Published: 13, September 1977
Author: Jay Anson
Genres: Demonology & Satanism, Fiction, Ghosts & Hauntings, Horror, Literature, Religious Cults, Supernaturalism, True Crime
Check out the review of this book here:
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Alien Abduction, Amityville Horror, Father Mancuso, George And Kathy, Haunted House, Jay Anson, Long Island, Lutz Family, Ocean Avenue, Scare The Hell Out, Scary As Hell, Scary, Skinwalker Ranch, Terrifying, Took Place, True Story, Well Written, Writing Style
Summary:
The house at 112 Ocean Avenue remained unoccupied for 13 months following the DeFeo killings, according to the book, which is based on a true event. George and Kathleen Lutz purchased the house in December 1975 for $80,000, which was considered a steal at the time. The five-bedroom home featured a gambrel roof and was built in the Dutch Colonial style. Because it was on a canal, it also included a swimming pool and a boathouse. George and Kathy married in July 1975, and while they both owned a home, they wanted to start over with a new home.
Daniel, 9, Christopher, 7, and Melissa (Missy), 5, were Kathy's children from a previous marriage. They also had a dog named Harry, who was a crossbreed Malamute/Labrador mix. The real estate broker informed them of the DeFeo killings during their initial inspection and asked whether this would influence their choice. They concluded that it was not an issue after talking about it.
On December 18, 1975, the Lutz family relocated. Because it was included in the purchase for $400, much of the DeFeo family's furnishings were still in the house. After learning about the house's history, a friend of George Lutz insisted on having it sanctified. George was a non-practicing Methodist at the time, so he had no idea what this entailed. Kathy detailed the procedure as a non-practicing Catholic. Father Ray, a Catholic priest George knew, consented to do the house blessing (real-life priest Father Ralph J. Pecoraro is referred to as Father Mancuso in Anson's book for privacy reasons).
Father Mancuso was a lawyer, Catholic Court judge, and psychotherapist who lived in the Sacred Heart Rectory in the neighborhood. On the afternoon of December 18, 1975, he arrived to give the blessing as George and Kathy were unpacking their stuff and proceeded into the premises to complete the rituals. He heard a masculine voice tell him to "get out" as he flicked the first holy water and began to pray.
Father Mancuso did not tell George or Kathy about the event when he left the house. On December 24, 1975, Father Mancuso contacted George Lutz and warned him to stay away from the second-floor room where he had heard the strange voice, the old bedroom of Marc and John Matthew DeFeo, which Kathy wanted to use as a sewing room, but the connection was interrupted short due to static. Father Mancuso supposedly suffered a severe fever and stigmata-like sores on his hands after visiting the residence. At first, George and Kathy had no odd experiences at the residence. When they later spoke about their experiences, they described it as if they "were each living in a different house."
After another effort at a house blessing by George and Kathy in mid-January 1976, they spent what would turn out to be their final night at the house. The Lutzes refused to offer a detailed description of what happened on this occasion, claiming that it was "too terrifying."
After speaking with Father Mancuso, the Lutzes decided to pack their possessions and relocate to Kathy's mother's home in neighboring Deer Park, New York, until the house's issues were resolved. They said the phenomenon followed them there, with Anson's book's last scene depicting "greenish-black sludge" creeping up the stairwell towards them. George and Kathy Lutz, together with their three children and dog Harry, fled 112 Ocean Avenue on January 14, 1976, leaving everything behind. A mover arrived the next day to transport the belongings to the Lutzes. While inside the house, he experienced no paranormal activity.
After George and Kathy Lutz were introduced to Jay Anson by Tam Mossman, an editor at Prentice Hall, the book was written. The Lutzes did not work directly with Anson, but instead provided 45 hours of taped recollections to him, which served as the foundation for the book. The book's sales are estimated to be about 10 million copies across many versions. The title of The Amityville Horror is claimed to have been inspired by H. P. Lovecraft's 1929 novel "The Dunwich Horror."
Rating: 100/100
Recommended: 100/100 Yes.
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The Amityville Horror (1979):
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