Rating: 
Summary: THE SCARIEST NOVEL I HAVE EVER READ
Review: In the 1970's, a teenage boy murdered his family in their sleep with his shotgun. Precisely a year later, a new family moved into the house. 28 days later, they ran from the house babbling on about the house being haunted by demons. The Amityville Horror is a documentary on those 28 days of the family living in the house. In the book, you'll learn of the daughter's account and see a picture of Jody, the imaginary pig friend. You'll hear of the father's account of two, beady, glowing eyes staring at the family through the window, and the faceless figure in the upstairs hall way. Hmm, maybe I'm jumping the gun a bit here. Those of you who like being scared will love this true lifex story of a family's run in with the supernatural.
Rating: 
Summary: Not as Scary as Some Have Said
Review: I heard about this book from a friend, and was very convinced it would be a very scary book, so scary I might not even be able to sleep at night, she told me. I went to a libraray, and checked it out. I smiled as I cracked open the book to the first page. I was expecting to have to stop reading,from being frightened. To me, this book seemed just unreal. I think that some of the events that the Lutze's have said are true, maybe that they felt a presence of some sort. But everything with the green slime, and walking lion just seemed silly. Perhaps they made up some events to try to make it mor exuberant? If they did, it certainly didn't help their story. I think that if this is the case, they should have left it to just the more believable happenings, like the red room (which is one of the only parts I found creepy) and the ghostly presences they felt. I think that the novel should have focused more on this eerie room. Despite these 'unrealities' I still believe it is a good read, a quick one, since I really couldn't stop. It took me only two days to finish. So, if you are looking for a good scary read, look further than The Amityville Horror. But, it is a very well written novel. Thanks for trying.
Rating: 
Summary: SCARY AS HELL!!!
Review: First of all... this is the only book that I have ever read that has literally scared me. It has great descriptions of all of the horrible events that happened in that house, and even away from the house (in the case of the preist.) I honestly had trouble sleeping while I was reading this book and was scared to turn off my lights again for awhile. I think some of the scariness of this book has to do with the fact that it IS a true story. This is a great story and great, fast read. And it is SCARY AS HELL! Much better than the movie! If you like to be scared, get this book!
Rating:
Summary: Take it for what it is.....
Review: After years of hearing about this case I read the book and found the book to be very entertaining, engrossing, interesting,scary, and compleat fiction. The so called true story is about the Lutz family who moved in the house into Amityville after the house sat for a year on the market unsold. The real "Horror" of the case happend a year befor when Ronnie DeFeo slaughtered his family with a high powered rifle and was later arrested and sentenced to more the 150 years in jail. He said that voices told him to kill. The jury didn't agree and found him guilty. The Lutz's George and Kathy would run screaming form the house less than a month after they moved in. The are some really good scary moments in the book but at the the end of it all you can't help but wounder how so many were duped for so long. People will say to this day it was a true story. The Warrens, two New England Pharonormalist's have defended the case with a real fever and the "Battle" between the Warrens and Dr Stephen Kaplan can at times be more entertaining. There were some strange things about the story, like how Defeo killed his family while they slept but none of them wake up when the shots are fired. This however can be explained that he drugged his family, Defeo himself a drug addict, and they were out when the murder's happened. However no one else heard the shots in the house's around the home. Countless stories have been so called 'True Stories' but it is hard to prove the validity of the story, on the flip side it's just as hard to say it never happened. The Amityville Horror spawned a movie and countless book and movie sequels that only make the original look more foolish. The book is a good one as a spooky ghost story but as a work of true literiture it seems to lose you very early.
Now about the fight involving the Warrens and the late Dr. Stephen Kaplan it is well known to anyone who knows even the slightest about the case that the Warrens were very much involved with case and Kaplan was involved trying to dispute the claims of a real story. To find out more about both storys you can visit the Warrens web site or buy any of there books and they'll gladly tell you about the case or Kaplan wrote a book called the Amityville Conspricy that does a really good job. The fight had become nasty at time's and on the Warrens site there are some scathing, and false I might add, things said about Mr Kaplan that are refuted in a Letter To The Warrens that you can find on the web. The fighting aside the book, as well as the movie, are entertaining when taken for what they are.
Rating:
Summary: What Really Happened
Review: If you want to know what happened in this house read the book. Contrary to the blatent lies invented by certain skeptics it is a true story. The Lutz family has consistently supported the legitimacy of this story(and having spoken personaly to George, Chris and Kathy I can say for a fact that they do) for the 24-25 years since it happened. They have never claimed it was untrue. Nor did any legitimate investigator who entered the house(Ed and Louraine Warren are experts Kaplan is a con artist masquerading as an expert check the facts about him and his dotorate by mail and lack of knowledge of his own methods which he was called on live on the radio by Ed Warren). Its a well written book. Ghost hunters may be confused by the level of activity but the reason is simple. This isn't a haunted house its an infested one. Its a place where demons resided. Why? Thats an easy one. It wasn't the indians or Ketchum it was Ronald Defeo Jr. It was the brutal inexplicable murder of 6 people in the dark of night at the devils hour. 3 am is the time of Satan as any demonologist will tell you. Also despite the lies invented by a certain "reporter" all of the bodies were found in bed, face down with no signs of a struggle, any form of restraint or drugs in the system and no one heard the shots. Joel Martin who was the first reporter on the scene confirmed live on The Lou Gentile Show that none of the neighbors heard any thing that night(well a barking dog). Those events are of an unnatural nature and no forensic expert has ever understood them because of that. There is where the real horror began. As to why Ronald seems to no longer be afflicted why would the demons bother? He'll spend his life in prison and his entire family is dead. On that count the demons had already won. In short this is an excelent book and one of a handful(the ones by the Warrens being the only others I know of) that tells the truth instead of oppinion and slander.
