The Amityville Horror

SPOILERS!

This is arguably the most legendary, or notoriously controversial, true crime, horror, and paranormal masterpiece ever written. Whether you believe these events actually occurred or consider them elaborate fiction, it's undeniably become a cultural phenomenon.

I'd heard countless people discuss it for years before finally diving in recently. The Amityville Horror by Jay Anson (published 1977) presents itself as an absolutely "true story" based on the terrifying experiences of the Lutz family during their nightmarish 28-day ordeal at 112 Ocean Avenue in Amityville, New York.

In December 1975, George and Kathy Lutz moved into a massive Dutch Colonial house with their three children (Daniel, 9; Christopher, 7; and Missy, 5) and their dog Harry. The house was suspiciously cheap at $80,000 because exactly one year earlier, Ronald DeFeo Jr. had brutally slaughtered his parents and four siblings in that very location. George, initially a complete skeptic, becomes increasingly violent and obsessively fixated on the basement wood stove. He begins physically transforming to resemble the murderer Ronald DeFeo Jr. Kathy experiences vivid, horrifying dreams about the DeFeo massacre, while the children report seeing menacing glowing red eyes staring into their second-floor bedroom. George awakens at precisely 3:15 AM every single night, the exact time of the murders, establishing classic paranormal patterns that define every modern horror film, except this was groundbreaking for its era and allegedly based on genuine events, if you're willing to believe that.

The book was quick and effortless to read, I devoured it in a single sitting, and it genuinely terrified me. For me, reading horror creates far more terror than watching movies or shows, which often feel unrealistic and constantly remind you they're fictional productions. But books eliminate those reminders as you become completely absorbed in the narrative, and depending on the author's skill, you completely forget you're reading fiction.

That effect was dramatically intensified here since it’s presented as absolute nonfiction, though I’d heard numerous complaints about George and Kathy fabricating their experiences. I have zero doubt there were exaggerations and outright lies, the mysterious slime and black goo sounded completely fabricated to me.

But writing exaggerated and dramatic details, and sometimes even including unproven claims or outright lies, is essentially true for any story ever published by talented writers who are a bit colorful in their delivery, including true crime accounts by surviving victims or family members. People just attack paranormal stories more viciously, probably because they already reject the supernatural, so any exaggerations make them dismiss everything as one massive lie instead of recognizing mixed truths.

I also constantly see people mention that neighbors witnessed nothing paranormal there, so what? Those same neighbors claimed they heard no gunshots when the family was being murdered, yet gunshots definitely occurred. This is like a woman reporting domestic abuse and people dismissing her because neighbors in other houses say nothing happened inside her house.

The kids, to this very day, still adamantly insist something genuinely horrifying happened in that house. So yes, massive portions are allegedly exaggerated beyond recognition, but core elements are still sworn to have occurred.

I could conduct an exhaustive deep dive investigation into this if I ever have the time, but so far, it's a frustratingly complex mixed bag of probable lies and disturbing truths that nobody can definitively separate.

Coincidences

I have to say, a lot of things started happening while and after reading the book, things that couldn’t possibly be the result of placebo effects. They could all be coincidences, but still.

After reading the first 100 pages, I went outside and discovered our streetlights were completely off, plunging everything into pitch-black darkness that terrified me even more after what I’d been reading. The next day, I found mysterious red rashes on my arms, which absolutely creeped me out and sent me scrambling for my Bible because, if you’ve read the book, you’ll remember multiple disturbing scenes about Father Pecoraro’s inexplicable blisters appearing on his hands. I considered that a genuinely unsettling coincidence.

Speaking of eerie coincidences surrounding this book, both Jay Anson, author of The Amityville Horror, and Ronald DeFeo Jr., the convicted murderer whose crimes inspired the story, died on March 12th in different years. Even more disturbing, during the third week of filming the 2005 Amityville Horror remake, the real Kathy Lutz died from emphysema complications in August 2004. Her death occurring specifically during the third week of filming is genuinely unsettling considering the profound significance of the number "3" throughout the book and movies, particularly 3:15 AM, the precise time of the murders.

Overall, I would absolutely recommend this book because it's become a cultural classic, not because everything is necessarily 100% authentic. It's also a thrilling and genuinely creepy read that won't consume much of your time, you could finish it in mere hours. Even if you're a complete skeptic, you'll find the story haunting and unforgettable.

Rating: 7.5/10

You can buy the book here.