In December 1975, the Lutz family moved into their new home on suburban Long Island. George and Kathleen Lutz knew that, one year earlier, Ronald DeFeo had murdered his parents, brothers, and sisters in the house, but the property - complete with boathouse and swimming pool - and the price were too good to pass up.
Twenty-eight days later, the entire Lutz family fled in terror.
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[George and Kathy Lutz moved into 112 Ocean Avenue on December 18. Twenty-eight days later, they fled in terror]***
(Brilliance Audio, 31 December 2009, first published 1 August 1977, 6 hours 27 minutes, audiobook, narrated by Ray Porter, borrowed from my library)
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I enjoyed listening to The Amityville Horror.
The movie based on the book is one of my favourite horror movies. I've seen it dozens of times. I mean the original movie. The spin-offs are awful. Don't get me started on the re-make either.
I read the book 10-15 years ago. I thought the audiobook would go down a treat working night-shift.
I loved the way tension is built in the book as things start to gradually unravel for the Lutz family. The events are small at first, barely anything and gradually get more and more terrifying. This is handled well in the book and kept my attention from start to finish.
The movie is very close to the book. In some ways this is a shame because I didn't get any more insight than I would watching the movie. Books are usually a lot more detailed.
However, the book has an epilogue that reveals the paranormal team who investigated the house when the Lutz family fled included Lorraine and Edward Warren, whose real-life cases have inspired movies including The Conjuring, Annabell and The Haunting in Connecticut. I had no idea until I heard this which added an interesting slant.
The Amityville Horror is a cracking horror novel.
