The Haunting of Hill House

I am ashamed it took me until 2023 to finally get to Shirley Jackson’s longer works, but I am so glad I finally took the plunge. Eleanor is perhaps one of the most fascinating protagonists—from the get-go, her anxious manner and hyperactive mind spin the reader along with hardly a moment for reflection. ¬The Haunting of Hill House is atmospheric in every sense of the word—from the moment you arrive to the house, the story draws you in as if you were one of the guests. Few books can get it so perfectly right.

The characters were surprisingly nuanced and well-defined—none felt like a caricature or repetitive. Of course, Eleanor steals the show, but her relationships with the other guests and even the professor are worth noting; Jackson does a great service here by rendering these interaction with the complexity they deserve. All of this, of course, serves to not only illustrate the characters’ foibles, but also to demonstrate the character of the house itself.

Jackson’s writing is also fast-paced and lacks for nothing; it also does not dwell on itself overly much. You can tell that each sentence, perhaps even each word, has been crafted precisely with a specific purpose in mind. Thus, the novel comes together seeming both crafted but also watertight in its logic. I truly enjoyed reading this, even though at times the plot could drag a little bit—especially towards the end. Some of the wonderment of the house’s atmosphere and suspense has worn off, and there are a few turns in the narrative that didn’t make as much sense. But, all in all, I was pleasantly surprised by this book (and forgive me if I did not give Jackson proper credit to begin with).

 [a:Shirley Jackson|13388|Shirley Jackson|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1550251468p2/13388.jpg]'s 1959 [b:The Haunting of Hill House|89717|The Haunting of Hill House|Shirley Jackson|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1327871336l/89717.SY75.jpg|3627] is, I read someplace, the book that made [a:Steven King|1857672|Steven King|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png] want to write in the horror genre.
 If you're like nearly everyone, you know of Jackson through her haunting story The Lottery, which is as compelling a read the second, third, and fourth time you read it as it was the first.
 Like The Lottery, The Haunting of Hill House might require a second reading by me. There was too much else going on beside its ghost story elements for me to grasp it. It's at a literary level at least as high as [a:Sylvia Plath|4379|Sylvia Plath|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1613135175p2/4379.jpg]'s [b:The Bell Jar|6514|The Bell Jar|Sylvia Plath|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1554582218l/6514.SY75.jpg|1385044].

 They were standing by the rail of the veranda; from there they could see down the drive to the point where it turned among the trees again, and down over the soft curve of the hills to the distant small line which might have been the main highway, the road back to the cities from which they had come. Except for the wires which ran to the house from a spot among the trees, there was no evidence that Hill House belonged in any way to the rest of the world. Eleanor turned and followed the veranda; it went, apparently, all around the house. "Oh, look," she said, turning the corner.
 Behind the house the hills were piled in great pressing masses, flooded with summer green now, rich and still.

6:09

is it bad if i felt a LOT like Eleanor while reading this? i think i'll need to stay away from haunted houses. it was a good book, it was a bit hard for me to understand at times. im a bit simple. 

For a book as short as this was, I struggled to get through it, mostly due to lack of interest. I don't even really have it in me to type up as long as a review as I typically do. I guess my expectations going into it were too high because I'd frequently seen it hyped up as a must-read classic of the genre. What I got instead was a genuinely creepy house that was struggling (and failing) to be noticed by the strangest cast of characters I've come across in a while.

This book was written in the late 1950's and it definitely felt dated in content and style. The characters felt strange and inconsistent, the dialogue did not sound anything at all how real-world conversations flow, and any time something supernatural happened there was a collective shrug and a sense of "that was weird... anyway..." None of these characters behaved in a way that made any sense, and if that was the point, if the house they were all staying at was meant to have some corrupting or evil presence that made people go insane, it wasn't explained well and it didn't seem to have a point. Honestly the house itself was my favorite part of the book; it was carefully and lovingly described and ended up being more interesting than the characters who were staying in it.

