Book description
The bestselling, National Book Award–finalist novel that inspired Charles Laughton’s expressionist horror classic starring Robert Mitchum and Shelley Winters.
Two young children, Pearl and John Harper, are being raised alone by their mother in Cresap’s Landing, Ohio. Their father Ben has just been executed for killing two men in…
Why read it?
3 authors picked The Night of the Hunter as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?
I love this book because of its breathtaking suspense.
I read it years ago and remember it keeping me up at night. Because it is from a child’s point-of-view, the fears and understanding of the evil shadowing them are all the more harrowing.
I was afraid for the children, even as their shrewdness for survival kept them one step ahead of their nemesis and wanted to know what happened to them—and their benefactor—after the final page.
From Geoffrey's list on mystery thrillers about finding justice outside the law.
A rightful classic. As powerful as the film.
The novel is a haunting Southern Gothic tale set in rural West Virginia, where two children flee from a malevolent preacher turned serial killer. Their journey downriver becomes a tense battle of wits and survival against a man driven by dark, twisted beliefs.
The 1955 film of the same name, directed by Charles Laughton with a screenplay by James Agee, was a critical and commercial failure upon release. However, it has since gained a cult following and is now regarded as an undisputed classic of American cinema. Known for its atmospheric cinematography and Robert Mitchum's chilling performance as the antagonist,…
From Robert's list on novels that inspired cinema classics.
If you love The Night of the Hunter...
These Blue Mountains
A moving story of love, betrayal, and the enduring power of hope in the face of darkness.
German pianist Hedda Schlagel's world collapsed when her fiancé, Fritz, vanished after being sent to an enemy alien camp in the United States during the Great War. Fifteen years later, in 1932, Hedda…
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