Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark

In the book’s Preface (and title), the author stresses that he intended Scary Stories to be told, not read in private. Discuss how reading horror stories like these aloud might lend them a certain richness and impact that a solitary reading may lack.

Some of the “jump stories” use repetition (of words, rhythms, and phrases) while building to a climax. How does this set the stage for the stories’ jump scares? Cite examples.

The story “The Thing” features an apparition whose behavior is markedly different from that of the book’s other ghosts and menaces. What is the reason for this? Compare and contrast.