What's the scariest book you've ever read?

I liked IT very much, but the silly ending (involving the insect) put me off it and made it much less scary.

Haunted is the only book of James Heberts that I found scary. Though it's been a while since I read it.

Agreeing with Pet Sematary [sic] It's really quite thought provoking actually. And, of course, Woman in Black. The TV versions don't come close.

M R James Oh, Whistle and I'll Come to you, My Lad.

Thanks, TheEyes, I've just had Melmoth the Wanderer delivered to my Kindle

Oh god that muncaster cathedral one-just had to google it to make sure it was what I remembered! Horrible story, really scary. I also read it as a teenager.

Woman in black is horrid and the MR James ghost stories are terrifying, I can't read them at all now!

The Wheatstone Pond by Robert Westall. Actually marketed as a YA - scared the absolute crap out of me. Also the Stones of Muncaster Cathedral (the title story of a collection of short stories by Robert Westall).

I remember reading Salem's Lot as a young teen and being very scared indeed.

IT. I'm with you OP.
I read it too young and then saw the movie on TV.

I have a huge fear of clowns and even pictures of three balloons together bring me out in a cold sweat. I'm giving myself the willies just thinking about it. And the shivers.

I have just read the plot of Gerald's game and parts of it seem very different to what I recall. How strange.

I used to read and reread a book by James Herbert I think. The cottage?

IT is still the only book that has ever made me jump.

Pet Semetary really, really creeped me out as a teen. I keep thinking I want to reread it as an adult, but actually I think now I have children I would find it awful - which also happened with Cujo.

Is that it? See, I am not a SK fan at all but that one really sticks in my head. There was a particularly silly bit in the middle (won't plot spoil! ) but I liked the psychological bit.

I prefer crime stuff - still dead scary but not paranormal.

Gerald's Game - one of SK's silliest. :)

I used to read a lot of supernatural books when I was younger - so many that they have all melded into one

I do remember a Stephen king one though but I can't remember the title. A woman is in a very isolated cabin with her husband. He likes kinky sex and has her handcuffed to the bed. She gets disgusted by him, knees him in the goolies and kills him. It is then just her in this cabin handcuffed to the bed. It made my stomach flip for many years thinking about it.

I think Mo Hayder's books are just horrible, sickening and not very well written.
Never Let Me Go was a book that I found very unsettling, not scary exactly, but gave me a kind of chill. It stayed with me for weeks.
Thomas Slemen writes good "true" stories. Some of those have been very frightening.
MR James - brilliantly spooky reads. I re-read every couple of years, on winters nights.
I actually enjoy being spooked !

M R James ghost stories are absolutely terrifying without a hint of gore.
That "Adams" book was horrible. Years ago I took it down from the shelf in our local library,decided I wouldn't get it out but flicked to the last chapter to skim-read the end. Stupid mistake. I actually felt sick and thought I was going to pass out. It wasn't scary,just vile.

Another vote for Dracula. Only book that has ever actually scared me.

Another vote for The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters

Mo Hayder didn't scare me. I just didn't think she was a v good writer. I read two and decided that was probably one too many.

That's it Thurlow! I remember throwing the book across the room at one point
I might read it again actually to see if it's as scarey as I remember.

Don't read scary books, but No Exit makes me cry and get properly spooked. I hate it, it gets really creepy in the end.

As a child LOADS of books frightened me. I used to read terrible John Saul novels when I was far too young. Most unsuitable for an 11 year old, I don't think my parents really noticed.

As an adult it has to be Wild Swans. The cultural revolution was real, and utterly terrifying. I simply cannot imagine the fear of living in such a situation

oh I read the Adam's on. horrible, read the whole of it, bleurgh

Pet Semetery was scary too, think I was 15 reading it, found it freaky

The Midwitch Cuckoos.
Found it very disturbing.

I know I keep mentioning it - but Melmoth the Wanderer. I've read everything scary from Rats and The Omen and The Stand to American Psycho and The Naked Lunch, and nothing -.no film, no book, no TV series - has ever seemed so utterly depraved and chilling. More than once the words on the page were so vivid and disturbing I had to cover them with my hand

It was written in 1810. BY A VICAR.