Rating: 
Summary: Disturbing and not for everyone
Review: I wanted to try a really scary novel, and from amazon.com's reviews I thought Richard Matherson's 'Hell House' would fill my wished. And it did. This novel is one of the most scaries I've ever read. The last one that really 'stole' my sleep was 'The Exorcist', and so did 'House'. It became a compusive reading for me. I needed to know soon how all that would end. And, what an ending!The novel tells the story of a haunted house --well, nothing new so far-- but the way Matheson describes the house and its history is creepy. The cover itself is already disturbing. The characters are not perfectly developed they have many flaws, but one gets so involved with the house itself that they actually have supporting roles in the story. The writer is not afraid of describing violence both physical and psycological. And some parts that are very graphic may offend some sensitive people. I highly recommend this book for those who like horror stories, and are not easily impressed.
Rating:
Summary: The Best!
Review: This was without a doubt the best ghost story I've ever read. Even better than the Shining, certainly better than The Haunting of Hill House, which frustrated the heck out of me. If you like good, scarey, creepy, suspenseful books that will satisfy you at the end, pick this one!
Rating:
Summary: Absolutely incredible!! Chilling to say the least!!!
Review: I read I Am Legend and loved it. Took me awhile to get around to Hell House, but once I started I couldn't put it down. Had to finish as soon as possible because the book sucked me in from the very beginning. I loved the description of Belasco - his teeth, his face, his house - this character rewrote the definition of evil. The great thing about Matheson's writing is that he holds back nothing. No sunny Hollywood endings, which is how I like my horror. The way he beat down the 4 main characters and the various "spooks" that took place within the house was brilliant. If I could write a haunted house story half as good as Hell House I'd be a happy man! I highly recommend this book!!!
Rating:
Summary: Hell House
Review: Readers who enjoy the hypnotic pulse of a finely woven ghost story will find this book irresistable. The richly developed characters trancend the written page to become familiar to the reader, old friends. The plot revolves around the "Mt. Everest" of haunted houses, and the diluded attempt to exorcise it. There is no finer haunted house story written.
Rating: 
Summary: No amount of money would be enough.
Review: "Hell House" is you typical haunted house story. A reclusive millionaire hires a group of 3 people to investigate a huanted house. A physicist and his wife, a physical medium, and a mental medium. The group soon begins to discover that something is going on within the walls of this house. The group slowly begins to loose cohesion and the evil of the house begins to attack them. I picked up "Hell House" because I loved "I Am Legend" so much i thought I'd give Matheson another try. I can't say I did'nt enjoy the book but i was dissapointed. The book is very well writen and keeps you reading page after page with anticipation. The one and only complaint I have about "Hell House" is the ending. I agree with another reviewer that it feels as though Matheson simply ran out of ideas and scrapped something together. Despite the bad ending i recommend this book to anyone who is not easily offended, as there are parts involving graphic sexual descriptions and a rather sick afront of christianity and the crucifix.
Rating:
Summary: Chilling!
Review: I have never read a haunted house book with more punch to it than this offering. It keeps you believing that the worst is over, until each shocking turn in the plot. It will give you nightmares. Matheson's writing style reads fluidly, and his use of parapsychological data makes for a very believable read!
Rating: 
Summary: Yawn...
Review: ..I was ... disappointed with "Hell House". It has similiarities with Shirley Jackson's Haunting of Hill House: a mysterious house with a dark past, 4 people sent in to investigate, lesbian undertones between the 2 female characters and even a couple of silent housekeepers who refuse to live there. Where the two books differ is in the thrills and chills department. Jackson's Haunting delivers while Matheson's Hell House doesn't. The author failed to make the reader feel any sympathy for any of the 4 sacrificial lambs...sorry, protagonists. Not for the scientist Barnet, nor for his wife, nor for the enthusiastic Florence and no sympathy either for Ben Fischer, the sole survivor of a previous expedition to the house. Lacking a character to root for, one felt like an outsider distantly observing these characters running around without caring what happens to them. What could have been a great book became a mediocre one. The only saving grace is the brief history of Belasco and Belasco House as told by Ben Fischer. Reading Belasco's origin and the depravities he brought to the house is like looking at a gruesome accident. You'll feel disgusted but you can't help looking anyway. Unfortunately, Fischer's tale lasts only for a few pages. After that its back to not very frightening scares and low-level thrills. Mind you, there was one chilling scene when Florence the medium was attacked by a cat. The description of the attack was such that one could almost feel the cat biting and clawing on one's self. But one good scary scene in an almost 300 page novel does not a good horror novel make. Richard Matheson is a great writer. He has written excellent stuff such as, "I am Legend" and his collection of short stories, "Nightmare at 20,000 feet" is a must have. "Hell House" however is not an essential book to have in your library. So Stephen King likes it. So what? He aint God. For a very good haunted house novel other than the aforementioned Shirley Jackson's "Haunting...", I heartily recommend Susan Hill's "WOMAN IN BLACK".
