I have a problem with depression. What helps me is reading horror stories.
Almost all horror stories resolve well. There are occasional ones that do not,
but that makes reading more interesting. Like Russian Roulette except with
reading. No spoilers in this post. Stephen Kings "Revival" is one I feel where
the ending leaves everyone in a bad state. It is also a good novel.
If the horror novel has a supernatural element I don't find it will scare me
more than a shiver. But if it does not, and worse is based on a real life
incident, they frighten me and disturb me.
For example: I have Jack Ketchum's "The Girl Next Door" in book form and in a
movie. I have had both for years. I am too scared to consume them. The blurb on
the book and movie are enough for me. Eventually I will get the courage. But I
expect it to disturb me for weeks. Sometimes you need raw meat in the reading
diet.
Another is "Apt Pupil" by Stephen King. I have read the short story but while I
have the movie I have not been able to watch it yet. The idea of focusing your
interest on something evil, and knowing that it is evil, is very scary.
"Pet Samatary" by Stephen King is one of the few supernatural books that
disturbed me. Would you bring hell to bring back your love? I have not watched
the movie yet.
The books that I like the most right now in horror are "Duma Key" and "Needful
Things" by Stephen King. They both have supernatural elements but very late in
the game. In "Duma Key" the idea that art can be consuming and be unhealthy is
very compelling. In "Needful Things" that there can be items that you would do
much for, and do bad things for, is also interesting. And that actions can grow
into something horrible. These are what I would call "intellectual" horror
novels. It is the ideas in the stories that are the most interesting.
The "Duma Key" reminds me of an art exhibit that I had to leave because it was
so disturbing to me (and was for weeks after). I believe the artist was
Richard Burton but the paintings had tranquil scenes with people who had no skin.
The clash did something bad to my mind.
Another book and movie combination I liked was "The Mist" by Stephen King. In
the movie they changed the ending from the short story. There was a lot of
despair in the movie, but it was not hopeless, as it was in the book.
Another type of horror is best shown in the movie "The Beguilled", more
character and atmosphere than ideas. The "hot house" sensuality, and the actions
that provoked, were very intense.
I think the next Stephen King novel I am going to read is "The Outsider".
For fun I like "urban magic" books. I just finished up the Merry Gentry series by
Laurell K. Hamilton which was a lot of fun. I did read a lot of Jim Butcher's
Harry Dresden series until he lost interest (it has been over a year since the
last book). I also like the "Rivers of London" series by Ben Aaronovitch, but
I am waiting to get to the library to get the next couple in the series.
Lisa has loaned me the 20 Palaces novels by Connolly which I will get into soon.
