a tale of tails, tenacity, and tedium, as told by me, usually barefoot and bellowing

Friday, January 31, 2014

The Story That Terrifies Me


I'm not sure when I read The Monkey's Paw by W. W. Jacobs but it terrified me.  A movie is out. I refuse to watch it.

Basically The Monkey's Paw is a tale of three wishes.  What I came away with was never wish because there is a price.  If I wished, say for money, I would say, "I wish for money without any harm coming to anyone I know or love".

I was so terrified by this story it has stayed with me for years!  It is well known in my family if someone says, "I wish..." that I start screaming  "Monkey's Paw! Monkey's Paw!"

The reason I find this extremely unusual is I gravitate toward dark writing.  I am an avid Poe, King, and Koontz fan along with many other authors that make my hair stand on end.  I write darkly.  I love the thrill of a good scare.

Yet The Monkey's Paw takes the cake.  I will not read it nor see the movie.  And that's final!

What story, book, movie scares you like this and why?

20 comments:

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

I don't believe I've ever read it.
There aren't too many movies or anything that scare me. Real life scares me enough.

Lynne said...

I haven't read it but now I am curious.
Reading scary doesn't bother me but . . .
seeing, watching scary I cannot do.

Buttons Thoughts said...

Well I have never read this book and will probably not I am not to good at scary.... I scream and jump like a little girl if it is too scary:) I do LOVE your writing though so write anything you can you have a gift to be shared. Hug b

MadSnapper said...

i have read in the past all three Poe, King, and Koontz but they did not scare me. i would not read the Monkey''s paw but if i did it would not scare me. things that are made up science fiction don't scare me. Books that area bout serial killers are what scare me silly... the things that can and do happen.
i can tell you what i will not read... any book that has someone buried alive or trapped in a box...

LilliStJohn said...

I also have read King, Koontz, John Saul and others, but never was really scared, but left me sitting on edge of seat and night light on. I guess the only thing that really scared me was the movie "Psycho" - when that FIRST came out and a bunch of us went to see it, I was really timid to take a shower. Silly at the time, but that movie really scared me.

OmaLindasOldeBaggsandStuftShirts said...

I read Stephen King's novels until I couldn't anymore. But I love dark fiction, no necessarily scary but hair on the back of your neck raising. And I too read Monkey Paws and have a similar reaction to "I wish". But I always say, if wishes were horses then beggars would ride and let it go.
Oma Linda

Country Gal said...

I haven't heard of this book or the movie . Sounds scary and creepy ! Thanks for sharing . Have a good weekend 1

Farm Girl said...

I don't really read or watch anything scary. I have such a vivid imagination that I will see things that are much worse that what I have read or saw.
I do think I read this but I don't remember being scared of it. One book I think that is so scary, is my Henry James called The Turn of the Screw.
I have a old, old copy and it is terrifying.

Susan Anderson said...

I read it when I was a child, and it has always been my favorite frightening story.

=)

Henny Penny said...

I have never heard of the Monkey's Paw. I'm not crazy about scary stuff. I did go to see Psycho and never really got over it. To this day I won't take a shower if I am in the house alone! :)

Sketching with Dogs said...

Those are 3 of my favourite authors too. I love anything horror related but The Monkey's Paw is particularly creepy.
Lynne x

Anonymous said...

I do like Poe, especially The Telltale Heart. I read that and The Monkey's Paw in Junior High. They both had good morals, as for consequences. I am not a fan of horror, by today's standards. It leaves little to the imagination, for me. Anything demonic is too much!

jp@A Green Ridge said...

The Shining...:)JP

Susan Kane said...

There are some books and movies that I never have to read or see again.
Monkey's Paw, The Beating Heart, and the Shining. And the Exorcist.

Empty Nester said...

I adore Stephen King and have read nearly all of his marvelous books. They don't bother me near as much as Deliverance did. HATE that movie. Never have been able to enjoy the mountains or Ned Beatty since.

1st Man said...

Stephen King's Pet Sematary. Scared the bejeebers out of me as a kid. And for movie, the original night of the living dead....

Far Side of Fifty said...

The Shining. Jack unnerves me, I have not been able to see the entire movie since it came out years and years ago. Guess I won't read The Monkey's Paw:(

Dreaming said...

I vaguely remember reading The Monkey's Paw. I laughed at the vision of you screaming that in response to someone saying, "I wish..."
I remember being terrified by "The Twilight Zone" as teenager. Recently I found an episode while channel surfing. As hokey as it was, I was getting a bit anxious.
I can't recall a book that terrifies me... I guess because I would never finish them.

DesertHen said...

Hmmm, haven't heard of this one. Wonder how I missed it. I'm a fan of Poe and King, but the Shinning scared the pants off me!

StitchinByTheLake said...

Thanks for the warning...I don't need anything else to add to my worry list. I'm good at finding things to worry about with scary books or movies. :) blessings, marlene

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