Hell House - Richard Matheson

**** Ghosts do not exist, do they?

I never know what to expect with Matheson. It moves freely between fantasy, paranormal and speculation fiction, always proposing stories outside the box. This, compared to other books I’ve read, is different because of the lack of a real main character around which the whole story revolves. It is in fact a choral novel that fully falls within the canons of horror, where one by one the characters that seem to have a primary role die, leaving only one or two at the end. In addition, there is the paranormal element that returns frequently in his works and here is yet addressed once in an original way.

Overall it is a novel that seems almost contemporary, since it is not afraid to put together violent, thorny and blasphemous elements, despite forty years passed since it was written.

The plot is compelling, especially in some passages. The subdivision of the scenes through the timestamp, therefore without chapters, encourages reading and increases the anxiogenic effect.

Unfortunately I read an Italian edition with a very old translation, although it does not affect much the perception of contemporaneity of the work, once you get used to the language, but it obviously cancels the illusion. Added to this is a classic horror ending that is quite predictable and leaves a bitter taste in the mouth.

Hell House on Amazon.