The Most Horrible Story

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Jakes, John, 1932-

Contributor:

Terry, W. E., 1921-1992

Language:

English

Physical Description:

1 online resource : multiple file formats

Place of Publication:

Salt Lake City, UT : Project Gutenberg,

Summary:

"The Most Horrible Story" by John W. Jakes is a short horror fiction piece written in the early 1950s. The narrative revolves around a protagonist named James Thompson, who is lured into a mysterious Horror Book Club, promising readers an unparalleled tale of horror. The story cleverly exploits themes of obsession and the nature of horror itself. As Thompson becomes a member of the club, he finds himself in a chilling reading room where he is presented with a book bound in human skin. Curiosity leads him to read the titular story, which is shockingly brief, yet profoundly unsettling: "You're dead." His experience rapidly transforms from intrigue to despair as he discovers the inescapable nature of the book's horror. Each rereading intensifies his psychological torment, trapping him in a cycle of horror and madness, ultimately leaving him in a horrifying existential crisis as he alternates between screaming and reading. The story serves as a haunting commentary on the effects of consuming horror and the thin line between fascination and fear. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Credits:

Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net

Notes:

Reading ease score: 88.7 (6th grade). Easy to read.

Release date is 2021-06-29