Halloween horror books and their adaptations

At Halloween, monsters are not only hiding in dark rooms: they haunt the pages of books as well. From vampires to cursed houses, through vengeful or tormented spirits, horror literature is full of stories that have inspired some cult films. From Stephen King to Bram Stoker, passing through Robert Louis Stevenson, these authors have given life to fascinating and frightening characters and universes.

Stephen King's Salem

Salem by Stephen King (1975) is the second novel published by Stephen King, taking place in Jerusalem's Lot, a small town in Maine where nothing ever happens. The writer Ben Mears, who lived there during his childhood, returns with the intention of writing a book on the mysterious Marsten residence. This house, supposedly haunted by the ghost of its former owner, a killer named Hubert Marsten, fascinates the author.

The Witches of Salem play

The Witches of Salem by Arthur Miller (1953) is a play inspired by the witch trials of Salem. It all begins when several young girls mysteriously fall ill. Their symptoms are terrifying: they suffer from violent convulsions, delirium and inexplicable hallucinations for the time. Faced with the helplessness of doctors, the teenagers end up accusing some of their fellow citizens of witchcraft.

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson (1886) is a classic of gothic literature exploring the duality of human nature. Dr. Henry Jekyll, a respected London doctor, seeks to separate his good and bad inclinations through a scientific experiment. But his invention will soon get out of control... and give birth to Edward Hyde, a cruel and unsettling being who seems to embody his darkest impulses.

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving (1820) is a fantastic short story that has become one of the most famous stories of American folklore. The story takes place in the small village of Sleepy Hollow, in the Hudson Valley, known for its mysteries and legends. Ichabod Crane, a superstitious schoolteacher, falls in love with Katrina Van Tassel, the daughter of a wealthy farmer. But another suitor covets Katrina: Brom Bones, a strong and mocking man who likes to tell scary stories.

The Shining novel and film

The Shining by Stephen King (1977) is one of Stephen King's most famous novels. Jack Torrance, a struggling writer, accepts a position as caretaker in an isolated hotel in the Colorado mountains, closed during the winter. He moves in with his wife, Wendy, and their son Danny, a young boy endowed with a gift that allows him to perceive supernatural forces lurking in the places.

The House of Seven Gables

The House of Seven Gables by Nathaniel Hawthorne (1851) is located in Salem, Massachusetts, a town known as the cradle of witches. It is a historic colonial mansion that belonged to the family of the author Nathaniel Hawthorne, who was inspired by it to write his famous gothic novel. Although no supernatural events have actually occurred in this house, its family history is nevertheless linked to the witch trials of Salem.

Rosemary's Baby

Rosemary's Baby by Ira Levin (1968) is a classic of psychological horror that has marked the genre, notably thanks to its cult adaptation by Roman Polanski with Mia Farrow and John Cassavetes in 1968. The novel follows Rosemary Woodhouse, a young woman who moves in with her husband Guy, an actor seeking success, into an elegant New York apartment building. Everything seems ideal. The couple quickly becomes friends with their neighbors, an elderly couple particularly intrusive.

Dracula's legacy

Dracula by Bram Stoker (1897) tells the story of a young Englishman who goes to the castle of the Count of Transylvania to finalize a real estate transaction. Dracula, who is about to invade England, makes him his prisoner. The work of 1897, adapted hundreds of times for cinema, television films and series, is one of the most famous works of British literature.

Carrie's telekinetic horror

Carrie by Stephen King (1974) is the first novel of Stephen King, following Carrie White, a teenager with telekinetic powers, rejected and harassed by her classmates. Until the day when the too much humiliation pushes her to commit the irreparable. The film adaptation, Carrie by Brian De Palma (1976), is based on the novel.

Psycho's chilling narrative

Psycho by Robert Bloch (1959) is inscribed in the genre of detective novel tinged with psychological horror and inspires one of the most famous films of Alfred Hitchcock. Mary Crane flees after stealing money from her employer. Exhausted by her journey, she stops at an isolated motel run by Norman Bates, a shy and solitary man who lives with his mother in an old house nearby. But behind the apparent banality of the places lies a much more macabre reality.