My 10 Favorite Horror-themed Pieces Of Work In Literature
Countless representations of modern horror out today owe their very existence to the source material; most of which is derived from literature.
These are pieces of work in the purview that range from manga to classic novels and stories and constitute and embody horror apporaching and embracing it from different perspectives.
Special Mention: The 150 Murderous Passions in 120 Days Of Sodom by Marquis de Sade
I would not consider the (fortunately) unaccomplished narrative by the notorious Marquis de Sade a horror piece of work. Nonetheless, few experiences have horrified me the way it did (taking into account auditory and visual ones).
It deserves to earn a spot in the list, not as an entry, but sundered due to its nature; one of limitless depravity and lack of humanity towards humanity itself. The 150 murderous passions might be the most horrendous creation I have had to endure and can be found within the last segment of the story.
Attached you will find the book. Feel free to skip through it and go to page 350 (227 in the Spanish version) in case you do not want to read it all.
Quote that sums it up: A bugger compels a father to f*ck his daughter in his presence. Next, the father holds the daughter, the bugger sodomizes her; after which he informs the father that the girl absolutely has to perish, but that he has the alternatives of killing her himself by strangling her, which will cause her little suffering, or, in that other case, if her prefers not to kill his daughter, then he, the libertine, will do the work, but the father shall have to witness it all, and his child's agonies will be atrocious. Rather than see her undergo frightful tortures, the father decides to kill his daughter with a noose of black silk, but while he is preparing to dispatch her, he is seized, bound, and before his eyes his child is flayed alive, then rolled upon burning iron nails, then cast into a brazier, and the father is strangled; this, says the libertine, is to teach him a lesson not to be so eager to choke the life out of his own children, for 'tis barbaric. Afterward, he is dumped into the same brazier wherein his daughter perished.
Read it here: http://www.16beavergroup.org/pdf/120_days_of_sodom.pdf
Version in Spanish:
The Hell Of The Doll Funeral (Jigoku no Ningyou Sou, 地獄の人形葬) by Junji Ito
Within the scope of production that Juji Ito's thought process and creativity have conceived there can be found masterpieces that depict horror in countless forms; Ice Cream Bus, Uzumaki or Fixed Face could have gotten a word on the discussion and a spot in the list, but The Hell Of The Doll Funeral wound up conquering.
It is not the superlative in any of the categories one could think of; it is not the best-written, the most detailed, the most layered and complex, the most gut-wrenching and, certainly, not the longest. Why is it in the list? It does possess all the aforementioned qualities in a significant and precise measure. Every "uttered" word, every frame and every outline is necessary to convey fear and uneasiness in its short though horrifying lifetime. Even the title is sort of disconcerning; and by matching with the name of the website taking it out was out of the question.
Quote that sums it up: We can't let anyone see her like this... our poor, lovely Maria.
Read it here: https://imgur.com/a/PgXB7
Version in Spanish: https://www.niadd.com/chapter/Cap_151_Mu_eca_infernal/100115545-2.html
The Willows by Algernon Blackwood
I can recall reading Ancient Sorceries and thinking it was one of the best works I had read at that moment. Then, I came across The Wendigo and I was fairly positive it was the pinnacle of Algernon's pieces of work. Regardless of the immensely diverse and remarkable catalogue Mr. Blackwood has produced, I stumbled upon The Willows and, since that very day, everything went downhill in regard to Mr. Blackwood's catalogue. Not because there was a lack of quality, in fact, it was because of the permeating quality in most of his stories
The Willows is, undoubtedly, Algernon Blackwood's magnum opus and it is a prime example of how horror should and has to be done, regardless of its representation. Managing to possess the attributes and characteristics (accesibility without risking the layers and details) that have projected Ancient Sorceries and The Wendigo up to the realm of greatest horror works, it is not only a house favorite but also H.P. Lovecraft's favorite story.