Interesting setup and premise, kind of a let-down in execution. I'd be hard-pressed to recommend this one unfortunately.

No live organism can continue for long to exist sanely under conditions of absolute reality; even larks and katydids are supposed, by some, to dream. Hill House, not sane, stood by itself against its hills, holding darkness within; it had stood so for eighty years and might stand for eighty more. Within, walls continued upright, bricks met neatly, floors were firm, and doors were sensibly shut; silence lay steadily against the wood and stone of Hill House, and whatever walked there, walked alone."

Thus begins [a:Shirley Jackson|13388|Shirley Jackson|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1550251468p2/13388.jpg]'s classic story. Already the tendrils of Hill House have been extended, and it is for you to be ensnared over the next 200- odd pages. The protagonists are Eleanor Vance, a thirty-something woman who has looked after her mother for several years until her death, Theodora, another young woman who has had a tiff with a 'roommate', and is here for a change of scenery, and young Luke Sanderson, the nephew of the lady who owns Hill House, and its eventual heir. They have been gathered by Dr. John Montague, who is researching paranormal phenomena. Eleanor and Theodora have both been chosen (or rather, were the only two who responded to Dr. Montague's invitations; sent out to a dozen-odd people) for their involvement in paranormal psychic phenomena at some point in their lives - Eleanor has experience with poltergeist manifestations, and Theodora has shown herself capable of telepathic ability. Luke is a mandated presence by the aunt - Dr. Montague is unable to rent the house without Luke being present.

The four constitute a rag-tag group who, Dr. Montague hopes, will get to the bottom of Hill House's mysteries. Hill House has purportedly been haunted for several years, and residents of the nearby village have stoked the flames of gossip and intrigue, until it is decided with absolute certainty that Hill House is haunted.

Eventually, one realises that this story is about Eleanor. Jackson draws this group together, but it is really Eleanor who carries the story through. Hill House molds itself to her, and for someone such as her, who has never had a house of her own, Hill House presents the possibility of 'home'.

There have been various explanations floated by people regarding what the story is about - for some, it is classic horror, for others, an exploration into the psyche of Eleanor (who at times sees and experiences things the others do not). What exactly is the deep dark secret that Hill House holds?

Something not overtly mentioned, and yet very visible in these pages, is the theme of same-sex love. Of the two sisters who originally inherited the house, the elderly Miss Crain (daughter of Hugh, he who built this house) takes a female 'companion' from the village to live with her in the house. The younger sister never does accept the companion as family, and eventually, even though the companion inherits the house, she is ostracised from society. This leads her to commit suicide in the house, which understandably becomes the custodian of this deep secret. It is this which haunts Hill House, in my opinion - a same-sex relationship that was never accepted by family and society, and it is this which is really what the story is about.

It is given to understand that Theodora has had a lovers' tiff, and Eleanor perceives this as an opportunity to perhaps move in with her at some point, setting up a home together. Theo flatly rebuffs Eleanor, who is by now perhaps unhinged; all her life, she has been devoted to her mother, and has never lived for herself, and this fleeting chance at love blinks out and disappears before it has the chance to manifest into something more substantial.

'Journeys end in lovers meeting' is Eleanor's constant refrain, and it is only to be supposed that, having met a lover, the journey must end. Jackson skillfully manoeuvres Eleanor's journey from newfound freedom to newfound love to newfound rejection, juxtaposed against the frightful happenings at Hill House, which are tormenting everyone (Mrs. Montague and Arthur are late entrants into this motley group, perhaps less unfazed by events than the others)

Things come to a head and Eleanor is asked to leave, by the same Doctor who had once invited her there. But Hill House will not let go of her easily, Eleanor knows, it will keep her close, it will be her home. The finale, when it does come about, is shocking beyond belief.

And through all this, Hill House stands strong, unshakeable, and brooding as ever.