31 Reads of Terror: 'The Amityville Horror' by Jay Anson

Where to begin... where to begin? It seems like everyone, from your next-door neighbor to your grandmother, has at least heard of The Amityville Horror. And let's be honest, most people know deep down that it’s mostly a fabricated tale. Still, you have those die-hard believers who swear by wild conspiracies insisting that George and Kathleen Lutz’s paranormal claims are as real as the morning coffee. Sorry to rain on the ghost parade, but the sad truth for these enthusiasts is that the haunting was about as genuine as a three-dollar bill! The infamous duo, Ed and Lorraine Warren, swooped in and helped spin a yarn that convinced the world a house at 112 Ocean Avenue was swimming in malevolent spirits!

Despite all the nonsense, my fascination with the Amityville legend began at a tender age. It started with a spine-chilling watch of the 1979 film The Amityville Horror, which was enough to send me into a quest for the truth. I scavenged my local library for Jay Anson's book and checked it out more than a couple of times, like some eager little ghostbuster. Fast-forward thirty-odd years later, I found myself buying the 2019 paperback reprint. 

The Amityville Horror story goes as this: In 1974, a horrific incident occurred at 112 Ocean Avenue in Amityville, New York, where a young man named Ronald DeFeo Jr. murdered his parents and four siblings in their home. A year later, the Lutz family moved into the same house, unaware of its grim history. Shortly after moving in, they began to experience a series of unusual and disturbing phenomena, including strange noises, cold spots, and a pervasive sense of dread.

The family claimed to see apparitions and even reported being physically attacked by unseen forces. The Lutzes fled the house after just 28 days, citing the terrifying experiences they endured. Their story caught media attention and spawned books and movies, leading to ongoing debates about the validity of their claims and the paranormal events they reported. The Amityville Horror remains one of the most famous haunted house stories in popular culture.

Let’s call a spade a spade: The Amityville Horror is essentially a faux non-fiction masterpiece. Jay Anson, the author, was hired—or perhaps persuaded—is a more accurate word—to embellish the happenings of that infamous month the Lutz family spent at 112 Ocean Avenue. Sure, there are scary bits woven in, like the prologue detailing the gruesome DeFeo murders in November 1974—the real tragedy of the Amityville legacy. Yes, the Lutzes moved into that haunted abode in December 1975, and while they reported all sorts of paranormal shenanigans, one can’t help but smirk, knowing that most of it has been debunked. Even two of the Lutz children have since admitted that some strange occurrences might have happened, but let’s be real: George took a horror script and opted for a sequel to pay the bills.

As for the book itself, I devoured it like a deliciously dark dessert when I first laid eyes on its pages. It shook me to my core, though I had yet to uncover the truth lurking within the shadows of its narrative. Now, over three decades later, I still enjoy its eerie charm, even if it reads more like a fictional potboiler than a non-fiction account. It’s a quick jaunt through the spooky, a perfect read for anyone itching to claw their way into Amityville lore. Just don’t expect a real ghost; it might be more like a trickster with a penchant for drama! ╌★★★½✰

〜B.J. Burgess