Rating:
Summary: Interesting.....
Review: ...some think that this is a true story and others, think that this isn't. Is it? Who know, but this is a pretty good read. Some parts were pretty scary, for example, the figure at the top of the stairs. Other parts seemed to drag a small bit. Sometimes that parts that dragged for me was in the way the author told the story. Perhaps an experienced author could have given more atmosphere to the story. This is the story of the Lutzs and their experience in the haunted house the bought. Then 28 days later, they fled in terror, leaving most of their possessions. In this book, the reader will find out what made the Lutz's flee. It all started when the priest went to bless the house and a voice said "GET OUT!" From that point time, the Lutz's lived in terror and nobody in that house was safe. Even the Priest that helped them was victim to the demonic forces that infested the house. The Lutz's went through a lot of horrific events before they left the house. Much more than I would have put up with. Even when the moved, the demonic forces followed them for a while. The only problem I had with this book is the end. I wont' way what happened, but the way it ended....didnt' seem like a fit ending. There was more to tell and the author didn't tell it. I don't want to say the end was a let down, because it wasn't. However from the way it ended, it just wasn't a good place to end the story. If you like true life ghost stories, then you need to read this book. Is it true? Who know, but it's a good story. If you start it, I don't think you'll be sorry.
Rating:
Summary: True or false, Amityville tale still a classic ghost yarn.
Review: The Amityville Horror is the unnerving tale of 28 days spent in a house either haunted or possessed by some sort of evil spirit. What makes the book even more disturbing is its subtitle - A True Story. Whether or not the tale is actually true or a simple hoax to generate attention and cash (not to mention aid in Ron DeFeo's temporary insanity plea - "The house made me do it!") is still in debate after nearly thirty years. All true/false quibbles aside it must be said that Jay Anson has crafted a fairly decent haunted house yarn...My only quibble is that Anson embraces sensationalism in relating the spooky events. Everything that is the slightest bit unnerving, or perceived as mysterious, is stated with an exclamation point (!) which is the literary equivalent of shouting. Presenting the events in a quieter narrative tone would have, in my opinion, made them more realistic sounding and less like someone trying to convince me it is. Nonetheless the tale is now a legend and the book worthwhile reading, despite all of its narrative shortcomings.
Rating:
Summary: Not A Hoax
Review: First off, this is not a hoax. This is a factual story. The site of the Amityville House was once used to house criminally insane native americans. Now for modern history: On November 13, 1974, Ronny DeFeo murdered his parents, & 4 brothers & sisters with a shotgun at 3:15 a.m. (The Lutzes would later let their sleep in the very bed taht the DeFeo children were murdered in.) A year later, the lutzes moved in. In an erie coincidence, George Lutz looked like Ronny Defeo's twin. Weird things started almost immediately. When a priest, who was a family friend, tried to bless the house. The room became filled with flies, he became extremely ill, & a voice told him to get out. Later, whenhe tried to call & warn his friends, the line went to static & the phone burned his hands. Kathy Lutz's aunt was a nun, & she too became violently ill & fled. The daughter, Amie, kept talking about an "Imaginary Friend", Jodi. When Kathy tried to say noone was there, Amy said she went out the window. Kathy looked and SAW a pig with glowing red eyes. George saw it from the yard also. Probaby the most erie, George woke up EVERY NIGHT at exactly 3:15 a.m. (The time of the murders) The idea that this was a hoax was started by a man who was called to investigate, & was thrown out for bringing 6 witches & a news crew. He NEVER set one toe in the house. He later recanted & apologized shortly before his book, "The Amityville Conspiracy" was released, but died shortly after, even before his book hit the stands. Also, a story abounds that the Lutz's lawyer helped them conjur this over a bottle of wine, but the Lutz's didn't drink AT ALL. All that they had in the house was one bottle of blessed wine. If anyone doubts this story, I invite you to do as I did: go to a web site called "The Warrens Investigate The Amityville Horror. There are even photographs to prove it. The Warrens were going to write the book, but Jay Anson simply beat them to it. Coincidentally, Mr. Anson sufferd a heart attack while completing the book, & sufferd a fatal while trying to write a follow up.
Rating:
Summary: A very interesting read
Review: Like many of you, I have seen the movie and, I really enjoyed it.
The book is more detailed and thorough. The occurences happening at the Amytiville House are very well described making it an interesting read. Whether it is read as a fiction or as a true life occurence, it is an easy, fast and enjoyable read. But I tend, after having met people who were in the surrounding of the Lutz family, that it is a true story in most of the lines.
Like we say, "Where is smoke there is fire". In any case, whether
the story is true or not, I would recommend it to all Horror and Haunting fans, like me!
Rating: 
Summary: A True? Story
Review: This book would have been bad enough as a novel but trying to pass this rubish off as true is just plain insulting. This book is about as scary as reading the comic strips and just as silly. Jay Anson (may he rest in peace) should have been ashamed to conspire with the Lutz family on this money making scheme. Not to mention that it made other families lives a living hell due to the deranged fools that came by the house to sight see. Isn't it just a little strange that no other disturbances have been recorded once the Lutz family vacated the premises?
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