Hell House (novel)
OCLC 41944575 | |
Hell House is a
Plot
The story centers on four people: Dr. Lionel Barrett, a
Barrett, Tanner, and Fischer are hired by dying millionaire, William Reinhardt Deutsch, to investigate the possibility of
The novel combines supernatural horror with mystery as the researchers attempt to investigate the haunting of the house while their sanity is subtly undermined by its sinister supernatural influence. The home exploits its guests' deepest desires and attempts to turn people against one another during the course of their visit.
During the investigation, various influences begin to affect each character's personal weaknesses: Florence through her belief in spiritualism and her over-eagerness to rid the house of its evil; Dr. Barrett through his almost-arrogant disbelief in/disregard for spiritualism, his debilitated physical condition (having suffered from polio when young), and his belief in science and the power of the Reversor machine he has built to rid the house of its haunting; Edith through her personal fears, insecurities, and pent-up sexual desires; and Fischer through his deliberate inaction (which he calls "caution"). Hell House's potency comes from its apparent ability to corrupt those who enter its walls, before bringing about their destruction, both mental and physical.
Adaptations
In 1973, the novel was made into a film The Legend of Hell House, starring Pamela Franklin, Roddy McDowall, Clive Revill, and Gayle Hunnicutt. Matheson wrote the screenplay.
The story was also adapted as a comic book mini-series, Richard Matheson's Hell House, written by Ian Edginton, with art by Simon Fraser. It was published in 2004 by IDW Publishing and collected as a trade paperback in 2008.
References
External links
- The Legend of Hell House at IMDb