The Amityville Horror: A True Story is a 1977 book by Jay Anson, presenting the claimed paranormal experiences of the Lutz family at 112 Ocean Avenue, Amityville, New York — the same house where Ronald DeFeo Jr. had murdered his family the previous year. It became a publishing sensation and launched a long-running film franchise, while remaining one of the most disputed "true story" claims in the history of paranormal publishing.[1]
Overview
The book was commissioned after Prentice-Hall editor Tam Mossman introduced George and Kathy Lutz to Anson.[2] The Lutzes did not work directly with Anson; instead, George gave Anson roughly 35 hours of tape he had recorded on his own, with a further five hours of follow-up interviews with Anson himself to fix the chronology in his mind — though other accounts round the total figure up to around 45 hours.[2][1] Anson wrote the book during his recovery from a heart attack, having decided, by his own account, to write the Lutzes' story largely as they had told it to him.[2] It recounts the family's reported 28 days in the house, culminating in their flight, leaving virtually all their possessions behind — the book's final scene describes a wave of "greenish-black slime" advancing up the staircase as they left.[3]
Publication and sales
Published in hardcover by Prentice-Hall in September 1977, the book became a major commercial success, with total sales across its many editions estimated at around 10 million copies.[3] It formed the basis for a 1979 film adaptation and a long-running horror franchise that has continued for decades since.
Reception and controversy
The book's claim to be a true story drew scrutiny almost immediately. William G. Roll, head of the Psychical Research Foundation, publicly described the book as a work of fiction, and colleague Rick Moran characterised it as sloppily researched and riddled with factual errors, while noting persistent suggestions that the Lutzes had been coached by an outside party.[2] That party was later identified as Ronald DeFeo's own defence attorney, William Weber, who told People magazine, "I know this book's a hoax. We created this horror story over many bottles of wine."[4] A mover who removed the Lutzes' possessions from the house the day after they fled reported experiencing no paranormal phenomena inside.[3] See Amityville Horror for the fuller account of the case and the evidence supporting its fabrication.
See also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "9 Fascinating Facts About Jay Anson's 'The Amityville Horror'."Mental Floss.2022.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 "Vintage WD: Jay Anson, The Man Who Wrote The Amityville Horror."Writer's Digest.2020.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 "Exploring: Amityville."B&S About Movies.2025.
- ↑ "Amityville Hoax."Psi Encyclopedia (Society for Psychical Research).
External links
- Buy on Amazon (Amazon Associates affiliate link — purchases made through this link help fund The EERIE Files)