have of the unknown and the unexplainable. We like the thrill of watching or reading worst case scenarios while knowing that we are safe from them. 

What takes horror to the next level and makes it far more uncomfortable to digest is the idea that what is terrifying us actually happened, that a real person experienced this thing that we didn’t know was even possible. Being faced with the reality of something that we think shouldn’t actually exist elicits actual terror instead of the thrill that draws us to fictitious horror. Some nonfiction, like that in the true crime genre, still appeals to our morbid curiosity in a relatively safe way, because these works are generally written after the culprit is caught and sentenced, or long after an unknown culprit would have died. But a story like this one, where the happenings are still unexplained and make no logical sense even though they appear well-documented, leaves readers on edge and uncomfortable. Which is the point. How do you provide a logical explanation for a seemingly possessed house?

The Amityville Horror documents the 28 days a family resided in 112 Ocean Avenue in Amityville. I can’t imagine buying a house and feeling forced to abandon said home less than a month after moving in, and even leaving all of your worldly goods in the house when you make your escape. For one thing, I don’t think I would’ve ever purchased a house whose previous tenants were all either murdered in said house or are serving consecutive life sentences for committing those murders. I don’t believe in ghosts, but I do believe that places can feel tainted or evil, as though whatever events happened there left a residue that soaked into the walls. But 112 Ocean Avenue was, and might still be as it is still standing, more than that. It’s as if the house has a presence of its own, and that presence is absolutely malicious. 

The events that befell the family, as well as those that were inflicted on the family’s priest who only visited the house once, were horrifying and unbelievable. Really unbelievable. There’s this cognitive dissonance I just can’t quite get past to truly believe that this book is nonfiction. Part of the reason for this is because, while the novel is indeed based on a true story, the author was actually taken to court where he was forced to confess that he took some extreme artistic license with the story, adding in many of the sensational elements because he knew they would sell. 

That being said, I’ve never been more thankful that my home is new construction that has never housed another family. Even if the book isn’t completely factual, just the idea that there is even a grain of truth to the story is enough to keep me as far away from 112 Ocean Avenue as possible. Anson’s tale is super disturbing, and is a fun read for anyone looking to catch up on some horror classics. If you can, convince yourself that this is nonfiction, at least while reading it, because that definitely makes the story far more terrifying.

Noel Antonio Lopez

Terribly frightening. Despite its most dramatic and Hollywood-esque elements, this telling of the infamous Amityville house—at the root—is convincing in nature and addictive in style. Well written and page-turning, a harrowing reminder that we are not alone in this world. 

I liked it! I listened to the audiobook and I thought it could be pretty gripping. It might not win a Bram Stoker award, but it was entertaining.

Andrea Henderson

This book was HILARIOUS! A+ for entertainment value, D- for believability. three stars because of all the laughs my husband and I got out of it. I already miss Jody the Pig.

Witch

If you ignore the fact that these dorks fabricated this entire haunting for the fame, this is a really fantastic ghost story. It's written well, is fast paced, and chilling at times.

The Amityville Horror

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