Rating:
Summary: Think you've been scared before?
Review: Although Richard Matheson is one of the most prolific writers of this or any other era, I believe "Hell House" is his masterpiece. Psychological horror is difficult to write, and yet Matheson builds tension easily, leaving you turning pages rapidly, even though you know that what's in store might not necessarily be good for you. The theory of surviving spirits is hotly debated among scientists and spiritualists. Matheson provides us with a truly evil man, Emeric Belasco, who achieves immortality among fiction ogres by systematically wrecking the morals and beliefs of all those who enter his home. Belasco created a place where nothing was sacred, and anything went. Dozens of people entered his home, and most never left, instead eventually losing their sanity along with their inhibitions. Into this maelstrom of evil venture four people-two mediums, one scientist, and the scientist's naive wife. It is up to them to prove or disprove the existence of evil spirits, at the behest of a wealthy old man. In their efforts to succeed, they are besieged at every turn by apparations and ghosts, most of which are malevolent. The female medium becomes possessed by the spirit of Belasco's son (or so she believes), and refuses the advice of the others to leave his soul alone. The climax is at once terrifying and sobering....definitely food for thought for those who believe either theory. It is impossible to read this book clinically. Although you may be tempted to come to your own conclusions regarding spirit survival, ultimately this book is about the enormity of evil, and the ability of ordinary people to deal with it at their own level. Enjoy this wonderful work of an important author, but be warned:you will be changed after reading it. How much you will be changed depends on how seriously you consider the subject.
Rating:
Summary: Terrifying!
Review: I read a lot of creepy books. After reading about many of the worst serial killers in American history I thought I had lost my fear of the less probable (hauntings, ghosts, etc) in favor of the real stuff; that perhaps some deranged murderer might have broken into my house and is waiting for me when I go to the bathroom in the middle of the night. This book proved my older fear is still alive and well. It is the single most terrifying book I've ever read. I read half of it, then tried to sleep (with the light on), awoke, and finished it. While reading, my eyes were wide, muscles tensed, hands clenched, heart racing. I saw the movie a couple of years ago and loved it, and the book is much, much better. If you want to be scared half to death, read this book!!!
Rating:
Summary: This is not going to be popular...
Review: Based on what other reviewers of this book has already stated, this is NOT going to be a well-received review. With that in mind, let me say that I was more than a little disappointed with "Hell House". This may be one of the only times in my life when I've stated that the MOVIE might be better than the BOOK. Richard Matheson, whom I have the greatest respect and admiration for, really didn't hit the mark with "Hell House". Oh, I know that most of the reviews here go on and on about what a terrific book this is, but IMHO it comes up short in the "thrills" department. It's really hard to like most, if not all, of the characters in "Hell House". They are not very sympathetic which seems to be an important element in horror novels. Don't get me wrong, Matheson is a great storyteller, it's just that I feel that THIS story comes up a little short. After you get into the first 100 pages or so, it's easy to see why this book would be a great movie (based on special effects) but a rather limp book! The thrills are limited and it's extremely hard to "connect" with this novel. The best ghost stories are those that have a bases in reality and, unfortunately, this one misses the mark. Matheson does a tremendous job in his books, "I Am Legend" and "The Incredible Shinking Man" and I wholeheartedly recommend these to the reader. His contributions to "The Twilight Zone" are beyond compare, as well!
But unfortunately, I can't recommend "Hell House" in the same way. If you want to read something that contains really scary mental scenes involving haunted houses, pick up "Ghost Story" by Peter Straub or "Poltergeist" by Colin Wilson and bypass this book.
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