Most intense scenes in a horror story

[Andy]

What are some of the most intense scenes you've ever read in a horror book? Intense can mean many things from the brutality of the early raid scene in Off Season to the quiet tension of Danny T. triking his way to room 237 in The Shining.

[Tressa]

Because the purpose of horror is to evoke tension and fear.

I'm happy to say that I experienced intense scenes in Room, We Need to Talk about Kevin, Lonesome Dove, A Thousand Splendid Suns, and The Kite Runner, just to name a few general fiction books I've read.

[[deleted user]]

A recent book that comes to mind is The Girl Next Door - so many scenes. The worst for me was near the end though when the family "marks" the girl. I was actually in tears and had to put the kindle down.

[Char]

I would also mention We Need To Talk About Kevin. The tension doesn't set in for a little while, but once it does the level stays SO high for the rest of the book.

[[deleted user]]

I watched the movie We Need To Talk About Kevin and thought it was well done - is the book better?

[Tressa]

You are correct, Charlene. The tension IMO happens once a crucial event in the family happens. You keep waiting, waiting, waiting for something to happen.

I saw the movie and the book is so much better.

[Char]

I haven't seen the movie. I don't think I want to, to be honest. I enjoyed that book so much. I felt like a limp dishrag when it was over. I don't think the movie could hold up to the book. I could be wrong...but it looks like Tressa agrees.

[Tressa]

Tilda Swinson is marvelous, and the boy they picked for Kevin does a good job, although he seems to menacing 24/7; I think book Kevin was more sly and intelligent than movie Kevin. Plus, John C. Reilly did not fit the part AT ALL.

I did like the early scenes between the mother and the baby/toddler/adolescent. He was pretty scary.

I didn't buy their relationship as a couple. You may want to catch it if it happens to be on one day, but don't go out of your way.

[[deleted user]]

I liked the movie but I wouldn't call it intense. So even though I haven't read the book (yet) I'm guessing the movie wouldn't hold up against the book.

[Char]

Traci L. wrote: "A recent book that comes to mind is The Girl Next Door - so many scenes. The worst for me was near the end though when the family "marks" the girl. I was actually in tears and had to put the kindle..."

That scene was VERY intense and so sad all at once.

[Tressa]

In the book there is a lot of anxious anticipation waiting for Kevin to pull whatever he is going to pull. And you don't get a sense that (view spoiler)[the father and sister are dead until it nears the end. When they are not mentioned in the present day scenes I assume that the tragedy tore their marriage apart. Maybe others picked up on this, but I didn't. Maybe if I had thought long and hard about it I would have come to the conclusion earlier, but I didn't. I just knew for whatever reason the father and sister were not in their lives anymore. (hide spoiler)]

[Char]

(view spoiler)[Exactly, Tressa! I don't think it was just you, because I also thought they just were not together anymore. (hide spoiler)]

[[deleted user]]

You're right about the anticipation. I wasn't thinking about it in those terms. But yeah. And THAT scene did come as a surprise to me too. I've heard it's even more of a shock in the book but I didn't see it coming in the movie either. Though... (view spoiler)[I believe many school shooters kill a family member before their sprees so it completely fits within the subject matter. (hide spoiler)]
I wish now I had read the book first. I still will though.

[Andy]

Sounds like a great book, but very gut-wrenching. I don't know if I'd be able to enjoy it.

[Tressa]

Glad you thought the same thing, Charlene. For the first half of the book I just assumed (view spoiler)[the separation, or that he didn't want any part of what Kevin becomes and also feared for his daughter, so he whisked her far away from the dangerous mother/son relationship. Also, it seems that the struggle was always mother/son, so that's why she was just focusing on their part of life without bothering to include the husband/daughter into the equation; a self-centeredness if you will on her part, because she really is just that. (hide spoiler)]

Andrew, it's an amazing book about nature/nurture concerning a current topic dealing with teen violence. I'm very glad I read it. It is gut-wrenching, but I enjoyed it immensely.

[Tressa]

Traci, for me the most disturbing scene was (view spoiler)[when Kevin harms his sister for the first time by either convincing her to pour the caustic liquid in her eye or doing it himself. Surprisingly we never find out because the sister is too damned afraid of Kevin and the father is too bright-eyed and bushy-tailed naive to get to the bottom of it! (hide spoiler)]

[T.W.]

There's a scene in James Herbert's The Fog, where a farmer's own cows stomp and bite him to death. It got under my skin.

Also, RIP, Mr. Herbert.

[Amanda]

I'm reading WNTTAK now a bit past a hundred pages in. She has a hell of a good narrative voice. So glad I didn't read the spoilers you guys posted I'm enjoying it at my own (well Sasha's) pace.

[Andy]

Never read Herbert before, but I gather that I'm missing out.

[Gerorda]

Lord, you have a world of sleepless nights ahead of you! Start with the rats series and you might never sleep again. Shrine is also excellent. There are loads of good stuff in his back catalogue. Envy you since I've read most of it

[Tressa]

I have got to read some Herbert. I read a few of his books decades ago, but don't remember much about them except that I liked them. We're going to read a Herbert book for next month's group read. Looking forward to it.

[Char]

Amanda wrote: "I'm reading WNTTAK now a bit past a hundred pages in. She has a hell of a good narrative voice. So glad I didn't read the spoilers you guys posted I'm enjoying it at my own (well Sasha's) pace."

Kevin has to be in my top 10-12 best reads of all time.
It starts out a bit slowly in my opinion and I remember having to use the Kindle dictionary a few times. But somehow the narrative voice got to me and started spinning its web and then before you know it. WHAM!

[Tressa]

It is remarkable and unforgettable, Charlene. Enjoyed the discussion we had about it. Love those kinds of books that keep the conversation going.

[Andy]

Hey Tressa, isn't Herbert coming up as a future monthly HA group read?

[Tressa]

Andrew, he is. Should be in May. Jason's got the next group read so he should get the poll up near the middle of the month.

[Andy]

Nice! I'll probably read The Cipher next. Did anyone actually like it?

[Carly]

I will always be creeped out by the story IT because the clown is a cannibal, he eats children in the book. Clowns are creepy...

[John]

The stuff they do for the snuff film in J. F. Gonzalez's Survivor will haunt you for days.

[sonny (no longer in use)]

I agree with john, also the cellar is really bad as well, the tube and the hungry rat in American psycho, the female circumcision scene in the girl next door (although not described you still imagine it), Stephen kings librarian Novella to name a few