Hell House isn't exactly scary, but feels more like a fun 70's B-movie. There's poltergeist activity, spiritualism and some weird sexy stuff! It's all a bit silly and convoluted, maybe a touch too preachy, but it was a fun read. 

I really love a spooky story about a grandiose old gothic mansion, and this had just enough of that to keep me interested. The characters, however, felt wooden and the women especially felt a bit one-note for me. Not to mention the sexualization of those female characters felt like it was torn from the diary of a teenage boy. All in all I had fun with it but I'm not sure it deserves the status of "one of the scariest books ever".