Thursday, October 29, 2009

Beware—A Peek At My Spooky Side (Writer’s Workshop)

I am not a spooky person but there was a time when I watched scary movies on Saturday afternoons. This though was short lived because I found myself thinking about them and didn’t like the dark thoughts. Once in awhile I’ll watch something scary. As a kid, my scariest movie was “The Wizard of Oz.” I was totally afraid of that wicked witch and had recurring nightmares about her coming after ME!

I’ve only read a few scary books too. Gerard used to like Stephen King and had a whole collection of his books. It kind of scared me a little that he even liked those kind of books. He hasn’t read much of Stephen King since we’ve been married though. (This is a picture of Spunky on top of his Stephen King collection.)

The Manhattan Hunt Club by John Saul



Gerard suggested I read John Saul so I started with The Manhattan Hunt Club. It was very creepy and scary because I could see it as being possible. I kept thinking about this one for days after I finished reading it. It was very gross. Here’s a short summary of it:

It is a story about an innocent man, Jeff Converse , unjustly sentenced to jail for rape and attempted murder. The Hunt Club is made of prominent people who take justice into their own hands and kill criminals in a hunt “game” like hide-n-seek in the tunnels below Manhattan . It left me wondering who is really the worse criminal—the convicted or the “hunters.”

Comes The Blind Fury by John Saul



I liked “The Manhattan Hunt Club” because it was so bizarre and I had trouble putting it down because I was anxious to see what would happen next in spite of the grossness of it. That’s why I chose another of John Saul’s books, Comes The Blind Fury. This is the first ghost story I ever read, at least that I remember. Again, I kept thinking about it constantly while reading it and even after I had finished it. I thought it was both creepy and spooky. Here’s the short summary of this one:

A girl, Amanda , was blind and was forced of a cliff, died and now haunts other 12-year-old girls. Michelle , an adopted girl, moved from Boston to Paradise Point and found an old doll in her house that she name Amanda . Amanda’s ghost came to visit her and they became friends. When someone teased Michelle , the ghost would come and arrange some sort of “accident” so they would die. Only mother figured something was very wrong but father ignored everything connected with Michelle once Jennifer was born.

Suffer The Children by John Saul



The scariest and last book of John Saul’s that I read is Suffer the Children. After reading this one, I was done with reading anymore of John Saul and spooky books. This one gave me chills! Part of the scare for me was that it seemed so real and that it was set in modern times. Here’s the short summary:

This is about the Conger family curse. Their younger daughter, Sarah, was looked on as being mentally ill simply because she had been so traumatized she couldn’t talk; when really, the older daughter, Elizabeth, was the one that was Looney. She killed three kids and her pet cat, then played tea party with them and a skeleton in a cave shaft. Sarah saw everything she did but couldn’t talk so tried in other ways to tell her parents what was going on but they didn’t get it and blamed her. Sarah got better after being institutionalized for 15 years! To top it off, this one did not have a happy ending either! This is a very depressing book!

I still like and read suspense and once in awhile a thriller, but stay away from horror and spooky. I just don’t care for it. Philippians 4:8 says:
Whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report, if there be any virtue and if there be any praise think on these things.
I just couldn't do that when watching horror movies and reading these types of books.

So, what’s your spooky side like?

This is part of Mama Kat’s Writer’s Workshop. Click here to read more or to participate yourself. Boo!

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12 comments:

Melissa aka Equidae said...

I am afraid of such books I read abook of stephen king and felt disgusted about it. recently i was given another to read but was so confuising i let it go!

Anonymous said...

I hate scary stuff! I have nightmares for months!

Unknown said...

My favorite scary stuff comes from writers like Harlan Ellison. It is hard to top the sneaking panic that overtakes the reader of "I Need To Scream And I Have No Mouth". Great scare the poop out of you stuff.

Never did like King much, but I have read some Saul and find him tolerable-to-good. The problem I have with Saul is the fact that his writing often assumes that cookie cutter feeling.

Thanks for moseying on by.

Unknown said...

Yeah, I'm not much for spooky and creepy books or movies. They leave me feeling creepy inside & I don't like it!

Anonymous said...

You're a braver person than me! I can't make it through even one scary book!

KatBouska said...

I hate scary stuff...movies, books, people...all of it! Spooky indeed.

Night Owl Mama said...

i love scary stuff especially movies your fur baby is adorable. My mom is a huge stephen king book fan I think she has them all

Amy said...

I do not like to read scary things. Thanks for stopping by today....

Erin said...

I LOVE Stephen King, I haven't read him in years, all his new stuff ceased to creep me out the way IT!!

Karen & Gerard Zemek said...

Melissa: I don't like Stephen King books either but only read one--"The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon." I thought it was just gross and stupid. I started another one but it was so disgusting I quit after about 20 pages.

Yaya: I guess having nightmares for months would turn you off scary things.

Dan: I'm not familiar with Harlan Ellison but thanks for the tip--doesn't sound like I'd like his books. I guess when you write as many books as John Saul has it would be hard to not have similarities and get into the cookie cutter mode.

Lolli: I agree.

Marfmom: That's okay.

Mama Kat: Yeah, I don't like those haunted house things around Halloween time either.

Night Owl Mama and Erin: We love our fur babies, Spunky was such a cute tiny kitten here. I think people either love Stephen King books or hate them.

Amy: Thanks for coming by.

DS Card said...

Scary stuff! I like to read it. I have some in my collection.

The Silver Age Sara said...

I read Stephen King books back in the days of Carrie but I haven't picked up one in over 20 years. I really don't like being scared although I enjoy a great mystery.

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