In his play An Ideal Husband, Oscar Wilde wrote “I always pass on good advice. It is the only thing to do with it.” As far as I am concerned the same can be said of books. There is very little I enjoy more in this world than passing on a book that I have enjoyed to another reader. And, it turns out, I have enjoyed a lot of scary stories in my time. In putting together the display at the Main Library for All Hallows Read, I realized that my stupidly long arms came in handy as I harvested books from the shelves like apples from trees.
Not only that, but we’ve had several patrons requesting scary stories for their Halloween reading, which fills me with more joy than I can express here. I love sharing books in general, but realizing that there are other people who enjoy the shiver-inducing kind of books that I do is another aspect of being a reader that is so magical.
So, with that in mind, I figured it was time to share with you, dear readers, some of our best spine-tingling, gasp-worthy, dread-inducing books for your All-Hallows-Read-ing pleasure! And feel free to let us know which books are making an impression on you, too–after, like good advice, books should be passed on, as well!
Scary Stories to Tell In The Dark: I know we mentioned this book last year, but seriously, if you grew up in the late eighties or nineties, you probably had at least a passing relationship with this book. Most of the people I spoke with, however, need only to hear the title of this book to start shrieking, years and years later, that those stories…and moreover the illustrations, oh good Lord the illustrations were one of the most terrifying aspects of their growing-up. Largely culled from folklore, these stories play on every fear your brain stem holds from ions back…the dark…strange sounds….spiders…..and does it in quick, but descriptive detail, providing a perfect bit of bite-sized terror. I still carry traces of the terror these stories induced in me to this day. The only consolation is that so many other people apparently do, too….
The Shining: We all have a cultural memory of Jack Nicholson hacking through a door and leering, but how many know the novel that inspired this part? Stephen King’s third novel is so much more than Kubrick’s adaptation–and that’s nothing against Kubrick at all, but there is a lot of haunting subtlety in the text that you can’t put on film. Even as the troubled Torrance family moves to the Overlook Hotel in the hope of turning over a new leaf, there is the hint of darkness overlaying their conversations, a whisper of things to come that makes their seeming mundanity increasingly gripping. Even if you know what is going to happen, and the odd abilities that young Danny Torrance possesses, it won’t spoil the reading of this chilling, visceral bit of horror. Also, the Library has a little tiny paperback edition that is remarkably light (and thus easy to transport!) but shaped like a brick, and I think it might be the cutest book we own. Come see for yourself!
Collected Ghost Stories by M.R. James: File under “oldie but goodie”–James’ stories have been around for a century, but his works, and the format he used are still considered seminal works in horror fiction to this day. Though a bit of a traditionalist when it came to his opinions on literature…and most other aspects of his life, James truly gifted at ghost stories, largely relying on implication and suggestion to his advantage, forcing the reader to fill in the blanks in his stories with their own nightmares. The result is a set of stories that are occasionally gruesome, often weird (Lovecraft was a big fan of James’ work), and truly unsettling. There’s a reason that James is still cited as one of the most important horror writers of the past century—and still read widely today.
I Am Providence: And speaking of Lovecraft…Nick Mamatas’ new book is a perfectly creepy, deeply insightful, twisted little novel that makes terrific reading for those who know Lovecraft’s writing, and those who only know his reputation. This murder mystery of sorts unfolds in two story-lines–one from a female author at a Lovecraft convention who discovers the body of the man with whom she was sharing a room–and the dead man himself, from his drawer in the morgue. While Mamatas isn’t above mocking Lovecraft’s fan-boys with whip-sharp brutality, but he also provides a beautifully eloquent insight into what Lovecraft does well–and what makes him so utterly deplorable. The result is a book that will have you laughing, right up until everything gets weird…and shockingly, disturbingly real…
Until next time, dear reader….be sure to read with the lights on!