Quote that sums it up: Great revelations of nature, of course, never fail to impress in one way or another, and I was no stranger to moods of the kind. Mountains overawe and oceans terrify, while the mystery of great forests exercises a spell peculiarly its own. But all these, at one point or another, somewhere link on intimately with human life and human experience. They stir comprehensible, even if alarming, emotions. They tend on the whole to exalt.
Read it here:
Version in Spanish:
Facts Concerning The Late Arthur Jermyn And His Family by Howard Phillips Lovecraft
Lovecraft is an absolute powerhouse in literature, not only regarding horror; as with any all-time great his works are highly renowned, heavily copied and immensely shared. Widely known and acclaimed is the line of work that the genius of Providence chose to follow. No stranger for his reading followers, not only horror enthusiasts, is the panthenon of cosmic deities and creatures he created; these works might be his most praised and followed.
Nevertheless, the moments in which he depicted more personal horror in a not so avant-garde and grandiose scale are my personal favorites, for instance The Outsider and Facts Concerning The Late Arthur Jermyn And His Family; these two short stories are the reason why I decided to really turn myself into an avid Lovecraft reader and follower. The latter might be the best story he has ever created without necessarily being the most detailed or the best-written.
Once you grasp the "complexity" of the Jermyn's family tree, you will find a small universe wherein the possibilities may be as diverse and horrifying as any thought you have conceived while reading it.
Quote that sums it up: If we knew what we are, we should do as Sir Arthur Jermyn did; and Arthur Jermyn soaked himself in oil and set fire to his clothing one night.
Version in Spanish: https://web.seducoahuila.gob.mx/biblioweb/upload/Lovecraft,%20H.P.%20-%20Arthur%20Jermyn.pdf
The Castle Of Otranto by Horace Walpole
Without a shade of doubt, The Castle Of Otranto can be labelled as the most influential work in the list, as well as one of the most influential of all time. Sparking and popularizing the whole Gothic style in literature, this story would not find complicated to fit appropriately into today's literary panorama.
Ranking from Poe to Jackson (and basically any and every author in the list and in the honorable mentions' section) all masterminds within the purview since this story was published have been inspired by it and taken a few elements here and there and made them their own. It is a must-read for any person that feels at least little appreciation for literature.
Quote that sums it up: But alas! my Lord, what is blood! what is nobility! We are all reptiles, miserable, sinful creatures. It is piety alone that can distinguish us from the dust whence we sprung, and whither we must return.
Read it here: https://resources.saylor.org/wwwresources/archived/site/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/THE-CASTLE-OF-OTRANTO-1.pdf
Version in Spanish: https://idartesencasa.gov.co/sites/default/files/libros_pdf/113.%20El%20Castillo%20de%20Otranto.pdf
The Hole by Hye-Young Pyun
South Korean literature just as its cinema, unlike American, does not diminish its quality as time marches on; this aforementioned characteristic is not minimal taking into account my aversion to dive into 21st Century literary works. In spite of this, The Hole was a pleasant suprise.
Heavily grounded for horror standards, especially for the one being made since the turn of the millennium, and fairly psychological, this story gets scarier as it unfolds. Both metaphorical and literal, The Hole relies on its strong and detailed narrative and the relationship between the main characters, which makes it more frightening because of the way it winds up; of course a way it was not supposed to be.
Quote that sums it up: To be human was to be saddled with emptiness.
Read it here: (You will need to create an account, which of course is free) https://library.ltikorea.or.kr/ebooks/300528#
Version in Spanish: There is not a version in Spanish available for free. At least not that I could find.
The Haunting Of Hill House by Shirley Jackson
Indeed, this is exactly the same name as the Netflix series. As a matter of fact, it was the reason why I ellaborated the introduction you read at the very beginning of this post.
With all due respect to Lovecraft, I do not hesitate about calling Shirley as the finest and best horror author of the twentieth century. We Have Always Lived In The Castle would positively be the best entry in almost any of the considered all-time greats, and it is a solid second spot in Jackson's catalogue.
The Haunting Of Hill House has to be the greatest haunted house story in (so to speak) recent memory if not of all time. The biggest strenght presented in this literary work, apart from the stupend writing, is the pacing of the story and the detailed depiction of the supernatural events when palpable.
