Are you a fan of horror settings? One of those people who like to watch horror movies, or even better, read books of the Horror genre?
If you are familiar with the show Friends, you must recall Joey keeping the copy of The Shining in the freezer because the book scared him. He says, “I mean, I never start reading The Shining without making sure we’ve got plenty of room in the freezer, y’know.”
Keeping books in a freezer is a fun concept. Talking to any Horror Fiction fan would normalize this idea for you. When a book is too scary for you to read any further, you place it on ice in the freezer. Why would anyone do this, though? It is because the danger or the horror element exists within its pages. The reader wants to sleep soundly for a night or forget about the book for a while.
One of those classic reader habits that one cannot avoid every time they read Horror Fiction.
Note: To avoid damaging your book, you can use one of those Ziplock bags to cover your books before keeping them in the freezer.
SOME HORROR BOOKS FOR YOU TO READ AND KEEP IN THE FREEZER:
The Shining by Stephen King (1977)
An abandoned hotel, a family with a kid, and substance abuse – sounds like a perfect plot for a horror story. Jack Torrance, his wife Wendy, and their young son Danny move in the Overlook Hotel. A caretaker of the hotel for the offseason in winters, Jack wants to utilize this opportunity to write in isolation and recover from alcoholism.
Jack’s son Danny possesses the ability to see the horrific past of the Overlook Hotel, influencing the sanity of the family and remaking appalling incidents. What happens next are nerve-wrenching yet thrilling incidents of possession and control.
The story is somewhat based on Stephen King’s real-life struggle with alcoholism and his visits to The Stanley Hotel.
The novel was made into a movie by the same name that earned popularity amongst Horror fans.
Read this if you are stepping into the horror genre or are looking for one of the finest works by Stephen King.
The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson (1959)
It is said to be one of the best pieces of literary Horror Fiction to produce unnerving terror. As the title suggests, a hill house accommodates four seekers who take up the site to research the supernatural. Occupied by stories of suicide and violent deaths, the history of the building is intriguing and shakes you to the core with fear. The house acts as the fifth protagonist in the story as it starts searching for the one person among four seekers who it can own.
Who would the house choose to possess? And when confronted with answers they were searching for, how would the seekers react? Is there another death that the house would witness? You can find these answers in this thrilling narrative which is also a base for the Netflix series by the same name.
Read this if you like to witness the stories of ghosts foretold by those who are desperately in search of them.
Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus by Mary Shelley (1818)
You know how sometimes when we are writing or working on a project from scratch, we feel like a creator – like someone birthing a narrative/structure. Frankenstein is a story that brings that tale to life. Victor Frankenstein, a scientist, figures out how to impart life to non-living matter. In his expedition to create a human, he applies his theory to create a creature that looks nothing like an average human being. When faced with the hideousness of the being he births, Frankenstein flees, leaving the beast to survive on his own. He is later referred to as a monster in the story. Even though the creature turns out to be intelligent, his failed attempts at communicating with humans, and the banishment he faces from those who saw him, lead to his wrath against his creator.
Did Frankenstein ever face the beast he created? And, what happens to the monster when left for survival in the unknown? You can also watch the movie to experience this classic.
Read this novel for these questions, its relevance in contemporary times, and witness a mix of Gothic and Romance, beautifully brought to life by Mary Shelley.
Beloved by Toni Morrison (1987)
Beloved is a story set against the American Civil War, telling the tale of formerly enslaved people living in Cincinnati. It starts with Sethe, living there with her daughter Denver. However, her elder daughter’s ghost seems to lurk around that house. She died a baby, and her tombstone said a single word: Beloved. When Paul D – another formerly enslaved individual, arrives and takes Sethe, Denver, and grandmother Baby Suggs out for a carnival, they enjoy the subtleness of life. Only to come back and find a young woman sitting in front of their house, calling herself Beloved.
It is a chilling and heartbreaking tale of trauma, ghosts of the past, and love. You might cry, and at the same time, feel goosebumps because it is a poetic yet paradoxical account of lives destroyed and haunted.
Pick up this book to read about the ghost that came back to life and her actions that translate into something that will stay with you for long. Its movie by the same name showcases that horror just the same.
Read these books and engage in conversations or run to your freezers.
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