A chilling novel based on the real-life claims that gripped the nation, The Amityville Horror by Jay Anson is the story of an American dream turned into a nightmare beyond imagining.
In November 1974, Ronald DeFeo, Jr. shot and killed six members of his family—his parents, brothers and sisters—at 112 Ocean Avenue, a large Dutch Colonial house situated in the suburban neighborhood of Amityville on the south shore of Long Island. The house remained vacant until December 1975 when the Lutz family first laid eyes on the residence. With its unique architecture, five bedrooms, a swimming pool and a boat house, the property was listed at the bargain price of $80,000. George and Kathy Lutz, along with their three children, believed they had found their dream home. The psychic phenomena that followed created the most terrifying experience they would ever encounter, forcing them to flee the house after just 28 days, convinced it was possessed by evil spirits.
Written by Jay Anson and published in 1977, The Amityville Horror follows the terrifying 28 days the Lutz family resided at 112 Ocean Avenue. The book is written in the style of true crime, laying out the facts as they were told to the author via 45 hours of recorded audiotape. Their fantastic story made for an unforgettable book of gripping suspense that stunned the country. The book swiftly hit the bestseller lists and remained there for 42 weeks. A reviewer for the Los Angeles Times called it, “the scariest story I have read in years…a frightening and fascinating book.” By 1981, the book had gone through 37 printings and sold over 6.5 million copies.
This limited edition of The Amityville Horror includes floor plans of the house at 112 Ocean Avenue adapted by Maxime Plasse. Also included is an exclusive new introduction by Laura DiDio, the first local reporter to cover the story, featuring her own true account of what she and her crew experienced upon visiting the house after the Lutz’s fled, and an exclusive new afterword providing a wealth of historical context by Eric Walter, the director of the documentary, My Amityville Horror.
In 1979, The Amityville Horror was adapted into a film starring James Brolin and Margot Kidder. The movie was the second highest grossing film of the year and would lead to a franchise of nearly a dozen films, solidifying the story as a cultural phenomenon.
