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The Amityville Horror

The Amityville Horror

HorrorParanormal Horror
Pages
188
Published
1977
Language
English

Synopsis

This chilling account claims to be the true story of the Lutz family's terrifying experiences after moving into a house with a dark past. Within weeks, they were driven out by escalating paranormal events. The book details their harrowing ordeal, raising questions about what truly happened within those walls.

Prose complexity
7/10

Vibe

TenseCreepyMysteriousDark
Survival

Genres

Horror Paranormal Horror True Crime Biography Paranormal

About the author

J
Jay Anson

Jay Anson (November 4, 1921 – March 12, 1980) was an American author whose most famous work was The Amityville Horror. After the runaway success of that novel, he wrote 666, which also dealt with a haunted house. He died in 1980. His work, The Amityville Horror, was sold as "a true story", and it was based on the reported experiences of George Lutz and Kathleen Lutz at 112 Ocean Avenue in December 1975. The Lutzes had sold the rights to the book to Anson, who had added to and adapted some...

Characters

All characters in The Amityville Horror

Frequently asked questions

  • Is this book actually a true story?

    While the book was marketed as a true account based on the experiences of the Lutz family, it has been the subject of significant controversy and legal disputes regarding its factual accuracy. Many investigators and critics have characterized the narrative as a fabrication created to capitalize on the notoriety of the 1974 murders that occurred at the property.

  • How does the book relate to the many films with the same title?

    The 1977 novel served as the primary source material for the 1979 film adaptation and the 2005 remake. Because the underlying events involve a real location and historical figures, the story entered the public domain in a way that allowed numerous unrelated film productions to use the Amityville name without maintaining continuity with the original book.

  • What is the structural format of the narrative?

    The book is written in a chronological, diary-like format that documents the specific events the family claimed to experience during their 28-day residency at the house. This structure was developed by the author using approximately 45 hours of recorded interviews with the family.

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