Quote that sums it up: No live organism can continue for long to exist sanely under conditions of absolute reality; even larks and katydids are supposed, by some, to dream. Hill House, not sane, stood by itself against its hills, holding darkness within; it had stood so for eighty years and might stand for eighty more. Within, walls continued upright, bricks met neatly, floors were firm, and doors were sensibly shut; silence lay steadily against the wood and stone of Hill House, and whatever walked there, walked alone.
Read it here:
Version in Spanish: https://cinedemedianoche.files.wordpress.com/2018/01/cinedemedianoche.pdf&embedded=true
The Facts In The Case Of Mr. Valdemar by Edgar Allan Poe
It was incredibly disheartening having to include the absolutely minimal number of one work by Mr. Poe; I was really doubtful whether to include The Masque Of The Red Death or The Fall Of The House Of Usher, but I leaned on towards the story occupying this spot.
Without further ado I proceed to explain the reason behind my choice, instead of supporting it by mentioning the characteristics and virtues of Poe's writing, which by this point you should know, or at least be aware of.
The Facts In The Case Of Mr. Valdemar occupies this place due to the fact that it embodies fear and horror in two ways I have always been fond of with (or should I say "averse"?). I will keep more details hidden in order to not spoil the experience. Out of all the stories featured in the list this is the one I suggest reading with the fondest emphasis. Fans of Juji Ito's Long Dream might agree with me.
Quote that sums it up: For God’s sake!—quick!—quick!—put me to sleep—or, quick!—waken me!—quick!—I say to you that I am dead!
Version in Spanish: https://biblioteca.org.ar/libros/1163.pdf
Naked Lunch By William Burroughs
I would not be far-fetched to deem this work as The Canterbury Tales or Leaves of Grass of science fiction and surrealism; it does not posses a clear plot and it is more of a collection of occurrences and events triggered by the misusage of drugs.
The explicit, graphic and clear depiction of every happening is sufficent to ensure its place in the main picture. Few literary works have the capabilty of conveying all the sensations and hues the way Naked Lunch does.
Make sure to check the masterpiece that is the movie adaptation directed by the master of body horror David Cronenberg. It is as unsettling and disturbing as this piece of work is. Well, maybe not that much.
Quote that sums it up: It is not the intensity but the duration of pain that breaks the will to resist.
Read it here: (There is no possibility to download this version but it is the best one I could find) https://github.com/fiskr/dabble/blob/master/William%20S.%20Burroughs%20-%20Naked%20Lunch.pdf
Version in Spanish: http://www.medicinayarte.com/img/william_burroughs_el_almuerzo_desnudo.pdf
The Turn Of The Screw by Henry James
On behalf of the quality of this novella it is worth mentioning that Virginia Woolf herself praised it and had a few comments regarding its characteristics. Let that be the starting point upon which you may start realizing the caliber of this piece of work.
Drawing comparisons to Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde in regard of the final product, a fear-inducing one, and not because of the way of causing it, The Turn Of The Screw has been hugely influential for horror in general. Few horror stories are as thought-provoking as this one dares to be; its multiple interpretations and ambiguity have helped solidify its place in the Olympus of classic horror literature, alongside humongous titles such as Frankenstein or The Black Cat.
Quote that sums it up: No, no—there are depths, depths! The more I go over it, the more I see in it, and the more I see in it, the more I fear. I don’t know what I don’t see—what I don’t fear
Read it here: https://www.ibiblio.org/ebooks/James/Turn_Screw.pdf
Version in Spanish: https://ministeriodeeducacion.gob.do/docs/biblioteca-virtual/c4Q3-james-henry-otra-vuelta-de-tuercapdf.pdf
Honorable mentions:
Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson
The Exorcist by William Peter Blatty
The Judge's House by Bram Stoker
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
Ring (リング, Ringu) by Koji Suzuki
The Monkey's Paw by William Wymark Jacobs
The Torture By Hope by Adam Villiers de L'lsle
