The Amityville Horror. I was in high school (maybe junior high) and it was terrifying!

Donna

I read The Shining by Stephen King when I was in high school. I had to leave the lights on at night. My mom threatened to take it away from me to make me stop reading it! Scared the heck out of me.

When I first read A Christmas Carol when I was about 6, I was terribly afraid of Marley's Ghost. It made me scared of the light switch in my room--if a door knocker, why not a light switch?

I love Bellairs, but never found him very scary. The Face in the Frost was my favorite.

When I was in college one of my roommates was reading The Exorcist and it scared her so much she used to put the book out in the hall every night when she went to bed.

Red Dragon by Thomas Harris. I got it from the university library long before he got famous for Silence of the Lambs, so the book didn't even have a dust jacket meaning I read it with absolutely NO idea what the plot would be. Sheesh that book scared the bejesus out of me, it was absolutely terrifying.

Actually Dr. Hannibel Lector was introduced in this book, and of course then became (in)famous in SOTL but wasn't a major character. Still it was and is one of the scariest things I've ever read in my life.

I've read all of these! You guys are bringing back some great memories. writersblock, I love the anecdote about your roommate. Texanjana, have you read the sequel to The Shining? msmeow, I read The Amityville Horror ages ago. Didn't like Halloween haunted houses before, REALLY haven't liked them since. Fun2BHere, I am a huge Shirley Jackson fan, and runninginplace, I completely agree with you on Red Dragon. Scary!

How would you classify Daphne du Maurier's Rebecca? Horror or suspense??

I think it was the Haunting of Hlll House? I read it as a kid, but that might not be the actual book-I think I've looked at the synopsis of that book and it doesn't sound like the same one that I'd read-so it might have had a similar title.

As an adult, I have never been able to finish Pet Sematary by Stephen King. It is the only book that has unnerved me. I was pregnant with my first child when I read it, then I put it away because I just couldn't finish it. I picked it up years later to try to read it again-figuring I had just had pregnancy vapors the first time. I couldn't even get past the first page before my hairs started standing on end. I ended up giving it away and have never attempted to read it since. It's been 30 years and that is the only book that has affected me like that.

I can’t recall reading anything really creepy until Stephen King came along. I finished Pet Semetary and it truly had me spooked. I could not watch the movie. No way. And It was another. Can’t even begin to think how anyone could visualize that one either.

Rebecca? I would say suspense.

Mine was also The Amityville Horror. Read it my freshman year in college. Woke my poor room mate up one night having a very vivid nightmare!

Shirley Jackson's The Lottery, which we read in high school, is, 50 years later, still the most terrifying story I've ever read. The Exorcist, and Stephen King, are walks in the park in comparison. The Lottery still bothers me!

Although I have had long talks with DS1 about The Exorcist and we agree that the movie gets more and more frightening the more times you see it.

The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson. And the movie...the first one...was so well done too. Both scared the pants off of me.

Rebecca wasn't horror...I'd call it more suspense and drama. It's actually a story about jealousy.

Other notables were the Exorcist and Salem's Lot. The latter gave me SAD! And I still remember being creeped out by Tryon's The Other.

Communion A True Story by Whitley Strieber.

I read this in the late 80's and remember waking after reading into the night feeling like the "grays" were staring at me watching me sleep. This is a book that creeps up on you about mid way. In this first book much time is spent on Whitley trying to come to terms with what happened. He went through great lengths sorting out whether he was crazy or not including sessions with professionals. While reading, one goes back and forth with doubt wondering if the story about alien encounters could possibly be true. So, without realizing it happening you fully feel his turmoil.

To get the most out of this book you have to go in with an open mind. Nearly everyone I loaned it to were a bit spooked to very spooked half way in.

The only one I can recall was the Pit and the Pendulum. I skipped over all those named above because I knew early on that I don't like to be horrified or scared by books or movies.

The Amityville Horror. Nothing has ever scared me like that book did, not even Stephen King's books.