Rating: 
Summary: wonderfully terrifying and readable
Review: I'll agree with Stephen King, at the risk of seeming unorginal, that this is the scariest of all haunted house novels--much more so than "The Haunting of Hill House," "Burnt Offerings," or "The Shining," in my opinion, although it is not as good of a book overall as "Hill House." Matheson doesn't primarily rely on gross-outs for his effects (although some things in the book are rather revolting); mostly he just makes you afraid of what might happen next, by making the characters seem real and down-to-earth, with real fears and problems, and by establishing an extremely fearsome ambience through clear prose and ever more sinister suggestions. The use of semi-science fiction technology to investigate the possibility of an afterlife (explored by Matheson very differently in "what Dreams May Come" and "Bid Time Return") is kind of an interesting and involving element as well, and helps pull you in. Including some provocative sexual stuff kind of gets your attention also, but makes you feel guilty at the same time when things go really wrong--Matheson uses this device effectively, partly for titillation but also to heighten the overall effect. You really feel like you've been through the wringer after you get through this book, but it's somehow an enjoyable, refreshing experience. (Horror fiction aficionados I think will know what I mean, others will think that makes no sense). Be scared, very scared--read it.
Rating: 
Summary: Derivative - owes a lot to "Hill House"
Review: I guess Richard Matheson was hard up for cash when he penned THIS potboiler. It is a direct descendant of Shirley Jackson's infinitely superior "Haunting of Hill House", with MORE than a soupcon of William Castle's/Robb White's "House on Haunted Hill" thrown in. You know you're in "paid-by-the-word" territory when you get an itemized list of at least fifty "things I saw in Hell House". (BTW - can anyone tell me the difference between "apparations", "aports", "asports", and "phantoms"?)For some reason, Matheson sets the Belasco House in "Caribou Falls, Maine". Maybe he looked at a map and thought "Caribou, Maine" sounded neat, and it IS a bit out of the way, so we'll tweak it a bit. Guess what - I spent almost five years in Caribou with the Air Force, and in December (the novel's time setting), it isn't chilly, it isn't damp, it isn't foggy - it's THIRTY DEGREES BELOW ZERO! Please, Mr. Matheson, you will have to try a bit harder. Given all that - it is your standard "investigative team takes up residence in a haunted house" story. Stock characters: the dedicated scientist, his loving but unstable wife, the way-out-there medium, and a Watson Pritchard (go back and watch "House on Haunted Hill") imitating psychic who is the sole survivor of the "last disastrous attempt". Shake until all mixed up. Better examples of this sub-genre': the afore-mentioned towering classic "Haunting of Hill House", ANYthing by M.R. James or E.F. Benson (THERE'S some SCARES for you, folks - I MEAN it!!), the ghost stories of H. Russell Wakefield, nuts, I'll even stoop to name King's "The Shining" as a more *original* ghost story. Matheson is a GREAT writer, with a string of classics that any author would be extremely proud of. THIS book, however, catches him either out of his realm, or on an off day. Anyway - try my other suggestions if you want a REALLY good "ghost story".
Rating: 
Summary: Fantastic - everything it's billed to be and MORE!!
Review: I've been looking for this book for years, and couldn't be happier to see that TOR has had the good sense to reissue it. A fast, frantic, frightening read, this is right up there with Matheson's other classics: I Am Legend and The Incredible Shrinking Man. For those who claim not to be bothered by it, a challenge: read this one alone, in the dead of night, at home, with a good storm blowing around the house. It's scary without these props, but even more chilling with them!!
Rating:
Summary: Pretty Good novel..... Just in time for Halloween.
Review: If you can discard the "suspension of Belief" in this novel, namely that the house just suddenly became "haunted" and no one wanted to be around it, plus a lack of horroristic background info on the main characters, it works smoothly. Putting those problems aside, and just reading it simply to put me in a frame of mind for the season, it became a book well worth reading. It overcame it's shortcomings with a well thoughtout ending. But it is not on my list of conversation pieces or mentionables.
Rating:
Summary: The best haunted house novel ever written...
Review: I had just finished reading another Matheson classic, I Am Legend, when I found out, to my delight, Hell House was being reprinted. Having missed the book the first time around, I wasted no time in ordering it from Amazon.com. Wow! It sure was worth it. The atmosphere in this book was unparelled; the tension unbearable. I read this in 5 hours and when I completed the book, I couldn't tell if I was more sad for it's passing, or afraid from it's content. Hell House is the standard all haunted house books have been and will be compared against.
Rating:
Summary: A frightening book, and a terrifying film......
Review: Another Matheson stone-cold classic. Again, the majority of Gen-X'rs just don't seem to have the educated taste and background knowledge to appreciate it - a true shame; even scarier than the novel is the fact that we are losing this generation to illiteracy. But to continue, this is one creepy story. And Matheson's assistance on the 1973 film helped immeasurably - the only REALLY scary movie made outside of THE HAUNTING and THE INNOCENTS.
Rating:
Summary: This is a dateless standard of horror
Review: This book works on many levels, but delivers chill aplenty. I first bought a copy years ago and just bought two more. A standard that does not age.
Rating:
Summary: GREAT book!!!
Review: Short but sweet, It wasn't as scary as everyone says it was, but it was a GREAT read!
Rating:
Summary: A CLASSIC!!!!!!
Review: A GREAT BOOK THAT WAS MADE INTO A BORING MOVIE
Rating:
Summary: One of the best horror novels I've read
Review: When I was in a big Stephen King phase, I was looking for other horror authors and picked up "Hell House" at a used book store. It's still one of my favorites, and Matheson is one of King's influences. "Hell House" is one of the few horror novels I'll recommend to someone looking for a quick horror read. Not my first choice, but definately in the top 10.
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