Rating: 
Summary: Ashamedly, this is not a True Story
Review: Before reading this book, I was aware already that the story was a hoax. Yet, the question that continued to plague me about this story is, "Why is this story a hoax, and who would contrive such a thing? And for what reason?" Growing up with this story in the background of my life, I was intrigued by its speculative nature as well as the thrill of letting the scare get the best of my emotions. Finally, upon reading it (along with being a little wiser than my youth), it became more and more apparent that the story was not as honest as I would have hoped. With the movie fresh in my mind, it was difficult not to make comparisons as well as use the movie as reference to better visualize the incidents. To do this became increasingly difficult because there are many scenes in the book that do not appear in the movie. The climax of the book, the white shrouded person standing on the top of the stairs, typically doing nothing else except pointing, would have lost credibility in cinema format. There are other instances that seemed not only unbelievable, but far fetched. One such instance was the green slime. What is this about? Lastly, the reading level was that of a lesser Anne Rule book with 'Goosebumps' like tactics for scariness. Aside from my criticism, there were some genuine scary moments. Mostly the moments that seem trivial and unpresuming, to me, are the most frightening because those are the moments in which you truly question your sanity. To me that is scarier than an incorporeal being floating around the hell of it (pun intended). Nonetheless, my intrigue got the best of me for the real story and so I looked up in the New York Times the incidents revolving around this. The Ronald DeFeo case was more the ravings of a drug addict who was out to score some cash. While it is true all 6 members of the family were killed lying on their stomachs with their arms above thier heads, they were not shot in the back of the head, but rather back and stomach area. Apparently he had drugged them during a dinner thus no one heard the shots from his high powered rifle. Finally, the Lutzes, along with writer Jay Anson and another partner contrived the story after the DeFeo incident and made him the culprit of a possession by spirit which "told" him to kill the family. So the motive seemed more like a sacrificial rite than a person after some money. Eventually George Lutz admitted to have made the story up, as was some of the testimony given by some parapsychologists who tested the grounds and came up with nothing of a psychic nature. The book reads like a novel, and will take you little time or effort especially if you have seen the movie. Any "true" novel that has quote after quote and is able to point out minute details of ones daily life 4 years after the fact is questionable to me. I read this out of intrigue from my youth, as well as my interest in demonic possession, which is seemed the author is familiar at least with the classic nature of possession. Unfortunately no new revelation came from this story other than some excitement of fantasy. A fun book that you will surely enjoy if not taken seriously.
Rating: 
Summary: This idiocy is still in print???
Review: I read this abominably-written piece of best-selling trash in one sitting many years ago, and I could not (and still cannot) believe that anyone would even consider accepting something so obviously folkloric as factual. The narrative is nothing more than a collection of horror-movie cliches presented in a streamlined vaudeville-show manner, with nary a pause between acts. Lest the reader have a moment to consider any of the events logically, the writer(s) have something else bang up the stairs, belch forth from the basement, or otherwise keep the living members of the household from getting a decent night's sleep. This tripe, obviously made up as the writer or writers went along, has taken in countless readers over the course of one score and however many years. If only the chronically credulous consumers of this sort of thing would stop to consider a few items of logic, such as: How can something this violent, bizzare, and complex have occured without leaving a trace of physical evidence in its wake? If the story is true, why wasn't it given space in, say, Newsweek or a "60 Minutes" segment? Finally, why didn't the family head out the door the moment they realized their lives were in danger, which any sane group of humans would have done? Believe this, and I have a number of reasonably-priced moon craters for your consideration.
Rating: 
Summary: Strange and haunting...
Review: I read this book when I was about ten years old, and found it very fascinating. I was shocked to find that it was supposedly a true story. It was very eerie, and I highly recommend it.
Rating:
Summary: Great Book
Review: It was many years ago when I first read this book. At the time I was about 16 or 17 years old. I had read a lot of this type of book but nothing before or after has scared as much. In fact, I actually wouldn't sleep in my own room for almost a week. I think that was due to the fact that the book was based on a true story. It truly was a awesome book, that was very believable. I do have a word of caution, don't watch the movie "The Amityville Horror" its an underated (a very unreated) version of the novel.
Rating:
Summary: Frightening
Review: I first read this book when everybody was convinced this was a true story, which made it even more terrifying. I read it again recently, and something about it still makes it unsettling.
Rating: 
Summary: Totally Scarey
Review: I first read this book when I was in the 5th grade and I was scared out of my mind. I read this book again when I was in high school, and again I was really scared. I have seen the movie a few times and each time I am scared to my wits end. I only recently found out that this story is probably not true, and that is a bit sad, and probably why this book is now out of print. But if you read it for what it is, a scarey book, it is a great page turner that will have you caught up in a world of nightmares and dreamscapes.
Rating:
Summary: SCAREY!
Review: Oh my gosh!! This was a really good, frightening book that scared the heck out of me(since I read it every night before I went to bed last summer until I finished it) I couldn't put the book down. And the story seems so true. Before I read the book, a friend and I had rented the 1977 movie version of the book and yah...it was okay for the first time ever hearing about the story or anything related to Amityville. I went to the library and picked up the book and became sucked into it's mystery and suspense. I soon was scouring the web for websites because I was so interested. A truely unique book and I enjoyed it very much. PS. I learned DONT read this before you go to bed, and if you do, stay up a little longer and watch TV to get your mind off the book if you are a younger reader like me (age 16) or you could be any age. Otherwise, you will NEVER get to sleep!
Rating:
Summary: The scariest story i have read in years.....
Review: The Amityville Horror by Jay Anson is the story of a family who had moved in to a new house in Amityville, Long Island, not knowing that the home was supposedly built on top of an ancient Indian burial ground. Rarely does a book ever captivate me, yet this one captured my attention immediately. From the first two sentences, "George and Kathy Lutz moved into 112 Ocean Avenue on December 18. Twenty-eight days later, they fled in terror,"(p.7) you are interested in what it is that could make a person flee from their brand new home in just 4 weeks. Further into the book, bizarre phenomena occurs creating a terrifying experience for the Lutz family. From the daughters demonic friend "Jodie", to Father Mancuso falling deathly ill anytime he steps in to the house your trapped. This is a horrifying book based on the encounters this family has had. But the scariest thing of all is...it is said to be true!
Rating:
Summary: Lacks feeling and fright
Review: I live on long island. In fact I have family that live in Amityville. I read this book recently because there was a documentary on Biography or the History Channel about it over Halloween. The book i found was good but some things did bother me. A lot of the sentences ended in an exclaimation point. While some of the things that happened to this family were outrageous, the credibility is lost when the sentences are sensationalized. While reading this book I thought it was more like fiction than it was a true story. Eventhough I live in the area, i think hat the story could have been approached in another way. There is a lot of conspiracy surrounding this event and I suggest to anyone who is intersted in it that you read more than one book before you make your decision. Also read up on the DeFeos, the family whose house it was before and also on Native American history surrounding the Amityville area. Plus you can visit the Amityville Historical Museum, but you won't find much about the "Amityville Horror House." Let's leave that to the books.
Rating:
Summary: Wow!! What a story!
Review: This is one of the finest pieces of horror I have ever read. The book is so much better than the 1977 movie. I know there are many theories about this story and it has come under attack in recent years. I, however, am inclined to believe the Lutzes were telling the truth about their experiences in the house. Either way, if you want your socks scared right off, this is the book to read. Awesome!!
|
