5 best Haunted House novels

[Kurben]

Another fascinating subgenre of the horror novel. To pick the top two were easy. The next three difficult, they had a lot of contenders. Any way, Here is my 5 picks to adorn the list.

1. The Haunting of Hill House - Shirley Jackson
2. The Shining - Stephen King
3. The Turn of The Screw - Henry James
4. The Elementals - Michael McDowell
5. This House Is Haunted -John Boyne

I had several contenders like A Winter Haunting by Dan Simmons and Hell house by Richard Matheson and the classi The House Of Seven Gables by Hawthorne
So come on. Tell me that i'm wrong and give me your list or suggestions!!

 

[GNTLGNT]

Another fascinating subgenre of the horror novel. To pick the top two were easy. The next three difficult, they had a lot of contenders. Any way, Here is my 5 picks to adorn the list.

1. The Haunting of Hill House - Shirley Jackson
2. The Shining - Stephen King
3. The Turn of The Screw - Henry James
4. The Elementals - Michael McDowell
5. This House Is Haunted -John Boyne

I had several contenders like A Winter Haunting by Dan Simmons and Hell house by Richard Matheson and the classi The House Of Seven Gables by Hawthorne
So come on. Tell me that i'm wrong and give me your list or suggestions!!

...you ain't wrong!......I would add Joe Hill's Heart Shaped Box and Locke & Key graphic novel series......

 

[Coolallosaurus]

Kurben, these lists are wonderful! Keep posting more! So far I agree with the lists you've posted. Although, are your list rank ordered or the top five all hold equal weight?

 

[Kurben]

Kurben, these lists are wonderful! Keep posting more! So far I agree with the lists you've posted. Although, are your list rank ordered or the top five all hold equal weight?

Well, thats a bit different..... I do consider The Haunting of Hill House to be the best haunted house novel ever. I think even King would understand that i put him in second place. When it comes to werewolfes they are on a more even basis. Generally you can say that i try to rank them individually too but that ranking might change depending on what mood i'm in. I do rank Salems Lot higher than Dracula though.

 

[Doc Creed]

I do consider The Haunting of Hill House to be the best haunted house novel ever.

Same. It is more difficult for a writer to scare a reader than for those whom make horror films to scare their audience. A writer telling a ghost story must rely on their wits and they must find that vulnerable spot in their reader. They have to grab hold of the giant's pinky and snap it or lull the reader into a sense of safety and then release the hell hounds. It can be done and Jackson did it with this novel. The Shining is a worthy companion, I think.

 

[Dana Jean]

Burnt Offerings is one of my favorites.

 

[Kurben]

Burnt Offerings is one of my favorites.

Havent read that one! Thanks for the tip! Another one i like to read is The House Next Door.

 

[Doc Creed]

The House Next Door.

This was an unusual take on the haunted house story. I liked it. One scene in particular will leave you with your mouth hanging open.

 

[Wayoftheredpanda]

Uhhhh, The Shining definetly. I’ve heard Haunting of Hill House is pretty good though I’ve never read it, not too many haunted house books I can think of.

 

[RichardX]

A short story but Poe's "The Fall of the House of Usher." Interesting that many of these "haunted house" stories have similar themes where it is unclear whether the place or person is the haunted entity. Often leaving ambiguous whether the "haunting" is supernatural or the product of a character's imagination.

 

[Kurben]

A short story but Poe's "The Fall of the House of Usher." Interesting that many of these "haunted house" stories have similar themes where it is unclear whether the place or person is the haunted entity. Often leaving ambiguous whether the "haunting" is supernatural or the product of a character's imagination.

The Usher story is great but as i only considered novels i skipped it. As for the ambigiousness i agree.Guess it adds another factor of creepyness into the mix.